Will GOP's Christian base stay at home?
From Charlotte Observer
The Rev. Dan Burrell of Charlotte's Northside Baptist Church has lost faith in politics. Two years ago, Burrell, an outspoken Christian conservative, registered voters, distributed Christian Coalition voter guides and urged the 3,000 members of his church to the polls.Not this year.
Burrell said his disillusionment with the national Republican Party -- sparked by the war in Iraq, the Mark Foley scandal, and lagging action on conservative social issues -- won't stop him from voting.
But his extra effort these days is focused on saving souls, not electing politicians.
"In terms of major get-out-the-vote campaigns, frankly, we're going to be focused more on the work of the Gospel and ministering to our local community," he said.
As Election Day looms, political activists are eyeing Burrell and others like him, trying to perform a critical election-year calculation: Will the religious right turn out as strongly as in the past?
The question is an especially important one for Republicans fighting to maintain control of Congress. The party credited Christian conservative turnout two years ago as a major factor in President Bush's re-election. Their votes could prove decisive this year in an election that Democrats -- motivated by years of losses -- are eager to win.
"They are the bulwarks that the Republicans have against really catastrophic losses," said Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "If Republicans are going to hold on to really either house of Congress, it's going to be important on Election Day that conservative religious voters ... turn out in significant numbers." READ IT ALL
Bill McCartney
