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The outspoken Rev. Franklin Graham claimed today that the “majority of Christians” did not vote.
“We know that from of the statistics that I’ve heard that the majority of Christians in this country just did not vote for whatever reason,” he told the Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody. “The vast majority of evangelicals did not go to the polls.” He added, “God is in control, and if Christians are upset, they need to be upset at themselves. We need to do a better job of getting our people- the church to vote. Now, I’m not trying to tell you how to vote, you can vote, but vote, my goodness, and vote for candidates that stand for Biblical values.”
But Graham’s assertion -- and implication that had white Christian evangelicals just showed up in bigger numbers, President Obama would have lost -- is off base.
In fact, white evangelicals/born-again Christians made up the same percentage of the electorate as they did in 2008 – 26%. They voted for Mitt Romney, a devout Mormon, by a wider margin than they did for Sen. John McCain four years ago.
And, they made up a larger share of the electorate in 2012 than in 2004, when the Christian Right supposedly fueled George W. Bush’s reelection. They also voted for Romney with the exact same margin as for Bush in 2004, 78%-21%.
Not to mention, Obama won the 48 percent of the electorate that was Christian and not Protestant or Mormon -- 50%-48% among Catholics (25% of the electorate) and 50%-49% of "Other Christians" (23% of the electorate).
In Ohio, they were 1 point more of the electorate than 2008; in Colorado, 4 points higher; in Iowa, up 7 points; in Nevada, up 2.
White evangelical voters in select swing states
CO: 25%, 76-22 Romney; 2008: 21%, 76-23 McCain
FL: 24%, 79-21 Romney; 2008: 24%, 77-21 McCain
IA: 38%, 64-35 Romney; 2008: 31%, 65-33 McCain
NV: 18%, 69-28 Romney; 2008: 16%, 72-27 McCain
OH: 31%, 69-30 Romney; 2008: 30%, 71-27 McCain
They did decline as a share of the electorate in North Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin. But the drops in states like North Carolina (Graham’s home state) and Virginia likely have less to do with apathy and more to do with demographic changes – transplants in North Carolina’s Research Triangle and growth in the Washington, D.C., suburbs of Northern Virginia, for example.
The fact is, Virginia and North Carolina are looking less and less like the Old South and more and more like Mid-Atlantic states.
White evangelical voters in the South (where exit polls are available)
MS: 50%, 95-5 Romney; 2008: 46%, 94-6 McCain
AL: 47% , 90-10 Romney; 2008: 47%, 92-8 McCain
NC: 35%, 79-20 Romney; 2008: 44%, 74-25 McCain
VA: 23%, 83-17 Romney; 2008: 28%, 79-20 McCain
Are there Christian evangelicals who did not vote? Certainly. But that’s true every year and of every demographic group.
Evangelicals make up 26 percent of adults in the country, according to a major 2008 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey. They matched that this election.
The U.S. Census says there are more than 311 million people in the United States. If evangelical adults are 26 percent of them, then there would be 80 million potential voters.
So far, 123 million votes have been counted in this election – and that number will get higher by the millions as votes continue to be counted like in 2008. Evangelicals made up 26 percent of them, therefore, about 32 million evangelicals voted – less than half of their population.
But there’s a need for context here: (1) They make up just 14 percent of the registered-voter base in the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. They outpaced that percentage in the presidential election, (2) This is true every other demographic group in the country as well.
Latinos, for example, according to the U.S. Census, are nearly 17 percent of the country, but only made up 10 percent of the 2012 electorate. They make up just 8 to 9 percent of the registered-voter base of the NBC/WSJ poll.
That would mean just 12 million of the 52 million adult Hispanics voted.
If this was Australia, and the U.S. had compulsory voting, Graham’s argument that evangelicals would have tipped the balance would not hold up very well.
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Graham is a fool and an IDIOT. He lives on DADDYS name and has no idea what a christian is. This guy rolls with Carl Rove and the other terrorists. What a dissappointment!!!! On what athority does he speak, (what daddy would have said?) besides the old man's seriously senile. NO ONE but Jesus decides who is a CHRISTIAN, and no interrpreted book is GODS WORD. The Bible is good but how many "scholars" have rewritten it in their own words and added and excluded WHAT? GOD and FREEDOM will rule the day!!
