It's not just the candidates-in-waiting, pundits and political donors who have the 2016 election on their minds.

More than 100 Christian faith leaders are anticipating the campaign, too.

Under an umbrella organization called Circle of Protection, the leaders want any and all presidential candidates -- but especially "major" candidates -- to make poverty a priority throughout the campaign.

Half a dozen representatives of the group unveiled their challenge at the National Press Club Jan. 15, which, they noted, was the birthdate of civil rights and economic justice advocate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Rev. Wallis referred to Obama's upcoming State of the Union address set for Jan. 20 in describing the state of the union for poverty-stricken people. He called on the mainstream media to make poverty a priority as well.

"The state of the union is not good if you're poor. It's not good if you're a low-income family. It's not good if you're one of five children in those low-income families. It's not good if you're one of three children of color in those families," Wallis said.

"The state of the union is not good if you're undocumented and you're watching Congress in a retreat these days to see if your family will be separated. It's not good if you're a young black man worried about the police in your own neighborhood. The state of the union is not good for a lot of people," he said.