A new religious frontier?

In 1960, John F. Kennedy paved a path for future presidential candidates by becoming the first and only non-Protestant president in American history. Now, 43 years later, Senator Joe Lieberman is following the same enterprise as the first Jewish presidential candidate ever.\nSen. Lieberman (D-CT), who was also the first ever Jewish vice presidential candidate, announced Jan. 13 his decision to run for president in 2004. \nJust as Kennedy's Catholic faith became a controversy in the 1960 presidential election, analysts today are discussing Lieberman's Orthodox Jewish faith as an issue in his election campaign and for voters in the upcoming election in 2004.\nChristine Barbour, professor of American politics in the political science department at IU, doesn't view Lieberman's strong faith as a very big issue.\n"I don't think most people have any problem with his religion per se," Barbour said. "But Lieberman brings an added dimension in that he is very public about his faith."\nBarbour said if Lieberman won the Democratic presidential nomination, "it will be fun to watch (the candidates) try to outdo each other in depth of faith since both have shown a real propensity to use their religions in public settings."\nBarbour, however, is uncertain as to how the voter population will view Lieberman's strong faith.\n"For those who believe faith is a private thing and should be separated from affairs of state, this might be a sticking point," she said.\nSenior Daniel O'Neill, president of the IU College Democrats, shares Barbour's uncertainty.\n"I think Lieberman's religion will definitely affect voters in both positive and negative ways," O'Neill said. "There will be people who vote for him and not vote for him because of his religion."\nDespite the controversy over Lieberman's religion, O'Neill stresses this is not the most important issue on the table for the Democratic presidential nomination in the upcoming election.\n"The main issue for Democrats in this presidential primary election is who they believe will be able to knock (President) Bush out of office," O'Neill said. "But from a historical standpoint, I think Lieberman's decision to run is a great one."\nDavid Weisz, the program director of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center, shares O'Neill's optimism.\n"I think it's great that it's even possible for someone of a minority religion to run for president, and to do so in a major political party," Weisz said. "I don't think it's just a Jewish thing."\nAs a concerned citizen, Weisz said he wishes voters could see Lieberman as just a Democratic candidate rather than a Jewish candidate.\n"There are people who have strange reasons for voting for a candidate," Weisz said, "but people still feel a sense pride within their religion. But one hopes that you can separate that pride from political decisions."\nWeisz said he doesn't know how the Jewish community would be affected if Lieberman is elected as president in 2004.\n"I don't know how much effect it would have on the Jewish community," Weisz said. "The Methodist community hasn't been revolutionized because Bush was elected."\nSenators John Kerry of Massachusetts, John Edwards of North Carolina, and House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri are among three other top contenders for the presidential nominations.