{"id":5543,"date":"2018-01-02T17:38:30","date_gmt":"2018-01-02T23:38:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/?p=5543"},"modified":"2018-01-02T17:38:30","modified_gmt":"2018-01-02T23:38:30","slug":"5543","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2018\/01\/02\/5543\/","title":{"rendered":"“It’s the Economy, Stupid!” (Or is it?)"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lowell Hegewood, Ph.D<\/strong>
\n\u201c<\/i><\/b>No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation<\/i><\/b>.\u201d<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/i><\/b>\u2013\u2013<\/i><\/b>Douglas MacArthur\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span>
\nJames\u00a0Carville\u2019s legendary jab at President Bush,\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s the economy, stupid,\u201d\u00a0may have helped decide the presidency in favor of Bill Clinton in 1992 and would appear to have major\u00a0implications\u00a0in 2012 given the sad state of national economic affairs.\u00a0Yes,\u00a0the national debt is quadruple\u00a0what it was in\u00a01992.\u00a0Yes, unemployment is double compared to just 10 years ago.\u00a0Yes,\u00a0\u201ctaxmaggedon\u201d\u00a0might be right around the corner.\u00a0However, for all Americans, especially Christians, this\u00a0year’s\u00a0presidential election is about so much more.\u00a0The issue most distorted by political media,\u00a0ridiculed\u00a0by popular culture, and at times ignored by both\u00a0Republicans and\u00a0Democrats has really become an ugly wound in the body politic.\u00a0Its\u00a0\u201cbleeding”\u00a0affects all Americans,\u00a0and for Christians,\u00a0<\/b>its cause is largely self-inflicted.\u00a0Please read on!<\/b>\u00a0<\/span>
\nA Self-Inflicted Wound<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>
\nIt is not an exaggeration that our government is pursuing policies more hostile to Christians than at any time in our country\u2019s history.\u00a0It is also not a coincidence that these irreligious policies coincide with the steady\u00a0retreat of Christians from civic\u00a0responsibility.\u00a0Christian voter turnout actually declined 40% between 1992-2004.\u00a0In 2000 only 15,000,000 out of 60,000,000 evangelical Christians voted.\u00a0In 2008 an estimated 24,000,000 or 40% of Christians were not even registered to vote.\u00a0In the Presidential election of that year, the outcome in Missouri was decided by 3,903 votes and in this state\u00a0over\u00a0102,000 Christians were not registered.\u00a0In North Carolina the eventual winner won by 14,177 votes\u2013\u2013281, 212 Christians were not registered.\u00a0Incredibly, more Americans vote on\u00a0<\/b>\u201c<\/b>American Idol<\/b>\u201d<\/b>\u00a0than in\u00a0<\/b>presidential primaries<\/b>!<\/b>1<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>
\nThe\u00a0<\/i><\/b>Bleeding<\/i><\/b>\u00a0Continues<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>
\nIf apathy\u00a0\u201cwins\u201d\u00a0elections, Christians have paid a high price for it since 2008.\u00a0<\/b>Consider:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n