Posted on 11/10/2006 9:43:05 PM PST by generalhammond
A PORTION of the religious right, usually a bedrock for US President George W. Bush, defected to the Democratic Party in this week's legislative elections following sex scandals and complaints the Republicans were taking them for granted.
White Christian evangelicals remain overwhelmingly Republican, but about 30 per cent opted to vote for Democrats on Tuesday, an increase of six to 10 percentage points compared to previous elections, according to exit polls published in the US media.
The Democrats secured majorities in both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994, despite hopes among Republican strategists that "values voters" would help the party retain control of the national legislature.
And contrary to forecasts that religious conservatives would stay away from the ballot booth, voter turnout resembled that of previous elections, the exit polls showed.
Among Roman Catholics, already less inclined to lean right compared to evangelicals, Democrats won 54 per cent support in the pivotal state of Ohio, compared to just 32 per cent in the presidential contest two years earlier.
In Virginia and Montana, Catholic voters' support for Democrats rose eight percentage points and six points, respectively.
While the scale of the Democratic victory was mainly due to a major swing among independent voters, the shift of just a portion of the religious right appeared to have cost the Republicans dearly in certain states and precincts.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Bush wasn't running.
I believe those Christians who voted for the democrats were deceived and duped.
"White Christian evangelicals" does not equal "Religious right. After, Jimmy Carter is an evangelical.
Fence-sitters won the election for the Democrats.
Fence-sitting isn't a good war strategy.
Here are some of the numbers - U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES / NATIONAL / EXIT POLL.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to verify or disprove the conclusions of this report without access to the raw data.
Of course, exit polls do not incorporate the responses of people who did not vote at all. The abandonment rate would surely increase if they were.
Yep. Especially in the North East, moderate Republicans deserted the GOP.
You don't have to be conservative to back the marriage amendment, only sane.
I know lots of pro-Israel Jews who are ardent Democrats. The hatred of Republicans is so ingrained, it doesn't matter what you say...they don't hear you. I've had to sever relationships over their inability to grasp the obvious and their sheer insistance that Republicans are nothing but Christians who only want to convert Jews.
Christians won't vote for Romney, Christians won't vote for Rudy, won't vote for Gingrich....
Bull.........they just voted the Dems in.
Gingrich????
The majority of Christians didn't "vote" for the Demos...
They just sat out this election our and didn't vote!
Which means - they DID vote for the DemocRats - by acquiescence!
Not to respond IS to agree (acquiescence)!
That's right --- it's called "divide and conquer."
I don't see it either.
No one deserted Bush.
Chaffee is a good example-Repubs in blue states got clobbered mostly.
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