Bush and the "God gap"

In the Guardian, Damon Linker says part of George Bush's "pernicious legacy" is to "inject a potent form of Christian piety into the political life of the nation."

Linker points to Obama's determined efforts to gain religious votes and says Bush and Karl Rove transformed the electoral landscape "by encouraging and rewarding political activism among intensely religious Christians." So Obama "now views it, perhaps rightly, as politically necessary to make a dramatic display of his fealty to faith."

Linker is correct that it's new for a Democratic candidate to make a "dramatic display" of faith and he may be right to thank Bush for it --- but is it because Bush rewarded Christian political activists or because he disappointed them? Did Bush help close the "God gap"?

Back in the primary season, David Kuo wondered if Bush made evangelical leaders rethink the assumption that a candidate's faith is all that matters, contributing to the infamous 'evangelical crackup.' Town Hall columnist Bill Bunkley lately noted the disillusionment some evangelical voters have with Bush and the Republican party.

In 2004, Bush got 78% of the evangelical vote and had a 72% approval rating among evangelicals. His approval rating among white evangelicals plummeted to 54% after Hurricane Katrina, climbed a bit in 2006, but sunk to 57% just before the 2006 election. There was a burst of support on Election Day in 2006, but by August of 2007 his evangelical approval rating was down to 44%. His approval ratings declined even more sharply among young evangelicals.

In 2004, Bush won the Catholic vote from Kerry - a swing group that has picked eight out of the last nine presidents. The Weekly Standard says McCain has a natural advantage with Catholics, but Obama seems to be overcoming his earlier problems winning Catholic votes. He and McCain are virtually tied for the Catholic vote. The Bush administration's positions on issues like torture, immigration and the Iraq war have mobilized organizations like Catholics United. The New York Times reports that the same issues are making some evangelicals rethink their Republican votes.