DALLAS - Republican presidential contender John McCain still retains strong support from white evangelical Protestants, but the 72-year-old Arizona senator’s appeal fades with younger voters from this flock.
That is the findings of a survey that was just done for Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner.
It found that McCain has the support of 71 percent of white evangelical Christians versus 23 percent for his Democratic rival Barack Obama.
But the numbers narrow somewhat for evangelicals under the age of 30, to 62 percent for McCain to 30 percent for Obama.
McCain has solidified his support with this important component of the Republican base with his choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin – a staunch conservative Christian and mother of six — as his running mate.
But the survey found that while older white evangelical women were among Palin’s most ardent supporters, women below 30 from that group were far less enthusiastic about her.
It found Palin’s favorability rating among white evangelical women below 30 was only 46 percent; compared with 65 percent for white evangelical women over 30.
President George W. Bush took close to 80 percent of the white evangelical vote in 2004, underscoring its importance to the Republican Party.
Democratic strategists have hoped to make at least some headway into this monolith. Overall, the 2004 election was a close one so even a few votes poached from the other side, especially in closely contested states such as Colorado or Ohio, could make a huge difference to the outcome of the Nov. 4 White House race.
The survey involved 1400 adults, 18 years or older, including an oversample of 400 evangelical Christians ages 18-29. It was conducted September 4-21, 2008.
The margin of error for white evangelical Christians surveyed is 4.1 percent and rises to 5.5 percent for those between the ages of 18 and 29.
(Photo Credit: REUTERS/Jim Bourg, Sept 26, 2008, USA. Combination images of Senators McCain and Obama speaking at first presidential debate at the University of Mississippi)
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Date:Wed Oct 1,2008
Time:10:13PM
Reponse to yes4me…
I read you’re comment about me and the article I wrote. I’m assuming that you didn’t like the article because, it wasn’t proof read well enough for you. Perhap’s, that’s good thing, because, the way I see it, writting to stems more conversation just as, does text messaging from cells phones, which you never read by the way.
“Moving On” Barack’s fund raiser concert set for october sometime.
I have a question for our readers of all ages…What does Barack Obama, & Buce SpringSting & Bill Joel have in commen ? “Nothing” but, after the concert Obama want’s you’re vote anyway.
Sincerely,
Emmery Jones Jr
- Posted by Emmery Jones Jr Medical Record'sHealth Informaiton Consultant CCS-P
Graduate: William Rainey Harper College
Excerpt from Emmery: “Inconclusion..I would say, to the Gallup Poll researches don’t you dare under estimate us, with those fancy polling numbers suggesting Obama favoring. Because, the puma’s voices will be heard on election day.
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Hope the PUMA’s think about America rather than themselves, come election day!!!!!!!!!!
- Posted by SK from SacramentoSteven: Obama isn’t a Muslim and never was, and even if he were, would that be a reason not to vote for him? I’d happily cast my vote for a Muslim if my only other choice were an extremist evangelical, especially with the country headed off the cliff like it is.
- Posted by JohnPalin is a bone to fundamentalists, people McCain despises at heart but knows are his only remote hope at office. So the old man sold his soul and picked a lying incompetent to satisfy Dobson and his ilk. And they are satisfied, since all they want are compliant fundie idiots in office. But the rest of America is seeing what a putrid and worthless bone the desperate old man came up with, and they aren’t falling for that swill no more no more…
- Posted by Max PowerI just wish that Obama would be more honest about his Muslim beliefs.
- Posted by StevenThis country was founded on religious freedom–that means all people can determine their own religious beliefs and the government has NO say in what that belief will be.
Politics and religion do not mix. Get over it!
The choice of Palin was made to cause a shockwave with voters. It has backfired and she is finally being exposed for the inexperienced, prejudiced human being that she is. Do you really want this woman to be President Palin? Heaven help us!
Evangelicals of the USA are not the only God-fearing people on our planet. Educate yourselves and realize that each of us must get along in a global environment. Try to act like a “smart” person and pass this one up.
- Posted by LulaI am a young evangelical. Well, OK, I’m 46 and my wife is 45, but we still feel young. We have been saddened over the past 8 years at the way that our Brothers and Sisters in Christ attack and reject others out of hand based on their political persuasion, or based on THE two key wedge issues: pro choice/life and gay marriage. We have determined that our community (we attend a non-denominational church of 2,500) is less open to others opinions than ever before. Many other Christian communities in our area of upstate NY are even more unwilling to give Obama a second look. However, we do have to believe that if there there are folks like us (are family is fully backing Obama/Biden), then there are probably many others. My guess is that many do not feel comfortable stating their political beliefs for fear of being ostracized.
- Posted by KbYoung Christians are not quite as naive as their parents because even though most of their parents disapprove, they are much more tuned in with technology (even the home-schooled kids) and that invariably leads them into much greater contact with the outside world.
This contact inevitably leads at least some of them to access information that exceeds the political limits of the information that they deal with within their extended family community.
This tends to give them substantially more sophisticated BS detectors, which allows them to contrast actual information about the world with the tenets and dictates of their faith.
This frequently leads to more sophisticated world-views, as evidenced by the growing evangelical participation (at least among some sectors of the movement) with the work on hunger, global warming, human rights, economic justice, and other traditionally “liberal” causes.
Barack Obama has made a conscious effort to reach out to that sector of the evangelical community, and those efforts have paid off, particularly with the younger voters, despite the impact of the “Sarah Palin Effect”.
This is why, more than any other single factor in my opinion, that the Obama campaign is doing much better than the Kerry campaign amongst these voters.
- Posted by PositronicDaveNewsflash:: There is no heaven or hell!! This is about politics and not religion. Go back to your pulpits and get out of the way for the rest who don’t want to hear your religious rantings.
Go Obama, and to hell with the conservative whackos!!!
- Posted by artwychMcCain must have been clean off his rocker when he thought Palin would do him any good.
Can anyone see her as president if McCain goes sick, or worse?
Give me a break! It beggars belief that the great USA would actually be run by someone with so little experience let alone suitability.
I think the McCain ticket should be on a train back to his hometown and a well-earned retirement.
As for Sarah Palin, I shall remain incapable of any suggestions as to what she should do with her time.
I have absolutely no idea as long as she stays away from prime politics.
She can dream but she can’t cut the mustard!
- Posted by TheTruthIs...