If Evangelicals Don’t Vote Republican, Who Will?

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A new poll released yesterday by the Pew Research Center shows that only 57% of self-identified white, Evangelical Protestants plan to vote for Republican candidates in next week’s midterms, down from 64% just over a month ago. This is nothing new: for a while now, Bush’s approval rating has gone steadily down among his most stalwart supporters.

-Only 54% of Evangelicals have a “favorable” impression of Republicans (down from 63% in January)

-Only 42% believe that Bush’s party “governs in an honest and ethical way.”

A startling 31% say they will vote for the Democrats next week.

This is a far cry from the last election:

-In 2004, 78% of white Evangelical Christians voted Republican, and 72% of them approved of Bush’s performance.

-Now, only 55% think Bush is doing a good job and only half want to keep troops in Iraq.

And it isn’t just the Evangelicals: 37% of white Catholics and 48% of white mainline Protestants plan to vote Republican in the mid-terms, both down from their 2002 numbers. Maybe it’s the gay-prostitute soliciting ministers, or maybe it’s Congressmen sending explicit texts to their pages, but either way looks like even right-wing Christians don’t trust the Republicans.

—Jen Phillips

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

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