Posted on 03/07/2016 8:50:19 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Donald Trump does not have a the support of most evangelical voters. It's a myth that falls flat on its face when one looks at Super Tuesday exit polls in the Southern states, a political scientist concluded.
Trump's message is clear, wrote Charles Krauthammer, a Washington Post columnist, describing the Republican presidential frontrunner and billionaire businessman thus: "I may not be one of you. I can't recite or even correctly cite Scripture. But I will patrol the borders of Christendom on your behalf. After all, who do you want out there — a choir boy or a tough guy with a loaded gun and a kick-ass demeanor?"
Krauthammer then goes on to conclude, "Evangelicals answered resoundingly. They went for Trump in a rout."
However, Darren Patrick Guerra, an associate professor of Political Science at Biola University, counters this proposition, using exit polls.
Trump may have carried a plurality of evangelical voters in some states, but polls also show that, on average, 64 percent of evangelicals in all southern states voted for someone other than Trump, Guerra points out in an article in First Things, adding that a majority, 51 percent, voted collectively for either Sen. Marco Rubio from Florida or Sen. Ted Cruz from Texas, and not Trump.
We must note, he continues, that we're only talking about Republican primaries, while many evangelicals are also Democrats or Independents.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on Saturday, Rubio said, "If you had told me a year ago that the front-runner at this stage in the Republican campaign would be a supporter of Planned Parenthood, who says he doesn't stand with Israel, who has a long record of supporting government-sponsored health care, I would say, on what planet would that be the Republican front-runner? But it's happened. And I think we have to ask ourselves why we allowed that to happen."
In the exit polls after Super Tuesday, voters in all the southern states, except Oklahoma, were asked, "How much does it matter to you that a candidate shares your religious beliefs?"
Cruz beat Trump in this category by an average of 4 points among those who responded "a great deal," writes Guerra, adding that on average, a majority, 55 percent, of voters who answered "a great deal" voted for either Cruz or Rubio.
Trump, of course, had better support among those who said the religious views of the candidate mattered only "somewhat." and his highest support came from those who said religion did not matter at all. Even in the "somewhat" category, 59 percent did not vote for Trump.
Another question that was asked is, "which candidate qualities mattered most in deciding how you voted today?" Trump is off the charts among voters who said their main concern is "telling it like it is," Guerra writes. Trump received support in some cases up to 80 percent of those voters. But an average of only 13 percent of the voters who said that "shared values" mattered most for them backed Trump. Cruz, on the other hand, averaged 41 percent of "values voters."
This suggests "serious evangelicals" aren't supporting Trump, Guerra concluded.
Cruz appeared on CBS's "Face The Nation" on Saturday after winning the Kansas and Maine caucuses, and said media can expose Trump but they'll do that only later.
"I can't tell you how many media outlets I hear have this great exposé on Donald, on different aspects of his business dealings, or his past, but they said, you know what, we're going to hold it to June or July. We're not going to run it now," he said.
Many have accused the country's liberal media of ignoring Trump's alleged business scandals and past support for liberal policy positions.
Rubio earlier said on CBS News, "If any other candidate in this race had his record, there would be nonstop reporting on it. But, unfortunately, he is being pumped up because many the in the media with a bias know he'll be easy to beat in the general election."
Only if you vote third party or stay home.
Being in NC I early voted. This state is semi closed.
If you are registered with a party you have to vote in the primary with them. Only the unaffiliated get to pick which ballot they want.
Here it’s pretty much split 1/3, 1/3 and 1/3 with a slight edge to the unaffiliated. Also we have a hand full of other party members.
The R’s can beat the D’s in this state as long as the far right doesn’t get POed. In 2007/8 just enough folks went third party and Barr to tip the state to Obama. In 2011//12 they didn’t and the state went for Mittens.
But if the GOPe pulls some slicky boy stuff at the convention all bets are off.
