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SALT LAKE CITY — A new study supports the theory that candidates for the White House can't depend on white Christian voters to help get them there.
The survey released Thursday by Public Religion Research Institute concludes white Christian voters "will never again spell national electoral success -- especially for the GOP."
The study shows 79 percent of voters in Romney's coalition are white Christians, while just over one-third (35%) of voters in Pres. Obama's coalition are white Christians. Minority Christians and the religiously unaffiliated showed greater support for Pres. Obama.
"The changing religious landscape is presenting a real challenge to the strategy that relied on motivated white Christians, particularly white evangelical Christians," said PRRI Research Director Dan Cox. "They're still turning out at similar levels as they did in previous elections, but their size in comparison to other groups is shrinking."
CNN's Belief Blog this week asked Franklin Graham, president of The Billy Graham Evagelistic Association, whether the conservative Christian influence on politics is fading.
"I don't think it's fading, there's just a lot of work we need to do," he answered.
He said a lot of conservative Christians didn't vote, for whatever reason.
"Cult" reference a surprise
Graham also told CNN he was surprised and shocked by the "cult" reference to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that once appeared on the association's website. He says it wasn't his idea to remove it from the website, but he agrees with the move.
The reference was taken down after his father, Billy Graham, met with then presidential candidate Mitt Romney last month.
Franklin Graham told CNN the website includes thousands of pages and he didn't even know it was there. He also said he doesn't want to be involved in "calling people names," so the reference won't be reappearing on the site.
"I'm an evangelist. I want to reach as many people as I can," he said. "If I call them names, that can't work."
