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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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Billy Graham is now the helpless, senile meat puppet of his son Franklin. To his eternal shame, Franklin is now using the love and prestige his father commands in the world to further his thoroughly un-Christian agenda. So, here's the deal: I condemn Franklin Graham to a single day in the Lake of Fire. Not an eternity, mind you, just one day of unendurable pain and agony. I'm no admirer of Billy, so he, too, can burn in agony for a day. He did his job all too well in raising Franklin. May the tortuous fire cleanse them both of their hellish apostasy.
1. Franklin continues to do all he can to Tarnish his dad's legacy. Can anyone imagine Billy saying something like this after an election? I may not have agreed with his dad, but I respected him and thought well of him. I can't say the same for Franklin.
2. This seems like push-back from the social right. Inside the GOP, they are finally realizing that advocating social positions way to the right of popular view isn't working. Most Americans who favour smaller government today - well they favor smaller government. Not a government with no involvement in the economy, but huge involvement in your religious and sex life. Extremists are desperate to throw out any other reason for the GOP's decline.
3: "If this was Australia, and the U.S. had compulsory voting... " If this WERE Australia. Please NBC, those of us who are parents have a hard enough time teaching our kids correct English without you doing this sort of thing. Perhaps your writers and editors need a refresher course on the subjunctive.
Who cares what that old geezer says?!
Not the father. It's the son that's proven to be the ass.
Graham is so full of crap like the rest of his followers! So called "christians" did not vote because they were out trying to figure out how they were going to lie and cheat next to get ahead at anyones expense! Those "chrisitians" are just as fake and sorry as Obama!
My values are as good or perhaps better than yours Graham. I am not a Christian, Jesus is not my teacher, but I know many and some are good people and some are reprehensible. If republicans ran a good, modern and honest man or woman who understood the needs and thoughts of the majority of voters Romney would have won. But, living in his rich man's ivory tower he did not and still does not understand the essence of the United States. He and Ryan are out of touch with hard working people living in the 21st. century as is their regressive GOP. You also need to educate yourself and join us in our diverse community. The 47% are not takers. Most of the people now helping day and night in the areas hit by Sandy are in the 47% I doubt if there are many millionaires working with their hands and cleaning up that disaster.
Time to TAX all these so called "Christian" churches and the trillions of dolllars in property they own. They are the true moochers on our land, and I say that as a Blackfoot Indian woman who still is not free to practice my religious beliefs and whose ancestors had NO WHERE TO RUN when immigrants came here to escape religious intolerance.. Wonder when the GENOCIDE of my people will be acknowledged like that of the Jews??? No holocaust museum in DC for my people!
You know if your tribes actually connected early on and worked together instead of against each other we'd all be living in your culture and not the other way around.
I know that's an a**hole comment but hey... just saying it like it is.
I totally agree! How can they retain their "tax-exempt" status?
Does the old man knows that I am Christian and I voted for Obama.
It's not the father. It's the SON (Franklin) that's proven to be the total ASS.
As a Christian I resent what Graham said.
He doesn't really mean Christians. He means wingnuts like himself.
The "Christians" most of us know have an affinity for saying their God's will always prevails, so what's the point for them to vote? If they vote, doesn't that equate to gambling and defying their God, which are supposed to be deadly sins? ::Delirium::
It is so sad. Billy Graham was a nice preacher and his son is an idiot.
Franklin Graham needs to keep his lame-butt, Fascist Fundy nose OUT of the Discussion. His comments lead to nothing but dissension and confusion within the Christian Community, and the body politic at large. The last thing we need are half-baked Talibangelists like him.
Obama is the Prez for the next 4 years ...Hope he does the things he promised 4 years ago as he is given another 4 years ...if not he will go down as one of the Biggest Failures in Presidential History ..
Franklin Graham:Billy Graham as Willard Romney:George Romney. Both poor imitations to the original.
Thank God, Christians didn't vote. By re-electing Obama, America put the pseudo-science nonsense of "creationism" and "intelligent design" back on the shelf for another four years. The citizenry voted for SCOTUS to not revisit Roe vs. Wade or other womens' reproductive rights issues for at least 10 more years. Our LGBT citizens will now get their full citizenship rights as will, hopefully, the undocumented aliens in America. We may even get out of American war profiteers' Crusades against Muslims in Afghanistan and elsewhere. So here's a big "Amen" that the Rev. Franklin Graham's Taliban stayed home election day. Hallelujah!
Billy Graham is wrong. President Obama won because Christians voted for his reelection. I thought there was suppose to be a separation of church and state in America. How can these fundamentalist maintain their tax-exempt status when they infuse and espouse their views in pulpit, politics, and policy?
I am a Christian who believes in brotherly love, tolerance, and consideration for the poor. Now, I am sure, that Graham, Swaggart, and similar types, will cast me into their hell. Well, I am glad these hate mongers have no heaven or hell. They are sad, horrible demagogues.
Obama won because "true" Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus cannot vote GOP. Jesus was NOT for the 1%,NOT for wars,NOT for hatred and bigotry which is the GOP mantra! Graham is a terrible example of what a Christian should act like! Terrrible!
Can we just get all the evangelicals to move to Israel to really show their support? What better place than the holy land for them to dwell? The notion of any religion having influence in US politics and civil matters is repugnant.
I was born into a Christian family and most/many of the friends I have had who maintain their association with Christianity are unapologetic Republicans, one of the most un-Christian groups I can imagine. Perhaps I misunderstood what Christianity was really supposed to be.
Oh Christians voted all right. We voted for Obama!
Well Franklin "I'm not trying to tell you how to vote" Graham. Maybe you could point out to me exactly the parts of the book of mormon which you have judged to be Christian. Maybe those parts that talk about salvation by works and not by faith. You know - just asking !!
If Billy Graham was not so old and senile he would know his son is a Rightwing bigot who has rejected the teachings of Jesus!
Someone has to lose and the other has to win. The election is over and we have one President (Obama); not Romney or Graham. Let's bury the hatchet and move on.
Here is a good joke:
The night before the election, Mitt was very confident of winning and said to Ann his wife "this time tomorrow night, you'll be sleeping with the President of the United States."
After Mitt's concession speech, they head home and went to bed. Ann was getting undressed when she asked, "so how does this work? Is Barack coming over here or am I supposed to go over there?"
Good one.
The voice of THE PEOPLE is the voice of GOD; not the whine of an old grumpyracist pet claiming to be Christian when we know who he has been serving all these years; the dirty old dollar bills and leading others to hell. "God's kingdom prevails"
I am wondering about all the stuff God misses. When your team wins, it is obviously God being on your side. Ask and football player. When you lose, why don't athletes get the message God hates them? Same with Franklin. God obviously hates him. No other way to look at it.
Too many of todays Evangelicals do NOT follow the teachings of Jesus! Wake up! Repent! You cannot support the GOP if you follow Jesus!
I am a Christian and I voted for Obama. I thought there suppose to be a separation of church and state in the USA. I don't understand the Christianity of Graham, Parsley, and Swaggart, but I think they are dangerous hateful men.
That's because they are Fake Christians.
If they were doing what Jesus Preached, we would have the Number One Standard of Living in the World again in no time flat, instead they worry about who can put the most in the Donation Plate.