Hillary: "the most religious Democrat since Jimmy Carter"

toledoblade.com -- Consultant's 'tough sell' is to spotlight Hillary's faith

After sitting through 17 lectures - most of them truly informative and fascinating - over 3 1/2 days last week, the most memorable news tidbit I brought home from the Religion Newswriters Association's annual conference is this: Hillary Clinton is deeply religious.

Thankfully, I was sitting down when Burns Strider called Senator Clinton "the most religious Democrat since Jimmy Carter."

...only 16 percent of Americans consider the New York Democratic senator to be "very religious."

Mr. Strider's task, as Senator Clinton's director of faith-based operations, is to try to change the perception of Hillary among America's evangelical community - a political bloc that has been pivotal in the recent presidential elections.

Mr. Strider, an influential adviser whose previous clients included Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, and James Clyburn, joined Mrs. Clinton's campaign in December.

He acknowledged he's facing a daunting task.

"It's a tough sell; it's a challenge," he said. "I'm not denying it. But we can have a conversation."

Barack Hussein Obama, a Democrat whose faith is filled with unknowns, was barely mentioned at the conference. But according to a biographical entry on the Pew Forum's Web site (www.pewforum.org), Mr. Obama's father was a Muslim who became an atheist. His mother was raised by non-practicing Methodist and Baptist parents, and after a divorce, she married a Muslim.

While some observers are expressing concerns that religion is already getting too much attention in the 2008 election, it's an issue that voters take very seriously and one that is bound to heat up as the day of decision draws nearer

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