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I am looking for information on voter turn out and poltical activism among Christians. The information can be both historical and present day. I have searched FR for information relating the presidential election. Any other links, articles, or book suggestions would be appreciated.

Nearly nine of every 10 registered voters in Sonoma County cast ballots in last month's general election, the greatest local voter participation in history. In an impassioned, divisive presidential election that drew even apathetic Californians to ballot boxes, Sonoma County's record 89.4 percent turnout was bested statewide only by Marin County - and that by only one-tenth of a percent, 89.5. Sonoma County elections officials, who predicted turnout of 83 percent, called the final figures "remarkable" and "huge." "I knew it was going to be big," said County Clerk Eeve Lewis, who oversees the Registrar of Voters office. "This was...

Black voter turnout for George Bush has largely been dismissed. Liberal pundits claim that Dubbya’s performance with Black voters was merely average. Any increase in Black support was largely motivated by homosexual marriage and other “values issues,” and that until Republicans begin to address social issues -- like the Black poverty rate –Black voters will continue to vote disproportionately for Democratic candidates. Support for Bush Edging Upward True enough. The 11 percent of the Black vote culled by Bush is average for Republican presidential candidates. What this analysis misses, however, is that Bush not only increased his percentage of the...

A tsunami of new voters, young voters, recently registered-by-the-Democrat Party-and-George Soros voters, minority voters and unhappy-with-the direction-of-the-country voters is going to swell the voting lines all day tomorrow. We are going to have an unprecedented turnout - the largest ever - and that is not good news for the GOP and President Bush. The higher the turnout - and some estimate upward of 120 million voters - the better it is for Kerry because those new voters are coming to vote against President Bush. … Prediction: the anti-Bushies will defeat the pro-Bushies tomorrow night by 3 points in the...

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — The Old Order Amish, who populate the northern end of Lawrence County, appear to have come out to vote in droves this past election thanks to the Bush-Cheney campaign. County election records show increases in voter registration in just about every voting precinct in the county, but those heavily populated by Amish appear to have higher-than-average numbers. The Amish are traditionally staunch Republican voters, but local officials say it's hard to get them to polling places on Election Day. "In the spring, if it's a good day, not too many come out to vote because they...

The Tenth Dems knew they were gaining ground when a Republican spy showed up. The mole attended a March meet-up in Lake County of John Kerry supporters, sponsored by the Tenth Dems, a group of 10th Congressional District Democrats. On a conservative Illinois political Web site later that same night, the spy reported back. More than 40 "eager" volunteers attended, the mole wrote. They even collected checks written out to "John Kerry for President." "If we could only get something this effective ... going for our candidates," the writer mused. The Republicans were right to be worried, and a bit...

Since the election, the talking heads have been buzzing with speculation on what the Christian vote for Bush means and what we Christians believe we can now expect for our efforts. What are our demands? they ask. Well, as usual, they’ve got it backwards. Evangelicals and conservative Catholics who turned out in great numbers and voted their moral values were not doing so in order to “get something” from the administration. Most were doing it because they’ve agreed with Bush for years and identify with who he is. I discovered his keen interest in faith-based solutions when he was governor...

As the presidential race was heating up in June and July, a pair of leaked documents showed that the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign was urging Christian supporters to turn over their church directories and was seeking to identify "friendly congregations" in battleground states. Those revelations produced a flurry of accusations that the Bush campaign was leading churches to violate laws against partisan activities by tax-exempt organizations, and even some of the White House's closest religious allies said the campaign had gone too far. But the untold story of the 2004 election, according to national religious leaders and grass-roots activists, is...

According to election turnout experts 120.2 million turned out to vote Tuesday. With apprx 117 million counted to date, it is certain that Bush will easily surpass 60 million and may make 61 million. Final results will not be known until early December.

THE CAMPAIGN This article was reported by Elisabeth Bumiller, David M. Halbfinger and David E. Rosenbaum and written by Ms. Bumiller. WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 - In the closing hours of President Bush's campaign for re-election, Karl Rove, his chief political adviser, was obsessed with turning out Republican votes. Late on Monday night, Mr. Rove stood in the cold at a rally in Albuquerque and pulled scraps of paper from his pocket covered with numbers that reassured him that his ground army was in full assault. "In Nevada, where last time there were 598,000 votes cast, our organization made 130,000 contacts,"...

