What Has Happened to John McCain?
I don’t always agree with his viewpoint but over the years I’ve respected John McCain for his courage and his guts to speak his mind. But lately I have concerns about his judgment. His comments that he would prefer a Christian President and that the nation was founded on Christian principle were surprising. They came under attack by both Christian and Muslim groups. That’s to be expected.
The fact is that American is a largely Christian nation. But it is also a nation built on the principle of religious tolerance, and acceptance. The Senator was no doubt seeking the support of Evangelicals who have always had a tough time with his independence. Frankly, he’s too sharp to get involved in this kind of pandering, and he’s too classy to make a statement that will infuriate non-Christians.
I haved a view that is generally a minority viewpoint among the news professionals I talk to. By and large, I feel Americans want religion to be absent fro the 2008 race. Romney, Guiliani, Thompson, Clinton, Obama and Edwards have all injected religion into the contest. And now we hear from John McCain.
The only candidate who refuses to pander to religious groups is Joe Biden. It is ironic that he is also the most qualified person to be President. Although he is personally religious, Biden understands the Constitution and the desire of voters to place individual competence over personal preferences.
John McCain should take a cue from his Senate buddy and keep religious out of his campaign speeches.
I would hate to see him lose his dignity in this contest. He has done so much for his country to let that happen.
I don’t believe that Mitt Romney has brought up religion at all. I think it has been forced upon him by the media, the religious right and the other canidates. Do some searching for yourself and see if what I propose is correct. Be fair
Thank you,
I don’t think Fred Thompson has brought it up, either. He was asked about it several times and James Dobson made some derogatory comments about Thompson, but Fred himself has not brought up the issue.
A President is not required to be a Christian and as I see it, saying he or she has to be goes against the Judeo-Christian principles on which our country was founded. I’d have to ask Senator McCain if he objected to the previous Presidential candidacies of Senators Specter and Lieberman, both of whom were well-qualified to be President. I hope someone will ask him that.
“It is ironic that he is also the most qualified person to be President.” Larry Kane re Joe Biden
Yeah…uh…about that Joe Biden plagerism in college…another thief and liar for Prez!
I saw an interview last week with Fred Thompson in which he said he didn’t know James Dobson and “don’t really care to.”
I’m with him on that.
Admittedly, I would prefer a President who believes in the Judeo-Christian principles that have influenced our country. However, I have a problem with religious figures on any extreme–be it Pat Robertson and James Dobson on one extreme or Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Barry Lynn on the other–mixing politics and religion. Faith and religion will obviously influence how an individual votes but that’s different from politics actually becoming one’s religion and vice versa.