Evangelicals and the Presidential Race


Much has been made of the role of Evangelicals and the current presidential race. They are credited, for example, with giving Gov. Huckabee a several state win on Super Tuesday. However, they are also far from united around one particular candidate at this early stage in the game, and one wonders if their numbers are lower this time around due to a decreased excitement about lowered expectations of being able to put a true conservative back into the White House. There is also the conflicted issue of Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith with which many Evangelicals struggle.

Then, to upset all, I read this as well at Religious New Service:

Poll finds 'born again' support for Democrats
By Adelle M. Banks

WASHINGTON -- The latest numbers from a California researcher about likely voting preferences of “born again” voters has given Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign something to trumpet. The Barna Group in Ventura, Calif., released statistics on Monday (Feb. 4) that showed that Clinton was preferred by 20 percent of born again likely voters, followed by fellow Democrat Barack Obama (18 percent) and former Republican Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (12 percent). It also found that 40 percent of born again likely voters would choose the Democratic candidate in November. Still, the numbers have prompted close watchers of polling to note that Barna's view of “born again” may be too large a swath of voters to mean much.

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Now that's intriguing. What do so-called "born again" voters see in Clinton that would make them move in that direction? Isn't she pro-choice and pro-homosexual rights? Now one does have to consider the last line of this article where it admits that the definition of "born again" may be much too broad to mean anything. But still, is there something in the Clinton message that is resonating with some Evangelicals, or is this a matter of "bread and butter" issues that are impacting people on a very personal level, such as the economy and jobs, or family losses to the war? I don't know. But it makes you wonder what's going on this time around....

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