Any Evangelical who thinks family issues is going to be the driving force behind this election is an idiot.
It’s going to be jobs, debt, economic performance, and the military.
All strong points with Newt.
This evangelical agrees on all points with your post.
Exit poll internals from last night show that people are voting more on economic issues than on Religious and Family Value issues. Take a look at the questions in the exit polls about halfway down on this link:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2012/south-carolina-primary-jan-21/exit-polls
On the question:
How much does it matter to you that a candidate shares your religious beliefs?
Newt kicked butt on both Romney and Santorum, for people who said it matters. Newt also kicked both their butts on the question of Abortion (legal/illegal).
But for one-issue voters, for the EIGHT PERCENT who said Abortion was their number reason for their vote, Santorum got 51% of the vote, and Gingrich got 29%, Romney got 6%. But that is a voting block of EIGHT PERCENT of Republicans voting in a State Primary. That margin will disappear in a General.
The internals on the Exit Poll do not support what this article implies... Gingrich is the better candidate for winning the vote on the issues they are talking about. Unless they are the EIGHT PERCENT who are one-issue voters on the subject of Abortion.
And remember this was a Republican Primary. So if the Republicans are feeling like this, Religion and Family Values will be even less of a factor in the General Election.