If Evangelicals Don't Vote Republican, Who Will?

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