According to a new poll for the PBS news program Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research Inc., although white evangelical Christians have voted overwhelmingly Republican for the last 20 years, younger evangelicals are less supportive of John McCain than evangelicals over 30.
The September survey found that almost three-quarters (71 percent) of white evangelicals say they support McCain for president, compared to 23 percent who support Barack Obama. The margin closes to 62-30 percent among white evangelicals ages 18-29.
Younger white evangelical women are much less favorable toward Sarah Palin than their mothers, with only 46 percent of them rating her “warmly,” compared to 65 percent of evangelical women over 30.
The survey also found generational differences on key social issues. A majority of younger white evangelicals (58 percent) support some form of legal recognition for civil unions or marriage for same-sex couples. Older evangelicals remain strongly opposed. At the same time, young evangelicals are as solidly pro-life on abortion as older evangelicals.
“While political pundits have been talking a lot about the significance of younger evangelicals this election cycle, there has been very little solid data targeting them. This survey gives us a clearer picture of what they really think,” said Religion & Ethics Newsweekly managing editor Kim Lawton.
The nationwide survey of 1,400 adults, including an oversample of 400 evangelical Christians, ages 18-29, was conducted Sept. 4-21, 2008. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percent for the total survey sample, +/- 4.1 percent for white evangelical Christians, and +/- 5.5 percent for white evangelical Christians ages 18-29. The survey results are part of a larger national survey of attitudes about religion and America’s role in the world to be released in October. It will be the basis of a two-part Religion & Ethics Newsweekly series broadcast on PBS stations beginning the weekend of Oct. 24 (check local listings for broadcast date and time).
