Debate Was a Missed Opportunity for Voters

Posted: Saturday, October 11, 2008
There was no clear winner in Tuesday night's presidential debate, but there were clear losers: America's undecided voters. It was their one chance to see Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama onstage together interacting directly with voters and spontaneously answering the questions of ordinary citizens. Instead, they heard mostly a rehash of stump speeches and claims and counter-claims already repeated ad nauseum on the campaign trail.  [Full Story]

There's Nothing Wrong With Single-Issue Politics

Posted: Sunday, October 5, 2008
Lately, my inbox has been flooded with mass e-mails soaked in religious rhetoric and urging a vote for Sen. Barack Obama. The names vary -- "Catholics United," "The Matthew 25 Network," "The Joshua Generation Project" -- but their message is the same: It's time for religious Americans to renounce single-issue voting.  [Full Story]

In Tough Times, Americans Rediscover a Forgotten Virtue

Posted: Friday, September 26, 2008
Reeling from high gas prices, home foreclosures and plans for a taxpayer-financed $700-billion bailout of faltering financial institutions, many of us are chafing at the thrift that has been thrust upon us. The prospect of paying someone else's debts is particularly irksome for Americans who did nothing to contribute to the mortgage crisis that has convulsed our economy.  [Full Story]

The Not-So-Inscrutable Reasons Behind the Sarah Surge

Posted: Friday, September 12, 2008
Sarah Palin's feisty presence in the race has reinvigorated millions of Americans who felt like outsiders in our stage-managed political process but now are enthused about a candidate who seems to understand their lives and values from the inside.  [Full Story]

Petty Attacks on Palin Could Backfire at the Ballot Box

Posted: Monday, September 8, 2008
After Clinton's history-making bid was eclipsed by Sen. Barack Obama's, it seemed that America's "highest, hardest glass ceiling," as Clinton called it, would remain intact. Then came Sen. John McCain's announcement last week that he had tapped popular Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Suddenly, Girl Power was back. Or was it?  [Full Story]

Religion's Essential Contribution to Public Life

Posted: Friday, August 29, 2008
Should religion steer clear of politics? If media commentaries about last week's Pew Research Center poll on the subject are any indication, the answer from Americans is yes. The finding has delighted many secular pundits, who see it as proof that Americans agree with their aim of shooing religious values and voices from the public square.  [Full Story]

McCain's Clarity Trumps Obama's Dexterity

Posted: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Hosted by bestselling author and evangelical pastor Rick Warren, the nationally televised Saddleback Civil Forum featured separate, hour-long interviews with the two presidential candidates. It was not a debate, but it gave voters a good idea of what to expect from this fall's general election debates.  [Full Story]

Politic Or Not, Burke Was a True Pastor

Posted: Sunday, August 17, 2008
This Sunday, Archbishop Raymond Burke will celebrate a farewell Mass at the Cathedral Basilica. If past gatherings are any measure, Burke's admirers will swarm the church for a warm send-off. His detractors, dizzy with glee since Burke announced his impending departure in June, will watch the supporters and wonder: How can they be so sorry to see him go?  [Full Story]

A Closer Look at the Pope's Environmental Message

Posted: Friday, July 25, 2008
After months of focusing on the potential cost overruns and possible crowd shortfalls of World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, journalists covering the event last week suddenly started praising Pope Benedict XVI's charms and rapport with the young. The change in attitude stemmed partly from Benedict's undeniable popularity: His closing Mass on Sunday attracted 400,000 people, the largest crowd ever assembled in Australia.  [Full Story]

Media Apply God-Talk Double Standard

Posted: Friday, July 18, 2008
For the past eight years, Americans have heard an awful lot about theocracy. The rumblings began in 2000, when Bush answered a debate query about his favorite philosopher by citing "Jesus Christ, because he changed my heart." When Obama recently trumpeted his decision to "let Jesus Christ into my life" and make "faith-based" social service a "moral center of my administration," warnings about theocracy could not be heard.  [Full Story]