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Subscribe to RSSIt's a voting bloc as big as Hispanics, 18- to 24-year-olds and the staunchest pro-lifers, and it broke for the Democratic presidential nominee by a margin of 44 points.
"Religiously Unaffiliated Voters For Obama" doesn't really have a bumper-sticker catchiness to it, but it rang true in 2012.
Larry Downing / Reuters
President Barack Obama acknowledges supporters while addressing his election night victory rally in Chicago, November 6, 2012.
Voters who say they don't have a specific affiliation with a particular religion -- increasingly referred to with the minimalist moniker "the nones" -- made up 12 percent of the electorate in 2012 and 2008, a share that has more than doubled since 1980 and is up by 3 percent since 2000. Even more, 17 percent of 2012 voters said they never attend church.
Pew study: 'Nones' on the rise
"This is a big group, it's a growing group, and it's politically a pretty important and consequential group in that the religiously unaffiliated are one of the strongest Democratic constituencies in the population," said Greg Smith, senior researcher at the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life.
And there are many more who haven't shown up to the polls. In a new study, Pew found that in 2012, nearly one in five survey respondents nationwide classified themselves as "atheist," "agnostic" or "nothing in particular."
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.; Bloomberg White House Correspondent, Julianna Goldman; NY Times White House Correspondent Helene Cooper; Washington Post Associate Editor Bob Woodward discuss the power the president feels he has since winning re-election.
All of that adds up to a substantial chunk of the American public in a country that just nominated (but didn't elect) its first non-Protestant presidential ticket this year. The unaffiliated bloc is comparable with the share of the electorate made up by either black or Hispanic voters. They make up nearly a quarter of Democratic or Democratic-leaning voters. In 2008, they were as reliable a constituency for Barack Obama as white evangelical Protestants were for John McCain.
That's not to say that the Democratic Party has gone out of its way to court them.
Lauren Anderson Youngblood, spokesperson for the Secular Coalition for America -- which lobbies on behalf of atheists, agnostics and other "nontheistic" citizens -- says that Democrats have been, at best, confused about how to reach out to non-believers, if not completely dismissive of the "nones" as a group.
"If you want to reach out to someone, you will. If you want to work for their vote, you will," she said. "We're still a very stigmatized community that people don't necessary want to be associated with because the word 'atheist' has all of these negative connotations."
Broderick Johnson, a senior adviser to the Obama campaign who concentrated on outreach to Catholics, said that while the campaign concentrated on messages of societal values that may appeal to unaffiliated voters, there was not a specific effort to court them as a unique constituency during the 2012 race.
The final result for the 2012 presidential election still isn't official, but the numbers keep flowing in day to day. The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd takes a deeper look at what the votes all mean with the Cook Political Report's David Wasserman.
"I don't know of an effort which was predicated on the idea that there was a large group of people who are unaffiliated with any particular religion, and the way to them was to talk about a certain set of issues," he said.
Data show that these voters' liberal affiliation comes primarily from social issues, like LGBT and abortion rights. Socially liberal but divided on issues of government and public life, religiously unaffiliated voters are far more likely than the general public to embrace same-sex marriage and to believe that all abortions should be legal.
But at the same time, half of them also say that they prefer a smaller federal government that provides fewer public services. One in five calls their political ideology "conservative," and another 40 percent describe themselves as "moderate."
"That segment really feels ignored," Youngblood said. "This is viewed as a very liberal movement, but there is also a segment that would identify as Republicans if it weren't for a lot of these social issues. It's really the intermingling of religion and government that's turning nontheistic Americans and religiously unaffiliated Americans off from the Republican Party."
The formal institutions of secular thought aren't exactly over the moon with the current president, either. While it clearly favored Obama over Romney, the Secular Coalition for America gave Obama an overall "C" grade in its presidential "election scorecard" this year, with failing marks for the categories of "Discrimination by religious organizations receiving taxpayer funding" and "Role of religion in decision making as president."
Those grievances reflect one of the common threads that link the "nones," even those who say they believe in God in some form: a distrust of institutionalized religion's exertion of political influence.
