Posted by Dave on 05/12/08 at 10:04:19 am
Categories: Religion and Politics

Are young evangelicals really leaving the Republican Party?

Young, evangelical ... for Obama?

There have been many articles pointing the "exodus" of young evangelicals from the GOP, but I do not see it. Take a look at these numbers from the above article:

According to a September 2007 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 15 percent of white evangelicals between 18 and 29, a group traditionally a shoo-in for the GOP, say they no longer identify with the Republican Party.
...
College-age and 20-something Christians may be leaving the GOP, but only 5 percent of young evangelicals have joined the Democrats, according to the Pew survey. The other 10 percent are wandering the political wilderness, somewhere between "independent" and "unaffiliated."

So only 15% young white evangelicals say they no longer identify with the GOP? And only 5% have "joined the Democrats"?

While the move away from the GOP by a few is better than no move at all, it does not seem that there is a mass exodus from the party either.

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