Who woulda thunk it? The woman whose presidential run has driven some Christian Right activists into the arms of Rudy Giuliani appeared yesterday at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church–and received a standing ovation. The occasion was Saddleback’s annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church, and while the Orange County Register reports that all the top-tier presidential candidates were invited, only Clinton showed up.
God-o-Meter noticed how Clinton repeatedly referred to the church community as “we”:

“Twenty five years ago when people – mostly young gay men – started dying of an unnamed disease, we didn’t talk about it in church,” she said. “We’ve come a long way. Not only can we talk about AIDS in church, but churches can lead the way.”

And why not? Clinton is, by all accounts, a devoted Methodist. Her appearance at Saddleback–and the language she used–were subtle, effective ways for her to tell religious Americans: I’m one of you. Judging from Clinton’s ecstatic reception, however, many already know (though God-o-Meter must note that The Pew Research Center’s polling tells a different story).

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