How Are Various Religious Groups Voting? August 12, 2008

How Are Various Religious Groups Voting?

By Guest Contributor
August 12, 2008

The Barna Group just released their latest survey about how various religious and non-religious people will be voting.

Only Evangelical Christians swing John McCain‘s way and even they’re dropping like flies. The current number of 61% of them voting for McCain used to be at 78%. Among self-identified Evangelicals, McCain’s lead is within the ±3.2% margin of error.

Group Barack Obama John McCain Undecided
Self-Identified Evangelical Christians 37% 39% 23%
Barna-Identified Evangelical Christians 17% 61% 14%
Born-Again, Non-Evangelical Christians 43% 31% N/A
Non-Born-Again Christians 44% 28% N/A
Religious Non-Christians 56% 24% N/A
Atheists and Agnostics 55% 17% N/A
Catholics 39% 29% N/A
Protestants 43% 34% N/A

Things are looking good…

Unless, as Ron points out, McCain uses this information against Obama.

“Look! The atheists like Obama! So vote for me!”

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  • Jeff Satterley

    Unfortunately, John McCain’s banner is being advertised right above the post. Why does it always seem like the most inappropriate banners get posted?

  • Darryl

    I’m voting for Obama. But, let me be clear: I’m disgusted with the Dems and the Repubs. I’m disgusted with Washington politics.
    I’m disgusted with the MSM. And, most of all, I’m disgusted with my fellow Americans.

    Now, both candidates are playing the fucking-infuriating game of ass-kissing till the cows come home, and that pisses me off royally. However, as much as I hate McCain’s conservatism (and I do indeed hate it), I must say that he’d be a damn sight better a President than the failure we’ve been tolerating for about 8 years.

    I want a change–a real change! I don’t think McCain will bring that; but, let’s be fair: he’s not evil; and he’s not Bush. Don’t blame Mr. McCain for his politics; blame your fellow citizens for having their heads squarely and securely fixed up their asses.

    No one could be more cynical about this election than me.

  • Who the are the 17% that are voting for McCain and what the hell are they thinking?

  • What I find interesting here is the disparity between those who identify themselves as evangelical Christians and those identified by the Barna Group as such. As it explains in the report, the Barna Group asks people nine questions to determine if they fit its definition of “evangelical”. Those questions can be found at the end of this report (second and third paragraphs from the end).

    The questions it asks are pretty basic, and I would imagine that most mainstream Christians would answer yes to them. So, does this mean that evangelicals are self-deluded about their own beliefs (yeah, I know, but realistically), or are they intentionally lying to skew the poll? The Barna Group is hardly the sort to bias the results against Christians, after all.

  • I started writing an expansion of my ideas, and realized that I was wrong on one count. If you’d like to read my take, it is here: Evangelicals and their voting preferences.

  • justin jm

    I’d guess that a number of “self-identified evangelicals” don’t meet the Barna Group’s definition of “evangelical” and therefore might have religious and/or political differences from the latter group that would make them less conservative.

  • Since the Barna Group makes such a big deal about alternate definitions of what an evangelical is, shouldn’t they do the same for other groups, especially atheist/agnostics? There was a Pew survey from earlier this summer which showed that some self identified atheists believed in elements of religion, so for consistencies sake, Barna would be wise to give the non-believer categories more scrutiny. If nothing else, it might provide some interesting data.

  • The Unbrainwashed

    I’m voting for McCain. I don’t want a race-card playing, far leftist, socialist in the White House. Having a clearly racist, American hating, spiritual adviser who married you and baptized your children is acceptable?

    His self professed policies, written about at length in his two autobiographies (which includes some vacillation that ultimately leans towards slave reparations!) and his Chicago connections are very disturbing.

    So that’s what I’m thinking Christopher Sisk.