Is There too Much God in Politics?

Nov. 27, 2007 — -- With just five weeks left before the first vote in the Iowa caucases, the candidates are pulling out all the stops.

Some Democrats are calling in the "glamour guns" — Oprah Winfrey will be stumping for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former President Clinton for his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Meanwhile, the Republican debate is heating up over religious credentials, as Gov. Mike Huckabee puts out a new ad calling himself a "Christian leader" and "authentic conservative."

Gingrich Bets on Obama

The latest ABC News/Washington Post Democratic preference poll in Iowa shows Obama at 30 percent and Clinton at 26 percent . Obama's campaign is expecting a boost from Winfrey's upcoming visit on Dec. 8 and 9, while Clinton's campaign Republicanan brought the former president in today to help close the gap.

Comparing the star power and energy between the two candidates, Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich placed his bet on Obama. "My guess is Senator Obama's going to win all of them and that he's going to win by a surprising margin," he said today on "Good Morning America."

One reason Gingrich gave for Obama's advantage was that people trust Winfrey. "I think Oprah Winfrey is a remarkable figure...there are millions of people who trust her judgment."

Because Jan. 3 is also the night of the Orange Bowl college football game, Gingrich predicted that it will take more of an emotional appeal to bring voters out than perhaps Clinton is inspiring right now.

Despite praising her campaign as "a tremendous machine" Gingrich said that because Obama represents "new ideas" he could have more of an impact on voters.

"I have a hunch that the emotional energy that Senator Obama's building is more powerful than the emotional energy Clinton's building," Gingrich said.

Too Much Emphasis on Religious Faith?

On the Republican side, the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll finds former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney in the lead with 28 percent, and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in a surprise second place with 24 percent.

Huckabee's campaign recently put out a new ad called "Believe" declaring him a "Christian leader" and an "authentic conservative." "Faith doesn't just really influence me, it defines me," Huckabee has said.

But in a Wall Street Journal column from this past weekend, journalist Peggy Noonan said that too much emphasis is placed on politicians' religious faith today versus 40 years ago. "No one cared, really, that Richard Nixon was a Quaker," she wrote, and pointed out that "barely anyone knew that Lyndon Johnson was member of the Disciples of Christ."

Asked if Huckabee's strategy could backfire, Gingrich said the former Baptist minister is trying to send a strong signal to the Christian base who share his beliefs to boost his place in the polls.

"He's trying to come out of nowhere with no money, and he's trying to emerge as a genuine contender," said Gingrich. "It's really two messages… he is a formerly Baptist minister and not running in New York state."

The Noonan article didn't surprise Gingrich. "You're in a country where the courts are against any religion in public for the last 40 years," he said. "A greater number of people are willing to say you shouldn't say the word Christmas."

In fact, Gingrich finds the trend of religious awareness in politics heartening. His recent book, "Rediscovering God in America," begins with the statement, "There is no attack on American culture more deadly and more historically dishonest than the secular effort to drive God out of America's public life."