Candidates Plunder the Pews in Their Altar Call for Votes

Although no one realized it at the time, a defining moment of modern American politics occurred on Dec. 13, 1999.

Six Republican hopefuls met for a debate that evening at the Des Moines Civic Center. During the event, moderator John Bachman of WHO-TV asked each candidate to name his favorite political philosopher.

George W. Bush, then governor of Texas, took some observers aback when he replied, "Christ, because he changed my heart." Asked to say more, Bush responded, "When you turn your heart and your life over to Christ, when you accept Christ as the savior, it changes your heart. It changes your life. And that's what happened to me."

Several of Bush's GOP opponents were quick to add that they, too, respect and revere Jesus.

At the time, Bush's answer raised a few eyebrows and was discussed in the media for a few days. More than one commentator thought his identification of Jesus as a political philosopher was odd, but soon the media moved on.

The answer, however, turned out to have legs. It came to be viewed as a signal by Bush to many evangelical Christian voters, a way of saying "I'm one of you." They went on to back Bush heavily and stuck by him during the disputed election of 2000. Some analysts say evangelicals were pivotal to his reelection in 2004.

Since then, the "Jesus Factor" has continued to reverberate in politics. Republican presidential aspirants have been eager to tap into what is perceived to be a rich vein of votes.

At the same time, some advisers began telling Democratic candidates to be more open in discussing their faith, in the hope that they might sway some of these voters. Although Democratic hopeful John F. Kerry never seemed to warm to this advice in 2004, this year candidates such as Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama are taking it to heart. The result is even more religious talk on the stump.

Consider these recent developments:

Some candidates are even parsing doctrines related to Jesus. In one highly publicized flap, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee questioned Mormon doctrine, asking, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?" (Huckabee, a Southern Baptist preacher, later apologized to Romney.)

American campaigns, which have always had more religion in them than electoral contests in other Western democracies, now frequently sound like Bible-quoting contests.

When the media gets involved, it becomes an inquisition. During this primary season, candidates have been quizzed on how often they attend religious services, whether they believe the Bible is literally true, what sins they've committed and other faith-centric questions. They've been asked if they believe in evolution and prodded to name a favorite Bible verse.

At times, the emphasis on religion has pushed other issues into the background -- issues that many Americans tell pollsters are their top concerns, such as the state of the economy, the sub-prime loan crisis, health care and the war in Iraq.

The rhetoric, although probably stirring to some believers, may mask more than it reveals. It runs the risk of becoming simply a rhetorical flourish. Obama and Huckabee quote the same Bible, after all, yet their stands on issues -- especially contentious social issues -- are poles apart.