You have to love the Washington PostÂ’s article on the upcoming elections in Maryland. Much to the paperÂ’s surprise, candidates are trying to garner a share of the black vote by visiting black churches.

The early morning breakfast gathering at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden was intended to promote economic empowerment for African Americans.

But the long roster of prominent politicians packing the small church meeting room last week signaled that the coming election season could bring parishioners something else they've been seeking: political clout.

The candidates for Maryland's open U.S. Senate seat, in particular, have turned the state's predominately black churches into a key battleground for both the primary and general elections.

"This is where you've got to be," said the Rev. Jerome Stephens, a Baltimore minister who is helping execute an outreach strategy to black churches for U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, one of a half-dozen Democrats seeking the Senate seat. "Everybody who wants statewide office knows they have to be seen in church."

Attracting the support of black voters has always been pivotal to Democratic candidates because African Americans make up roughly 40 percent of the party's primary voters. This year, these voters have also become a crucial target for the best-known Republican contender, Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.

Steele recently predicted he needs 25 percent of the black vote to prevail in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly two to one.

Aware that the best place to reach black voters is in church, Steele, Cardin and Democratic contender Kweisi Mfume have been a steady presence in the pews over the past year.

"All politicians seeking African American votes know they have to go through the churches," said Mark Clack, Mfume's communications director. "That's where the black community first received its political inspiration, and it's where the center of the community still remains."

I realize the strict-separationists don’t like it, but there are a great many American citizens whose religious beliefs under-gird their political philosophies. And not only that, but many religious Americans live lives that revolve around their place of worship – whether we are talking Evangelicals, Catholics, Jews, or Muslims. Even at my church – a small congregation affiliated with the mainline Disciples of Christ – you find activities going most nights of the week that involve a substantial percentage of the congregation. Candidates who want to meet the people where they are have to make contact with these believers – who are citizens and voters – where they are. And “where they are” is at church.

And when it comes to the African-American community, the pull of the faith –community is even stronger. The church is the bedrock of society in most black communities. It is no accident that the civil rights movement was led by men whose title was often “Reverend” rather than “Doctor” or “Esquire” – and that the premiere organization for many years was the Southern Christian Leadership Council.

So don’t be surprised, outraged, or disturbed. Such campaigning is not unusual or even new, dating back to the very beginning of American political life – and tax-code prohibitions against church involvement in politics date back less than half a century.

Posted by: Greg at 04:10 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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