Truthdig takes exception to Obama’s speech

The Illinois senator chastised his colleagues for leaving the evangelicals to the Republicans.

Electorally, he may be correct, but no self-respecting progressive should be fooled. On the whole, evangelicals are the most regressive people in the country. Just look at the hatred and intolerance they?ve made central to the Republican Party.

No, I don’t think this is representative of that many Democrats, but it isn’t the first time I’ve heard such things. I tend to agree with Stoller and Atrios that the stereotype is stupid, but also think, like Obama, that Democrats are at least tone deaf in relation to faith at times.

What’s odd about it to me, was outside of Normal, the first real evangelical contact I had was with leftist missionaries in Nicaragua who made me look like McCarthy. The basic problem is understanding the language. Evangelical is often related to conservative political positions, but the real meaning of it is related to being a Protestant more than anything. Usually people use it to mean the individual or institution also believes in personal salvation and reaching out to others to help them do so. I tend to not use it because I think being a Christian says the same thing. I don’t think others who do use the term to describe themselves are wrong, I just don’t think it adds that much.

While people who identify themselves as evangelical are statistically politically conservative, that does not mean all evangelicals are or that an overwhelming number are–in fact, I believe most data show a plurality are moderate.

This is very different from fundamentalists who hold very specific tenets about faith and that almost inevitably leads to conservative views politically.