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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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Let me see if I've got this right. Conservative Christians believe that if a woman is raped and gets pregnant, the pregnancy is God's will.
But if their candidate loses the election by millions of votes, that is certainly not God's will.
Their God sure has some weird priorities.
True dat, dog! :-)
Christians did show up to vote, and we voted for Obama. The GOP can't fool us into voting for them over a single issue like abortion. The Democrats platform is far more aligned with what Jesus Christ taught us about taking care of the poor, avoiding conflict. Remember how hard it is for a rich man to enter heaven? Sorry Romney, money won't get you there. Nor will believing in a fraud like Joseph Smith.
Luke, make sure you tell Harry Reid your thoughts on Joseph Smith.
Another idiotic comment by a southern white racist disguised as a member of the clergy. Are we to read into this that the President does not represent Christians????? I wonder if this RWNJ advises Beck? Another feeble attempt to lead us to believe that President Obama is 'not one of us'.
Why not have a FoxFiestaFriday every week? The Fox hosts and hostesses can wear colorful Latin costumes and hats and introduce traditional foods like nachos while interviewing people from their new base. Cinco de Mayo week might really be special. Yard workers, farm hands, and house cleaners can all be celebrated all week by their new found friends. One lucky new GOP party member could even end up with a brand new leaf blower!Viva la GOP! Windex on, Windex off!
It was a pointless and off-base comment, sure, but Rev. Graham didn't say anything, implied or otherwise, about "white evangelicals."
except that Christian radio stations are FULL of hosts / speakers who say exactly the same things as Graham. It is a pity that they know so little about the people who make up this nation. We are all Americans.
Oh good grief! Romney lost the election because the majority of voters didn't fall for his lies.
The majority of voters decided that the President's vision of America was what they want.
The majority do not want to live in a theocracy.
The majority do value personal freedoms.
The majority do not believe we should just let people die when they are sick or old or disabled.
The vast majority do believe that those who make siginigficantly higher incomes should pay a bit more (and yes, my husband and I are in this group who will pay more and are glad to do so).
The majority do believe in equal rights despite the color of you skin.
The bottom line is the majority actually believe in American ideals set forth in our Constitution and I, for one, am extremely proud of each and every one who voted for those rights.
Any Christian who voted for President Obama was actually voting their real faith. They voted for an America that lives up to real Christian values. Those values of 'love thy neighbor', take care of those who are in need, etc. To you I say Thank You.
The Republican Party needs to realize that the majority of Americans just aren't buying e divisiveness they have been selling. Either they decide to become more inclusive and perform their duties as the 'loyal opposition' for the next two years or they most certainly will go the way of the Whigs.
And Voters, don't fall into complacency. The mid-terms are more important than ever. We must keep up the pressure on the Republicans to change or be left behind. Losing the mid-terms would only re-entergize their right-wing base and we'll be going through this mess again in 4 years.
The Obamaites have spoken !!!!!
Change and agree with our values or be left behind. Tha majority of the people that voted have spoken. 25% percent of the people have spoken and we now have a mandate !!!!
Since only half of the p[eople actually voted and of that 50 percent half of them voted for Obama we now have a mandate based on 25% of the population.
Yes folks the Obamaites have claimed superiority (not an uncommon claim for a liberal)
YOU ALL MUST CHANGE NOW !!!!! God you people are so full of sh!T... lol
It doesn't matter how many didn't vote. The only thing that does matter is that of those who cared enough to vote voted for the President. Period.
And yes, receiving over 50% of the popular vote and well over 300 electoral votes, picking up 5 Senate seats and some House seats (and not losing any) most certainly does constitute a mandate. In fact, before the election I specifically heard several Republican pundits predicting Romney would receive a 'mandate' because they thought he would win over 300 electoral votes. You can't have it both ways. If over 300 for Romney constituted a mandate then the same number constitutes a mandate for the President.
Personally I don't care if the Republicans change or not. But I do believe we need a two party system. If the Republicans refuse to even try to represent a significant portion of the population then fine, those who don't find the Democrat message to their liking will find (or found) another party. The choice belongs to moderate Republicans. Take back your party from the right-wingnuts or your party will most likely be replaced as one of the two major parties.
Steve,ok then, stay how you are: The party of hate, wars, intolerance, ignorance, divisiveness, obstruction; protectors of the ultra-rich because they are the anointed ones, warring with women because you want to control their reproductive rights. We will see how far you get with that in the future- now that the people are onto you. This is supposed to be a free country last time I checked- for every citizen.
they keep coming out of the woodwork. now this discredited preacher, albeit the son of a great non-partisan, comes with the dumbest of the dumb reasons. I am a Christian, most of my friends are Christian, and we all voted for Obama. So Mr. Graham, please explain that to me? You are nothing but a fraud.
Franklin is as poor an excuse for Billy's son as Mitt is for George's.
"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 the beat goes on. Sorry, Rev, Romney didn't lose because Christians didn't vote. He lost because virtually everyone else did as well...and they voted against the Republicans and their antiquated, racist and sexist policies.
Rev. Graham...I am a voting Christian. You are so far off base and you certainly do not speak for the majority or even a large part of the minority. It's a shame that you cannot simply embrace the tenants of our faith and pray for the PResident and the success of our nation. Instead you seem determined to undermine and that just isnt very Christian is it?
