"Emphasizing her own Christian faith and quoting... from the Bible," Hillary woos evangelicals

[ClarkUSA]

LAKE FOREST, California (Reuters) - Emphasizing her own Christian faith and quoting frequently from the Bible, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton wooed a U.S. evangelical conference on AIDS on Thursday with a pledge to fight the global pandemic together.

Clinton was the only one of six invited presidential candidates to attend a meeting on the role of the evangelical church in fighting AIDS, hosted by the influential Saddleback Valley Community Church in Southern California.

"I know the power of faith and of people of faith," Clinton said to warm applause. "Together I believe we can write the next chapter in this history. It is a proud and grace-filled history."

Clinton won a standing ovation from the audience of some 1,500 Christian pastors, nongovernmental groups and church members, despite opposition in some parts of America's 60 million strong evangelical community to her presence because of her support of abortion and gay rights... Said Saddleback member Christie Mayles afterward: "I wish I could have met her afterward. She is my new hero."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071130/pl_nm/aids_evangelicals_dc

[krabigirl]

1. ugh...

[paulk]

19. yeah, fighting AIDS really sucks

especially when it's evangelicals.

[Olney Blue]

2. I don't feel comfortable with this religious talk, but at least Hillary

seems to be sincere about it.

[Dhalgren]

3. The shortest distance between two points? A triangle...

[Kutjara]

4. Kowtowing to the fundie nutjobs.

It's the American Way.

[madeline_con]

6. The not so funny thing is, they always start in about

homos and babykillers. How Christian of them! :eyes:

[Kutjara]

7. Oh yes, it's all about love thy neighbor...

...as long as thy neighbor is a carbon-copy of thyself. Otherwise it's smite, smite, smite all the livelong day.

[ilovesunshine]

5. Clinton woos evangelicals at AIDS conference.

"Democrats Barack Obama and John Edwards and Republicans John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney sent short policy statements to the conference by video.

Clinton spoke of her upbringing in the Methodist church and pledged to spend $50 billion on treatment, prevention and care for global HIV/AIDS by 2013 if she is elected president.

"For many of us, the golden rule calls on us to act. Not only can we now talk about AIDS in church, but the Church is leading the way," she said of Saddleback's efforts."

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She's obviously a religious person, so what.

[David Zephyr]

8. Saddleback also had Obama there. This was a good move by Hillary.

I'm glad that Democrats are stepping up to the more tolerant among evangelicals. Saddleback is just such a group.

I've got to give Hillary -- and Obama earlier -- credit here.

This is a good thing.

[whistle]

9. Go for it Hillary if you can get them to vote democratic, that's great!

[goodgd_yall]

10. Sounds like a decent evangelical group

If she had to do it for votes, at least she chose a group that is fighting AIDS.

[AtomicKitten]

11. my thoughts on this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3770533&mesg_id=3773136

[polichick]

12. As much as I appreciate the two of them trying to show that...

...Democrats are actually NOT evil ~ I don't think either Obama or Clinton are gonna get many of those votes, especially with Huckabee in the race.

imo they should pay a little more attention to the base ~ or rather, a LOT more attention.

[Cameron27]

13. I don't like it,

I wish they'd stay away from the evangelicals and religion altogether.

[denem]

14. Clinton can spit the Republican Party - but not amongst evangelicals.

She's guarding her flank here. But circumstances may break the nexus between the wider Republican Party and it's fundamentalist base. With an economic downturn, and against Huckabee, the cold hard rational calculation of businesses, professionals and the wealthy may lead an exodus. I don't think its a positive outcome, but it's there.

[madrchsod]

15. rick warren is not a right wing fundy or evangelical

"Dr. Rick Warren is passionate about attacking what he calls the five Global Goliaths – spiritual emptiness, egocentric leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic disease, and illiteracy."

ok for those who think spirituality has`t a place in modern society i`ll concede that to you but the rest?



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3082823&mesg_id=3083180
Democratic Underground - interesting man that rick warren

[geek tragedy]

16. Good for her. n/t

[madrchsod]

17. the methodist church which she belongs to was once considered

an evangelical church. it`s no longer commonly recognized as an evangelical church but a main stream protestant church yet there are methodist churches that use evangelical in their name. me, i`m a shout`n methodist

[maddiejoan]

18. Not having a problem with this.

Am I supposed to?

[riqster]

20. What I like is she didn't pander to haters

Like the Reep candidates do around churchy folks. Good on her.

[jefferson_dem]

21. The horror...the horror... Is she running for Preacher or President?

:shrug:

...

Isn't that how we're supposed to respond when a candidate does the "faith thing"?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

22. "grace-filled"... I hate these code-words

[NMMNG]

24. She's just speaking their language

It's necessary, you know, to (maybe)win them over to our side. Don't you want that?

[rufus dog]

23. She was in my 'hood and didn't drop by to say hi!

Damn her, I would have poured an Iced Tea for her. I think it is a good idea for her to go and a good idea for Obama to attend last year. Are there some people that attend that church that would never vote for either, yes, are there others that can be peeled off - SEE THE LIGHT! AMEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS. It is really hard to explain Saddleback, it is something you just have to see. (By the way Kerry has been there too) Warren has seemed to change a great deal over the past three years. On election eve 04 he sent out an email that was very clearly trying to influence his congregation to vote for Bush and the R's. A couple of months ago he did a complete sermon that you would have to be sleepwalking to not comprehend what he was saying. He took a mild swipe at one group for not forcefully following their beliefs, then spent twenty minutes talking about Hypocrites. It was clear he was condemning the current administration. I am still very cautions regarding Warren based upon the 04 email. But there is hope.