
By: Robin Murray-o'hair
Re: Specter Presidential Bid

SPECTER PRESIDENTIAL BID A NEW TWIST IN THE RELIGIOUS-POLITICAL
DEBATE

Sen. Arlen Specter, a Jew, Draws Hate Mail, Threats and the
Criticism of the Fundamentalist Right. His Candidacy Adds a New
Dimension to the Debate Over Religion and Politics.

by Conrad F. Goeringer

     Some people are asking: Is the country ready to elect a
Jewish president? We haven't had a woman or Black hold the
nation's highest office yet, but Pennsylvania Senator Arlen
Specter may be the first Jew to occupy the White House.

     Dream on, say some pundits and pollsters. Specter faces a
long, uphill battle just for the GOP nomination, which seems
certain to land in the hands of either Bob Dole or Phil Gramm.
Then there's Bill Clinton, who enjoys a lead over the two
heavyweight Republican contenders.

     But Specter's candidacy has stirred up the debate over the
role of religion in politics, especially within the GOP. While
both Senators Dole and Gramm have been busy courting the
fundamentalist right wing of the party and such groups as the
Christian Coalition, Specter has been "butting heads" with them
according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. And, say observers, his
biggest obstacle isn't that he happens to be Jewish, but that he
takes numerous political positions opposite those of the
evangelicals.  Some of the Jewish groups don't like Specter
either; he has opposed gun-control legislation and, strangely,
supported Clarence Thomas for the U.S. Supreme Court, stances
which Jewish organizations found anathema.  But his stance as a
moderate-liberal, especially on social issues, has left him
nearly alone in criticizing what he terms "religious extremists"
within the Republican party. He has been particularly vociferous
in opposing Pat Robertson and Ralph Reed of the Christian
Coalition. During a state GOP convention last summer in Des
Moines, Iowa, he was booed loudly by religious conservatives when
he emphasized the need to defend state/church separation. And
Specter has taken progressive stances on women's rights, gay
rights, and abortion.

     Arlen Specter, though, has been known to use religion as a
weapon himself. In 1992, he was running for reelection against
Lynn Yeakel. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer (5/9),
"Specter and his supporters questioned the propriety of a
conference convened in Yeakel's Main Line church that was
critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Yeakel and her
pastor spent many hours defending themselves against suggestions
of anti-Semitism." Was Yeakel using anti-zionism as a political
tool? Was Specter guilty of crying "anti-Semitism" too soon?

     Specter's candidacy is seen by some observers as a replay of
the issues which dogged John Kennedy, a Catholic, in his quest
for the presidency in 1960. During his campaign against Richard
Nixon, Kennedy underscored his commitment and managed to hang
onto important states in the largely Protestant, Dixiecrat South.
There were repeated questions concerning the ability of a Roman
Catholic to place national interest ahead of religious allegiance
to the pope.

     Arlen Specter's presidential bid, though, comes 35 years
later in a somewhat more pluralistic society. Specter's campaign
chairman Roger Stone says that 65 percent of the candidate's war
chest is coming from Jewish sources when direct mail is used. But
there is a definite split among Jewish voters, much of it due to
Specter's independent political views.

     Despite his defense of state/church separation, Specter is
still doing all he can to advertise his own religious
credentials. Religious belief still remains a necessary character
attribute in the public imagination if someone is to run for
president and win. Still, a lot of people are upset that at least
one White House hopeful isn't a Christian.

     What would they say if an Atheist decided to run?

 * WCE 2.0/2394 * Dial-THE-Atheist (512) 458-5731
