The New Look Republican Party: Evangelicals

The Religious right has long been a part of the core Republican base, but many Evangelicals now feel marginalized by the GOP.

FOX News Radio’s Jared Halpern reports in our series “The New Look Republican Party”:

Kephart: “Hate abortion. Do not like same-sex marriage. We don’t think that’s biblical.”

And those beliefs don’t put Noah Kephart out of step with Evangelical voters. But, the Faith Baptist Bible College Graduate doesn’t hear Republican Presidential candidates talk much about it.

Kephart: “I think we need to get a hard-right candidate.”

The Republican National Committee’s Growth and Outreach effort suggests the party needs to be more welcoming of alternative points of view.

Santorum: “We should be out there advocating what’s best for the people of this country and make the case to them, instead of just trying to worry about how to win an election.”

Former Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum says the party should not shy away from what he calls the ‘culture war’. Bob Vander Plaats, an influential conservative leader in Iowa, agrees:

Vander Plaats: “You take a look at Mitt Romney in 2012, he did what Karl Rove told him to do. And that is win at Independents.”

In so doing, Vander Plaats argues, Romney turned off his core.

Vander Plaats: You can’t have a candidate who’s passionate on both sides of the life issue.”

The RNC points to shifting views on social issues. University of Virginia Political Scientist Larry Sabato offers a similar warning:

Sabato: “You can principal yourself to death.”