Hey, I've heard that those that can't do, preach!
Here's another example of a hypocritical, racist dumb ass.
Another member of the Excuse-of-the-Day Club gives his dumba$$ viewpoint....and it is immediately proved wrong. But who's interested in facts when excuses are available?
Hey! did you ever think about the fact that your candidate lost because....well, not to over-simplify....because he SUCKS?!?!?!?!?
What on earth makes this man think that Christians didn't vote? This Christian certainly did, and she voted for Obama, not to mention a straight Democratic ticket. I vote for people who hold my values, not for people who merely SAY they hold my values...
well plumridge- then your values are not those of Jesus who condemns what Obama and the Democrats believe in
You cannot claim to be a Christian and vote for Obama.
Jesus never condoned murdering innocent babies
Jesus never condoned sexual perversion as normal and equal to heterosexual marriage
Jesus never called for us to surrender our personal responsibilities to care for those in need to govt and thus give glory to man rather than God.
Jesus never called for stealing from those who produce and give to those who haven't
Jesus never called for enslaving people to govt instead of liberty.
Reverend Larry Robinson
The Bible calls out a terrible promise for those who take the path of promoting immorality, Obama and those like him who call themselves Christians are instead uniting themselves with sin and ungodliness. The reward for that rebellion against God is hell, both for the sinners and those like Obama who are supporting their sins.
How horrible it will be for those who call evil good and good evil,
who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,
who turn what is bitter into something sweet and what is sweet into something bitter.
How horrible it will be for those who think they are wise
and consider themselves to be clever.
Isaiah 5:20,21
Jesus declares “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.” Revelation 22:13-16
Jesus- “But cowardly, unfaithful, and detestable people, murderers, sexual sinners, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will find themselves in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
God calls to Obama and any other Christian who seeks approval by the world rather than God to repent and separate yourself before your day of judgment
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness?
15 What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial [the devil]? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement [can there be between] a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
17 So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor,
18 And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
I think if people are so strong in their beliefs, they would not fight so hard prove their beliefs and wouldn't feel they have to inundate others with their cause.
Romney and the republicans are the same types as the moneychangers Jesus threw out of the temple. Open your eyes Big Bird, and see the truth.
Now, who are you to make this claim?
Larry you have the theology correct, but you have incorrectly applied it to the wrong segment of people. Christ did not involve Himself in politics and He instructed you to follow His example, not Billy Graham's example or Romney's example. Christ instructed you to take care of the "stranger" in your midst, who just might be the Mexican immigrants coming into our midst so they can enjoy the same freedom protection that you do and the same opportunity God gave us in this country to prosper. Christ instructed you to give to the poor, without condemning anyone. God said that He is no respecter of persons. In God's eyes, Obama and Romney are seen as the same. You are exalting Romney over Obama and you are disobeying God and defiling His word by using it to prove yourself right in worldly matters that God says better not matter to his people, because God ordains the heads of governments not man.
You may have voted for Romney, the Mormon who believes that they are descended from the Lost Tribes of Israel and will rule and reign over the world from the New Jerusalem in the United States, but that does not make your vote count more than God's written word that He ordains the heads of governments.
Romney stated clearly and plainly that he had run the best campaign possible and that he and Ryan had left it all on the playing field in his televised concession speech which means . . . Obama beat me fair and square. Romney also said that he was going to pray for the success of President Obama. Now, ask yourself. Would a good christian man pray for a devil's success? A liar's success? A thief's success? Take the man at his word, don't add to it and don't take away from it.
Then less than a week later, Romney said Obama bought the election with the promise of "gifts".
Have you not heard? These gifts are Constitutional promises, like God's Word they are meant for everyone who believes and is willing to receive the law of its statutes. Not twist them around to fit their passions for another man.
You are entitled to ONE vote and your speech is promised to be protected, but not for using it to abuse anyone.