Fully two-thirds of the group said that churches and other faith-based organizations are too involved in politics, and 70 percent say that religious institutions are "too concerned with money and power."
Of course, money and power -- or at least the organizational structures that foster it -- are what make faith groups like evangelical Christians and Catholics ripe for targeting by campaigns that can gather data from churches about potential voters, plugging into the vast communication networks that unite congregants.
That's one advantage that unaffiliated voters, who have little formal structure outside of groups like the Secular Coalition, don't have.
"It's hard to know how, organizationally, they might be reached or mobilized, " Smith said. "That's the question."
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DeeTen......I do agree with you about setting some tax on the religious groups. But I also believe we should have a flat tax on everybody, from the top to the bottom. I am sick and tired of the free loaders who call themselves poor and reaps all of the benefits without one dime given to the government. It would also eliminate this so called child tax credit where the freeloaders get money in a refund with out having paid in taxes to the government, i.e., the illegal Mexicans......H__— there was instances in the news where Mexicans were claiming family members on their tax returns that lived in Mexico. (I wonder what soc. sec. # did they use). A flat rate would also eliminate all the tax loop holes for everyone and accomplishing everyone to PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.
Such a system would ruin the economic well-being of this country. I absolutely think the tax system requires an overhaul. The tax base should be broadened, and sources of fraud should be policed better.
That stated, I also support a progressive tax, even though it makes people like me pay more than most. The alternative would lead to even greater wealth inequality, and a retardation on the economy.
jr -
I'm all for a flat tax but not a fixed rate flat tax.
I think a constitutional amendment is needed to require:
(1) that the House should be required to provide a detailed budget that must be passed before any funds can be spent in a fiscal year except for essential government services.
(2) that the tax rate cannot be set for a fiscal year until the budget is passed into law and that the tax rate will be set at the amount of the budget divided by the number of registered voters.
(3) that a detailed report of all spending be prepared at the end of the fiscal year and a copy provided to all registered voters.
(4) that the administration cannot spend the tax revenue for anything not in the budget.
(5) that any fraud and abuse proved against any federal employee will result in immediate terminator and a check for the amount of the fraud and abuse be tendered by the guilty to the Treasury Department. If they can't pay force the individual into bankruptcy and sell all there property and garnish any wages that might make in the future until the money is repaid.
A few more stipulations are needed but you get my drift...
jr158222,
There is virutally no one who has earned income who does not pay a dime to the government. Even if they owe no income tax they pay FICA and Medicare. You should be more out raged that any full time worker earns so little that after personal exemptions and the standard deduction are factored in, they owe no income tax. You do realiaze that even under a flat tax, almost all of those who recieve government aid to supplement their income would still receive that aid which would exceed any income tax they paid?
As a long term atheist, it never crossed my mind to take that view into politics. I think of myself s loosely left of centre & pro idividual freedom wherever it does no harm to others.
Only when the right wing tub thumpers began their anti choice, anti women, anti gay, anti pretty much anything that wasn't a sour old white guy, did it get my energies roused. In the last two years I started commenting on news sites, attending political meetings (even in the rain) and reading up on issues I often would have ignored in the past.
Congratulations, religious right-wingers, you got a lazy man into politics, if only until you all die of old age.
Hey Time out here. This is for all you Liberals again. The most over-used phrase in LIBERALDOM may be "I'm a very spiritual person but i don't care for "Organized Religion". WTF? Would you all prefer if it was "Disorganized Religion". I guess so, just like everything else, you all don't have any foundation of your own, so i guess disorganization is all you all know.
I guess ignorance is all you don't know? lol, lets face it, you just go around making up "facts" about liberals. You wouldn't know actual facts if they bit you on your rear. :)
its always humorous to see people who hate liberals claiming to be "experts" and making up nonsense left and right. Provides a whole evening of entertainment at no cost to us. :)
Why does religious belief not make these people compassionate and caring but seems to make them cold hearted?
Yes, time out here. Organized RELIGION divides people. How many times have I seen comments that says "God" Makes the laws of the United States of America, (which is a lie btw), and a pure admission, that Christianity is superior to all other religions? How many 'Holy Wars" do we have to have to prove that organized religion caused them?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxEkwUMyDUc Sigh...
