DALLAS - In a country where religion plays a big role in politics, U.S. Democrats have made some big gains with voters of faith.
A number of exit polls have shown that President-elect Barack Obama narrowed the “God gap” that existed when President George W. Bush, a Republican, defeated Democratic challenger John Kerry in 2004.
According to Faith in Public Life, a non-partisan resource center, and Public Religion Research, Obama increased the Democratic share of the tally among all groups categorized by how often they attend church.
The groups noted that he made his biggest gains among voters who attend church more than once a week, “narrowing a 29-point Republican advantage (64 percent - 35 percent) to a 12-point Republican advantage (55 percent - 43 percent). This represents an 8-point increase among a strongly Republican group.”
Other highlights it noted included:
- Obama won monthly attenders 53 percent to 46 percent, while Kerry lost them 49 percent to 51 percent, a 4-point pickup.
- Obama beat Republican rival John McCain soundly among Catholics (55 percent to 44 percent), performing better than Kerry in 2004 and Democrat Al Gore in 2000.
- Among white Catholics, Obama narrowed the Republican advantage from Bush’s 13-
point advantage (56 percent to 43 percent), with McCain holding only a 5-point advantage (52 percent to 47 percent).
- White evangelical Protestants remained the most reliable base for the Republican Party with McCain beating Obama among them 75 percent to 24 percent — falling only slightly short of Bush’s standing with them in 2004. This finding was similar to other exit polls such as CNN’s.
All of this is interesting stuff and highlights, among other things, Obama’s success in wooing religious voters through an outreach program and his own overt gestures of faith.
His small inroads with evangelical voters show that some in this diversifying movement hope he will support their efforts as they broaden their biblical agenda to include the fight against climate change.
His gains elsewhere, such as among Catholics, probably stem from many factors including voter concerns about the economy, which overshadowed almost everything else in the last few weeks of the election.
Going foward it raises a big question: can the Democrats hold their gains among voters of faith and even narrow the “God gap” further? What do you think?
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I think the GOP has consistently failed to bring about the planks and promises made for social conservatives and we all went shopping as a result. Actually, I think the Gordon Gecko’s of the GOP see all the “churchy” people as rubes that will snap at any baitthey dangle or tirelessly stick with it while they never plan on delivery. Just think about a few issues and see if my hypothesis is correct: Flag burning, Roe v. Wade, school prayer, wars that are won, small government, lower middle class taxes, balanced budgets, deficit reduction, any solution, shall I go on? Instead, congress works on DOA impeachments, home-run baseball drugs, sheesh! I vote for a “People’s Tribune” in Senate and House to stop foolishness and force the important work on the nations problems.
- Posted by Matt FarrerBrian,
I respect your feelings regarding abortion, though I do not agree with or endorse them. However, it occurs to me that such narrow-minded focus is what many find so very distateful about the Evangelical movement as a whole.
Is abortion important? Yes. Is it the only thing that is important? Clearly not. Education, health care for all, pollution control and global climate change, religious fundamentalist-driven terrorism, economic reform and the mortgage crisis are all extremely important as well. And yet many Evangelicals will completely reject an otherwise manifestly qualified candidate based on his views on one single issue. This, to me, shows a lack of intellectual depth and a willingness to damage the entire nation in pursuit of a single goal.
- Posted by BeckyDespite various Catholic Bishops telling Catholics to NOT vote for Obama based on his stance on Abortion, I applaud all those that did. Let women decide on their own choices because all pain, responsibility and guilt, let alone any \”sin\” is never borne or resolved by the Bishops or the Church. It is so easy to \”speak\” for God, but coming from a Church with it\’s own sexual misconducts, more and more Catholics will be \”Cafeteria Catholics\”, picking and choosing what is attractive or \”on sale\”. May God be our judge and may He be merciful on all of us.