I'm a christian and I didn't vote for Mitt. Republicans are too exclusive. Christianity is available to anybody who believes not anyone who votes republican!
Franklin Graham has become just another minister who puts politics above his responsibility to Christ. Stupid statements like this prove that beyond all doubt. Rev. Graham needs to get out his Bible and read John 18:36 and Mark12:17.
So Reverend Graham "Cracker" doesn't think enough racis ... er I mean "good Christian folks" voted eh, although statistics do not back up that claim. Typical Republican, say any lie you want and hope people believe it and to hell with facts and science. After all, the planet is 6000 years old and man lived with the dinosaurs, right?
Ha Ha jokes on him God did vote- with several hurricanes if I am correct, one for the convention and one for the election.
Franklin - stick to what you know...............the B-I-B-L-E !! Christians DID vote - they just didn't let the pulpit guide their political reality. And what about the verses that state that as a Christian you are supposed to PRAY for WHOMEVER is leading this country'? You're the same guy who stated in a television interview that you backed DONALD TRUMP for president !!
Watch out ....your ignorance is showing
As far as I'm concerned this just goes to prove that God wanted O'Bama in the White House or like the loves and fishes votes would have come in and Obama would have lost. But I guess God did not want that voter fraud on his conscience or he thought the Republithugs would catch him stuffing the ballot box and send him to jail.
Why am I waisting my time discussing a racist like Franklin Graham that hids behind christianity to advance his bigotry.
You can't blame Franklin. His whole life has been surrounded by people who blindly believe whatever the preacher says. Why wouldn't he think that he can just make stuff up? Anyone who disagrees with a Graham or points-out their inaccuracies would naturally be a sinner, right?
Basically it's intelligent people's votes who elected President Obama back into office.. In spite the hateful right-wing rhetoric and their desperate attempts to childishly blame everyone, but their own psychotic paranoid conspiracy riddled behavior.
Until they start taking heavy medication, get back on track, get some decent candidates and get rid of the giant crazy machine running the party behind the scenes - They don't have a chance in hell.
God bless Billy, but just like any other repub nutcase he reject facts as from the devil and insist on listening only to the man in the sky, anything else be damned. Oh well....
It does not take facts for Graham to arrive at a conclusion just as it does not take facts to believe the bible is the truth.
This Graham guy is and has always been a real "Sh-t Head!!"
The great deceiver Mitt Romney went to see Billy Graham just a few weeks before the election to get his endorsement of the Mormon Church.
Do you think he told Billy Graham about the secret Mormon Temple Ceremonies that involves secret temple oaths, laws of sacrifice and consecration involving Mormon theocracy, strict obedience and sworn secrecy of all the Temple rituals? And all this while dressed in white robes, white hats, green aprons and chanting with raised hands at temple altars.
Romney, the compulsive liar and deceiver told him nothing about this.
Do you think Billy Graham would have endorsed Romney and his Mormon church if he was aware of these clandestine Temple rituals?
Look for yourself. For the very first time in 170 years, the Mormon Temple Ceremonies have been filmed by secret undercover video, in the Salt Lake Temple Temple in Utah, this year.
121ex- Let me guess you would have been one outside of the Temple of Solomon making fun of those who entered into worship their God and most likely the one outside of Noah's Ark making fun of those who boarded, saying to them in your errant tone above, "that you'll catch the next boat". Not so funny when it started to rain was it?
I'm a Christian and I voted. I don't believe this rhetoric is good for our country or our religion. Vote for politicians that have biblical values? What a load of hooey. You want a theocracy? Move to Afghanistan. It's no wonder Romney lost Christian votes. He' s not a Christian.
We are all sinners and everyone sins. It's our job as Christians to bring these people to the church, not mandate a law that dictates how you live your life. That's Sharia. This is a Republic and our system of law is based in the Constitution, not the Bible. When the evangelicals understand this we may actually get somewhere.
Wisc. Dad. Please explain why you think you can call Mitt Romney not a Christian?
Because he's Mormon. Perhaps you should do a little research on religions and how the theologies support or disclaim each other. In short, Mormon's do not believe in the Trinity or triune or whatever you want to call it. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Therefor they are not Christian. Have a nice day.
I have always assumed and still do that Christians believe in the teachings of Jesus of Nazereth. The Christian faith ,like most other faiths is always under attack because we must assume that the Religious teachings that we evolved under were as near to being true to our founder of our faith as possible. The problems come when we feel strongly that our faith teachers are considered by us to be interpreting those teachings contrary to what we think is logical from the founder of our faith. I personally dismiss the official in charge if I consider that his teachings do not,to me appear in keeping with my personal beliefs.If you are unhappy with the leader of your church, find one who you think is nearer to god and the founder of your faith.
This is probably not true. I am sure they voted but they didn't vote for their Christian values they voted along racial lines, immigrant lines, and free handout lines. If they truly had voted as their faith teaches them they couldn't have voted for non-traditional marriages or abortion rights. That is TRUTH for you.
Yep...that's absolutely correct...vote for freedom, not theistic oppression
Poor delusional man.