I think disorganized religion would be MUCH preferable to the current versions... then it will be less able to screw around with politics and generally oppress people.
fatso -
You're pissing up a rope
which makes you a dope
but don't give up hope
you might learn to cope
I am a futuristic writer, so it’s up to you to believe or not believe this.
We are missing the greater picture ---
Religion or faith may have started when the Emperors discovered a spiritual person, [Priest] who was able to control most of the common man and slaves.
Why has religion been so powerful throughout the ages? Answer: people are vulnerable and are afraid of dying……
believing that someone is watching over us and gaining eternal life is comforting.
Why has and is religion or faith so dangerous ---- in all reality, evil to humans? Answer: Religion has put the brakes on futuristic scientific knowledge and thinking, in terms of finding a cure for the aging process, death, diseases, etc. - people of faith say this is against gods will.
As long as we truly believe in an afterlife, there is no rush or green light to move into the future more quickly, in order to save life.
I believe that religion was actually created to enslave the human mind. If you can enslave a person's mind, you can pretty much manipulate them to do anything. The world is a whole lot bigger than religion would have you know. Those who believe themselves most spiritual, are least spiritual.....those thinking themselves first are last. Truth is not something written in a book, it is something found uniquely within each of us. If you live, you should be paying attention. Direct personal experience is the teacher of truths. If the system you are in, isn't telling you that the answers you seek are within you, then they are lies. I've enjoyed this 'chat'. Many of you will go far and do great things. Some of you need to listen to that still, small voice within. Treat each other with respect. This Us vs. Them thing gets old. We are all here to learn. All on different levels.
A book on evolution that I read described the first religions as an evolutionary survival tactic. Those that believed in an after life of milk and honey, fought the hardest and were the most vicious. Their tribes killed the other neighboring tribes and thus controlled the local resources. As the groups grew, the religion spurred them on to greater attrocities so that the weaker, less violent religions died out.
I'm not sure about anyone else but I think we need more discussions and articles of this nature, it brings attention to an area that is ignored. Hopefully more attention will encourage people to think on their own and not be easily led down the blind alley of religious belief.
Amen... so to speak.
This religious unaffiliated household sure as Hell did not vote for obama. No mention in this article of how much voter fraud there was for obama/dems either. hmmm... It may not have changed the result of the election - still doesn't make it ok. This country would never tolerate the fraud if we were "overseeing" an election in some foreign country - but here at home it is ok?... Also I believe obama is a socialist at least - more likely a communist - not a stretch at all since he was raised by a communist mother and grandparents and had a communist mentor... Just so sick of it all. And i do not watch fox new exclusively (rarely at all actually)... I try to get news from a variety of sources. i just do not trust the man at all.
Nobody has ever been able to come up with any actual evidence of voter fraud, but I'm sure you just "know" it happened.
And the guy is quite obviously not a socialist.
Well, there are crazies in every group.
Yep, EngEsq, we all have our extremists and even though they are not affiliated doesn't mean they don't have a religion based on some irrational belief.
I was going to vote for Obama but once I got to the booth I couldn't. If Obama would have my children taken away and my butt in jail because I use MJ to control the pain caused by nerve damage. So I voted for Gary Johnson, knowing full well he wasn't going to win. I couldn't vote for Romney because he was more of the same but backed by crazies. I truly would like a third choice to finally push past the "either/or but really the same" system we live under.
Thank God for the non-religious bloc and the unaffiliated bloc that comes forward to save us from the tyrranny of right wing whackos backstroking their way down the American political stream into certain oblivion. This has been a godsend to all Americans and I appreciate these responsible blocs of voters.
Let's not forget that there is a large and growing number of genuine Christians with a liberal social bent that is derived from the life and teachings from Christ, who also swings heavily to the political left, when Christian values such as freedom of choice, women's rights, GLBT and racial equality are threatened by the fundies and the cultists among us.
