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Dear John,
No one could have predicted the twists and turns of this election, but Donald Trump was certainly right about one thing: his deeply religious base was going to rewrite the record books.
Back in January, talking to a group of evangelicals, he predicted that as high as their turnout was in 2016, Christian conservatives would "blow those numbers away in 2020."
And boy, did they!
Four years ago, researcher George Barna would be the first to tell you that he never thought he'd see a stronger statistic. SAGE Cons, those Americans he carefully segments out as Spiritually-Active, Governance-Engaged (SAGE) conservatives, nearly maxed out their turnouts at the polls. Ninety-one percent of them, driven by their dislike of Hillary Clinton, showed up to vote -- shattering every record ever set.
"We thought, 'Well, we're never going to see that again in our lifetimes,'" George remembers. "You really can't get much higher [turnout] than that."
He was wrong -- and couldn't be happier about it.
This election, these voters showed up in "staggering, mind-blowing" numbers. A whopping 99 percent of SAGE Cons turned out to vote. No one else, George explains, even came close.
They cast 23 million votes -- that's a third of the president's total.
And what makes that so impressive, Barna explained on Washington Watch, is that they only make up nine percent of the population! And yet, this nine percent of motivated Christians accounted for 14 percent of the national vote!
Talk about impact.
John, your support played a critical role in enabling FRC to connect with these like-minded believers this year through our multi-media outreach to remind them that every vote counts, and every Christian has a biblical responsibility:
- To PRAY for our nation.
- To VOTE biblical values.
- To STAND firm for truth rooted in the gospel.
While we do face some uncertainty at this moment about what direction our nation is heading, as Christians, we are called to stand faithful to the truth... no matter the election results.
Now is the time when a lost and confused world needs our voice of truth most.
Will you prayerfully consider a timely and vital year-end gift to FRC today to ensure that we can keep Americans informed and engaged?
Your donation before December 31st will have double the impact thanks to the $1 Million Matching Challenge grant. We have so much more to accomplish as we move ahead with faith in the Lord to advance His Kingdom.
DOUBLE MY IMPACT NOW
"It's pretty astonishing," Barna said during our interview. "When you look at, 'Where did [Trump] get his vote?' 'Where did he get his support from?' This is -- without a doubt, without any qualifications -- the most enthusiastic and united group of votes he received from the 80 different segments of the population that we studied."
And that includes Democrats, Republicans, women, liberals, blacks, conservatives -- no other voting bloc has rallied behind a candidate with so much solidarity. "I think we're pretty much seeing the ceiling," he marveled, "of what any particular voting segment could ever achieve."
So, what drove them in such high numbers to vote?
When George surveyed them, he found that the biggest motivation was the track record of President Trump. "You have to remember back [in] 2016, the SAGE Cons who voted for him in huge numbers were essentially voting against Hillary Clinton. In 2020, they were voting for President Trump because of what he's done over the last four years."
But, Barna pointed out, a close second was "his position on various social issues that matter to them, as well we his positions on several fiscal and economic issues." Several of them told George, "I never thought that I would say that I appreciate Donald Trump's leadership," but after four years of it, that's where a large proportion of them have landed.
Of course, none of this has made its way into the media's analysis -- in part, I'm sure, because they don't want to admit how much political influence Christian conservatives have.
It conflicts with their 40-year narrative that the religious right is a dying breed. And it also goes against their phony storyline that evangelicals turned against Trump in 2020 -- an absurd myth that Barna's research thoroughly debunks.
SAGE Cons are unique because their worldview "compels them to be involved," George says.
"They believe that the Bible teaches if you're going to represent Christ, you don't pick and choose where you represent him. You represent him everywhere. So that means in your community, in the voting booths, in your schools, in your churches, in your place of work, no matter where you go, you represent Christ."
When it comes to voting, these people understand that "at some point, they're going to stand before God and account for [these choices] ... So, they're one of the most politically attentive groups or segments in our population."
To the faithful, Barna says: don't give up the fight!
Engaging the culture around us is one of the most important things Christians can do. It's also, as this election shows, one of the most impactful.
SUPPORT FRC TO IMPACT AMERICA
So be encouraged.
What you're doing is making a difference -- and it will continue to make a difference in the critical days ahead.
As we approach 2021, FRC is committed to educating, encouraging, and equipping Christians in pews and pulpits to become spiritually-active, governance-engaged conservatives. We must expand the number of SAGE Cons in America who live out the biblical worldview.
Your vital year-end donation today will enable FRC to expand critical initiatives including our:
- Stand Courageous men's ministry,
- Watchmen Pastors network,
- Community Impact Teams,
- Biblical Worldview series,
- Weekly prayer broadcasts reaching thousands of Americans,
- And so much more!
Thank you for joining with FRC to take a stand for the future of America.
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2020 Family Research Council.