The campaign is over. It really is. Condemning or questioning anyone for any reason related to their right to cast their vote to the wind or for any candidate is absolutely positively none of your business. Have you not heard of voter intimidation? Why are you trying to pierce any voter's rights with any form of prosecutions against them?
You need to examine your self man and find out what your hidden motives are? God will reveal them to you, if you are willing to ask Him too. If you are willing to believe Him and not yourself.
There are sever spiritual warnings against what you are doing here on this comment page today. Putting the Gospel on display like this so that you can play the righteous hypocrite and condemn others for what is none of your business. It is none of your business to even know who voted for Obama or Romney.
Think about this, maybe a whole lot of Christians really did vote for Obama, actually about 75% of his vote was from Christians, and some of them who you know just didn't want you to know because they are sick of listening to you preach the Romney gospel.
You need to get your hands on a Mormon bible and get an eyeful of what that religion believes. They really are a cult. And you want to follow after a leader in a cult?
Educate yourself on some real economic facts, like approximately 35% of welfare recipients are white. The biggest group. Did you know that 89% of our national debt held by foreign countries is owed back to us at a higher interest rate than we pay them? There are a lot of real facts about the economy that you can actually learn and they won't scare you like the Republicans do. Did you know that one of the contributing causes to our national debt is the two tax relief payments Bush gifted the American people? I love Baby Bush and I am proud to have served under him and would do it again right now. But, facts are facts. If you want to KNOW about the economy listen to the economist, not the politicians. They don't understand it either.
We have to take actions to defend this country.
Did you know that the host country is responsible for the defense and the protection of all foreign diplomats and embassies and consulates located in their country? Look it up, not on Fox news but go to the State Department's website and search for it there. Did you know that if we did not have permission to send military troops and gunships and rescue teams into Libya, it would be called an invasion? Did you know that our American Embassies have been attacked multiple times over the last 40 years and Senator John McCain has not called for an investigation once?
Did you know that the Republican Senators received the exact same information at the exact same time as the CIA? Why hasn't Senator John McCain called for an investigation into how they responded in order to rescue and save our beloved Americans under attack in Benghazi?
No single person or army could have saved them. No army was called in to save our other beloved Americans serving in American Embassies either. Check this out. Diplomats sign a document acknowledging that we may not be able to keep them safe.
Get your head out of politics and back where it belongs before God gets enough of your silliness and starts a campaign against you and all the gifts He has given you. God is a whole lot bigger than any politician or government policy and He can give and take His favor at His pleasure.
Where is your generous heart that God demands of you?
Where is your confidence in His power to deliver the American economy and save all the other economies in the world. People are God's economy, NOT MONEY
Where are your tender feelings of compassion toward everyone, rich or poor, young or old, foreign or natural born, black or white or brown or with a little American Indian mixed in to almost everyone in the whole country?
How many families did you feed today, other than your own?
How many people did you give a coat to?
How many people did you happily give them a place to live or sleep for the night?
You so called "christians" complain bitterly about the income taxes you owe, and we all know you cheat just a little on your return every year . . . but fail entirely to do the charitable work God requires you to do for your fellow man.
If you so called "christians" were actually performing your Christian duty, the government would have no welfare rolls. And there would be no want in this entire world.
If you so called "christians" were doing the missionary work you are called to do, you would be spreading the True Gospel throughout the Arab Islamic world with no thought to your own bodily harm and help to save us all from terrorists and save the whole world untold billions and billions of dollars in military cost.
You so called "christians" enjoy your wages too much and run yourself into debt too much seeking after the things of this world that you think make you a better show of a so called "christian"
You hysterical fanatical religious selfish self-centered stingy mean spirited pagans expect the world to bow down to your will and then have the nerve to call it God's will.
You are the sheep in wolves clothing. You are the embodiment of the anti-christ. There is nothing Christian about you so called greedy lust to have more entitlement and take from those who are just trying to get by on the crumbs the government can barely scrap together to give them because you cheat the government too and think it is owed to you and that makes it OK.
