Hello,

Ongoing coverage from Beliefnet’s Rod Dreher, Steven Waldman, David Gibson, Dan Gibson and other Beliefnet experts can be found at http://www.beliefnet.com <http://www.beliefnet.com/> . Highlights follow.

Thanks!

~ Sherry

The Faith Factor 2008 vs. 2004 — Exit Polls (Chart and Graphic Comparison)

Wednesday November 5, 2008

http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/11/exit-polls-the-faith-fac tor-20.html <http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/11/exit-polls-the-faith-fa ctor-20.html>

Obama and History

By: Eddie Glaude, Jr <http://blog.beliefnet.com/progressiverevival/eddie-glaude-jr/2008/11/> , William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University

History was made last evening. Americans of all colors, ages, and backgrounds came out in record numbers and elected the first African American president. I must admit that I struggle to find the words to express my joy and excitement about this moment in our nation’s history. We face so many challenges in the days ahead, but right now – remembering the sacrifices of those who have come before us – I revel in the extraordinary power of “now.” It must be noted, though, that President-elect Obama has already signaled a change in the endgame. He urged us to understand that his election does not constitute the change we seek; instead, it only marks our chance to engage in the difficult work of saving this nation. And this is a particularly poignant message for religious communities throughout the United States. We must find the courage and the strength to work on behalf of the least of these – to give voice to the voiceless and to urge a message of love in a moment in such dire need of its healing power. Read the rest of this post here: http://blog.beliefnet.com/progressiverevival/2008/11/obama-and-history.h tml

Obama Wins, Jews Got Over Obamaphobia

Wednesday November 5, 2008 – By Rabbi Brad Hirschfield

Jewish voters went with their consciences and not with their fears in selecting Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. Exit polling indicates that about 77% of the Jewish vote went to Obama <http://jta.org/news/article/2008/11/05/1000783/jews-looked-past-worries -to-embrace-obama> , which is a wonderful thing.

It’s wonderful, not because we know for certain that Obama will be a better President than John McCain would have been. We do not – though now that he is elected, we all better hope he will be at least as good. It’s wonderful because these numbers indicate that Jewish voters brought their usual voting values with them into the booth and not simply a great deal of baseless fear or racist suspicion.

The 76% is in line with past elections, indicating that Jewish voters did not change political course, despite earlier indications that they would do so in this election. It’s not that I necessarily believe Jewish values and Democratic values are more in line with each other. In fact, I believe that the tradition which I follow is bigger than can be contained within the policies of any one party, and wiser than any single candidate.

The Incredible Shrinking God Gap

Wednesday November 5, 2008 – by Steven Waldman

The final exit polls <http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/11/exit-polls-the-faith-fa ctor-20.html> pointed to a stunning conclusion: one ingredient to Obama’s victory was massive improvement among the most devoutly religious voters. Obama got 43% of weekly church-goers vs. 55% for McCain. In 2004, Bush got 61% vs. 39% for Kerry. What this means is that Bush beat Kerry by roughly 27 million among weekly churchgoers, and McCain beat Obama by only 15 million — a stunning 12 million person shift. These are rough numbers because not all the votes have been counted yet, but that has to count as one of the most dramatic of the changes. Read Waldman’s analysis of how Obama narrowed the “God Gap” here: http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/11/the-incredible-shrinking -god-g.html

Christian Reactions to Obama’s Victory

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 – by Patton Dodd

From status updates on my Facebook profile, a bird’s eye view of Christian responses last night.

Click here for Patton’s post: http://blog.beliefnet.com/textmessages/2008/11/christian-reactions-to-ob amas.html