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• Sunday, August 17, 2008 08:36 AM

  Evangelicals are too numerous to ignore

  Judging by some of these letters, there are some judgmental atheists out there!

  What's wrong with Obama appearing before a large Christian group? So most of the evangelicals won't vote for him. Maybe he'll convince ten per cent of them; that's millions of votes!

  Likewise, most white men aren't going to choose Obama (white men haven't voted for a Democratic candidate since 1964). But if 44 per cent of them cast ballots for Obama, he's in. Should Obama not make an effort for those votes?

  Unfortunately, presidential politics is all about making appeals to various interest groups, especially in "battleground" states, and hoping to patch together an electoral majority. No one is geting a landslide this year, and Obama's campaign isn't going to write off a big chunk of the electorate. (Evangelical Christians are given much credit for electing one of their own, Jimmy Carter, in the close 1976 election, before Reagan pulled them to the Republicans.)

  All evangelicals are not alike. Abortion is not the only issue on Christians' minds, and 35 years after Roe, many can accept the status quo. Millions of evangelicals are unhappy with the Iraq war, and the younger ones are closer to the Democrats on environmental issues.

  I thought Obama did fine, and I bet he changed more than a few hearts and minds.

  —Mr. MOR Read Mr. MOR's other letters
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