We will continue to coalesce and to prevail when it comes to rescuing America from the clutches of pseudo religion, and facist cults that threaten the fabric of our society with its bigotry and ignorance. What our voting bloc(s) combined have that is very powerful, and we will never lose sight of is that A) We do not believe that the earth is flat; 2) We believe that change is a part of nature, and that whatever does not grow and adapt dies; 3) We believe that the earth revolves around the Sun, rather than vice versa as the fundies and cultists believe; 4) we believe in education, NOT indoctrination. It's pretty simple really, and very, very powerful. We willl prevail!
YankeeRose555....
Great mini article........
what if god were one of us? just a stranger on the bus... trying to make his way home...
just a slob like one of us.
voters with no religious affiliation.... in other words, educated voters.
The greatest enemy of real Christianity is Christians. Far too many American "Christians" don't follow the teachings of Christ, but follow a self-centered, uncompassionate and unloving political agenda at the expense of the One they call their Savior....and at the expense of their fellow human beings. The organized church has failed...and failed miserably. Instead of promoting the beatitudes and following the Sermon on the Mount, the "church" has decided to follow selfish and judgmental right-wing political ideology, and alienated millions as a result. Unparalleled stupidity....as well as arrogance and hypocrisy. Jesus must be cringing.
Thank God the religious right will never take over. Personally hoping they run that fruitcake Santorum in 2016 to put the last nail in the coffin of the religious right as a political movement with any clout. Putting a evangelical nut like Santorum in charge would be as bad as having one of those nutty ayatollahs from Iran in charge.
Non religious is fine. Abortion and homosexuality are still wrong for society. You are still killing babies. The "progressive" agenda will kill Western Civilization. All the freedoms you think you get from obama's socialist agenda will eventually enslave you much more than your imagined fear of the Christian conservatives. Conservatives actually believe in our Republic and Liberty. The socialist Democrats believe big government should control all. I think if a State does not want homosexuals to marry or abortion clinics, that is fine. That does not mean it is illegal. Just live where your wanted in a social setting that is amenable to your beliefs. To make everyone do as you want (Roe v Wade) is Fascism. If you do not understand that you do not understand true Liberty from government.
A Santorum voter speaks.
And you speak as what? I have to do as your government makes me. Right. How about when my government says Roe v Wade was wrong. If a judge says one thing, another can change it back. Michigan is now "Right to work". How's that for you?
Roe v Wade doesn't make anybody do anything.
"[A] country that nominated (but did not elect) its first non-Protestant presidential ticket this year."
Ahem ...
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Yeah, you caught that too. JFK, a liberal at the time.
Well, I've read all the comments. All of you are correct. All of you don't have the full picture. It sounds like the 3 blind men discribing an elephant (one man was standing at the tail and said it felt like a rope, one man was standing at the trunk and said it felt like a tree trunk, and the other man was standing by the side it felt like it was a wall). All the comments are right, but none of them had to full picture. It is the same way with all the comments. All religions have, at their one REAL base, is GOD IS LOVE (research it), not Mr. Hallmark love, but true unconditional love. (ie: Love the person but not the action.)
My beliefs are as follows:
1) God is MUCH bigger than ANY human's capability to comprehend what or who God truly is.
2) The bible or any other religious book was written by men, not men and women. One effect of that is...Texas still has laws on their books defining women as property. The men who wrote the books lived at a time when women were thought of as property.
3) The old testament in the bible was written before the new testament. Interesting because Jesus is in the "new testament".
4) You can LOVE everyone, but not like some people's behavior.
2) All people are born with LOVE in the hearts. It is 'adults' who contaminate. Maybe the "terrible twos" of the "No, No, No's" is a child's way of saying what you are asking me to do is not God's (Loves's) way of doing things, but the child is not old enough yet to be able explain what they mean when they say No. Maybe they are the correct ones. Even to the point of running into the street when there is an oncoming vehicle. And yet, my personal thought is they 'should' be saved from injury or death. I put "should" in quotes because I don't like that word at all. Over all, JUST SAYING!?!
3) I believe that we are all Spiritual beings here on earth having a human experience. This, for me, explains why some people commit crimes. Criminals may have with Love in their hearts but somewhere in their life something went "wrong" and so they commit crimes. Or maybe they decided to come to "Hotel Earth" to help somebody or all of society to learn about wrong doing. If that is the case, then they are the ones "scarificing". Maybe it is the case that they are a master at understanding the total picture of our BEING.
