MOVE 2008: Republican doesn’t mean “Christian voter”

After Dubya’s first term, I knew 2008 would be a historic and unprecedented election.

Already were the musings of “Give ‘em Hil 2008″ and the possibilities of “Change” were on the horizon. However, there was one other monumental political by-product waiting to be made – evangelical Christians are not a mortal lock in the red states.

Recently, the Wall Street Journal penned an insightful editorial about that very issue: “GOP ties are no longer binding for evangelicals.”

For the first time in at least two presidential election cycles, the Republican Party can’t assume it has a complete lock on the evangelical vote, which makes up about a quarter of the electorate. President George W. Bush received 78% of the bloc in his 2004 re-election campaign. Polls show that about a third of these white Protestants are either undecided or planning to vote Democratic or independent this November.

Why? That’s easy. It has nothing to do with abortion either. It’s about the well-being of people, the caretaking of the impoverished, the disenfranchised, the destitute… you know, the target demo of the Democratic Party.

Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” (Matthew 25:45). Archetypically, when you think of a “Republican”, the word “least” is usually not an adjective that comes up in conversation. Ah, there’s the rub.

Evangelicals are missionaries. They are involved deep in their communities. They are aware of the plights of man. And… they see vehement Democrats taking up those issues and Republicans argue about other things. Those social issues penetrate mankind NOW.

Candidates, parties, political hacks and dunce pundits alike, huddle up for the times they are a-changin’.

You have to meet people at the point of their need, and odds are if your need is choosing which furniture would look best in your corner office, you aren’t interested in the least of these. Evangelicals are torn, and are up for grabs. Case in point? Hear it from the voice of the National Association of Evangelicals:

Richard Cizik, vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals, estimates that as many as 40% of evangelicals are “open to being persuaded” to vote for the Democratic Party, in part because of missions. A longtime Republican, he says he voted for Sen. Obama in the Virginia primary. He hasn’t made his decision about November yet.

Whoops.

Listen folks, no one gives a [choose your expletive if you must] about your altruistic 10-year plan. You won’t even be in office in 10 years, so imagine your credibility tanking at the State of the Union. Elections should not be about party, but about the people. If you aren’t for the “least of these” NOW, THIS MOMENT, you may not just lose our approval, you may lose our vote.

Tags: accountability, Barack Obama, change, Christianity, compromise, election, evangelical, evangelism, issues, John McCain, mission, Politics, president, religion, Richard Cizik, vote