“Senator Obama built a substantial lead early and was able to maintain it throughout the race,” Barna explained. “Just when it appeared that he might win in a landslide, Senator McCain chose Governor Palin as his running mate, and that at least got the unmotivated conservative Christian vote on board. But the election clearly showed that a winning coalition requires more than just evangelical voters. George W. Bush rode to victory twice on the backs of the born again population. But Sen. McCain fared relatively poorly among the non-evangelical born again segment and was unable to compensate by replacing them with a large enough group of ideological moderates.”
Barna noted that in 2008, traditional issues did not energize the right. “There was substantial issue fatigue related to the moral issues that usually rev up the troops on the right. Although the candidates had very distinct and dissimilar views on moral issues such as abortion and gay marriage, those differences were not deal breakers for most voters. Voters are tired of fighting battles that seem interminable. And in a year when there were so many other significant crises and conflicts to consider, people’s focus shifted away from the usual throat-wringing issues.”
This may also have been a turning point for future elections. “It’s possible that the Catholic vote has now returned to the Democratic fold until another Ronald Reagan emerges to lead the Republicans. And ethnic voters flexed their muscle and came away with a win. Who would have suspected that African-Americans and Hispanics would have forged a bulletproof alliance? But they did this time around, and if Senator Obama fulfills his promise and his promises, then 2008 might have birthed a very significant new voting bloc for the future – one that is already 30% of the population and growing.”
Some different material here than that found elsewhere, so worth perusing.
Tired of moral issues that seems interminable? Did Christ say that the disciple would only have to struggle for a short while against evil? Explain that to the unborn millions who have no one to fight for their rights. Christians have certain priorities and as the society more readily accepts abortion, homosexuality, atheism, religious syncretism, we had better be clear about what those priorities are.
[blockquote]Voters are tired of fighting battles that seem interminable.[/blockquote]
I don’t think he got this right. I don’t think conservative Christians are tired of the battles. I think they are tired of being betrayed by those they elect. Conservative Christians had given the Republicans the Senate, the House, and the White House. On having delivered power to the Republicans, the Conservative Christians were then told to back off and not hold their elected representives feet to the fire on moral issues. The Republicans swung to the left after the election, not only on fiscal policies, but on social issues as well.
People stopped trusting the Republicans to live up to the campaign rhetoric. They watched as their values were shunted aside.
If Republicans ever hope to gain power again, they will need to return to the conservative principles that they used to stand for. The Rockefeller wing of the party has destroyed the “brand”. The Republicans In Name Only have lead the charge to the middle and that has lead to ruin. Reagan was the correct model. Putting RINOs like McCain, Romney, Guiliani, etc. [and in the past, both George Bushs] forward, while ignoring real conservatives in the party lead to the situation we are now in. The radical liberals now have all the power…not because they had better ideas, but because the Republicans betrayed their conservative base one too many times.