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u.s. news Dialuna 21 September 2020

Evangelicals at base of Trump hopes for Pennsylvania repeat

(AP) — President Donald
Trump’s homestretch push
to repeat his razor thin victo-
ry in Pennsylvania four years
ago won't happen without
white evangelicals, and there
are signs that critical compo-
nent of his coalition hasn't
lost the faith.
It's a group that has of-
ten made the difference for
Republicans on the Penn-
sylvania ballot. And while
some born-again voters had
misgivings about Trump in
2016, they helped him eke
out a 44,000-vote margin of
victory in the pivotal swing
state. This time around, they
sound eager to repay him
for supporting their agenda.
Trump's policies have helped
keep in the fold evangelicals
who otherwise might have
been discomforted by his
style. Their opinions on a
range of political issues make
them among the least likely
voters to jump to former
Vice President Joe Biden, the Supreme Court seat, follow- phia and Pittsburgh regions. that not only speaks our lan-
Democrat. ing the death of Justice Ruth “It’s a strong, quiet under- Biden’s campaign hopes to guage but has shown day in
Bader Ginsburg on Friday. current that will sweep the make some inroads, with and day out that he is a man
A recent NBC News/Marist T again in huge numbers,” plans to launch an “evan- of God," said Justin Behrens,
poll in Pennsylvania found The vacancy is “an oppor- said state Senate President gelicals for Biden” effort an evangelical Christian who
79% of white evangelicals tunity, albeit it’s going to be Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, a next week, according to Josh chairs the Republican Party
saying they will vote for quite turbulent and challeng- Republican who represents Dickson, the campaign’s na- in Luzerne County, which
Trump in this year’s presi- ing because of the timing,” a sparsely populated district tional faith engagement di- Trump flipped in 2016 with
dential election. Pasztor said, adding that par- along the New York border. rector. a 25-point swing from Presi-
“Many of us who support the ticipants in an online video “In this moment, there is a dent Barack Obama’s reelec-
president wish sometimes conference for evangelical Larry Denver, who helped stark moral contrast between tion.
he didn’t say the things he campaign efforts on Satur- found the Faith and Freedom the common good values of Trump needs his appeal to
did, wish he had a character day morning prayed for “the Coalition state chapter, said the Biden-Harris agenda, evangelicals to pay off ahead
more in line with scriptural comfort of Ginsburg’s fam- his enthusiasm for Trump has which deeply aligns with the of the Nov. 3 election with
teachings,” said Laszlo Pasz- ily.” grown since 2016. Like many values of people of faith, and campaign help, donations
tor, a retired military officer Evangelicals, Christians who other evangelicals, Trump the agenda of the current ad- and the type of energy that
from Carlisle who organizes generally have had a “born was not his first choice four ministration, which is based makes someone persuade
evangelicals poltically. “Many again” personal religious years ago — he favored U.S. in divisiveness and fear,” fence-sitting friends and
of us say he’s a work in prog- conversion or awakening, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the Dickson said in a statement. neighbors.
ress. However, his policies, form a significant slice of Republican primary. Fea said Biden may be able to Pasztor has been volunteer-
nevertheless, have probably the electorate. They believe “Throughout the scriptures, reach enough evangelicals to ing with the Trump Victory
been more Christian than the in the Bible as God's literal God has done most of his make a difference in a close Faith Coalition’s local or-
policies of any president in word and embrace an activist work through the most un- race, particularly around ganization and organizing
my lifetime.” aspect to their faith. likely people,” said Denver, Philadelphia, but he sees in voter registration drives, poll
a retired veteran from the evangelicals devotion to a workers and neighborhood
The Biden campaign frames Trump was raised as a Pres- Philadelphia suburbs. “The political effort that has been networks within the evan-
“the real religious issue” at byterian, a mainline Prot- people he picks are not nor- entrenched for decades. gelical community, to reach
stake as systemic racism, estant denomination, and mally the ones you’d think those who did not turn out
while evangelical Trump vot- Biden is a practicing Catho- would be involved.” Is the political playbook go- for Trump in 2016.
ers point to his support for lic.White evangelical voters ing to hold up even with a What remains to be seen is
anti-abortion efforts, school made up 17% of the 2018 Trump is “using white evan- corrupt guy who doesn't hold how the evangelical vote
choice, religious freedom midterm electorate in Penn- gelicals, he’s playing on their our values? The answer is will play out at a time when
and the movement of the sylvania, according to an AP anti-intellectualism,” said yes, the political playbook is the coronavirus pandemic is
U.S. embassy in Israel to Je- VoteCast survey. And a Pew John Fea, an American histo- the most important thing,” limiting the informal Sun-
rusalem. Research Center analysis ry professor at Messiah Uni- Fea said. day political talk at churches.
Like-minded judicial appoin- found 20% of voters nation- versity outside Harrisburg Evangelicals often cite Trump needs to energize that
tees are key to the evangelical wide in the 2016 election and an evangelical church- Trump's vice presidential se- evangelical, churchgoing part
political agenda. Trump has were white evangelicals; 77% goer who has written exten- lection of Mike Pence, who of his base to claim Pennsyl-
had a transformative impact of them backed Trump. Black sively about evangelicals in championed evangelical is- vania's 20 electoral votes.
on the courts system: Last Protestant voters often share politics and public life. sues while an Indiana con-
year, the number of federal religious views with white “I feel that most white evan- gressman and governor, as a Evangelical voters “tend to
judicial appointees approved evangelicals, but they largely gelicals who support Trump turning point in getting be- be competitive, they tend to
by the U.S. Senate was more vote Democratic. are often sacrificing the in- hind Trump. They've noticed be out front, they tend to be
than twice the annual aver- While evangelical voters are tegrity of the office of the when Trump and Pence have more involved, they go to ral-
age over the past three de- scattered across Pennsylva- president,” Fea said. “They’re brought up faith and made lies,” said veteran Pennsylva-
cades. And conservatives nia, they are most concen- supporting a person — the other religious references in nia pollster Terry Madonna, a
have now set their sights on trated in the vast T-shaped list goes on — a liar, someone public remarks. political science professor at
what would be the Trump swath of farm and forest land who has constantly played Franklin & Marshall College.
administration’s third U.S. outside the greater Philadel- with racist language.” “We have a vice president “They are critical.”