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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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Rev. Graham: Obama won because Christians didn't vote
Religion and Faith are not one in the same.
Maybe people are just Fed Up with a declining Standard of Living and sick and tired of being treated like disposable Human Beings in the work place.
When are you so-called Religious Leaders going to start speaking out about Living Wages, Job Outsourcing, Decent Benefits instead of Insurance Salesman, 40 hour work weeks, single earner households and no more latchkey children, etc, etc, etc... Maybe, just maybe you will start getting some credibility?
So now we get yet another excuse for President Obama winning. Maybe some "christians" were turned off by the realization that their hatred was extreme after comments from Murdoch, Akin, and the statehouses who proposed the draconian abortion bills and vaginal probes. I sick of the excuses after ten days. They are going to great lengths to distract the conversation from it's logical conclusion that their message of extreme abortion limitations in their War on Women, self deportation, the makers vs the takers. and the ending of the social safety net had much of why if any of their so-called enthusiastic base was depressed.
Everytime they send out a far-right evangelical christian like Bobby Jindel to ease the demographics that they understand their struggles and will help them they are immediately reminded by one of the talking heads that in no uncertain terms was their policies wrong in fact their should be more extreme(understanding). One pundit echoed that if they were to dress up their message enough they could pull the requisite votes to get them over the top. So their saying if they lie better they can trick minorities, women, the lgbt community, and yound people to vote for them.
Do they think that all these demographics are stupid or they don't hear their mixed message and stradegy for the 2014 & 2016 elections. If the Democrats laser focus the GOTV efforts in red state races up in the midterm along with ones in blue states they could very well take back the house in 2014. This would give then Speaker Pelosi and the women of the house a real chance to reverse the war against women waged by conservatives the last four years. The voters need to realize they must stand up and take back as many seats as they can in the state races and nationally.
I believe there are many conservatives who are disheartened by the GOP message of exclusion as their anti-christian message towards non-christians and non-whites is finally setting in and they are becoming conflicted with the hatred and the bible. Not all conservative christians are extreme but are afraid to speak out against church leaders who push their flocks towards this anti-christian message. We must as a people reach out to them and give them the strength to vote out these radicals as they are not good for them or the country. I also believe they all do not believe the democratic party is coming for their guns as they see this as false as it has not occured or had been attempted, that gay marriage is ruining traditional marriage like adultry is, that a path to legalization for immigrants and their children is morally right, and that tax cuts for the wealthy does not spur growth or create jobs it just makes the rich richer.
In a time when the people voted for compromise, taxes on the wealthy, and a jobs/infrastructure bill we must demand Congress do this for the good of the country and stop the partisan crap like the Bengazi hearings. Our country is headed the right direction and for conservatives to stand in the way and push our economy back into a double-dip recession because of a pledge to Grover Norquist not to EVER raise taxes is unamerican as they have taken an oath to the country. All the secessionist talk does nothing for the parties to come together but may make it impossible for conservatives to continue to fear the tea party and being primaried if they compromise for the good of the country. Any elected official who openly backs this should be arrested and charged with treason. There will never be any circumstance where the U.S. government will entertain this or let it take hold. These kinds of talks are not free speech but domestic terrorism and a threat to our great country. If conservatives so love the constitution and the bill of rights they would not tolerate this. Since we have an african american president who has been lied about it is easy for many conservatives to use this as simply another excuse for the racist/bigoted agenda. We as a democracy should not tolerate such talk and any and all who speak this way should be called out and removed from office if they are an elected official in any city, state, or in the federal government.
Just a note, most people won't read through your post. Forums are like advertising. If you can't say what you need to say in a paragraph or less chances are highly likely it will never be read.
Who cares what Franklin Graham thinks about the election? Religion belongs in churches--not in politics, not in government, not in public schools. In fact, a ton of Americans are sick of christians--and in particular anti-abortion fanatics-- trying to impose their irrational moral values on everybody else.
Of course the 1% Jesus has many mansions,offshore accounts and car elevators in his mansions. Plus the 1% Jesus has a dancing horse that he gets a huge tax dedcuction for.
Tonywarvet:
Okay--you made me laugh!
Mr. Franklin did not describe white-male-evangelicals - he said 'Christians.' Joe Biden, as a Catholic, would be one. However, he voted against his church's teachings, against the Pope's teachings, against biblical teachings. Of course, he may not believe what his church, his pope, his Bible teaches - which means he isn't a Christian but a humanist.
