Suddenly, Howard Dean’s interest in integrating religious rhetoric into his campaign is all-the-rage with political reporters, leading to two major articles over the weekend in the Washington Post and the New York Times.
The issue also came up in yesterday’s debate in Iowa. Dean defended his sudden inclusion of religious rhetoric, saying, “I have to be comfortable in the milieu that other Americans are comfortable.” He added, “I think any columnist who questions my belief is over the line.”
I think that’s fair. If journalists want to explore how and why Dean shifted from a candidate that avoided religion to a candidate who embraces faith on the stump, that’s a perfectly legitimate area of inquiry. That said, it would be unfair of reporters to question Dean’s commitment to his religious beliefs, because frankly, that’s no one’s business but his own.
But there’s one other area of this that I think should be off limits: the faith of Dean’s spouse and kids.
Dr. Judith Steinberg, Dean’s wife, is Jewish, as are their two children. What relevance should this have in the campaign? Absolutely none. Unfortunately, some of Dean’s more ultra-right critics disagree.
Matt Grills, a writer for a far-right website called Opinion Editorials, has accused Dean of celebrating the “wrong” Jesus.
“Howard Dean has joined that elite pool of politicians who use Jesus as a prop on the presidential campaign trail,” Grills wrote. He added, “Dean’s comments place him squarely in the ‘Jesus of convenience’ camp. His wife and children are Jewish. Cool. But I have to wonder: if Howie’s faith in Jesus Christ is so important to him, why didn’t he marry someone with the same faith? Why didn’t he insist on raising his children in that faith? Say it with me, on three: because what faith Howard Dean has in Jesus isn’t central to his life.”
Before you dismiss this as a bizarre rant from a writer with a small online audience, consider the fact that Cal Thomas, a nationally syndicated columnist, wrote a similar column last week.
“Dean is from a Congregationalist background, a liberal denomination that does not believe in ministerial authority or church hierarchy,” Thomas wrote with his sneering tone. “Each Congregationalist believes he is in direct contact with God and is entitled to sort out truth for himself.” Thomas went on to say, “Dean’s wife is Jewish and his two children are being raised Jewish, which is strange at best, considering the two faiths take a distinctly different view of Jesus.”
Regular readers know that I’m not Dean’s biggest fan, but attacks like these are insane, no matter who they’re directed towards.
If you want to criticize Dean for using religion as a ploy to get votes in the South, fine. Clearly, there’s been a shift in his campaign’s approach to this issue of late.
But please don’t question Dean because of the faith of his wife and kids and argue that Dean can’t be true to his Christian beliefs because he’s married to a Jewish woman. This is infuriating, it’s anti-Semetic, and it has no place in our political discourse.