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According to the latest report issued from The Barna Group, the best analytical group out there when it comes to faith issues, the 40% of President Obama’s support that came from born-again Christians in 2008 has diminished rapidly, particularly among evangelicals:
Most Americans are not satisfied with the job the president is doing…The picture is less rosy when looking at the ratings given to the president by committed Christians. Among evangelicals, only 18% are satisfied (just 6% are “completely satisfied”) while 69% are dissatisfied (including 38% who are “completely dissatisfied”). Among all born again Christians – one-fifth of whom are evangelicals and four-fifths of whom are not – the ratings are not quite as scathing, but are notably worse than those provided by non-Christian adults: 35% are satisfied and 36% are dissatisfied. Among adults who are not born again the president fares much better, with such people twice as likely to be satisfied as dissatisfied (48% satisfied, 24% are not).
My question would be: what is it that President Obama has done that has resulted in this downturn? He hasn’t been particularly aggressive on social issues at all as president, with the exception of the Mexico City reversal on abortion — but he’s left it to Nancy Pelosi, primarily, to carry water for taxpayer funding. He has not applied particularly leftist social policy toward faith based funding, nor has he taken a strong stand on same sex marriage issues beyond a few remarks here and there — as on the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell issue (he could’ve made that decision on day one) he seems to want to maximize his political benefit even if he doesn’t actually achieve anything. His approach to education policy (an issue Christians care about more than almost any other, though it tends to get ignored in the MSM) has been muted thus far. What’s the big thing angering evangelical Christians — Sonia Sotomayor?
Perhaps this is an example of Christian voters being, essentially, no different than other voters in outlook — only in what they prioritize.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
While I agree that these voters are concerned mostly, like all Americans, with fiscal and foreign policy, I think you might be underestimating what it means to them to be reassured repeatedly during the campaign that Obama was a nice moderate who would not do the things he's done (what you recited as not such big deals.) I think they see now that he is no different from the run-of-the-mill liberal who wants to enact social policies that these voters oppose. What really stings, however, and makes it a sure thing that they will tell pollsters they are unhappy, is that people like me get in their face whenever we can and say “yeah, I told you exactly that about him but you didn't want to believe it.” Their naive and misguided desire for “change” has been thrown in their face by an administration filled with people, and from the top, who despise them and their views; and then, as I said, some of us remind them of this in an effort to do a little political education they are sorely needing, hoping that “the blueness of the wound will bring forth healing.”
While I agree that these voters are concerned mostly, like all Americans, with fiscal and foreign policy, I think you might be underestimating what it means to them to be reassured repeatedly during the campaign that Obama was a nice moderate who would not do the things he's done (what you recited as not such big deals.) I think they see now that he is no different from the run-of-the-mill liberal who wants to enact social policies that these voters oppose. What really stings, however, and makes it a sure thing that they will tell pollsters they are unhappy, is that people like me get in their face whenever we can and say “yeah, I told you exactly that about him but you didn't want to believe it.” Their naive and misguided desire for “change” has been thrown in their face by an administration filled with people, and from the top, who despise them and their views; and then, as I said, some of us remind them of this in an effort to do a little political education they are sorely needing, hoping that “the blueness of the wound will bring forth healing.”
lol
I can't believe that other comment. Obama is not governing any more to the left on social issues than when he ran. When he ran, he said his first act would be to sign leigislation putting Roe V. Wade into law. He said he support federal civil unions for gay couples, as long as several other gay rights laws.
If anything, on social issues? Obama is governing more conservative than he ran his campaign. I'll never understand the meme from the right wing that he's governing as a typical liberal, when he hasn't signed any single piece of legislation other than the stimulus that is even remotely that ideology. The other person is implying that ore conservative evangelicals weren't paying attention to Obama's KNOWN stances on these issues and plans. They did.
“When he ran, he said his first act would be to sign leigislation putting Roe V. Wade into law.”
I'm sorry, but I'm curious: what do you mean by this?
lol
I can't believe that other comment. Obama is not governing any more to the left on social issues than when he ran. When he ran, he said his first act would be to sign leigislation putting Roe V. Wade into law. He said he support federal civil unions for gay couples, as long as several other gay rights laws.
If anything, on social issues? Obama is governing more conservative than he ran his campaign. I'll never understand the meme from the right wing that he's governing as a typical liberal, when he hasn't signed any single piece of legislation other than the stimulus that is even remotely that ideology. The other person is implying that ore conservative evangelicals weren't paying attention to Obama's KNOWN stances on these issues and plans. They did.
“When he ran, he said his first act would be to sign leigislation putting Roe V. Wade into law.”
I'm sorry, but I'm curious: what do you mean by this?
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