This election confirms the brilliance of Karl Rove as a political strategist. He calculated that the religious conservatives, if they could be turned out, would be the deciding factor. The success of the plan was registered not only in the presidential results but also in all 11 of the state votes to ban same-sex marriage. Mr. Rove understands what surveys have shown, that many more Americans believe in the Virgin Birth than in Darwin's theory of evolution.

President rode on big turnout Aided by droves of committed GOP volunteers, President Bush scored significant gains in the state that nearly denied him the presidency in 2000. BY LESLEY CLARK, AMY DRISCOLL AND TIM HENDERSON lclark@herald.com When President Bush motored across the reliably Republican Panhandle in August, Democrats suggested he was worried about defection within his conservative base. But the reason for the trip was obvious Tuesday when Florida's ballots were tallied: The Panhandle's rich vein of conservatives turned out in such big numbers that they helped to seal an easy Bush victory in the state that he only...

If nothing else, the election of 2004 may be remembered as The Year of the Lines. Fired by partisan passion, a greater percentage of US voters appeared to have cast ballots than at any time since 1968 - and if you were a resident of a swing state, sometimes all those people seemed to be waiting in front of you. Waits were an hour, or two, or five. Volunteers passed out cookies, line-mates made friends, children turned crowded precinct rooms into impromptu playgrounds. Some people waited in lines at airports, so they could fly home to wait in line to...

NewsMax.com's Fr. Michael Reilly details the critical role played by Catholics in President Bush's election victory. Exit polls are showing that President Bush has won the Catholic vote 51-48 percent, which was decisive in states that were the key to Bush's victory, especially Ohio and Florida. "We trimmed 5 percent off of what Kerry needed in Youngstown, Ohio," according to Kevin Collins of Catholics Against Kerry. "Kerry needed 65 percent and got only 60 percent," Collins told NewsMax. Bush won the Catholic vote in Florida 57-42 percent (among weekly mass-goers, 66-34 percent) and in Ohio 55-44% (among weekly mass-goers, 65-35...

The media will never concede publicly is that several factors play a key part in Kerry's defeat. 1)Republicans were able to get base voters to the polls in the late evening(which in the past favored Democrats) 2)People of faith voted for Bush 2-1 over Kerry(Hispanic Voters in the South, Midwest and Southernwestern State went for Bush) 3)Kerry did poorly among black voters with no less that 74-78% of the Black Vote(I think Bush doubled his 2000 numbers)4. The military voters turned out a record number of votes from bases in key battleground states and overseas ballots. 5) Bush won over...

ONSENSUS OF THE EARLY VOTING REPORTS [11/02 10:42 AM] Here is one prediction I am willing to make based on the reports of long lines, big turnout, etc.: Bush will win a higher percentage of the vote in the deep-red states than he did in 2000. Of course, this won't help him get to 270 electoral votes. But it sounds like it might help him a bit in the psychologically-useful popular vote. There are just too many reports of longer-than-ever-before lines in very red states. Maybe, like in the case of Oklahoma, it may be Senate races. Maybe, like in...

Rain Monday night, all day Tuesday.Is this good news?

High Turnout Means Kerry Victory John LeBoutillier Monday, Nov. 1, 2004 Beginning last spring I wrote of the theory of the Passion Differential - the difference between the anti-Bush forces and the pro-Bush forces. I added that the Democratic nominee was basically irrelevant to this race; that the anti-Bushies were creating a wave of support and all the Democratic nominee had to do was to climb aboard an imaginary surfboard and “ride that wave” to victory. Well, we are now a day before the biggest election since the epic 1980 battle between the failed presidency of Jimmy Carter and the...

For 30 years, conservative Christians have lectured the Republican Party that its halfhearted embrace of social conservative causes had left untold millions of churchgoing voters without enough motivation to go to the polls. Now many Christian conservatives say President Bush and his White House have done more to excite those promised voters than any previous administration, putting their predictions to a test. Even beyond the immediate issues about same-sex marriage, abortion or stem-cell research, several conservatives said, the election results could determine their power in the conservative movement and the Republican Party for years to come. "Republicans were interested in...

Michigan: Detroit - High 52-Low 39 - 80% chance of rain (Please, God!!!) Flint - High 51 - Low 33 - 80% rain(Dems number 2 area in Michigan) Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti - 51-32 - 80% Rain - This helps overall, but could hurt Eastern Livingston County and West Oakland turnout which is bad. I'll take the tradeoff though. Livingston has a 20,000 vote edge for the GOP in 2000. Ann Arbor City alone had about that for Gore. Lansing/East Lansing - 50-32 - 50% Rain - Rain helps here bigtime. Grand Rapids - 49-33 - AM Showers - 50% - Good...

Traditionally, most Dem voters stay home if the weather is inclement. You will all be happy to know that there is a 70% chance for thunderstorms November 2nd :)

ELECTION DAY MAP And the 2000 ELECTION MAP

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - Recorded phone messages, glossy mailers, endless TV commercials, unsightly yard signs — Pennsylvania voters have endured a constant barrage of campaign propaganda this year. On Election Day, the result will likely be a “phenomenal” turnout for the presidential race, locals elections experts say. As many as 215,000 people — three-quarters of Lancaster County voters — will cast their ballots on Tuesday, said Berwood Yost, the director of Franklin & Marshall College’s Center for Opinion Research. And a big reason is President Bush and his challenger, Democrat John Kerry, have spent so much money trying to influence...

Poll: Anger Among Conservatives Rises Level of Ire Still Does Not Match Liberals' Analysis By CHERYL ARNEDT Oct. 27, 2004 - Republican anger directed at Sen. John Kerry has risen in the past three weeks, but it still falls short of the ire Democrats directed at President Bush. That anger counters the greater enthusiasm Republicans feel for Bush -- and it's one reason the race is close. Bush overall has a nine-point advantage over Kerry in strong enthusiasm (down from its highest levels), while Kerry has a 20-point edge in the anger factor. The race may hinge on which...

Battlegrounders MICHIGAN: PART II [David Hogberg 10/27 05:28 PM] These next emails examined some numbers and how the Michigan ballot is a different this time around: Shouldn't Kerry have a comfortable lead? This is a state that according to a recent GR Press article incurred 26% of the national job losses. This is a state that Gore took by almost 5. This is a state where the economy is lagging behind. Kerry has chosen the home of the Reagan Democrats, Macomb County, to appear this week. The latest Detroit News poll has Kerry trailing by (44.1-42.4) in Macomb and St....

Thirty take bus rides to mall to vote for Kerry By HENRY BREAN REVIEW-JOURNAL It wasn't the most successful get-out-the-vote effort in history, but it meant a lot to Las Vegas Democrat Cloma Williams. She was one of about 30 people who were shuttled directly from Tuesday's rally for John Kerry to an early voting site at the Boulevard Mall in buses provided by the Kerry campaign. "I wanted to get the vote behind me," Williams, 69, said as she emerged from the polls with a small smile. "You never know what's going to happen in a day. I could...

Dear Kindred in Christ, How well do you remember the nightmare aftermath of the 2000 general election, the private angst and the public protests, a flawed voting system and the fraud of hanging chad; all the hand-wringing of a liberal press and blatantly biased media – each major political party accusing the other of trying to steal the election? I remember wondering why so many Americans did not understand the Constitutional process for electing the President of the United States. I remember having a greater concern that our God-given freedoms, and our time-proven system for discerning the political will of...

[some excerpts] In 2000, the last-minute revelation that George W. Bush had once been arrested for drunken driving may have caused conservative Christians to waver on Election Day. Karl Rove, the president's senior political adviser, has said that 4 million fewer evangelicals than expected turned out at the polls, something the president's backers are determined to keep from happening again. White evangelical Protestants, who are leaning 4 to 1 toward Bush in opinion polls, make up 20 to 25 percent of the electorate, or about 50 million potential voters. But like other Americans, nearly half do not vote.

