Evangelicals and Rural Americans Are Breaking Big for Obama

[Richard D]

There's clearly a new political landscape forming in the U.S. That's what the polls are telling us. It's not just that the first major-party black candidate for President is leading by significant margins in the national polls; it's not just that North Dakota, a state George W. Bush won in 2004 by 64%, is believed to be "in play"; it's not just that Virginia which, like North Dakota, was last carried by a Democrat in the sweep year of 1964, is, according to the most recent Washington Post poll and others, in the Obama camp by at least 8 points, or that he's leading in a remarkable number of states Bush took in 2004, or even that Democratic Senate and House candidates are making a run of it in previously ridiculous places.

Consider, instead, three recent polls in the context of the Bush years. Obama and McCain are now in a "statistical dead heat" among born-again evangelicals, those Rovian foot soldiers of two successful Bush elections, according to a recent survey; and the same seems to be true in Sarah Palin's "real America," those rural and small town areas she's praised to the skies. According to a poll commissioned by the Center for Rural Strategies, in those areas which Bush won in 2004 by 53%-41%, Obama now holds a statistically insignificant one point lead. To complete this little trifecta, Gallup has just released a poll showing that Jews are now likely to vote for Obama by a more than 3 to 1 majority (74% to 22%).

If present projections come close to holding, this could prove to be a rare reconfiguring or turning-point election -- as Wall Street expert Steve Fraser first suggested might be possible at TomDispatch way back in February 2007. If so, the Republican Party, only recently besotted by dreams of a generational Pax Republicana, might find itself driven back into the deep South and deep West for who knows how long, "an extremist rump, reduced to a few stronghold states and obsessed with causes that seem not to matter to the general public."

http://www.alternet.org/election08/105261/evangelicals_and_rural_americans_are_breaking_big_for_obama/

[CrispyQ]

1. This is what happens when you court the crazies to get votes.

Religious crazies, neocon crazies, doesn't matter. You can't control them & they destroy your party.

Let's hope the republican party purges its self of the wackos over the next few years & once again embraces true conservative values. The wackos are largely responsible for the horrible, mean spirited divisiveness in our country.

And if we could get that fat ass Limbaugh off the air, that would be the icing on the cake!

[ladjf]

11. Your post, in just a few words, has laid out the blueprint of what

the Republicans need to do to preserve their Party. The religious fundies need to get out of National politics and go back to their churches where they are free to do whatever it is that they feel they must do. Reading the Bible might be one novel idea they could try.

[cherokeeprogressive]

17. If they did what you hoped they would do, and it worked, would you vote for rethugs? n/t

[CrispyQ]

19. No fucking way!

I've never voted repub! I can't imagine I ever will.

But there was a time their party was more reasonable - a time when they actually stood for 'conservative' values, instead of the farce of a party they have become. I howl every time I hear repubs describe themselves as conservative. There's nothing conservative about the current repub party. Well, except compassion - they are very conservative with their compassion.

Of course, I also laugh when I hear the current democratic party described as liberal -- there's not much liberal left in our party as our country goes farther & farther to the right.

[yellowcanine]

2. Heh. Love the photoshopped "McCain gags" pic.

[Richard D]

3. Thank you

I didn't put in the chimp and Neanderthal, just the thought bubbles. I don't recall who did the original, but it's a work of near genius.

[yellowcanine]

5. "near genius" my foot. It is "genius"!

[Richard D]

6. True.

[greguganus]

10. You need to add bush behind the chimp, but that would be redundant. n/'t

[Richard D]

13. Not big enough . . .

. . . bush'd have to go someplace behind slime mold.

[Leopolds Ghost]

23. See version I did after the debate -- notice the bush baby behind Chimp.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=4250109

[Leopolds Ghost]

22. I was the first one who posted it up, but I don't have photoshop. So mine is a montage

My version had THE chimp, though :-)

(See: )

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=4250109

[Andy823]

4. Thank you George W.

Well at least something good may come of 8 years of Bush!

