How did evangelicals vote in 1984-1996?

[darklordoftech]

I'm aware that Dukakis made inroads into rural America in 1988 and that Clinton made inroads into rural America and the south in 1992 and 1996, but did these inroads include evangelical voters, or was it just non-evangelical rural and southern voters that voted for Dukakis and Clinton?

[Podgy the Bear]

I think that there was some swing in the evangelical vote to the Democrats in 1988, 1992, and 1996--but not very much.  By the mid 1980s, the Moral Majority and other like-minded groups with major and well-established holds on these voters.

But of course, other factors play a role (primarily economic), and the entire South and Midwest was competitive for the Democrats in 1992 and 1996. 

[SingingAnalyst]

Incredibly, the most recent national poll I have seen of all Evangelicals, not just white Evangelicals, dates back to 1984! Time Magazine that year reported that 69% of self-described "born-again Christians" voted for Reagan over Mondale.

Getting back to white evangelicals, the most reliable poll I've seen (CBS I believe) shows 33% for Carter in '80 (vs. 63% for Reagan and just 3% for Anderson), 22% for Mondale in '84, 18% for Dukakis in '88, 23% for Clinton in '92 (15% Perot), and 26% for Clinton in '96. In 2000 Gore won just 18% of white evangelicals.