Actually, Joe Biden is a Christian, just not a bigotted, close minded one like Franklin Graham. He is more along the lines of Frank Schaefer, who broke with his Evangelical dad 20 years ago when he saw the light & got his heart in the right place with God's message of love & forgiveness!
Graham has just delivered another load of bovine fecal matter.
Actually, Franklin, my whole family are Christians, we worked you father's last crusade in Syracuse, and we are all Born-again Christians. The whole lot of us, my parents, my brothers and their wives & kids, my wife & I & our adult son and my adult daughter, ARE partially responsible for the re-election of President Obama! We all voted for him! With pride!
You see, we are not so closed minded about President Obama being black, being a Democrat, supporting gay marriage & a woman's right to choose to have an abortion if she so desires. We voted for him because he was the best candidate for the job, because he was not a lying Mormon who does not understand the depths of the Christian faith like President Obama does. Personally. And he acknowledges it proudly & publicly. We all are personally opposed to abortion, but are in favor of allowing a woman to make the choice whether or not she has a baby or not. None of us are gay, but if a gay person wants to get married, it will not reduce the sanctity of our marriages if they get married as well. You see, our marriages were performed in a church, that is what sanctifies it. But we also had it recognized by the state, for various reasons having to do with legal issues, like inheritance, rights to make decisions about our children, rights to make health care decisions for our spouse if they were unable to communicate. And gay people want to have those same rights, and we believe that they should be allowed to have them! As a matter of fact, my cousin, the daughter of a Baptist preacher & missionary, came out a few years ago, and married her partner. And I am proud that she did so, because her wife is a wonderful addition to our family!
You are one heck of a liberal Christian aren't you.
The pope was a Nazi and hides child rapists so his teachings are tainted to say the least.
Graham is just another angry old white man!! I, on the other hand, am a happy old white WOMAN!!... with no religious affiliation!! ....who voted for President Obama again..............
That is cool
Children, like Franklin do destroy their parents' legacy and their children and grand children's future. He has. But as always, a wise person changes his or her mind. You still have time to repent and make the next generations better. The union has changed and all persons (Blacks, Latino, Asian, mixture or otherwise) voices are being heard and Our supreme God has, will and forever will prevail.
Jody Iowa you could not have said it better. Romney went against everything his church stood for, in the primaries he said one thing in the national he said something else. He was suddenly pro-life, gays, he lied to the people of Ohio very boldfaced, and he and his superpac knew they were lying but didn't care, so how he expected the people to vote for him when he was playing politics with the livelihood of the people in Ohio. You haven't heard anything yet, more excuses will come from the Republicians about their loss. All the Republicians are doing is pushing the Americian people further and further away from them. If they continue they will even loss in 2016 also.
Franklin Graham - you sir are an extreme partisan, a racist and a con-man as you have figured out how to line your own pockets with TWO full-time exorbitant salaries all in the name of religion and alleviating poverty. I have been watching you closely for sometime as you attack Obama and came EVER-SO-CLOSE to endorsing Donald Trump on national television (ABC interview with Christiane Amanpour) back in that oh-so-long republican primary season. You have also admitted on national TV that you have NEVER voted for a democrat. EVER! You love to preach politics from the pulpit and I would dearly love to see you lose your 501-C tax exempt status at Samaritan's Purse for doing so. Your old man was (and is) a partisan as well - but at least he had the good sense to be discrete about it. Your latest statement is completely FALSE and is really off the wall. But hey - I have come to expect the ridiculous from you. You should be ashamed of yourself, Franklin Graham. If you want to get into politics - FINE - but first get OUT of religion. But I'm not sure you are even "in religion" in the first place. You just figured out a way to make A LOT of MONEY. You receive TWO "full-time" salaries: $535 K from Samartians Purse in Boone, NC and $669K from Charlotte NC based BGEA (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association) in 2008. That is over 1.2 MILLION in one year! Samaritan's Purse mission statement: To help the world's "poor, sick and suffering" with food, medicine, and other assistance - all with the ultimate person of "sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ." BGEA mission statement: To proclaim the Gospel message: "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." BUT you have said, "I love and enjoy what I do. It's not a job, it's a calling... I'd do it for nothing." BUT you continue to make MILLIONS -receiving exorbitant salaries from both places as you continue to live your lavish lifestyle. You figured out that what passes as "religion" to some people can indeed be big business and you have profited enormously. Your are a con-man and a scoundrel and a hypocrite on top of being a partisan hack. You only care about your own wealth and your political causes. Perhaps - like so many Southerners- you have confused politics and religion as you have obviously combined the two and POLITICS seems to be your passion as you are NOT bashful about stating your political positions on national TV. You sir are an absolute disgrace!