You need to get back in that Bible of yours and find out what happens to the people like you so called 'christians' who follow after the people God doesn't ordain. That is idol worship, you idiot. Leading people astray with your wanton ways of seeking your power on earth. That is Satanic. You better find your way down to your knees, if you can get off your pedestal, and get yourself right with the Real God and the Real Way you are supposed to worship Him.
Your free will is from your father the Devil. Obey God and flee from the Devil.
Humans wrote the bible and created god and the devil.
Jesus was the 1st true communist and a radical one at that.
God forbid the santimonious, self-righteous evangicals have to admit that. They wouldn't know how to act.
prog.1 . . . you are precisely correct . . but I like to think of it more as Christian socialism . . . God is the true communist . . . one world one etc
Franklin the fake & hypocrit said:
“We know that from of the statistics that I’ve heard that the majority of Christians in this country just did not vote for whatever reason,” he told the Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody. “The vast majority of evangelicals did not go to the polls.” He added, “God is in control, and if Christians are upset, they need to be upset at themselves. We need to do a better job of getting our people- the church to vote. Now, I’m not trying to tell you how to vote, you can vote, but vote, my goodness, and vote for candidates that stand for Biblical values.”
Your flock did vote you moron. And they LOST! And they voted for the candidate you told them to vote for. Even though Romney apparently represented "Biblical" values completely different from yours. But that didn't matter with you or them did it? Because your racism and hatred against a "non-white" Christian trumped your belief in God and your "Biblical values". Most people are not signing up for you or yor dad's scam & con-job anymore. Either your God is fake and couldn't get the job done for you Franklin. Or he is real and telling you something you better listen too. His Message: Stop hating, judging and rejecting or accepting people based on skin color and racism. And stop misleading his flock down that hellish and demonic path. Better still; GET OUT OF POLITICS ALTOGETHER-AND STAY OUT!
Why do the losers always want to justify their loss. The Republicans LOST. Now get over it and get in line.
Some of these so called "christians" and I don't mean the almost 75% of the prostetants that voted for Obama, are begining to act a little too much like the radical Islamic Muslim who what their politics and their religion dictated from the same pulpit. Shame on Billy Graham. Christ did NOT involve Himself in the politics of His day. He never strayed from the message He said He was anointed to preach to His people. I am guessing Billy Graham was just another rock star preacher after all. Billy Graham needs to get his head out of politics and back in The Real Bible before another flood comes and washes all of Billy Graham's people away.
Shame on all you so called "christians" for getting carried away by the cares of this world.
Where is your faith?
Where is your hope?
Look at who you have made your real god.
The Bible was right, many of God's people will go whoring after false gods. Gods that can not save them.
You better repent before it is too late. It might be tonight that the Real God calls you to make an account or before the next election so you won't screw up any more than you already have.
Actually, it's not Billy that opened his mouth and shamed himself
It's the ass of a son - Franklin.
oh, my bad. I thought they said Billy . . . oh yeah, they make mistakes to. thanks
Franklin
I consider myself a "Christian."
And I VOTED.
I did NOT vote for Romney.
Oh, and btw, you'll NEVER EVER have 1/2 the intelligence or even 100th of the class your father has.
Go SUCK AN EGG. And take your santimounious, holier than thou attitude and stuff it where the SON doesn't shine.!
I agree with the statement that God is, has always been and will always be in charge. Obama won the election by white, black & brown christians and non christians. End of Story. Shut the hell up.
How in the frack did this entire thread become a platform for religious bloviation? Answer me Larry. Oh, humble Larry. (sorry for calling you a layman, your naive babble made me believe that you were) I guess that entire camel through the eye of a needle, rich man getting into heaven stuff from the bible totally escaped you in your right wing fervor to elect the rich guy?
Franklin Graham....I am SURE Jesus would be a Republican aren't you?
smart . . and probably cute too
Enough already, as a conservative, and a Christian, we have to stop this non-sense. The candidate I voted for lost, I got over it, why can't our so called leadership do the same! We need to find solutions to big problems, not being critical of how Christians may or may not have voted. To Democrats and Republicians alike, find a way to balance the budget, pat down our debt, and resolve our illegal immagration issues now! Enough whinning and games, get it done or get thrown out...Your choice.
