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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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when the democrats voted to include god in the convention christians should have dismissed thenselves from the democratic party. What is God going to think about them leaving him out? He is going to say " I don't know you.
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This is all NBC ever has to say.........
Can you write: Obama?
Please keep it on, i like it.
And someone has a vice grip on your head forcing you to visit this page. I would say you're pathologically crazy. A sado-masochist. A freak!
Well, Barack Obama is the President! Should NBC talk about Romney? Why?, ...He LOST!!!!!
I am quite sick of religion being discussed when talking about politics. There is a separation of church and state isn't there? I could care less about religion, it is so divisive and so many so-called religious people are hate mongers that it is ridiculous. I just want people to respect each other for who they are as a human being first.
Kris... why don't you practice what you're preaching?!? You want people to respect each other, yet you call religious people hate mongers. I guess if everybody thinks like you, then we'll have world peace... yeah, right!
When are these Jesus Freaks going to realize if God is in control, then God wanted Obama to win. End of subject. Time to move FORWARD.
Republicans -- please note. This Christian (who is also a lay eucharistic minister) voted for Obama. So, Republicans, your candidate lost. Period. It was the will of the people through a democratic process. Stop whining.
The reason the republicans lost is because they dont believe in science, such as MATH for instance.
Math is a science? You must be one of those 'logic and reason' types that atheists like to self-proclaim themselves as. Go to church, you might learn about the difference between the two subjects.
many people consider math to be a science, actually, for example: "Gauss referred to mathematics as "the Queen of the Sciences".
Go to school you might learn about the similarities between the two subjects. :)
All science is based upon mathematics. Without it we couldn't measure anything, compare anything, create anything. Mathematics is used to not only describe the way things work but to predict how things will work and you know, that sounds like science to me.
i think there is a big difference between god and religion - god i thought crossed all prejudice but at the same time i find it odd Christians mainly pray to Jesus instead of god - i'm an atheist so i like to question so i apologize if i offend
so religion should stay out of politics
especially in a country based on the principles set forth by america's forefathers
which brings me to a a question because i don't know
how when and why did isreal become such a player in politics and the foreign policy of our country-i have never understood the deal! and i know a lot of jews so i'm just curious
why does israel automatically expect military support regardless of a good or bad agenda
like i said i just like tp ask questions
thoughtless1... you obviously have no eduction about Christianity, so why bother talking about it?!?
The only way to learn is to ask questions. Why are you afraid to give any answers?
In the above article, Graham's quote does not specify white Christian evangelicals - just "Christians". The above then proceeds to use statistics based on a smaller group, white Christian evangelicals, rather than statistics based on "Christians" in general. When referring to apples, statistics on pippins only, may provide inaccurate generalizations regarding apples as a whole.
"Fault!?" The word "Fault" signifies something negative. The re-election of Barack Obama as President of the United States is a wonderful, POSITIVE thing for this country! And, fools like this author, should GET OVER IT!
Personally, I hope the GOP / Tea Party just keep dishing out the same racist, negative, foolish rhetoric. That'll insure a bright future the Democratic Party!
US Census data
Total Adult Pop Christians Percent
2008 228,182 173,402 75.99%
2001 207,983 159,514 76.67%
1990 175,440 151,225 86.20%
Not accurate as the most recent data is from the 2008 census and not current to Nov. 2012, but clearly higher than those cited for white christian evangelicals.
Shame on Franlin Graham. In a few short years, he's been able to undo the great good that his father did.
I thought the christian vote belonged to the elephant gang no matter who he or she was?
Romney got his butt kicked by Obama because of ignorant comments and ideology of the GOP. Our economy is recovering and with no thanks to the crazies of the GOP. We'll see what they do in the next 4 years to help our country recover...more obstructionism? Cantor, Ryan, McConnell, McCain, and Boehner are all in for a tough time and I LOVE IT! The GOP is running around bashing each other now... trying to show that they care about this country. What a bunch of BS. They could care less.
tea party sunk the conservatives , LOL !!! ... If our economy is recovering as you claim, why then did the GOVERNMENT release a report days after the election that by next fall the county would be in another recession or worse ?!?
God wanted Obama to win.
Otherwise, God failed.
I quote from the article above "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." How, JUST HOW, can he say that he is not trying to tell people how to vote? Is the man so void of intelligence that he just spews this stuff out?
Glad I escaped the insanity of religion a few years ago. I do remember being taught that Mormonism was a religious cult and dangerous to Christianity. So logically ''biblical values'' would dictate voting against a Mormon candidate. All of the sudden when said candidate is a Republican you should vote for him? Talk about selling your soul to the devil.
"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."
You mean he just makes things up in his own mentally ill world? Gee. THERE'S a surprise.
of course he make up things. he's a loony baptist.
More concrete proof that god loves Obama and wanted him to be the prez. :-)
Stupid sheep.
Join FFRF . ORG and help fight religious idiocy.
Should be obvious to you. TL
But you are obviously a hell bent, hell bound heathen that is not allowed the vision of the light.
Frank Graham is an excellent example of why I'm glad I'm not a baptist. as the saying goes, "Gawdamm the baptist, gawdamm those who will shout gawdamm the baptist".
The President is like the CEO of the Shosha, he calls the shots and he runs the show. Your absolutely right, there's no business like show business and right now, Barrack Obama is on centre stage with the bright spot light shining on him. C'mon America, it's only 4 more years ... what possibly can go wrong, hey?
Why do Republicans keep trying to sell the notion that anyone that voted for Obama must be a welfare recipient? They are only permanently pissing us off. I have been on my job for over 35 years and I have voted for Republican and Democrat Presidents.
Stop being so hateful (should have followed that pre-election). Stop being so vindictive post election.
This Christian voted and this Christian voted for the Christian President Barack Obama. So there:-)
The Christian ass holes are a anger to,all people
Feed them to the lions like the Romans did.
Keep,your,sick god and religion to yourselves,it's all,filth
Sounds like you are one of the decieved who voted for obama. Life without God is a long lonely road.
Funny, I've never felt the need for some all-powerful deity who spends his time looking over my shoulder to see what I'm doing to be happy.
Go back to 1850' you god spewing losers
You are aware that President Obama is a Christian aren't you?