ike/Saddle Up

David Gergen epitomizes the mainstream reaction to Saturday night's "debate" between Barack Obama and John McCain at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in California.

Even the usually dependable Frank Rich appears nervous that McCain owns the general election momentum.

As with all debates, the coverage, the aftermath is more important than the event itself. In the past 72 hours, coverage has told us that McCain was direct with answers while Obama was more measured, more careful. The event has been framed as a turning point for McCain, a crucial moment when the man convinced the evangelical base that he was "one of them" on the issues that matter most.

The truth is that John McCain faces myriad problems in the changing religious community.

It is Barack Obama who is the religious candidate in this race, the only one comfortable talking about personal faith.

As my friend noted, the evangelical movement has been married to conservative politics for almost three decades. And while Obama doesn't threaten the foundation of this union, he does possess the ability to peel off some religious voters in important swing states like Iowa, Colorado and Virginia.

Can you imagine John Kerry or Al Gore appearing at an event at a place like Saddleback? It never would happen. Of course McCain drew a positive response for his ardent pro-life stance--look at a poll of his audience.

But as usual the media missed the important story: Obama's ability to communicate with religious voters will likely provide his comfortable margin of victory in November.