Leave it to The New York Times to ask John McCain point blank about his Christian faith. Read below from his interview this past week:
Q: Do you consider yourself an evangelical Christian?
Mr. McCain: I consider myself a Christian. I attend church, my faith has sustained me in very difficult times. But I think it depends on what you call a quote evangelical Christian. Because there are some people who may not share my views on – I mean, that covers a lot of ground. But I certainly consider myself a Christian.
Q: How often do you go to church?
Mr. McCain: Um, not as often as I should. When Cindy and I are in Phoenix, we attend. We’ve been fortunate enough the last few weeks to be in Phoenix. During the primary before that we were not back in Phoenix much so – again, not as frequently as I would like. I do appreciate the pastor of the North Phoenix Baptist Church, his name is Dan Neary (SP), and I talk to him frequently on the phone and I appreciate his spiritual guidance. He’s a great believer in redemption
When will John McCain talk more extensively about his faith? It’s certainly not a requirement for public office but people close to McCain tell me he really has more to offer in this area but he’s “old school”. He keeps it to himself. That’s fine but people tend to vote not just on issues but a personal connection too. Evangelicals want to enter into that territory with McCain. Is McCain willing to let his guard down?