Why Liberals are Different

The same study that shows modernist mainline Protestants, secularists, atheists, agnostics, and unaffiliated believers make up 20% of the electorate—almost exactly the liberal elite’s 19%—has much to say about the rest of the electorate.

Nearly half, or 47%, of voters in 2004 said their faith was “more important to my voting decision than other factors” or “about as important as other factors.” This means that for the 80% of the electorate outside the liberal elite, religion is a dominant or big concern for nearly three-fifths.

It means nearly half the country is with Bush because he is a man of faith. It means the faith half of the country is mostly beyond the reach of the secular leadership that dominates liberal elite institutions. It explains why divisions in America now seem so deep, and so real. The divisions are deep and real. They are about faith.

People of faith tend to be optimistic, believing their personal relationship with God empowers them to find happiness on their own, through hard, honest work. Philosophically, they are Republicans.

But here’s the opening for Democrats: God tells us to care for those less fortunate than ourselves, and in America in 2006, that means using government power to do so. Bush’s talk about compassionate conservatism, if it is just that, talk, allows Democrats to substitute action for talk.

So far though, Democrats usually fumble their efforts to engage people of faith. And the MSM, well it doesn’t even try.