Why Are Evangelicals Supporting The Unrepentant Donald Trump?
WASHINGTON D.C. (Texas Insider Report) Some voters demand to see a persons record. Others if they hear the right things
feel so abused by the Republican Party they thought they could rely on that they are cynical of politics in general" said Ken Klukowski Senior Counsel & Director of Strategic Affairs at
the Liberty Institute. Has Donald J. Trumps popularity with evangelical voters come down to the fact that the
Republican Party has fallen short of religious voters expectations in recent years?
Trumps support among evangelical voters has floored pundits. A New Yorker whose name is plastered across buildings in the city Trump is synonymous with the capital of the secular society.
He is the frontrunner and has been since July of last year. It is not believable that he would be leading among every other category of Republicans and evangelical voters would not be supporting him said Ralph Reed who made his name as the first executive director of Pat Robertsons Christian Coalition in the early 1990s and more recently has been the founder & chairman of
the Faith & Freedom Coalition.
When it comes to the right to life sanctity of marriage support for the state of Israel and religious liberty Trump checks all the boxes. Evangelicals have a long history of accepting converts to the pro-life and pro-family cause at their word says Reed.
Reed argues that evangelical voters are forgiving of past political positions and personal transgressions.
Mitt Romney for example supported a womans right to choose as Massachusetts governor. Then in 2011 Romney rejected abortion as he fought to win the Republican nomination for president. Romney still earned 22 of the evangelical vote in the South Carolina primary while Rick Santorum an emblem of the pro-life movement earned 21 of the vote. And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich who had been caught up in an extramarital affair in the 1990s blew them both out of the water with 44 of the evangelical vote.
The seeming inconsistency however of an evangelical voter supporting Trump has stumped social scientists and religious leaders.
I must say I am completely baffled by the Trump and evangelical numbers. Just bizarre said Michael Cromartie the Vice President of
the Ethics & Public Policy Center. Cromartie said either evangelical voters are not prioritizing their values when they go to the ballot box or the definition of evangelical or born again Christian has grown too broad.
In the past evangelicals were people who had moral and culture conservative values and they cared less about the economy and jobs. Either they have put on deep dark sunglasses and are saying they like a person who speaks bluntly and emphatically about the fact that we dont win anymore or the definition has grown too broad. The definition of evangelical is starting to get elastic Cromartie said.
Nonetheless Tony Perkins (left) president of
the Family Research Council and a Ted Cruz supporter says We cannot be driven by fear. When we are driven by fear we make mistakes. Fear and faith are incompatible.
Perkins believes Trump has articulated the fears that have been simmering for evangelicals since President Barack Obama assumed the presidency. From fears of terrorism to porous borders to the economy Trump is speaking to them says Perkins.
I would never say that if you are a Christian you cannot vote for this person. Thats inappropriate. But I think it raises questions about the depth of your relationship. I dont think it is helpful in the political process to judge someones spiritual standing. Who can judge a mans heart?
In 2016 exit polls large numbers of Republican voters identify themselves as evangelical or born again. In South Carolina 70 of Republican voters identified as evangelical but looking more closely at the numbers the analysis indicates Cruz performed better in counties where voters reported they went to church more often. Trump did better in counties where voters went to church less frequently.
Trump won 34 of the evangelical vote in South Carolina eight points more than Sen. Cruz the son of a minister whose fervid defense of the Constitution on the stump echoes the cadence of a Sunday preacher teaching the gospel from the pulpit.
Cruz evokes Gods name on the trail. Trump refers to two Corinthians. Cruz vowed not to support a funding bill that sent money to Planned Parenthood. Trump has said the group carries out some very good work but does not want to fund Planned Parenthood if its doing the abortion.