4) I don't think humans are capable of knowing who or what God is. God is bigger than we can image and not definable because each of us only sees a miniscule piece of the total truth of BEING.
5) The bible was written by men, not women and men, during a time when women were thought of as property. (Texas still has on the books a law that classifies women as property.) Therefore the Catholics (men's belief) do not allow women to be prients. It would take away their power.
6) Jesus was described in the bible as the son of God. So, how did Jesus become God? (Just saying!?!) Children are sons or daughters of parents but they are not their parents.
7) Jesus was the best demonstrator of some of the beliefs of Metaphysicians and Spiritualists. Before you comment on this statement read the definition of these words. Humans have these same abilities, but are not as advanced at being a master as Jesus was.
8) Jesus was a Jewish person not a Christian person. Growing up I was taught in sunday school that Jesus was Christian. This lead to the questioning of what I was being taught. During the classes for becoming baptized, I asked alot of questions that the instructor did not like and would not answer. This nonanswer told me that the bible, which is what I thought was being taught, has flaws. I was actually being taught religous dogma.
9) The Constitution allows for FREEDOM of religion, NOT the requirement to be Christian (or Jewish or Buddist or Hinduist or a Druid, or Pagonr or Native American or a Muslim or an atheist or a None or a Spiritualist or a Metaphysician (actually a philosophy but some Metaphysicians feel it is a religion) or anything else to that effect. The founders of the Consitution wanted to escape forced religion.
10) Yes, I believe in God but not a "my" God or "your" God. God may also be A Higher Force, or Light, and any other name it is called. Again, each religion only has a piece of the truth. Again, God is too big and all encomposing to describe.
These a just some of my thoughts and examples or explains of my thoughts behind the belief. I have more but I'm tired, it is almost 11:30 and I was up this morning at 4:30. Very tired, I hope I will sleep late tomorrow.
I hope I have touched at least one person who reads this.
If there are any spelling or grammar mistakes in this, I apologize. I'm not a words person, just give me numbers.
If you are still reading this, thank you for allowing me to "voice" my own personal beliefs. And by the way, you DO NOT have to think or believe the way I do. There is still Love for you.
PS: One more thing. GOD is JUST a mispelling of GOOD. Somewhere along the way a bird "relieved" itself on a handwritten piece of paper that used GOOD instead of GOD and the word got mispelled after that. None the less it was a God/Good lesson for me.
Good night, sweet dreams.
PatA1
PatA1 - These are supposed to be "comments", not a doctoral thesis.
Make no mistake, if the Christian Coalition of today had the same power the Catholic Church once had, freethinkers, skeptics, atheists, agnostics, etc., would be killed after a "fair" and speedy trial for blasphemy.
Of course, we freethinkers, in contrast, might just put less toppings on the latte of a particular rude believer. Faith, as a tool for discerning facts about reality, remains a menace to a civilized society but thankfully, people are slowly, and in some cases not so slowly, recognizing it as such.
That's stupid.
Thank you, this is also true.
Sweet Dreams
Paul from NM - If my writing above is true, then your comment is also true.
Sweet Dreams
Actually, we athests are the majority in the country, as in other "western" countries.
Most non-Church goers (the majority) are simply ashamed to admit they are non-believers because their parents made them go to church. But anyone with any education about the evil produced by organized religion - slavery, the Inquistion, the support of the Nazis, the vast waste of resources on Churches and Cathedrals, suppression of ordinary people and support of the Clerics and the Rich - there's no reason for educated or thinking people to believe in some nonsense invented centuries ago by illiterates. . . our time is coming. It's becoming true more and more all over the World - - a statistical fact.
You're exactly right Bob McConnell, you are the majority in the country. Hell, your the majority in the world. "Broad is the path to destruction and many like McConnell will go down it. BUt narrow is the gate that leads to life, and only few will ever find it". You atheist were prophesied long ago.