Just when we discovered that we’re facing flu season with a shortage of flu vaccine, another public-health menace is about to raise its ugly head. I call it “Secretary of State Syndrome.” Unlike flu season, which occurs annually, this malady occurs biennially and only in election years. And fortunately, it apparently doesn’t infect anyone except elections officials and the media. For reasons that defy explanation even by the Centers for Disease Control, state election officials and local election clerks become delusional about this time every two years, and they start predicting huge increases in voter turnout. And then cross-contaminated media...

WASHINGTON – All the signs are there: high viewership of the debates, a high percentage of voters telling pollsters they're following the campaign closely, and avalanches of voter registration cards burying some county election boards. This promises to be a high-turnout election, at least by American standards. In a nation where it has become typical for half of all eligible voters to stay home even for a presidential election, the 2004 race could see turnout spike to 60 percent, say voting experts. Historically, in presidential races, higher turnout has marginally benefited Democrats. But with both major parties and independent groups...

I think the Gay Marriage issue has the potential to turn out voters in droves this election. I know Ky has it on the ballot. Missouri and Louisiania have just had refferendums on the issue so they are out of the running. Is this on the ballot in other states? Which states?

WASHINGTON (AP) - Who is John Kerry? The black men and women asking that question in a new television ad are encouraged to "get to know" the presidential candidate, pictured in the spot embracing a black voter as an announcer assures viewers that he cares about issues that affect their lives. The 30-second spot is part of a $2 million ad campaign to encourage blacks to turn out to vote for the Democrat because his plans on jobs, health care and education could have a direct impact on them. The TV ads will run in battleground states and in major...

<p>America's 50 million evangelicals have received a call "to shape public policy" and expand the role of religion in public life, according to a document produced by the National Association of Evangelicals.</p> <p>Still in draft form, the 12-page document, "For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility," says evangelical Christians have a duty to affect society "because Jesus is Lord over every area of life."</p>

By ELIZABETH WOLFE, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Forget about soccer moms. The prized voter of next year's presidential election could be single women, according to a new study. But they need to get to the polls. Using census and other voting data analyzed by two Democratic polling firms , the study released Tuesday found there would have been 6 million more ballots to count in 2000 if single women had voted at the same rate as their married counterparts. The study, the first phase of a project designed to help get single women to the polls, showed that they...

Much has been written by the leftist press about low black voter turnout on Tuesday. Has anyone here, black or white, heard anything as to the reasons? By that, I mean has anyone here personally heard any statements made by black voters as to their reasons for not voting. I have wondered if all of the claiming Bubba to be the first black president and his induction into the Black Hall of Fame has turned off the people in flyover country. Add to this, the way Dims view blacks, the war, Iraq, the economy, etc.

<p>SACRAMENTO(AP) - State election officials predicted Tuesday that about 58 percent of registered voters would vote in next week's election.</p> <p>That's slightly higher than the percentage of voters who cast ballots in November 1998, the state's lowest turnout ever, said Secretary of State Bill Jones.</p>

WASHINGTON (AP) - Corporate wrongdoing and economic jitters have soured the national mood noticeably in recent weeks, according to prominent Republican pollsters who warn of "GOP turnout problems" in midterm elections if the trend persists. "The bottom has fallen out on the mood of the country," Public Opinion Strategies cautioned party strategists in and out of Congress in recent days. Based on soundings taken recently in Georgia, the pollsters concluded that "WorldCom's announcement may have been the straw the broke the camel's back," a reference to the major telecommunications company's disclosure last month that it had erroneously accounted for nearly...

In an effort to erase a growing disparity in voter turnout that has alarmedGOP strategists, the Republican National Committee has developed an elaborate new get-out-the-vote plan and is trying to convince state parties to put it into practice.The plan, which has the backing of White House strategists, is noteworthy both for its breadth and for the elaborate research on which it is based.While many of the results were not surprising — additional manpower can turn out potential voters, and sharper, customized voter contact messages will increase participation, etc. — the results could help national party officials sell their state affiliates...

<p>The goal is to improve voter turnout and shorten the campaign season. Don't mark your election calendars just yet. California's primary may be on the move again.</p> <p>On the heels of record-low voter turnout in the March primary, the state Senate last week voted to shift future statewide primaries to August to boost interest among the electorate.</p>