The easiest groups for the GOP to access will be the economic conservatives, independents, and evangelical Christians. Interestingly, because of the importance of faith to both the Hispanic community and the African American community, a very strong message tailored to these communities may change the course of the national election.
Unfortunately, these communities may be in play politically because of GOP neglect. It is no secret that one of the mainstays of Obama’s pivotal South Carolina victory was his success in black churches. Democratic Party operatives no longer see the faith community as the sole territory of the Republican Party. They have been going after Christians of every ethnicity for the last 4 years. If, the GOP does not make its case clearly and cogently to this community it may not keep one of the mainstays of its political power.
Chuck Colson, famed Washington insider-turned-minister, made several powerful declarations in an article released last week in Christianity Today. “Evangelicals find themselves in an unaccustomed role this marathon election season… there's a transition going on within the evangelical ranks…But polls show that evangelicals are as strongly pro-life as ever, and continue to support traditional values,” he observed. Colson’s overarching point is simply that the evangelical community is ready to be engaged in this election cycle.
If I was advising the elders of the GOP, I would tell them to kiss and make–up with the evangelical Christian movement. I would also tell them to do the research to create a clear GOP manifesto for Christian engagement in politics.
Tony Perkins, of the Family Research Council and myself have written a new book that could aid either party in developing a set of policies that would be attractive to most evangelical Christians. The book is entitled Personal Faith, Public Policy - 7 Urgent Issues That We the People of Faith Can Come Together and Solve.
The subtitle gives you the crux of the book. We have explored seven areas that have been contested nationally and have made some policy recommendations that most Christians could support. We asked ourselves the following question, “What are the positions that a bi-partisan group agree upon that embrace evangelical faith as a foundation?” We also asked ourselves, “How can we tear down the race/ ethnicity barrier in Christian voting patterns?” It is obvious that black Christians vote differently than white Christians, but we do not think that it has to be that way.
The recommendations in this book have been thoroughly researched, but it is not a journal for policy wonks. It is readable and engaging, full of stories and enlightening information. If you have ever struggled with answering the question, “How would Jesus Vote?” or you have desired to engage in a practical discussion about how the faith community could end racism or poverty in our nation without compromising conservative principles, this book is a must-read.