- Posted by TomI think that anyone, what ever your religious belief, that votes on one single issue (abortion, taxes, health care, etc.) is being irresponsible. That being said, as a Christian, I really struggled with Obama’s Pro-life stance. Then, I realized that abortion cannot really be legislated anymore. It is a moral or belief issue, and as such, change needs to be affected at a personal level. Whether that change comes through better education, better adoption support, or by other means, we should not count on government. Government should, however, be counted on to wisely spend our taxes, regulate business, assist with health care and protect us from foreign threat. That is why I voted for Obama.
- Posted by DaveIt’s not the things you outlaw, it is the things you do that should matter to all Christians. I am amazed at those who claim to follow Christ yet turn a blind eye to those who torture and promote “pre-emptive” war (in other words, uprovoked war). Passing laws against abortion will not end it. Removing the causes of it will. Obama has pledged to reduce abortion, not simply outlaw it, and promotes a full Christian approach to government. Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.
- Posted by Luke JacksonRemember George Carlin’s take on the hero who buckles in the face of hardship? “Do what you want to the girl, but leave me alone.” For Christian voters to have cited the economy as a reason to vote for a pro-choice candidate demonstrates a willingness to vote their personal interest over what is right, and that’s to be regretted.
- Posted by RobI’m a white, male evangelical who has never before voted for a Democrat president. That said, and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this and praying as well, I just couldn’t vote for McCain. There’s the verse “by their fruits you will know them”. I watched him during the debates. He (and Palin) misrepresented his opponents beliefs (remember the command about bearing false witness?), he was snide and condescending, he talked down to questioners and over them,… No matter what he did 40 years ago, during his campaign he was an embarrassment to me as a Christian.
The abortion issue was a big sticking point for me, I’ll admit, but again, Obama offered some hope of reducing abortions; McCain offers none, unless you believe that he’s going to get a Supreme Court appointment through Congress that overturns Roe v. Wade.
There’s two verses about homosexuality in the Bible and none about abortion (the OT laws do not treat death of a fetus the same as death of a born person, and certainly don’t treat it as a murder, even if intentional), yet there are thousands about taking care of the poor and immigrants.
In my case, at least, a thoughtful look at the candidates left me no choice. And I’ve actually switched from Republican to “Decline to State”. As a Christian, I can’t support a party anymore that tries to tie tax policy and other issues to the name of Christ. Jesus didn’t die to save you taxes.
- Posted by AlanTo brian lee –
As a committed Christian and molecular biologist, if you really think first and second term abortions are \”murder of babies\”, then I question your sanity. You can\’t kill a person that doesn\’t exist. Get real. As I see it, Obama has finally injected a much needed combination of faith *and* rationality into American politics, one that is resonating with those of us who value both. Finally, a politician, and now a president, who has real values, who cares for all people, and whose values and ideals are no longer rooted in ignorance.
- Posted by Douglas[...] Their choice is to stay the course with the Religious Right to increased sectarian tension, or to moderate more with socially liberal faith voters and more moderate evangelicals thus rejecting the Religious Right trajectory which has been their base for many years [...]
- Posted by What Happens to the Religious Right? · Notes From Off-CenterIn agreement with post by Brian, I would never vote for anyone who agrees with the wholesale and especially late term murder of babies. Some Obama campaign people came to my door, (twice) and I sent them away with a stern rebuke if they professed to be Christians.
- Posted by Lester KochPeople relate “liberal” to Democrat and “conservative” to Republican. THIS IS NOT TRUE!
Do you know what a conservative is?
Be all this as it may, Obama is the President Elect, IF he is a Christian pray that God The Holy Spirit will “light up his life.”
Sean Callaghan, that’s nonsense that McCain supporters are much less concerned about health care. Most of the poor and low middle class white people in America voted McCain, and most college-educated people voted Obama - just because poor whites are less concerned about health care doesn’t mean they are wealthy, don’t need health care, or that they are less affected by the economy!! It means that other issues are more important to them. What, pray tell, is wrong with being concerned with security and terror? Isn’t “life” a fundamental human right? Remember “life, liberty and the pursuit”?
