Rubio’s supporters are the future of evangelicalism. But will they vote?
https://www.yahoo.com/politics/rubio-s-evangelical-appeal-stronger-1342653440983094.html
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is often spoken of as “the evangelical candidate,” and to some extent that’s true, especially in Iowa. But it’s also an oversimplification that masks both the complexity of evangelicalism and the appeal of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to a younger evangelical generation that is different than the one Cruz has so far appealed to.
Evangelicals play a big role in determining the winner of the Iowa caucuses, a contest that since the 1970s has had an outsize role in winnowing the field of presidential candidates. Almost 60 percent of caucus-goers in 2012 described themselves as evangelical or born again. And a good number are supporting Donald Trump, who has run a close second in recent Iowa polling behind Cruz and well ahead of Rubio.
But if you want to know whether an evangelical Christian — in Iowa or beyond — is supporting Cruz or Rubio, ask them one simple question: Is America a Christian nation? Most Cruz supporters would answer yes unequivocally. But if they pause before answering, it probably doesn’t matter what they say after that. You’ve more than likely found a Rubio voter.
Here’s the rub: the kind of evangelical who pauses when asked the “Christian nation” question – the Rubio type – is most likely to be under 45 and less politically active than the Cruz evangelical. These younger evangelicals are also less numerous in Iowa, an agricultural state that loses large numbers of college graduates each year and ranks in the top five of states with the most senior citizens.