SNOW: Well, Wolf, we've heard the opening prayer earlier this hour at the convention. Faith-based caucuses are also on the agenda. It's part of an effort by Democrats to widen the party's tent.
SNOW: Here's something you didn't see at the last Democratic convention: a choir singing about the Lord; pastors and priests, an imam and rabbi leading an interfaith rally.
DAVID BRODY (Christian Broadcasting Network senior national correspondent): What you're seeing from the Democrats is a real effort to make sure that religion is key in the Democratic Party.
SNOW: And that's a break from the past. In 2004, Democrats shied away from using faith as part of their pitch, but when evangelicals, Protestants, and Catholics helped get George Bush elected, Democrats took note.
ERIC SAPP (Common Good Strategies senior partner): Democrats had a wake-up call and said, “What are we doing wrong?”
SNOW: Eric Sapp is consulting the party on religious issues. He says Democrats are speaking more openly about values. Case in point, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, a Catholic who opposes abortion, is addressing the convention. His father, the late Governor Bob Casey, was denied a speaking role at the 1992 convention because of his opposition to abortion rights. Democrats are appealing to faith-based groups not voting solely on abortion but also broader concepts, such as war, poverty, and the environment.
BRODY: What they really want are the moderate evangelicals, and some of the more moderate Catholics that have a concern about the life issue but also see it much broader than that.
SNOW: But mixing prayer and politics carries some risks.
SAPP: Most voters want to hear about where our values come from. There is always a danger, as you're engaging this area, you know, you're walking along a knife's edge.