Silver Lining for Clinton: Evangelical Support
By Michelle Boorstein and Jacqueline L. Salmon
Hillary Clinton lost to Barack Obama by sizable margins in all three contests yesterday, but one number out this week does break in her favor. According to a new poll, the quarter of white evangelicals who identify as Democrats overwhelmingly support Clinton.
Or at least that was true in Super Tuesday's primary races in Missouri and Tennessee, two states with large white evangelical populations. Researchers of religion and U.S. politics say the poll is the first bit of data on how white evangelical Democrats are voting this presidential season.
The story behind the poll is as interesting as the results. It was done by Zogby International and commissioned by two progressive groups livid that thus far the main exit polls haven't asked Democratic primary voters if they are evangelical. Faith in Public Life and the Center for American Progress, among other groups, have been complaining since primary season began that exit pollsters -- commissioned and paid for by several major U.S. media organizations -- are ignoring efforts made in recent years by religious liberals to reach out to evangelicals.
So on Super Tuesday, Zogby polled about 800 primary voters in Missouri and Tennessee. The poll found white evangelical Democrats going about 54 percent to 37 percent for the New York senator in Missouri and 78-12 for her in Tennessee. White Democrats overall went 57-39 for Clinton in Missouri and 67-26 in Tennessee. The margin of error was plus or minus 10 points.
In announcing the poll's results this week, the Rev. Jim Wallis, a progressive evangelical, said pollsters and media groups were operating with an "outdated script."
However, because there is no similar polling information from previous primary races, it's impossible to say whether the white evangelical vote is changing.
In the latest Post-ABC national poll, about a quarter of white evangelical Protestants identified as Democrats; about half thought of themselves as closer to the GOP.
Posted at 2:08 PM ET on Feb 13, 2008
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Posted by: uzhaqbfcd ltrfdki | April 16, 2008 9:24 AM
guess what McCain is hoping for at this moment. does he prefer to face obama or clinton in the general election? my take is, he prefer to face obama. why? the simple fact that this country is almost 70 percent white people will almost certainly guarantee a win for McCain against obama. imagine all those red states going for McCain, plus some blues states going for him as well. That explains why all the republican-controlled media outlets are pushing so hard to cause a obama win in the democratic primaries, so that they can win the white house afterwards in a easier manner. even if obama does not get nominated,...the bruising contest between obama and clinton would have weakened clinton enough for McCain to have an easier time defeating clinton in the general election. Let's just be realistic. what is the chance that this country will have a black president in 2008? at least our 200 odd years of history does not suport that outcome. my bet is the next president will be a white, regardless who that will be. the black folks are just dreaming. why? 13% of the popuation is considered a minority. a minority has little chance of ruling the majority. look at what happened in s. africa. from heretoforth, i bet you that there will always be a black president in s. africa. dare anyone bet otherwise? it would be impossible for a white man to be elected president there again. similar logic applies here in USA. this is just my humble opinion. i hope no one takes offense, as i just say what is on my mind and don't want to pretend otherwise.
Posted by: aadude2004 | February 13, 2008 3:54 PM
Too little, too late.
Obama has won 8 landslide victories in a row, spread all over America. He's more or less the presumptive nominee now and there is no longer a very plausible path to the nomination for Clinton. She'd have to get 60% of every single state's pledged delegates between Hawaii and the Convention in order to win. We all know perfectly well that is not going to happen, given the blow-out proportions of all of Obama's wins following Super Tuesday.
Obama won, Clinton lost. Case closed.
Posted by: JacksonLanders | February 13, 2008 3:23 PM
Not sure how this is significant. This demo group is so small as to render itself irrelevant in, say, Ohio and Texas, or in November.
Posted by: parkerfl | February 13, 2008 2:33 PM
So where's the story on Bill Clinton's former campaign manager endorsing Obama? The European papers were running it this morning, the NY Times ran it much later, about 2 p.m., and it's nowhere on the Wapo. It's significant, and it's nowhere to be found.
Posted by: edwcorey | February 13, 2008 2:30 PM
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