It had to happen, people can only buy into BS for so long before they see the light. Granted there are still a lot of Bush "zombies" out there who support "Palin", not McCain, but the majority of America have come to see that the policies of Bush have almost destroyed this country, and McCain is nothing more than four more years of the same. T

This is a big chance for the democrats to show the country they can be the party of change, they just need to make damn sure they don't fall into the same trap republicans did and start taking huge sums of money from the same corporate elite that has been making a killing with Bush in office! If things go well and the democrats control both houses with a veto proof majority, they need to make sure they are helping the people of this country, not the corporations that have been doing so much damage. Change can be made, real change that will improve the country, bring it out of the pit we are in now, and take us to a new generation of growth, and fairness in the way this country is run. If they can do this then the party has a huge chance of being in charge for years to come, if they fall into the same trap we are in now, then republicans will come back and blame the whole mess Bush put us in on the democrats and then they will have another chance to make it even worse.

Change has to be at all levels of the government, and that includes congress. Those who are not willing to work for the people need to be voted out and sent packing. We have to remember that it's so easy for politicians to become corrupted, and we need to keep on letting them know that if they want to get rich by taking money, and working for the corporate elite, they will be removed from office!

This year the "people" will speak, and it should send a message to congress that we want "real" change, and they better give it to us!

[TWiley]

7. I do NOT like evangelicals. Let them stay Republicans

We do NOT want that group of people associating themselves with the Democratic party. Period ...

[jeepnstein]

9. Why?

I've been a Democrat all my life, and go to a very "conservative" church. In any and all disagreements on doctrine we refer to the Bible and only the Bible for guidance and it's worked pretty well. If the Bible is silent on a topic, so are we. Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Making up stuff as we go is not allowed in any way shape or form. Is it a perfect way? No more perfect than the men and women trying to follow the instructions we've been given. It's a tough roe to hoe if you are trying to be intellectually honest. A real "conservative" Christian is a different animal than the heretics who have abandoned God's word for GOP talking points.

You'd be surprised how much of the GOP's "Evangelical" platform is just completely made up to suit the party's needs at the time. Preachers teach it and the congregations don't spend enough time in their Bibles to know the difference. Nobody calls these yahoos on their heresy because they have huge congregations with lots of money, book contracts, TV shows, and political power. You can spot these types, they'll have a book you can study so you don't have to bother learning your Bible. Ever wonder why that is? Paul had some choice words for preachers in his day who did the same thing.

Are my personal beliefs different than yours? Probably very much so. Unless your heart was so full of hatred that you can't see anything else, which is doubtful, I would bet you and I would still find much common ground.

[Hekate]

14. Well said, jeepnstein. Well said.

:hi:

Hekate

[Leopolds Ghost]

24. I agree jeepenstein

Although it mystifies me why Obama is doing well in North Dakota (home of liberal evangelicals like my great-grandparents) but not in his home state of Kansas (you'd expect he'd only lose by 10 points there what with Sebelius and all.)

[Douglas Carpenter]

15. you want Barack Obama to leave the Democratic Party?

[Chovexani]

21. I would rather a million evangelicals in the party

Than bigoted asswipes like you.

[LeftHander]

8. You can't testify to Creflo Dollar without dollars. nt

[RainDog]

12. an extremist rump

that's a good way to describe them.

[Qanisqineq]

16. my dad voted for the first time ever this year -- in ND

for Obama. He's always been a democrat just didn't vote. I have other relatives that are voting for the first time ever (for Obama) and all are rural Americans living in North Dakota. The one group of Evangelicals in my family (my sister and her husband) is NOT voting for Obama but she lives in Minnesota anyway.

I really wish people would stop making assumptions about rural North Dakotans. Rural Americans from anywhere for that matter.

[depakid]

18. Even fundies will vote with their wallets

if they're in enough of a fix.

[FLAprogressive]

20. This quote was awesome:

If so, the Republican Party, only recently besotted by dreams of a generational Pax Republicana, might find itself driven back into the deep South and deep West for who knows how long, "an extremist rump, reduced to a few stronghold states and obsessed with causes that seem not to matter to the general public."

[DS1]

25. Just like how the Taliban responded after being used and abandoned by the US Right

:)

only with less goats and beards

[Winterblues]

26. Good clip on Daily Show with John Oliver

About Community Orginizers. John had an interview with a Christian woman that usually votes Republican but was so insulted by Rudy Guliano and Sarah Palin with their ridiculing Community Organizers that she said she is not only going to vote for Obama but is also Organizing for Obama as well. It wasn't so much that Obama won her over but Sarah and Rudy drove her away...Also learned from that short piece that Community Organizers had all the crack...