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TechnoratiWASHINGTON – Evangelical Democrats not only exist in this year’s presidential election, but are turning out in larger numbers than the youngest and oldest primary voters in some states, according to a new poll.
(Photo: AP Images / Steve Helber)Voters line up to vote in the presidential primary at the Dover Baptist Church in Manakin, Va., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008.
One in three white evangelical voters during the Missouri and Tennessee primaries on Feb. 5 voted for a Democratic candidate, according to the poll conducted for Faith in Public Life and the Center for American Progress Action Fund by Zogby International.
This number of white evangelicals voting for a Democratic candidate has increased since the 2004 general election, when only one in four white evangelical voters in Missouri and Tennessee supported Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.
In Missouri, some 160,000 white evangelical Democratic voters showed up to vote at the Democratic primary. This group of voters is greater than all voters under 30, equal to all voters over age 65, and equal to all voters who said the Iraq war is the most important issue facing the country, according to the Missouri exit polls.
In Tennessee, there were 182,000 white evangelical Democratic voters – a figure equal to all African-American voters, greater than all voters over 60, and greater than all voters who said the Iraq war is the most important issue facing the country, according to the Tennessee Democratic exit polls.
Overall, 19 percent of all Democratic voters in Missouri and 29 percent of all Democratic voters in Tennessee were white evangelical.
Faith in Public Life and the Center for American Progress Action Fund had commissioned the exit polls during the Super Tuesday contests out of frustration that exit polls sponsored by the major networks have only asked the Republican primary voters whether they considered themselves “born-again or evangelical Christian.”
“In failing to ask both Republicans and Democrats if they are evangelicals, the media pollsters reinforce the false and outdated stereotype that evangelicals are only concerned with one set of issues and ignore the increasing ideological diversity of the evangelical movement,” Faith in Public Life explained.
“It’s time for the media to update their script and provide balanced coverage of the role of religion in public life,” the group urged.
The poll also found that the majority of both Democratic and Republican evangelical voters want a broader agenda that goes beyond abortion and same-sex “marriage” to include ending poverty, protecting the environment, and tackling HIV/AIDS.
Sixty-two percent of white evangelical voters in Missouri want a broader agenda (75 percent of Democratic voters and 56 percent of Republican voters). In Tennessee, 56 percent of white evangelical voters support a broader agenda (60 percent of Democratic voters and 54 percent of Republican voters).
Notably, in both states polled, more white evangelicals listed jobs and the economy as the most important issues in deciding their votes than abortion and same-sex “marriage.”
In Missouri, 30 percent of all white evangelicals ranked jobs and economy the most important issue, while 14 percent considered abortion and same-sex “marriage” the most important. Also, 12 percent chose Iraq; 11 percent, health care; 7 percent, immigration; 6 percent, terrorism; 4 percent, taxes; and 4 percent, education). Continue »
