Evangelical leaders say Democratic/GOP polling skewed

WASHINGTON — Several influential evangelical leaders have called on pollsters to ask Democrats — and not just Republicans — if they are evangelicals when future primaries occur.

"Thus far, the National Election Pool's exit poll surveys have pigeonholed evangelicals, reinforcing the false stereotype that we are beholden to one political party," wrote nine leaders, including Sojourners founder Jim Wallis and Christianity Today editor David Neff. "No party can own any faith."

Their Jan. 10 letter was sent to polling and political directors of media outlets that are represented by the National Election Pool, which supplies poll data to ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC and the Associated Press.

An official from the National Election Pool was not immediately available for comment.

Writing as individuals rather than representatives of their organizations, they noted that some evangelicals now have a broad agenda — including the environment and poverty — and are increasingly politically diverse. They also said candidates of both parties talked specifically about their faith while campaigning in Iowa.

"By omitting the question of evangelical/born-again identification from the Democratic polls, you prevented the public from seeing the full picture of how the bipartisan courtship of evangelical voters affected the outcome of the first contest of the 2008 campaign and perpetuated the misperception that all evangelical Christians are Republicans," they said.

Other signatories include the Rev. Joel Hunter, senior pastor of Northland Church in Longwood, Fla.; Redeem the Vote founder Randy Brinson; Paul Corts, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities; professor David P. Gushee of Mercer University; author Brian McClaren; professor Randall Balmer of Barnard College, Columbia University; and professor Glen Stassen of Fuller Theological Seminary.

— RNS