Evangelical Christians Adrift Without Candidate
Evangelical Christians are a bit like a ship without a port this election cycle. Unlike 2004, when they definitely saw President Bush as "their guy," the choice is not quite so clear this time. Mark Rozell, professor of public policy at George Mason University, told Renee Montagne on Morning Edition that the largely conservative group of voters (which comprise between 13 and 19 percent of the population) like Mike Huckabee, but know now that he won't win the Republican nomination.
That leave Mitt Romney, who has made some in-roads among evangelicals although many still don't like his Mormon religion, and John McCain, who has a long history of animosity with the religious-right, although he has tried to patch that relationship in recent years with mixed results.
Rozell says that means the religious right might not turn-out in the numbers they have in past elections to support a Republican candidate. The one thing that would probably bring them out in huge numbers?: The idea of Sen. Hillary Clinton being president. The group's animosity towards the Clinton's is so strong, stopping her from being elected would be the one thing that would drive them to the polls.
11:50 AM ET | 01-31-2008 | permalink

