Conservative Christians Feel 'Used' By GOP

The Republicans' failure to energize the faith and values community as well as conservative evangelicals may cost them the mid-term elections, according to a new statement by a conservative Christian organization.

There is a strong feeling that the Republican Party courts evangelicals to vote in elections but fails to act aggressively on fulfilling campaign promises, says the statement by the Christian Defense Coalition.

"Many also asking why they should work so hard for Republican candidates when after years of controlling the House, Senate and the White House Republican leadership has accomplished so little?" the statement asks.

The 2006 mid-term elections are demonstrating to the Republican Party they can no longer take the faith communities vote and support for granted, the statement says.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, states, "If Republicans lose the House or Senate, they only have themselves to blame. They have failed to energize and empower faith and value voters which provide a critical base of support for the Republican Party. Many evangelicals I have talked with feel used and taken for granted by the Republican Party. Their feeling is the Republican Party courts them during elections and then abandons and ignores them after the election is over.

"Many faith and value voters feel there is little to show in the area of real change in Washington, after years of republicans controlling the House, Senate and the White House. And, this translates into a lack of passion and energy for the mid-term elections," he adds.

"Comments I often hear are thing like; 'Why should I pass out literature in the freezing cold or the pouring rain? Or, spend hours manning a phone bank for candidates that deliver so little,'" he continues.

"Republican leadership can no longer assume that the faith community will vote for them just because they are 'Republicans.' Values voters are interested in results and real change. Not partisan politics," he adds.