Franklin Graham is nothing like his father. The younger Graham is an unscrupulous fraud whose political views are reactionary and divisive. All this charlatan wants is his "cut" of the Pat Robertson "christian" money machine that credulous benighted followers willing submit to secure a place in their "pie in the sky".
Franklin is to Billy as Mitt is to George.
Rev. Graham: Obama won because Christians didn't vote
Religion and Faith are not one in the same.
Maybe people are just Fed Up with a declining Standard of Living and sick and tired of being treated like disposable Human Beings in the work place.
When are you so-called Religious Leaders going to start speaking out about Living Wages, Job Outsourcing, Decent Benefits instead of Insurance Salesman, 40 hour work weeks, single earner households and no more latchkey children, etc, etc, etc... Maybe, just maybe you will start getting some credibility?
COMPLETELY concur with you 100%
A rant obviously from a person who knows nothing of the Bible and true Christianity. No where does it state that Believers should rant against injustices. Jesus is about personal salvation. Once a person is a Believer in Christ then it is up to them to do the right thing based on their love of God.
Where did Jesus say the government should pay people not to work? Where did Jesus say that killing unborn babies should be a national law? Where did Jesus say that everyone should only work when they want to and at a price they wanted? And for those of you who still don't get it. Jesus did not agree to government taxation. What He said is that if you accept the coin made by Caesar as your barter method then you accept Caesar when he demands you pay it back. So if people continue to use US currency then that is all they owe to their government.
I'm a Christian and I always did like Billy Grahm, but I voted for Pres. Obama and think Grahm Jr. needs to be taxed because he's crossed the line between church and state.
Trickle down faith doesn't work any better than trickle down economy.
and this is who the right wants to align themselves with? between the christian right, the tea party and fools like romney and ryan, the dems are in hog heaven. they never seem to learn or care what americans want or need. they only look at mirrors
The reason Romney lost?
Obama got more votes!
So I guess we can say, thank Christ for Obama's re-election.
I like to think that my agnostic soul had something to do with it. Can I share the blame?
This is why God told His chosen people not to seek out Kings for their leaders. God specifically states He is Lord of His people not their puppeteer. As a believer in Christ I am 100% against any religious person standing up and talking about politics. That is not what the New Testament is about. Unfortunately it also tends to bring the Christophobics out in force from their dark lives and spout stupid comments only a three year old would believe.
So my advice to the Graham family is to do what God wants and not what your vanity wants. Stick to proclaiming the Word of God and be a Christian witness through your striving to be more Christ like. After all Jesus confronted the woman at the well in private with honesty and compassion. He did not stand in the square and rant against the community for allowing promiscuous life styles. He knew even then that most societies are attracted to the dark and not the Light.
People, can the phrase "Faux News" be retired? I hate the network, but that just sounds like unimaginative schoolyard screeching.
Is that similar to over using liberal... a lot more use than Faux News.
I feel sorry for all the Repugnants and Tampon Baggers that are brainwashed by almighty FauX News, that type of entertainment was never intended for genetically inferior humans that consider themselves to be a Repugnant or Tampon Bagger.
I have a brother-in-law who is a vehement "Tea Bagger" (his term, not mine). When he says that, I just giggle a bit, because he doesn't know what that phrase really means.
Liberal, Conservative, Socialist, Communist, Tea Bagger, . . . Once you use a label, you don't have to say anything.
Obama got more votes then Romney. I guess the republicans can't just except that. Tell you what you guys work on that for next election and when you lose you can figure out something else
If The Reverend were so connected, how come God didn't tell him how to win the election? After all, the Reverend--having a direct line to God through his Dad--has told us many times that God is all-knowing.
He's right there. So just maybe God knows something the Reverend doesn't know--like people don't like being insulted and being lied to.
If the Reverend means not enough of us were snookered by the pitch for richer rich--well then, dagnabit, he's got something there.
Tickets to Obama Political Rally: Free
Donation to Obama Election Fund:$50
Obama Biden Campaign Sign in front yard: Free
Gas for car to Voting Poll: $1.37
Election Night Victory Party: Free
Whining crybaby Repugnants: Freaking Priceless
Awesome!
"Now I'm not trying to tell you how to vote" - whatever Billy. Keep your message in the church where it belongs and out of politics! And really, hasn't the religious right learned by now that trying to shove their message down people's throats isn't the way to a voter's heart. Wake up GOP, and if you want to win another national election, tell these biblical wackos to keep their mouths shut!