Atheist, agnostic ... these are interesting. But perhaps the bigger picture is secular. I happen to believe in Jesus, but I do not feel that religion should have any role in our government. I suspect you have a pretty large voting block if we consider all voters that believe a secular govt is better than any religious govt.
In regards to another point raised, I do not believe that religious organizations should get a tax break. A lot of people, and businesses, hide behind this tax dodge. If they are true to Jesus' model, with no income, no property ... then they have nothing to pay taxes on. When we have these multi-million dollar cathedrals run by scam artists with all sorts of business ventures, they should pay their fair share like the rest of us.
But notice how this group is segregated by one simple word - unaffiliated. Disconnected. Not a part of.
Of what?
I am completely free of any illusion or hallucination of gods and afterlife and all that other maniacal mental malarkey. And I sure ain't going back.
The reason we broke for the Dems is that they are at least willing to consider our viewpoint-despite the ultimate changes to the platform.....they do not call us evil or immoral.....and they actually embrace our values of inclusion, rather than the cold and contemptuous attitude demonstrated toward voters by the GOP.
The gop does not care about you at all unless you are a white man, real concern being reserved for the millionaires and billionaires.
Ironic that nones used to be the ninth hour after sunrise in the church.
Please use that dictionary more often, Z-######. An atheist is not an agnostic. Atheism is no god, agnosticism says we can never know.
To God we are as small as a flu bug. And just as deadly when untreated. I haven't been given my proper dose of hopelessness, and so, I've missed my "be good to God" treatment. Have any of you been treated? Certainly. And your gut will clench just a bit when I say @!$%# Him. Whoever your capital letter deserving master is, @!$%# Him. And @!$%# you too for giving your fairy Godmother idea of a deity the power to kill and scar with your hand.
Those who believe in a beautiful God will not clothe those they deem wicked, and missed the whole point of western religion. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Perhaps if we had spent 1 trillion work units on getting the people of Arabia out of Arabia, or watering the crops in the desert, or democratizing the nations around the arab world, we would have a new trade partner, or at least, a better relationship with humanity on the whole. How about Africa? We've scarred that land forever with betrayal, violence, hatred and grief. Not to mention, our ability to play the God we love to name and point at. That's not us. We aren't playing God with these weapons, with this lust for slaves and diamonds.
But it makes me look so pretty, she says. Where did it come from, hmm? But it has a serial number on it that says it's genuine and not a blood diamond. AAhh. I see. And who put the serial number on it? And who continues to sell pretty rocks to the masses under the guise of love and commitment? The traditionalists. The moneylenders. No not the Jews. The Businessmen. The devil is not a people or a set of laws. He is lack, and lack makes us do things we would never otherwise do. You'd eat your best friend if the boat was at sea too long. So.
Let's be honest. Religion is not just the opiate of the masses. It's the old guard's reason to be. It's the gold standard for bull@!$%#. It's a deal with the devil. LAck. You will lack. I will not, and I don't feel as bad because my special book says I've done enough. What really peeves me about the surplus of the mid 90s isn't that it evaporated when the rich bought our house, senate and presidency. It's that we were so close to having enough to occasionally do some good in the world. We nearly had the power to change everything for the better, even at the expense of so called business. So close. Instead, houses are too expensive for most single people and Africa is mostly given aid by people too stupid to shrug off the childish notions of God and Satan struggling for dominance. It's a nice fairy tale. And as real as the hunger in the third world caused by our negligence. If we are our brothers' keeper, then why can't we cloth him and melt our swords to plowshares? Funny how the people most in with the big guy are the ones with their finger firmly on the button, with their budgets full of ways to send Him fresh souls....
Ultra Right Religion, of all types, frightens me. Just like the Jihadists in Islam, many ultra right Judeo/Christians are ready, and quite willing, if given an opportunity, to ram their sometimes radical philosophies, right down my throat also. Well, since the election, it should now be obvious that Ultra Right Religion scares the majority of US voters too.
The Republican party needs (and yes, I am a member) to pull their head out of the rectal defilade position that they've been occupying. You can still support your religious beliefs, without donning armor and charging, screaming, into battle swinging your sword.