It is a sad observation that a leader of Reverend Graham's stature is reduced, through negligence or abandonment, by those very people whom he sought to nurture, all his life. Whomever would allow some jerk to publish the ramblings of a man not of clear mind, as though he were in the middle of his youthful theological service, is not themselves of clear mind.
Shame the hell on you, whoever you are, charged with his care, to allow these ramblings of a man about to meet his maker be such drivel with the potential that he shall be remembered only for such obvious nonsense.
You have failed your job to protect a great leader (your great leader), and the shame is something you shall bear!
ROTFL Just when you thought you heard it all this clown opens his mouth. Even though I personally would have expected this from Rush Limbaugh a little bit more.
prog.1 Jesus was not a communist. Communist force others to do what they are unwilling or unable to do themselves. Jesus did what we could never do for ourselves and asks us to join him, leaving the choice to us.
How about The Christ being a communist in theory, the theory makes sense but in practice it is unworkable.
The Christ was a Liberal. Franklin Graham is an ass. Poor Billy probably hasn't a clue what Jr. is up to. Never heard anything like Jr.'s rants out of the genuine Billy Graham. Jr.'s a disgrace.
@skyferret: ...21st century liberals are, in no way, even romotely similar to Jesus Christ. ...Heck, 21st century liberals aren't even like 20th century liberals. ...They are greedy, intolerant loudmouths, nothing like the cool liberals of the 1960's and 1970's. ...Get a grip!
Hello Dear, you are full of, ferret patoots, we both know that, however, in honor of some of best ever days: pass the dube and the cookies.
Peace.
No Obama won because Christians did vote!
Obviously, if Obama was elected it was what God intended.
Are you sure its not just because President Obama is the right man for the job?
Much better than the Prophet for profit, no comparison.
Hey Mark I'm with ya, but I'm going with "allowed" not "intended"
Mark Allan: Isn't that overtone similar to republican comments made during the recent campaign that caused a furor? Ha, ha, ha!
And the republican circular firing squad continues. These "religious" leaders should remember one thing. "SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE" Oh and btw, Franklin Graham is NOT a Christian. God save us from these false religious leaders
May as well sit back and enjoy the ride instead of contributing to the pharmaceutical companies :)
Chrisg: Its not necessarily the seperation of church and state. Its the IRS who is not taking away non profit status from the bible thumpers who are preaching politics from their pulpits. When the IRS revokes non profit status for misuse of that status, the political preachers will preach the word of God instead of the word of the republican party. Church services are never intended to be rallies for any political party.
Everbody say, amen... Amen!
First of all I am a white evangelical. The only way I see that Romney could have won is if more whites had joined those who already were voting as "Racists". There are still a sizable number of Racists in the U.S., but not as many as before 2000. Thank God for that because he is at work even among Christians. I am not saying that most Evangelicals are racists but I would guess that about 35% vote with racist thoughts.
Its exactly for idiots like this Graham guy that many ( including me ) voted for Obama. I feel sorry for this guy....If there's a God , then s/he surely doesn't want a middle man like this Graham guy between me and the supreme creator.
Hey Sam, on a very serious note, how do you vote for a man that OK's stuff forbidden in the Bible, (murder of the unborn, and gay marriage) the gays will be able to adopt baby's, can we say that any innocent child, say a baby boy should be placed in the hands of two dads (without adding graphic details of what that child would be taught), Please respond with your true feelings and viewpoint on these 2 issues. I am "sincerely" interested and maybe it will help me understand.
hrd, hate to break your bubble, the bible is silent on abortion, not one workd, zippo, nadda, zilch, all made up hype, I also believe the bible is equally silent on "Gay" marriage, but it does talk about how many wives a man can have, it also states that if a wife does not get her proper marital dues than she can divorce his ass, you are on shaky ground on both issues. Don't believe me check it out, plenty of on-line sources.
...Hey, I thought this was supposed to be an objective news article, not an editorial piece.
What a sleazy ball.
Franklin Graham got religion ONLY to inherit his father's snake oil fortune.