Pro-Terrorist Horde Invades New York City to Disrupt Biden's Swanky Fundraiser
Occupied Gaza
PolitiFact Fact-Shifting for Biden, the Press Loses With a DeSantis Win, and MSNBC...
Go Touch Some Grass
Biden Administration Locking Up Public Lands from West to East
Jon Stewart, the Tribeca Trickster of Real Estate
Only Democrats Get to Lie on NBC News
Donald Trump: The Non-PC Candidate
Ronald Reagan: The Man Who Cut Taxes From 70 to 28 Percent
Republicans Thwart Democrat Scheme to Raise Gas Prices
The Future Looks...Old?
Not Exactly Something Normal
Senate Judiciary Committee Should Prioritize Main Street Over Wall Street with Free Market...
Some Unpleasant Truths About Islam and the West
DNC Holds 'Emergency Call' As Dems Panic Over RFK Jr.'s VP Pick
OPINION

How Would Jesus Vote?

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

I’ll never forget the Values Voters Conference held in Washington, DC in 2006. Jerry Falwell made the statement that a Hillary Clinton Presidential candidacy would rally the evangelical troops better than a campaign run by Satan himself. The audience, which consisted only of pastors, erupted in laughter.

Advertisement

The next morning after the statement I appeared on C-Span’s The Washington Journal program. I was debating the president of a liberal Christian group. I had to take the time to explain that Falwell’s seemingly unchristian comment was a statement made in jest. My opponent stated that this comment by Falwell was typical of the mean spirited nature of the religious right.

As I reflected further upon Falwell’s comments, I realized that this master of grassroots mobilization had made a very powerful observation. He recognized that political mobilization requires a clear sense of either danger or opportunity. In mid 2006, conservatives faced an out of control war, growing internal accusations of racism, and insensitivity to the poor. In a turbulent cultural landscape, it seemed as though it would be easier to mobilize against a Clinton presidency than any other. Falwell believed that it would be easier to attack the Clintons, once again, instead of facing a “new Democratic champion.”

It has been humorous to hear Rush Limbaugh, also in jest, encouraging his listeners to cross over into Democratic primaries and place a vote for Hillary Clinton. Rush’s appeal is tantamount to saying, “Give me an opponent I think I can defeat!”

Only time will tell if the old folk parable, “Be careful what you wish for” will apply to this election. It may be that conservatives have given the nation such a strong negative message about Hillary Clinton that we have created the vacuum into which Barak Obama has emerged.

Advertisement

It says to me that conservatives have been marching around the same mountain too long. How do conservatives re-direct their energy to create a positive message and a clear vision of their values? A clear rallying cry must begin within conservative ranks and then reach beyond its walls. Huckabee and McCain should be using this time to re-tool their messages for their base. Next, that message should be expanded for the general election.

The liberal community has rallied around the fear of 4 more years of a Bush-like administration. Both Clinton and Obama have focused on five voting blocks during the last 18 months. They have created messaging and a rallying cries for each group. The groups are:

1. Evangelical Christians

2. Hispanics

3. African Americans 4. Economic Conservatives

5. Independents

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos