An earlier blog item raised the question of whether the Democratic Party can have any success wooing evangelicals. Well, a new poll shows that evangelicals are growing dissatisfied with the GOP, the New York Times reported.
The number of Americans who say the GOP is friendly to religion fell 8 percentage points in the past year, to 47 percent from 55 percent, according to a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The drop was even sharper among Catholics and white evangelical Protestants: down 14 percentage points.
But the Democratic Party isn’t viewed any better, so it is probably not going to pick up many converts. Only 26 percent said that the Democratic Party was friendly to religion, down from 29 percent last year.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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33 Comments
I’m hoping the evangelical voters will decide to run Sam Brownback in 2008 as an independent candidate. Then the politics will really nasty.
Maybe the evangelical voters are finally seeing the light. Under the GOP leadership, we have a national debt that is sky high and climbing higher. We are stuck in a war in Iraq with no exit strategy and the oil companies are making higher and higher profits each month. And most importantly - the Bush administration has been caught red-handed in one lie after another.
So some are waking up to the fact that they are being exploited as guillible sheep. Nice to know 8% have gotten more intelligent over the past six years.
The term tit for tat comes to mind, much like the Religious Right has use the faith of some of their followers. The Neo-Cons used the Religious Right to strengthen their voter base. But Neo-Cons are politicians after all, making promise and say exactly what the R.R wanted to hear. Knowing that it was all shine and no intent. But I knew the day would come that the R.R would finally realize they were being used. Most like I hope the GOP at large realizes that they have been used by the Neo-Cons.
If there was real truth in advertising the term Politician would be replaced with “User of people”.The Neo-cons will learn that there will be a pay for them using the R,R, much like the Religious Right will learn there is a pay they will pay for using God.
It appears to me existing political parties, Republicans and Democrats, are gradually fading into to insignificance.
As one who has been involved at the grass roots level for many years as a precinct committeeman and member of various committees — I see less and less enthusiasm and activity by precinct people for party politics. The list of precinct people is mostly used by politicians to solicit for campaign contributions.
If ideas and ideals are discussed and debated somehow within the grassroot level of political parties, I don’t see it.
Somehow this sea-change in politics as we used to know it should be recognized and adjusted to prevent a lowering of the quality of political leadership.
Really, JWink?
Which party are you with?
Because I’m canvassing door-to-door for the Democrats, and what I’m hearing is life-long Republicans saying that their party’s been taken over by wack-os.
Eisenhower Republicans don’t like snake-handling “end times” Christians. Country-club Republicans don’t really have that much in common with Operation Rescue.
The Republicans continue to pander to the anti-gay, anti-stem cell crowd to their own peril.
The Democrats have an opportunity to take the evangelicals back! But I doubt they will take them.
The only difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans suck while Democrats blow.
Vote Greens party. Save the whales, bitch!
If they do nothing other than to not vote, that will be enough. They won’t need to join the Dems., and they can keep their conscience clear.
Will! I got a laugh! Thanks. :) We need some humor in this blog sometimes.
Will,
Unfortunately, there’s all too much truth to your statement.
The difference is that all Republican suck, while the Democrats suck less and there are a few who don’t suck much at all.
Murtha, Feingold, even Al Gore is starting to look a lot better than he used to.
The Republicans on the other hand . . . blue whale, man, blue whale . . .
I think the religious right thought that God wanted Bush to be elected, and now that he’s been caught in so many lies and scandals, and bad wars, they’ve finally realized that maybe Politics isn’t exactly God’s work.
That’s what you get when you think God blesses one nation over everyone else on HIS planet, and that our self-important, self-serving attitudes somehow justify all the crap we pull on other human beings.
Religion and politics just don’t mix.
So true, one surely doesn’t see much of God’s work in politics. The idea that the USA is somehow more blessed by God than other countries is arrogance at it’s worst. This is the attitude that will lead to our downfall.
Folks, the Democratic Party isn’t going to get the evangelical vote. You only have to read these blogs to see why. Most evangelicals would rather stay home than vote Democrat. A majority of Democrats may be Christian, but the Democrats that make the most noise don’t seem to be and in a lot of cases sound anti-Christian. While no Democrat running for office would dare claim to be anti or non-Christian, a lot of their supporters do make that claim. It’s not helpful to the cause.
If Democrats would leave guns alone (reinforces the whimp factor), and quit supporting abortion on demand, you’d probably be surprised how much support they’d gain.
As the Democrat party and liberals in general concern themselves with care for the environment, economic and social justice, and the general welfare of their fellow man, it would seem that Christians would vote Democrat by default. Their agenda are the same!
The difficulty arises with certain Christians who feel it their special place to judge others and tell them how to live. The GOP is a more fitting home for them. Democrats should not sacrifice or water down any of their core principles to accomodate such folk. What we might lose is not worth what little we might gain.
Dear JR,
Define “core principles” please.
Then, give me an example of one or two that you have.
Hank
I think I just named them Hank.
Let me help you with your reading comprehension.
Among things important to me?
Responsible and proactive stewardship of the environment.
Economic and social justice for all. YOU know, like the Constitution says?
The health and comfort of my fellow man.And I don’t mean just Americans!
Those are a few.
Most of Americans believe abortion to be the decision of the woman and her doctor and her God. So Dems don’t need to change their stance on abortion. They already have the majority. Dems who are christians tend to believe in a Separation of Church and State, a true American principle. They don’t need to demand others believe the same as them. The dems you see on here, like myself, who you think are anti-Christian really aren’t. We’re anti- fascist.