Agreed. Way too much weird and wonderful, never heard before doctrine oozing from that campaign. Just remain silent on doctrine and talk about policy.
I am Christian but raised in an area that is about 1/3 Jewish. It is very common t hear Yiddish spoken. Wonderful language — so expressive.
sarcasm is so wasted on so many FReepers. Especially Christian haters.
Someday there will be a time as fore told that even in this country when they will come for Christians and many will be surprised by how many ‘Conservatives’ will be among the ‘Brown Shirts’, but it won’t surprise me a bit.
“Actually, that is a lie. Rubio missed the vote; Cruz voted against it.”
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First of all, to accuse me of lying is a little “over the top;” don’t you think? I’ve been on this forum for quite some time and lurked for several years before that ...”Quidam” era; if that means anything to you. I can’t recall that I’ve ever accused another forum member of lying.
To your point; I fully admit that I erred in how I stated my point; which should have been that both Cruz and Rubio, as part of the current legislative branch, participated in the PROCESS that led to the approval of the budget. As you point out, Ted voted against the budget and Marco “stayed home.” Either way, they both failed to keep the funding for PP from being approved. I fail to see where their positions are any better than Trump’s stand which is that he would only approve funding for PP if they consented to removing abortions from the services they are rendering. Moreover, my whole purpose in writing my opinion was that in the article Trump’s position is grossly misstated.
Further, my problem w/Ted is that he is a lawyer who does a lot of grandstanding (nothing wrong w/that); however, he is not a good leader/consensus builder; therefore, he accomplishes very little. Being 100% Conservative is great; however, it doesn’t help the rest of us if you cannot deliver any Conservative results to support your Conservative principles.
Sorry, but you phrased your comment as a statement of fact, when it is anything but a fact. And that statement has been repeated over and over again by Trump supporters, even though it has been debunked repeatedly. So yes, I tend to assume that anyone continuing to repeat a statement proven to be false is lying. If you were unaware of the truth, then I offer my apologies, and expect that you will not make the same factual error in the future...
I fail to see where their positions are any better than Trump’s stand which is that he would only approve funding for PP if they consented to removing abortions from the services they are rendering.
There is absolutely no reason for any federal funds to go to PP, whether or not they continue to do abortions. PP started out as a eugenics project by Margaret Sanger, designed to help reduce the population of the "lesser races". Now, along with abortion its primary purpose is to speed the sexualization of our children and encourage promiscuity, teaching them about masturbation, homosexuality, and teaching them that they should not involve their parents in discussions about their lives. Every actual health service provided by PP can be provided better, cheaper and to a wider range of patients by federally-qualified health care centers. So the fact that Trump supports ANY continued taxpayer funds going to PP makes his position much less desirable than Cruz or Rubio.
YES HE DOES HAVE EVANGELICALS SUPPORT!!
Except for the fact that TRUMP is a heck of a lot more desirable that Cruz or RUBIO so I would think that’s a plus.
Well I, and apparently about 2/3 of the GOP primary voters, would beg to disagree with you...
Ir’s really something combined with a Spanish accent. We had a client who was originally from Peru- a really delightful man, but spoke with such a heavy accent, it was a challenge sometimes, to understand him. When we’d be working out the design & prices for his fixtures, Roberto would be smiling & nodding and we would be smiling & nodding. About half the time, we’d have NO idea what, exactly, he said, but it rarely took more than 2 samples, if that, to get the fixture he wanted.
He was our favorite client & one of our best. We adored him.
Learn how to count, then we will talk 2/3 LOL LOL LOL!!
I like you ! You’re Funny!! How many people do you know? 3??
You need to learn how to count, my friend. Trump has received a total of 3.6 million votes so far. A total of 10.4 million votes have been cast in the Republican primaries. 3.6/10.4=33.28%. So 2/3 of all the votes cast have been for candidates OTHER than Trump - as I said.
Try not to make yourself look like such a foolish child next time...
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