Drop in support of the Republican party by white evangelical Christians:White, evangelical or born-again Christians had a major impact on the 2004 elections. According to exit polls, they total one quarter of the electorate, and 78% of them voted Republican. However, some polling specialists believe that conservative Protestant support for the Republican party may have peaked in 2004, and now may be in decline. What is called the "God Gap" may be shrinking. The Pew Research Center conducted a poll from 2006-SEP-20 to OCT-04 and released its data on 2006-OCT-05. Results show that 57% white evangelicals are planning to vote for Republican members of congress in the mid-term elections on NOV-07. This is a 21 percentage point drop. The last five days of the 14 day poll may have been influenced by the allegations against ex-Representative Mark Foley (FL-R), 52, and further allegations of a Republican cover-up. If the poll were repeated in mid-October, the drop in support might be even greater. Alan Cooperman of the Washington Post reported:
Factors of concern to religious conservatives:Many evangelicals are experiencing a high level of frustration. Some topics are:
Needless to say, many of these concerns may not sway many individual religious conservatives to switch from the Republican to the Democratic party. However, they may well motivate large numbers of conservatives to stay home on election day.
A call for evangelicals to desert the Republican party:There is the occasional call for evangelicals to leave the Republican Party and form a third political force in the country. In an open letter to "Dr. Dobson & friends" coach Dave Daubenmire of NewsWithViews.com suggests:
He recommends that the former Chief Justice of Alabama, Roy Moore, be drafted as the presidential candidate of the new party. Moore was removed from office in 2003 because of his failure "...to comply with an existing and binding court order directed to him" to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama State Judicial Building.
Democratic candidate made history:Kieth Ellison, was Democratic candidate for Congress in the Fifth Congressional District in Minnesota. He won over six other candidates in a primary race in 2006-SEP. He made history, as the first Muslim elected to congress as well as the first black representative from that state. He plans to take the oath of office on a Qur'an. According to the New York Times:
Fundamentalist Christian leader fears for consequences of election:LifeSiteNews.com wrote. in part:
Attacks on a Muslim candidate for local office:According to SignOnSanDiego.com:
Dalati, a Muslim and Republican, became a U.S. citizen in 1987 and ran for Anaheim, CA, city council on a platform of more job creation, better health care, and reducing traffic congestion. On 2006-OCT-09, Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Southern California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said:
On 2006-OCT-12, Dalati's supporters offered him support and condemn Steel's comments. Hussam Ayloush said:
On NOV-01, a week before the elections, Dalati re-registered as a Democrat. He lost the election.
Deceptive amendments:Seven states have proposed marriage amendments to their constitution that were be presented to voters on 2006-NOV-07. They are being billed as simple amendments that will prevent two men or two women from marrying in the state or having their marriages made elsewhere recognized by the state. However five are actually stealth amendments. They are intended will affect the lives of both opposite and same-sex couples in major ways. These stealth amendments go much further than simply restricting marriage to one man and one women. They also forbid the state from taking any benefits or protections that opposite-sex married couples automatically receive and extending them to loving committed same-sex couples. Some amendments prohibit the state from extending benefits to unmarried opposite-sex couples who live together without marrying. This means, for example, that one partner in a loving, committed, permanent living-together relationship cannot be guaranteed the right to visit his or her partner in hospital. They would also be cut off from hundreds of other rights enjoyed by married couples. They may have been married for decades and had children. But to the state, they will be considered only as roommates. On NOV-07, the state marriage amendment in Arizona was narrowly rejected by a vote of 51% to 49%. This is the first time that such an amendment has been turned down by the voters. In addition, the amendments that were passed were approved by smaller majorities. The Family Research Council (FRC) has complained that Amendment 2 in Missouri was a type of stealth amendment. It prohibits reproductive cloning; it permits therapeutic cloning. The FRC does not differentiate between the two very different types of cloning. The Amendment passed. More details
Attempt to criminalize abortion in South Dakota:The South Dakota legislature had passed an anti-abortion access bill earlier in 2006 that would criminalize all abortions in the state which were not required to save the life of the woman. The governor signed it into law. Pregnancies resulting from rape or incest could not be terminated. Abortions needed to prevent serious health problems, including permanent disability to the woman, could not be performed. Implementation of the law was scheduled for 2006-JUL. However, it was stalled pending a vote in the NOV-07 elections. On the early morning of 2006-NOV-08, Reuters reported:
The final vote was essentially unchanged at 56% no and 44% yes. 12
References used:The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
Copyright © 2006 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance |
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