I agree with political_mom. I am also anti-fascit and deem it absolutely necessary to seperate church and state. I however cannot side with the Democrats on their economic platform. It is so off base from what I believe and hold true for economic prosperity and individual freedom that I cannot join the Democratic party based on this difference alone.
When in doubt I default to freedom and the Republicans are the party of individual freedom. Starting with Lincoln with the emancipation of slaves, to women suffrage, to the key votes to inact the Civil Rights and Voters Rights act to even the ADA. There is just so much they did for freedom.
There are many issues I agree with from the Democrat platform, and there are many issues I disagree with on the Republican platform, but under the broad issue of economics and personal freedom, Republicans beat Democrats out, so I tend to go the Republican way, although I’m more of a Libertarian.
But that being said! I accedently glanced over JR’s post. I didn’t know he was still on this blog, but just wanted to correct him and say that nowhere in the US Constition does it state in any text or form that of economic and justice for all. The Constitution is a framework on how the basic system of our government shall work and what the government cannot do.
It doesn’t say that the government must garuntee a job for every person or that it must take care of every person. Or that you must tax rich people and give money to poor people. It’s not in there.
Ah but Republicans aren’t really the party of Lincoln anymore, they’ve morphed, and it seems almost traded places with Democrats. That’s why I consider myself a ‘Clinton’ democrat. Democrats on fiscal issues were a hundred times better than what we have in office right now, so you can’t even claim that republicans are the party of small government anymore. We had the best economy under Clinton- ever. And he did it without selling out the poor and working class people.
JR
Did you see Steve’s link?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7828123714384920696
Joe?
I’ve gone nowhere! I’d miss your hilariously inane posts too much!
Um Joe?
Read your Constitution.
Start with the Preamble.
I hate to post just bits and pieces. But these are some I want you to notice.
“……establish justce”…..”promote the general welfare”……secure the blessings of liberty”….
Read the 16th Amendment to the Constitution which provided for collection of an income tax!
Oh and Joe? “the party of individual freedom” That’s how you see the party that wants to deny access to abortion and the party behind Taft Heartley? (look it up)
Ah Joe you are just a simpleton. But guy you got lotsa company! There was even a whole book written about folks like you. “Stupid White Men”
Sooner of later Joe, some wilder eyed person than you is gonna get you fully “on board”.
Ed
No I can’t see streming video or any video. I’ll ask Steve what was in it on the Open though.
JR! That doesn’t mean or have anything to do with economic justice. What you mean by that is taking money away from rich people and giving it to you.
What you mean by economic justice is the leftist form of redistribution of wealth.
I’m sorry JR! But you’re just playing with words to grossly promote your leftist ideology. The United States is not a leftist country. Get used to it.
political_mom! Yeah! Clinton was a Republican Democrat. But you have to remember that under Clinton, it was a Republican Congress and they set the motion and hold the purse strings of the government.
You can give credit towards Clinton, but you also have to give credit towards the Republican Congress during those years too. I doubt you will, but they rightly deserve it.
“If Democrats would leave guns alone (reinforces the whimp factor), and quit supporting abortion on demand, you’d probably be surprised how much support they’d gain.”
If Democrats did those two things, they would be republicans.
“If Democrats did those two things, they would be republicans.”
Posted by: ksfarmgrrl | August 28, 2006 at 09:47 AM
Are those two issues really the litmus test as to whether one is a Repbub or Dem? Clinton tried to take the position with abortion that it should “remain legal, but rare.” Maybe that is splitting hairs, but I am betting that is the position of most people.
I think Roe v. Wade has made abortions more rare over time. It will be hard to convince voters on that, though.
I’m for gun control. I know I am in the minority, however. I would like to welcome pro-gun people into the Democratic party and keep those who are stauchly pro-gun in the tent.
The political gifts from Team Bush that the Dems need to exploit in the upcoming election cycles is “it is the economy, stupid” issue.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/28/business/28wages.html?ei=5094&en=eae4ab9ab2ce13d5&hp=&ex=1156824000&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print
Ah Joe,
You have elsewhere attacked unions, worker protection and the minimum wage.
Now this would make sense if you were an employer or a businesman. But you’re not. You’re just a happy go lucky idiot for whom a pat on the head and your pic as employee of the month on the wall is sufficient compensation. At heart, I’m more conservative than you are. I just know what ideology better fits the current times. Most of us are not up to rampant toadyism like you Joe!
By the way Joe the right can have and keep you. LOL I know they must cringe every time you post!
The difference is that all Republican suck, while the Democrats suck less and there are a few who don’t suck much at all.
Murtha, Feingold, even Al Gore is starting to look a lot better than he used to.
CAPN,So in essence I’m left with choosing between a monkey turd and a douche bag? Wow, I guess our two-party system keeps the selection… simple?
It’s not the Clinton’s Democrat Party anymore. It’s Deans.
It was an unholy alliance to begin with between the evangelicals and the neo-cons. Each side wanted to use the other for political gain, and neither thought they’d end up paying a price! Well, the fiddler’s stopped playing and it’s time to pay up, and now neither side wants to take responsibility and pay the bill. Their chosen messiah, Bush, has been co-opted by the neo-cons, who will do no more than throw the evangelicals an occasional bone.The evangelicals, sensing that their theocratic goals are as far away as ever, are feeling betrayed by Bush, while the cultural engineering of the evangelicals is turning off most neo-cons.A divorce is in the air!
“It’s not the Clinton’s Democrat Party anymore. It’s Deans.”
Not according to the Democrats I know.