WP: White evangelical support for Republicans down to 57%, from 78%

[ProgressiveEconomist]

From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/05/AR2006100501763.html :

"GOP's Hold on Evangelicals Weakening:

Party's Showing in Midterm Elections May Be Hurt as Polls Indicate Support Dropping in Base

By Alan Cooperman, Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, October 6, 2006; Page A06

"...Even a small shift in the loyalty of conservative Christian voters such as Sunde could spell trouble for the GOP this fall. In 2004, white evangelical or born-again Christians made up a quarter of the electorate, and 78 percent of them voted Republican, according to exit polls. But some pollsters believe that evangelical support for the GOP peaked two years ago and that what has been called the "God gap" in politics is shrinking.

A nationwide poll of 1,500 registered voters released yesterday by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that 57 percent of white evangelicals are inclined to vote for Republican congressional candidates in the midterm elections, a 21-point drop in support among this critical part of the GOP base.

Even before the Foley scandal, the portion of white evangelicals with a "favorable" impression of the Republican Party had fallen sharply this year, from 63 percent to 54 percent, according to Pew polls.

In the latest survey, taken in the last 10 days of September and the first four days of October, the percentage of evangelicals who think that Republicans govern "in a more honest and ethical way" than Democrats has plunged to 42 percent, from 55 percent at the start of the year."

[bullimiami]

1. so they are just "mostly" stupid now instead or "almost all" stupid.

[Warren DeMontague]

2. They're figuring out that they've been had.

If they can come around to realizing that they don't need -much less have the right- to use the government to force their religion, values, and "creation science" (kaff) onto the rest of us, then I will heartily welcome them aboard the clue train.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

6. I noticed that theme in Bill Moyers's PBS documentary, "Capitol Crimes"

Have you seen it yet? Evidently, "compassionate conservative" Marvin Olasky has a publication that ran a 12-part series about Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed, and Grover Norquist.

[BlueEyedSon]

21. Yeah, I hear you can see Jesus in Delay's MUGSHOT

[krkaufman]

29. Praising them and covering-up? Or laying-out their crimes?

I would think the revelation of the Mariana Islands story would shake even a few of the most strident Evangelicals loose.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

30. I don't know. I haven't seen the articles. I'd heard of Olasky--that idiot!

but not of his magazine. Next time I see "Capitol Crimes", I'll have to take note of the rag's name.

[krkaufman]

33. Ah, no worries, then. I have 'Capitol Crimes' recorded on my DVR ...

... and will check it out this weekend. Thanks.

[Kikosexy2]

23. Maybe they saw...

"Jesus Camp" and it scared the BeJeebus out of them...especially part where the kids are worshipping "The Chimp"...that's disturbing..really..

[ProgressiveEconomist]

3. I wonder how much of the shift is due to the efforts of "red letter Christians"

Christians", who remind evangelicals about "turn the other cheek" rather than "supply side Jesus".

See Rev. Jim Wallis's more progressive "Sojourners'" site, at http://www.sojo.net .

[spoony]

11. I hope a lot

'cause it's a really great message :)

[ProgressiveEconomist]

13. I wonder whether the GOP "72 Hour" turnout team is still gathering

church membership directories for door-to-door canvassing.

After what's happened since last Friday, I'd imagine many evangelical pastors would tell them, "Go to Hell"!

[KittyWampus]

27. Thank Goodness! I agree, the Mediawhores make assumptions that the GOP

rightly "owns" evangelical Christian votes...

It is probable that a lot of those people are just beginning to hear candidates and speakers addressing their moral framework in a language they understand.

[LoZoccolo]

7. Sure they appreciate your warm welcome. n/t

[ProgressiveEconomist]

18. kick

[KittyWampus]

26. Not all Evangelicals are GOP'ers! Don't just take the Mediawhore spin

that this is about Evangelicals being a monolithic bloc of GOP votes staying home because of Foley.

It is quite possible that as Evangelicals like Wallace get some publicity and air time... people are actually re-evaluating how candidates align with their moral framework.

And that is not stupid.

[NobleCynic]

4. Torture, the environment, and the assault on the constitution

doesn't get through to these people at all.

But throw in sex and they begin to understand. Maybe it's just that these larger issues are to big to wrap one's head around, and a sex scandal is somehow much more personal for these people.

A majority of these people still support Bush though, so it obviously isn't that bright of a group.

[originalpckelly]

5. DAAANG!

They are becoming embarrassed Republicans like they did with Nixon. They won't vote for us per se, but they sure will stay home, and who can blame them, from their perspective they have been totally betrayed. Just sad that their perspective is one of homophobia.

[beltanefauve]

35. I HOPE they stay home

I'm very suspicious of Foley's lawyer's statement about him being gay. There are eight states out there with some version of "defense of marriage" on their ballots this election, Virginia being one of them. I hope scapegoating and vilifying gays backfires on them, big time, but I don't know.

[ktowntennesseedem]

41. My worry is that their staying home is about all we can hope for.

I almost wish Dubya and Co. would cozy up to the far right wing nuts and do something to upset and offend moderate Republicans. Something like post Nat'l Guard troops in front of abortion clinics, bring back Whites-only/Colored-only restaurants and drinking fountains, or call off the '08 elections because the rapture is scheduled for October of that year. Pissed-off moderates would be far more likely to not just stay home, but come to the polls and vote, maybe even for a Democrat! But pissed-off, morally-outraged religious conservatives at best will voice their displeasure by just staying home. And I fear that with enough of a push in the next four weeks, they just might force themselves to the polls, swallow real hard and vote Republican again. Because the only thing they fear worse than terror, gays, homos and godless commie liberals is a Democratic-controlled congress that welcomes terror, gays, homos and godless commie liberals.

