Pew: 55% of White Republican Evangelicals would consider voting third party

[cali]

"White Republican evangelical Protestants express the greatest willingness to consider voting for a conservative third-party candidate. More than half of white Republican evangelicals (55%) say they would consider this, compared with 36% of white Republican mainline Protestants and the same proportion of white Republican Catholics."

The entire, lengthy Pew Report is worth a read. From the intro:

year before the 2008 presidential election, most major national opinion trends decidedly favor the Democrats. Discontent with the state of the nation is markedly greater than it was four years ago. President Bush's approval rating has fallen from 50% to 30% over this period. And the Democrats' advantage over the Republicans on party affiliation is not only substantially greater than it was four years ago, but is the highest recorded during the past two decades.



The public continues to express more confidence in the Democratic Party than in the Republican Party as being able to bring about needed change, to govern in an honest and ethical way and to manage the federal government. The Democratic Party's advantages on these traits are much wider than during the last presidential campaign. Moreover, they remain about as large as they were just prior to the 2006 midterm election, in spite of rising public discontent with the Democrat-led Congress.

The voters' issues agenda also appears to benefit the Democrats. Along with Iraq, the economy, health care and education rate as the most important issues for voters. Compared with the 2004 campaign, fewer voters now place great importance on the issues that have animated Republican political unity in recent years – including gay marriage, abortion and terrorism.

Looking to the presidential election itself, the political climate appears to be affecting the morale of those in both parties. Democrats are more positive and more enthused than are Republicans. Since the beginning of the year, Democrats have closely followed campaign news at consistently higher rates than have Republicans, and somewhat greater proportions of Democrats say they have given a lot of thought to the presidential candidates.

<snip>

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=1202

[T Wolf]

1. Let's encourage this as much as possible. Of course, if they want to stay

home, that is even better.

[cali]

3. Nah, third party's even better

Go Rudy!

[Ian David]

2. Hell, I'd DONATE! Vote your conscience, Republickers! Be free! n/t

[leftofthedial]

4. If only they could get Torquemada to start a party!

We need to bring back the stocks in the public square, branding of the forehead and public crucifixions . . . and I mean now!

[marmar]

5. Would they consider forming their own country too?

Think of the election results without this particular demographic to worry about. :party:

[sufrommich]

6. Good news for Democrats..

It doesn't surprise me one iota that most people don't place great importance on social issues like gay marriage, abortion and terrorism, the republicans have consistently used those wedge issues during election campaigns with very little effort to actually act on them. The republican "base" is made up of these one issue voters and the jig seems to be up. The GOP is the party of wealth and privilege and nothing else. The "family values" mantra is nothing more than treacle for the great unwashed who they depend on for votes, and the unwashed seem to be slowly realizing that. This seems to be a perfect storm brewing.Hopefully the republicans will be left with only their fiscal conservative/anti tax voters, and I don't think that is enough to win an election.The fog seems to be lifting. Of course,it could be wishful thinking on my part,too. :shrug:

[book_worm]

7. Is there anybody out there considering this on the right? What about that Judge from Alabama?

[Wise Child]

8. Downside:

If a third party yields a significant number of votes, then the Republicans will want to pay attention to the Religious Right in at least the next two general election cycles, if not mid-terms. Boomerang effect.

The Religious Right works in twenty year cycles, and will draw much energy from an HRC presidency and/or third party campaigning. The Republicans would want to draw back those voters.

[rucky]

10. It will also open the door to a viable fourth party from the left.

The ONLY reason many progressives haven't jumped ship yet is because they don't want to split the vote against the GOP.

Too early for '08, but afterwards I can see us having 4 or 5 parties.

[rucky]

9. Dobson/Moore '08

I'll start on the bumper stickers right away.

[dmallind]

11. Why is it

that everyone can see this is stupid for the Republicans, and gleefully (and accurately) comment that this will play into our hands and destroy their chances of being successful in 08, and yet there is still so much support for voting third party or staying at home if the Dem nominee fails the analogous purity test on our side?

Isn't it rather easy to see that that would be equally stupid and self defeating?

[sufrommich]

12. Good question

Opposite sides of the same coin.

[Javaman]

13. I say go for it, it will be a true measure to see how many there really

are of them (I bet much less than we expect) and to see what kind of actual weight they carry (which I bet is nothing and everything has been a well crafted illusion up to this point.)