“Why are the white Christian evangelicals so mean”? I would go a step further Jen and say they are hateful and sometimes hypocritical. On social media these same people who have criticized the other side of the political aisle especially during the Obama years as being leftist and making no effort to have a meaningful conversation with them are really the ones who get hateful if you disagree with them about the Republican party demagoguery and the gaslighting they are doing to the American people.
I recently had that experience a week ago on social media. I am related to the person who posted about the government shutdown. The post came from someone on Largest Trump Supporting Group In The World. They were blaming Democrats
for the shutdown when the Republicans essentially own the government. So I voiced my dissent and got a couple responses, one a former minister and a former high school classmate whom I have never spoken more than a couple words to chimed in. Neither of them were willing to start a meaningful debate or conversation on the issue. Instead you guessed it I got their full throttle bullshit gaslighting. Quite honestly, I have nothing to say to either of those people. They are not in my circle of friends. If you cannot handle an honest conversation or debate then don’t post politically charged messages. If you cannot be respectful to others even if you aren’t the original poster then don’t post anything at all.
I am not surprised by any of this data. Thanks Jen and Robby!
Much of this interview discusses how the evangelicals have moved so far right from the center - but you never define what the center is. That’s important. What defines the center, and how did you decide on that definition?
Great and interesting interview, especially as pertains to those self-professed white male "christians" and how very afraid they are of losing their historical advantage by using any dirty trick they can think of to keep that from happening.
Excellent discussion! Thank you! I think the question when did evangelicals become so mean is the core of the problem and the part that stopped me in my tracks. Thank you both!
Trying to use the information in this wonderful interview to identify who makes up the 40% who consistently poll in favor of Trump. Is it fair to conclude that the 40% is the 4 in 10 Americans who identify as white Christians? And that white Christian evangelicals at 13% of Americans have had an oversized influence in pulling the other 27% of white Christians hard right in politics. And not mentioned in the interview but what I understand is that evangelicals include super wealthy Americans who have been very successful in financing strategies to put people in power in government, courts, media, school boards.
A base of 40% of white Christian Americans who will always vote Republican because of religion and culture doesn't leave much wiggle room for Democrats to win elections.
MAGA has created a false perception of how great things were in the past. And their followers have been fed a daily, and sometimes hourly, message of how to think and who to fear. We all know persistence and repetition works no matter what you apply it to, and the republicans have used this recipe repeatedly to great success. As with all false movements, this too shall come to an end, and their undoing will be self inflicted, because no one will ever be able to break through the wall from the outside.
Debra, very well said, "... their undoing will be self inflicted, because no oner will ever be able to break through the wall from the outside."
I take your thought further to say that the wall is impenetrable to Democratic messaging so let's not blame Democrats. And every time Democrats are told to engage on the cultural front, it seems to translate to abandoning choice, LBGTQ, Black Lives Matter, DEI, public education, gun control, separation church and state. And more.
Robert P. Jones and the PRRI survey are national treasures. As a social science person, I find the choice of questions for the survey fascinating. And even though I identify as a white Christian myself, I basically agree with NONE of these horrendous “hierarchical” attitudes! I think the possible qualified good news here is that there are much less of them than the rest of us. Yes, they have disproportionate political power at the moment, but the rise of so-called independents and non-affiliated young people may prove their undoing if we can just get those groups motivated to vote. Trump and the MAGAs may be doing some of that work for us.
“Why are the white Christian evangelicals so mean”? I would go a step further Jen and say they are hateful and sometimes hypocritical. On social media these same people who have criticized the other side of the political aisle especially during the Obama years as being leftist and making no effort to have a meaningful conversation with them are really the ones who get hateful if you disagree with them about the Republican party demagoguery and the gaslighting they are doing to the American people.
I recently had that experience a week ago on social media. I am related to the person who posted about the government shutdown. The post came from someone on Largest Trump Supporting Group In The World. They were blaming Democrats
for the shutdown when the Republicans essentially own the government. So I voiced my dissent and got a couple responses, one a former minister and a former high school classmate whom I have never spoken more than a couple words to chimed in. Neither of them were willing to start a meaningful debate or conversation on the issue. Instead you guessed it I got their full throttle bullshit gaslighting. Quite honestly, I have nothing to say to either of those people. They are not in my circle of friends. If you cannot handle an honest conversation or debate then don’t post politically charged messages. If you cannot be respectful to others even if you aren’t the original poster then don’t post anything at all.
I am not surprised by any of this data. Thanks Jen and Robby!
Much of this interview discusses how the evangelicals have moved so far right from the center - but you never define what the center is. That’s important. What defines the center, and how did you decide on that definition?
Thanks
Great and interesting interview, especially as pertains to those self-professed white male "christians" and how very afraid they are of losing their historical advantage by using any dirty trick they can think of to keep that from happening.
Excellent discussion! Thank you! I think the question when did evangelicals become so mean is the core of the problem and the part that stopped me in my tracks. Thank you both!
"... if you don't identify as either men or women, there's not literally any place for you on the chart ..."
The Other.
Breaking my heart.
Trying to use the information in this wonderful interview to identify who makes up the 40% who consistently poll in favor of Trump. Is it fair to conclude that the 40% is the 4 in 10 Americans who identify as white Christians? And that white Christian evangelicals at 13% of Americans have had an oversized influence in pulling the other 27% of white Christians hard right in politics. And not mentioned in the interview but what I understand is that evangelicals include super wealthy Americans who have been very successful in financing strategies to put people in power in government, courts, media, school boards.
A base of 40% of white Christian Americans who will always vote Republican because of religion and culture doesn't leave much wiggle room for Democrats to win elections.
Trump can physically destroy the white house but Obama wore a tan suit and put his feet up on the resolute desk!!
MAGA has created a false perception of how great things were in the past. And their followers have been fed a daily, and sometimes hourly, message of how to think and who to fear. We all know persistence and repetition works no matter what you apply it to, and the republicans have used this recipe repeatedly to great success. As with all false movements, this too shall come to an end, and their undoing will be self inflicted, because no one will ever be able to break through the wall from the outside.
Debra, very well said, "... their undoing will be self inflicted, because no oner will ever be able to break through the wall from the outside."
I take your thought further to say that the wall is impenetrable to Democratic messaging so let's not blame Democrats. And every time Democrats are told to engage on the cultural front, it seems to translate to abandoning choice, LBGTQ, Black Lives Matter, DEI, public education, gun control, separation church and state. And more.
Robert P. Jones and the PRRI survey are national treasures. As a social science person, I find the choice of questions for the survey fascinating. And even though I identify as a white Christian myself, I basically agree with NONE of these horrendous “hierarchical” attitudes! I think the possible qualified good news here is that there are much less of them than the rest of us. Yes, they have disproportionate political power at the moment, but the rise of so-called independents and non-affiliated young people may prove their undoing if we can just get those groups motivated to vote. Trump and the MAGAs may be doing some of that work for us.