Alternative Faith-Based Voter Guide

From the Associated Press:

Redeem the Vote, a Montgomery-based group that registered thousands of religious voters in 2004, plans to distribute what it calls an “alternative voter guide” on races for statewide offices and the Legislature.

It will list candidates’ responses to a questionnaire about issues of faith, rather than highlighting their responses to hot button issues like taxes.

I know that some legislators are people of faith who are frustrated by surveys circulated by the Organization Formerly Known As the Christian Coalition of Alabama. An objection to such surveys is that by only allowing for one word answers, narrow assumptions are made about what is or is not a Christian response.

Redeem the Vote’s questionnaire asks candidates about where they go to church, their favorite Bible verse, how they will publicly acknowledge their faith, and what role their faith will pay in formulating public policy.

They can give explanations rather than using one word answers like the Christian Coalition of Alabama required.

If we are going to inject the candidates’ faith into the discussion via a questionnaire, I understand the desire to have one that allows for the expression of more of the breadth and depth of candidates’ religious experiences and backgrounds.

“… [A] voter guide that gives a real glimpse into the heart and decision-making process of a candidate is a truer and fairer measurement of a candidate’s moral position,” [Redeem the Vote] founder, Dr. Randy Brinson, said.

State Republican Party Chairman Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh responds by objecting to the messenger, not the message, and “calls Brinson ‘a Democrat propaganda machine.’” This despite the fact that “two years ago, Randy Brinson and his group Redeem the Vote helped ‘President Bush by registering 100,000 voters nationwide through concerts by Christian music acts and other events.’” She is “encouraging Republican candidates not to respond to the questionnaire.”