Actually, Evangelicals Were Quite Enthusiastic About Romney
Actually, Evangelicals Were Quite Enthusiastic About Romney
According to exit polls, evangelicals voted 4-to-1 for Mitt Romney over Barack Obama. That was one of the few religion stories coming out of election night. It was significant in that it was the strongest electoral unity among evangelicals on record.
But questions have remained: Did evangelicals really want to vote for Romney? Were they enthusiastic about the Republican candidate? Or did they vote reluctantly, concerned over Romney's Mormon faith and other issues? Were their votes for him mostly motivated by dislike for Obama?
A new analysis of exit poll data, released today by the Pew Research Center, suggests that not only were evangelicals enthusiastic about Romney, but they were as enthusiastic about his candidacy as they were about John McCain's run in 2008 and George W. Bush's reelection in 2004.
Meanwhile, another poll, released this week by The Barna Group, found slightly less evangelical support for Romney than for McCain or Bush—but found that Romney's Mormonism was not a significant issue for their vote.
They liked him. They really liked him.
According to the Pew Forum's exit poll analysis, 62 percent of evangelicals who voted for Romney said they did so because they strongly favored him. That's a slightly higher percentage than Romney voters overall (60%). And it's more than twice the number of evangelicals who said they voted for Romney "with reservations" (28%, same as Romney supporters overall). Only 9 percent of evangelicals said they voted for Romney as a vote against Obama—slightly lower than the 10 percent of Romney voters overall who said so, but well within the poll's margin of error.
Catholic Romney voters were slightly more enthusiastic (67% strongly favored), and Mormon Romney voters were predictably wild about voting for a fellow believer (84%—which was still lower than the 87% of Black Protestant Obama voters who said they strongly favored their candidate). But overall, the data suggests that evangelical Romney voters were just as supportive as other Romney voters.
Strong support was similar among evangelicals who supported Obama. The 63 percent of evangelical Obama voters who said they cast their vote because they "strongly favor[ed] my candidate" is nearly identical to the 62 percent of evangelical Romney voters who gave that answer. But a significantly higher percentage of evangelical Obama voters—15 percent—said their vote was driven by "dislike of the other candidates." And a slightly smaller percentage (24%) said they voted for Obama because they "liked [him], with reservations."
The Pew Forum report says that another indicator of solid evangelical support for Romney is that evangelicals turned out as much as they did in 2008 and 2004. "There are signs that both the white Protestant and white Catholic share of the electorate have been gradually declining over the past decade, but white evangelical Protestants' share of the national electorate is roughly the same over the past three elections," the research center said in its report today. "There is no clear pattern of either a decline in the white evangelical Protestant share of the electorate across states or a smaller vote margin for the GOP candidate relative to 2008 or 2004."
'Lowest level of support since Dole'
A Barna Group survey released Wednesday found that 81 percent of evangelicals voted for Romney over Obama. In one sense, that's hardly news—it's nearly identical to the exit poll data (which said 79% of evangelicals did so).
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Rick Dalbey
James, so your answer why anyone would vote differently than you is that they are dumb and gullible? They were less discerning and so weak minded as to be swept away by rhetoric? Thanks for the respect. Paul and I disagree on certain points but we respect each other’s positions. Read the survey “Evangelicals were the religious group least likely to say the voted as they did because they "always vote for the presidential candidate that represents my party." They were the least likely to say they voted based on "the character and personality of the candidates [rather] than on their positions on the issues." Barna found “evangelicals who voted for Romney were less likely than other voters to have done so because they disliked the other candidate. They were considerably more likely than other voters to have based their decision on the candidates' positions on the economy. They were twice as likely as voters overall to make their decision based on moral issues like gay marriage and abortion
James Stevenson
Rick, I used the Scanlon quote as an impact statement, not mine but his. However over the most of this year I have been the recipient, through "Christian" media, of the most absurd political trash you could ever imagine. I pride myself as being a discerning Christian and generally research the facts before forming my opinions. I can quite understand how those who are less discerning could be swept away by this rhetoric and opt to make the political choices they made.
Paul Schryba
(Cont. last post) I find that giving vent to demeaning and negative thoughts about others is neither conducive to my own peace of mind, nor effective in presenting 'my' case to others. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal." 1 Cor. 13, 1 NKJV I am praying to truly listen to others and understand knowing that neither I (nor any human that I'm aware of) has 'the truth'.
Paul Schryba
James: I do not agree with evangelical support of conservative politics and the support of Romney (though those that do have valid concerns). As to why they overwhelmingly supported Romney, there were many reasons why evangelicals did so. I believe that on the whole, in this complex world we instinctively don't want to face our own poverty and powerlessness and to take full responsibility for our choices. It is easier to blame 'them'- the abortionists and gays- than it is to confront the deep sinfulness of our society (that is rooted in materialism, the idolatry of our 'for profit' economics, political nationalism, ignorance and violence) and really examine all the issues and our everyday complicity in them. (And notice I say 'our'.) The failure of our communications media to inform rather than to write what sells is part of it. Certainly there are those who have no real interest in ending abortion who 'use' the issue to get votes they can count on.
Rick Dalbey
Not going to dignify your comments James. Read the survey results. I agree with Paul. "And a happy Holy-day Advent/Christmas Season to you and all! May we be more completely surrendered to God's will in the gift of the present moment, united with God's wisdom and humility, each incarnating God's love as grace allows."