Under God: Bush, Kerry, and the faith factor

A Hardball-Newsweek special report airs Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET

	President Bush has targeted conservative white evangelical voters with a specifically religious appeal. Sen. John Kerry has sought to attract socially conservative religious voters by addressing social justice and moral values, with little reference to his own Catholicism.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP file (left); Jim Bourge / Reuters file

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MSNBC.com examines the role of religion in the 2004 presidential campaign, looking in-depth at the Bush and Kerry campaigns’ strategies and religious outreach initiatives:

Part One: For George W. Bush and John Kerry, religion is a tightrope that must be walked carefully.

Part Two, Republicans: George W. Bush, searching for the right religious voters.

Related: Bush — born again, or not?

Part Three, Democrats: John Kerry, under pressure to speak out.

Related: For Kerry, silence is ingrained.

Related: A former Vatican ambassador says Catholic politicians can’t “make up [their] own rules” on abortion.

Part Four, the religious right: It may be quieter than usual, but the religious right is more powerful now than ever.

Religion and Politics Live Survey: Take the entire MSNBC.com survey.

updated 7:08 p.m. ET Sept. 22, 2004

MSNBC presents the first Hardball/Newsweek Special Report on one of the most critical factors in the 2004 Presidential election: “Under God: Bush, Kerry and the Faith Factor,” hosted by MSNBC Election Anchor and “Hardball” host Chris Matthews, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 9 p.m. ET.

“Under God: Bush, Kerry and the Faith Factor” includes a special report from Newsweek managing editor Jon Meacham on the history of religion in politics in America. NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell contributes a report on the fastest growing voting bloc in the United States, Arab-Americans. “Hardball” correspondent David Shuster reports on the reliance of both the Bush and Kerry campaigns on churches and religious organizations to help them get out the vote. MSNBC's Chris Jansing looks at what the religious divide has to do with the polls.

Meacham and Mitchell will serve as guest panelists on Monday’s telecast, along with guests Father Andrew Greeley, a Catholic priest and author, Rev. Richard Land, President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo.

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In addition to his work on MSNBC, Matthews hosts “The Chris Matthews Show,” a syndicated weekly news program produced by NBC News and distributed by NBC Universal Television Distribution. Mr. Matthews is also a frequent commentator on NBC’s “Today” and has reported for NBC’s “Dateline.”