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