A disgruntled Republican voting Dem this time around is like picking up two votes; a disgruntled Repub staying home is only one vote--but I'll take whatever we can get!

[cui bono]

39. I wouldn't say it's homophobia

the fact that a congressman is a sexual predator and that many others endangered the pages by covering that up in the interest of politics and holding power is considered immoral by many. I believe it's the moral issue that is turning them off more than a gay issue, though that may play into it as well.

[Erika]

8. Killing Iraqi innocents might be a little hard for them to defend also.

Maybe they will have a smell the coffee moment.

[Nevernose]

9. I'm praying it's so

Pun intended.

[Vidar]

10. Glad to hear they're waking up to the hypocritical Republican pandering.

[Rosemary2205]

12. Oh whooopdidooo. (eyeroll)

Someone needs to tell Alan Cooperman (and Pew Research) that a lot more than hell will freeze over before any of those disgruntled evangelical republicans will vote for an "evil democrat".

[Beetwasher]

14. Tectonic Plates Are Shifting

We're witnessing the end of the American Political System as we have known it. It's going to get very ugly.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

15. Tectonic plates shifting, yes. End of the Americal Political System, I

don't know.

Some of the wealthiest people in the world, for whom $100,000 is like 25 cents for you or me, are counting on the Republican Party to keep trillions of looted FICA dollats coming in "tax cuts", and for tens of trillions more in extra profits from having government regulators look away.

They bought most of the votes they've needed over the part 12 years from white evangelicals, using direct payments to their pastors and Orwellian control over "news" in increasingly concentrated mass media.

That seems to be unraveling. But something tells me they're going to try other strategies. And they have the resources they'd need for just about anything.

[hsher]

16. Yep

I agree. This is the curve in the road where things begin to get interesting.

[RedEarth]

17. .....KR

[napi21]

19. Some comentator last nigh tmade the following statement.

If you look back at the election of Carter over Ford, you'll find that Carter didn't get a lot more Dem votes than any other previous Dem Candidate,but Ford got a lot LESS Pub votes. The Pubs were just so disgusted with their Party, they stayed HOME!

This same comentator said he was expecting the same thing to happen in this mid-term election, because of all the stupid things the Pubs have been doing! I HOPE he's right!!!!!!!

[Felinity]

20. Doing the math

"Christians made up a quarter of the electorate, and 78 percent of them voted Republican"

25% X 78% = 19.5% of total vote

"57 percent of white evangelicals are inclined to vote for Republican congressional candidates in the midterm elections"

25% X 57% = 14.25% of total vote

That's an overall swing of 5.25% !!!!!!! And that assumes that they WON'T stay home to avoid the inevitable conflict between "Values" and pedophilia, torture, and lies.

:toast:

[ProgressiveEconomist]

24. YES--And if they don't turn out the way they did last time, your second

25 percent may be more like 20 percent, making the bottom-line shift away from Republicans even bigger.

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. Husband is unimpressed with Foley's antics, and also annoyed at

Ralph Reed and Tom Delay after watching Bill Moyers with me last night.

[AspenRose]

25. Stay home, fundies. PLEASE. Just stay home.

eom

[progressoid]

28. don't expect them to come to our side...thankfully.

Those crazies can stay as far away as possible.

[yardwork]

38. This sounds harsh but I tend to agree because of the homophobia

Speaking as a lesbian, I don't want the Democratic Party to become even less interested in rights for all people. The last thing I want to see is a bunch of homophobic people join the Democratic Party and jerk it further to the right.

We've moved so far to the right already Richard Nixon would be considered a flaming liberal by today's standards (after all, he reached out to Communist China and pushed for universal healthcare). I want the country to move much further to the left. I don't think that the way to do that is to compromise rock-solid Democratic beliefs, especially civil rights.

I strongly believe that the Democrats will win if we stand up for our party's traditional, deeply held beliefs. Taking care of poor people, using diplomacy instead of war, ensuring that people's rights aren't violated - those ARE Christian beliefs.

[whistle]

31. At 57% the support from white evangelicals is getting down to the

...hard core religious pedophiles and sex offenders

[triguy46]

32. Oh my...

If they aren't supporting the GOP, then I would look farther right for their new leaders. They ain't comin' our way.

[BootinUp]

37. lol. I think many of them

may just stay away from the polls.

[ComerPerro]

34. I bet an overwhelming majority still hate us

[civildisoBDence]

36. With all due respect, fundies are by nature gullible and shallow

perfect targets for unprincipled exploiters like Ralph Reid and all the televangelists. They may also be very honest and decent people, but their worldview is downright childlike, and they've been fooled and exploited by the Republicans.

A Democrat House is looking more and more likely. Must be God's will...or man's folly.

Newsprism

[cui bono]

40. Fundies are generally one or two issue voters...

so if the lose respect for the Repubs based on morality I think they will just stay home. At this point I could see the fundies feeling indignant about the Repubs trying to get out the vote on some issue they come up with to try to get them out to vote. Who are they to tell them how to vote and why should they believe in them any more? And that's good for us.

[mcg]

42. If they find out about Rep's support of forced abortions, sex slavery,

etc. the percentage will drop more.

Let's make sure they find out.

See these threads:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2337682&mesg_id=2337682

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/6/151223/489

[proud patriot]

43. Wow a 21 point drop

:wow:

[leesa]

44. Still 60% stupid.

[AussieDave]

45. These are self-described, alleged "Christians"

- about as "Christian" as Osama Bin Laden. Unfortunately they also vote.