If the elections for Congress were held today, according to the new NEWSWEEK poll, 60 percent of white Evangelicals would support the Republican candidate in their district, compared to just 31 percent who would back the Democrat. To the uninitiated, that may sound like heartening news for Republicans in the autumn of their discontent. But if youâre a pundit, a pol, or a preacher, you know better. White Evangelicals are a cornerstone of the GOPâs base; in 2004, exit polls found Republicans carried white Evangelicals 3 to 1 over Democrats, winning 74 percent of their votes. In turn, Evangelicals carried the GOP to victory. But with a little more than two weeks before the crucial midterms, the Republican base may be cracking.
NewsweekIf the elections for
|
October 21, 2006 5:50 p.m.
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter