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Shared Values Tie Social Conservatives to Bush

<b>The Face of Social Conservatives:</b> Members of the Bible study group at First Baptist Church in Plant City, Fla. Top row, from left: Tammy Johnson; Dovie Wright; Martha Sue Skinner. Bottom row: Barbara Grainger; Sue Davis; Kay Morris.
Raul Moreno, NPR
The Face of Social Conservatives: Members of the Bible study group at First Baptist Church in Plant City, Fla. Top row, from left: Tammy Johnson; Dovie Wright; Martha Sue Skinner. Bottom row: Barbara Grainger; Sue Davis; Kay Morris.

Even as President Bush's numbers sag elsewhere, a group of voters identified as "social conservatives" remain faithful to the president.

These voters make up about 11 percent of Americans over age 18. They are almost all Republican, mostly women, and substantially more conservative than the rest of the population on issues such as gay marriage.

In Plant City, a farming community in central Florida, many residents fall into this voting typology. These voters say that, despite some disagreements with the president's policies, it is their shared values — and shared faith — that keeps them Bush loyalists.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

As NPR's senior national correspondent, Linda Wertheimer travels the country and the globe for NPR News, bringing her unique insights and wealth of experience to bear on the day's top news stories.