Gallup: Christian Conspiracy?

Does Gallup Have a Christian Agenda?

My mother recently told me that several years ago she attended a lunch event at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago at which George Gallup Jr. was a featured speaker.

My mother is Catholic but a good friend of hers who is an evangelical Christian invited her to go along. Now, my mom's friend is a lovely person-the Moody Bible Institute, however, not such a lovely institution! It is training the current and future generation of radical, right wing extremist Christians how to use the name of Jesus to maintain political dominance (as opposed to all that social justice nonsense that Jesus was always prattling on about). This is the kind of place where George W. Bush is worshipped in practice, if not in theory, more than Jesus Christ.

Anyway, it made me wonder why George Gallup Jr., son of the founder of the Gallup organization and himself the former President of the Gallup Poll and Co-Chairman of The Gallup Organization was speaking to a rabid fundamentalist Christian organization like the Moody Bible Institute?

Well, Mr. Gallup is a devoted Christian. A quick Google search turns up information about him that leads me to believe he is outwardlya moderate, mainstream Christian and an intelligent man.  George Gallup Jr. received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University, in the Department of Religion, in 1954. That's a far cry from Bob Jones University, for those of you who don't know. Also, I agree with some of the quotes attributed to him such as this from a speech he delivered at Dallas Baptist University:

"Americans' level of biblical illiteracy has not improved over the last half century. In fact, it has not kept pace with increasing literacy on the whole. This leaves them vulnerable to cults, many of which glorify self, not God."

George Gallup Jr. has apparently been interested in religion all his life. Much of the work he did at Gallup involved investigating the public's attitudes about religion and faith. He has authored books such as: "Surveying the Religious Landscape: Trends in U.S. Beliefs" as well as a book for church leaders called: "The Gallup Guide Reality Check for 21st Century Churches". Which, by the way is recommended on a site affiliated with James Dobson's "Focus on the Family".

So, George Gallup Jr. no longer works at Gallup, but does his heavy involvement in religion and with religious groups in the United States make you wonder about the current Gallup Poll's results?

Is it far-fetched to assume that since Mr. Gallup would have had (and could continue to exert) considerable influence at the Gallup Poll, that he hired like-minded conservative Christians? Has not George W. Bush based his entire presidency on courting the conservative Christian voter base by adopting their agenda?  I think all of us on this site have seen and felt the power of polls to either empower or to dis-empower an election effort. Is the Gallup organization trying to help keep President Bush in office because he is an evangelical Christian?

But wouldn't that undermine the Gallup Poll's reputation for accuracy? Not if they de-railed John Kerry's election effort by throwing his supporters into despair through manipulating or just fabricating the poll results. Because if they succeed in helping Bush win, they win as well by being right in their prediction.

I think it is important for people to have this information when they consider Gallop's accuracy or lack thereof. With control of the Supreme Court and the overturning of Roe v. Wade and other goals tantalizingly within their reach, is it so unreasonable to wonder if the "religious right" is influencing the polling?

•  Please Consider Recommending

  this diary. Boost my ego and let other site visitors know where Gallup is coming from.

  by chicagochristianleft on Sat Sep 18, 2004 at 04:40:57 PM PDT

•  Google News links this.

  It also links Daily Kos as "satire."  

  What the hell?

  by Drew on Sat Sep 18, 2004 at 04:59:56 PM PDT

  •  Follow

    This link

    by Drew on Sat Sep 18, 2004 at 05:00:43 PM PDT

•  Apparently,

  Gallup was sold to another group of right wing nut jobs.

  I wish that we had one honest major media source.

  Should we try sending some of this stuff to the Guardian or the Sydney Morning Herald?

  by BartBoris on Sat Sep 18, 2004 at 07:02:58 PM PDT

•  Conspiracy, sure. Christian? meh.

  I think the Gallup organization has a definite rightward list, but I disagree that it has anything to do with the christian right.  The forces at work are the plain old GOP.  

  The cross-contamination of the christian right and the GOP is a marriage of convenience to the republicans, and one of necessity to the christians.  They each get a little bit of what they want, but neither REALLY believes in the other, and if there were a better alternative (not in this lifetime) they would split from each other.  My guess?  At some point down the road you'll see the radical christian fundamentalist agenda get too great a foothold on secular America, and there will be a backlash.  Maybe when we have mandatory prayer at the super bowl or something.  At that point, democrats may retake the dominant position, and republicans will have a "libertarian re-alignment" and we may see the emergence of a third, 'holiest of the holies' party.

  by PBJ Diddy on Tue Sep 28, 2004 at 06:03:40 PM PDT

  •  I agree

    with a lot of that. I think what struck me when I was surfing for info on Gallup was that Gallup Jr. and some associates did/have done a lot of polling on religious issues. Now, this means nothing in itself. But I wonder about the corporate culture. Also, when I heard that Gallup Jr. spoke at Moody, an alarm went off for me.

    I think it is important to consider the possibility that Gallup (organization and Gallup Jr. himself) has an agenda that might include getting an the evenagelical Christian candidate elected president. This does not exlude other strictly political, 'non-religious' agendas. It's something to keep in mind.

    by chicagochristianleft on Tue Sep 28, 2004 at 06:15:33 PM PDT

•  I call myself a Christian...

  but when I see someone described as an "evangelical Christian" it makes me want to run the other way.  To me it means judgemental, closed-minded, biggoted, and some other not so good things.  Some years back I attended a conference of Episcopal men in TN.  One of the speakers was the Bishop of London.  He quoted some famous Englishman as once saying that "the only thing worse than a nutter (crazy person), was a religious nutter."  I couldn't agree with him more.

  by bearcat on Tue Sep 28, 2004 at 06:15:42 PM PDT

  •  Orwellian

    Evangelical is misused like so much terminology involving the "right".,As you probably know evangelical means 'of or pertaining to the Gospels'. It's about as accurate as "Clear Skies Initiative" or "Compassionate Conservative" because so much of what "evangelicals" stand for is in in direct opposition to what is contained in the Gospels, e.g. peace over war, care for the poor, emphasis on loving your neighbor, discouraging people from seeking only earthly wealth. In short, all the demands for social justice made by Jesus. Instead, modern day evangelical Christians root for Caesar and the Roman Empire instead of for the Jesus figures all around us everyday.

    by chicagochristianleft on Tue Sep 28, 2004 at 06:24:32 PM PDT

    •  I couldn't agree more...

      Something that has begun to happen to me is that when I see a flag decal stuck on someone's car, I feel the same as when I see the Confederate flag decal. "They" have taken the flag of this country and made it a negative symbol for me.  This is certainly not my wish, but I can't keep from feeling this way.  The right does not, on a daily basis work on what it means to be an American. To strive to do better, to be better for the benefit of all. Instead, they treat it as an inheritance to be squandered in a macho display of hedonism and nationalism; trampling people along the way.

      by bearcat on Tue Sep 28, 2004 at 06:34:26 PM PDT

      •  I suggest

        making new stickers with flags that are obviously left-wing. We need to reclaim our flag.

        In a shameless bout of self-promotion... http://www.cafeshops.com/stickerme has one (bottom of the page) that says "Progressive". It's not great and I guess a lot of people will think of the insurance company first... But it's an idea and Cafe Press will let you make one of your own any way you want it.

        by cshardie on Tue Sep 28, 2004 at 06:44:02 PM PDT

        •  I think I would get a flag decal

          and stick it upside down (sign of distress).  I could turn it counterclockwise as we reclaimed our country bit by bit until it was right-side up.

          by bearcat on Tue Sep 28, 2004 at 07:55:59 PM PDT