People like you always want to paint Republicans as evil and racist. Has it occured to your bigoted head that maybe conservatives have a fundamentally different perspective on life? That they are less interested in fixing the economy via political means because they don’t want big government and they think the economy improves in private hands? No, you’d rather believe they’re a bunch of evil white men who want to oppress everyone else.
As for your question on evangelicals, please tell me what is the Christian basis for big govt and government sponsored health care.
- Posted by AJ“as a committed christian not an nominal christian i will never vote for a candidate who advocates abortion,full stop.any one whether republican or democrate who professes to be a christian and who is ok with the murder of babies i question their faith.”
To Brian Lee,
I question the faith of any christian who judges others. Jesus loved everyone.
- Posted by Tim[...] Religion, faith and ethics Reuters - USA DALLAS - In a country where religion plays a big role in politics, US Democrats have made some big gains with voters of faith. A number of exit polls have … See all stories on this topic [...]
- Posted by Free Religion News and Blogs » Religion, faith and ethics[...] Can Democrats hold gains they made with faith voters? …that President-elect Barack Obama narrowed the “God gap” that existed when President George W. Bush, a Republican, defeated Democratic… [...]
- Posted by George Bush On Best Political Blogs » Can Democrats hold gains they made with faith voters?Well to me(Atheist) it says that the majority of Evangelicals are hypocrites.
Often times I’ll get into discussions about gays, abortion, religion, etc. with evangelicals and am just appalled at their views.
I was always taught when I was younger that we should treat everyone with respect even if we have fundamental difference in opinions and that the ONLY person that should be judging is God.
Seeing as that’s the exact opposite of most the “religious” folks I have met, it instantly turned me off religion in general.
I also have issues with religious people telling me I will go to hell for my disbelief even if I lived a peaceful and helpful life, whereas a serial killer would go to heaven so long as he accepted God.
Bunch of hypocrisy and bigotry in religion.
- Posted by DaveI spent some time this week trying to understand these US election exit polls. According to those polls White Evangelical/Born-Again Christians make up just more than a quarter of the electorate.
Again, according to those exit polls 74% of those white evangelicals voted for McCain. That means that white evangelicals made up over 40% of McCain’s support - that is a sizeable percentage.
Those same exit polls show that those who supported McCain are much less concerned about health care (they can afford private), are far less affected by the economic downturn (they are more economically secure), are more inclined to be racist (and think that race relations will get more strained), are gun owners (over 60%), are much more concerned about security and terror, are very supportive of the war in Iraq (over 90%) and strongly approve of Bush policy (90%).
Since almost half of McCain’s support came from white evangelicals does this mean that they too are pro-guns, pro-war, racist and unconcerned with the poor? I certainly hope not.
I know that some white evangelicals voted for Obama (about 1/4 did) and that many evangelicals who voted McCain did so based primarily on their pro-life views. What I find strange however, is that abortion does not feature as an issue in the exit poll research and I am unsure what that tells us. In fact fear of terror was the primary issue for McCain support according to the polls.
By contrast according to the research, Obama supporters were concerned with access to medical care for all, ending the war in Iraq, dealing with the economy (to help the poor) and addressing environmental issues (energy policy, global warming, climate change).
I just have one question: What does this research say about us evangelicals and about our faith?
- Posted by Sean Callaghanas a committed christian not an nominal christian i will never vote for a candidate who advocates abortion,full stop.any one whether republican or democrate who professes to be a christian and who is ok with the murder of babies i question their faith.
- Posted by brian leeI hope Obama becomes the next Kennedy
- Posted by SuziBarack Obama will gain as time moves forward with religious sect. As more of us get to know who and what he really stands for he will not only gain our support he will gain our respect. I am a christian man who worked hard in his local office. As i found out i was not alone in this office. We as people of this great nation must open our eyes and our hearts to many more issuses than just those at chruch. We are a nation of many people and we must not be selfish… Remember in GOD WE TRUST…
- Posted by we will[...] Can Democrats hold gains they made with faith voters? - White evangelical Protestants remained the most reliable base for the Republican Party with McCain beating Obama among them 75 percent to… [...]
- Posted by Can Democrats hold gains they made with faith voters?