Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and a popular California pastor, will be talking with presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama today in a forum broadcast on CNN.
The network's web page has this story which attempts to both advance the forum and provide some context on why it is happening.
I found the headline "McCain, Obama to face off with popular pastor" kind of odd, both because they are not going together against Warren and because "face off" is unusual wording for the discussion that the story describes.
The fact that CNN is carrying the event is significant, and belies the role that religion is expected to play in this election.
The story gives some reasons why religion might be a significant issue.
My favorite part was when the reporter apparently asked Warren how evangelicals vote, and he declines to answer, noting that evangelicals are not a monolithic bloc.
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Warren is correct about evangelicals not being a monolithic voting block. However, subtlety and nuance don't make for good headlines.
So if the media starts to consider Warren as the new spokesperson for evangelicalism, I won't object. I would far rather have them choose Warren as a poster boy than James Dobson or any of his right-wing-nut cronies.
FWIW, here is my take on the importance of tonight's forum: Saddleback Civil Forum Rebukes Uncivil Evangelicalism.
If as a result of this forum Rick Warren's brand of evangelicalism gains credibility with the media as a representative view, then the forum will have been a great success, no matter what the outcome for the candidates.
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