.....Predictable stories resurface each election cycle.

From Staff Reports, CITIZENLINK, 10-30-2007

Recent articles in The New York Times and other mainstream media outlets have suggested that evangelical voters have lost their focus and are now "irrelevant."

Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family Action, said it's no surprise such stories are being published.

"On schedule every four years near a presidential cycle," he said, "the media predict the demise of the evangelical social conservative public policy movement."

Since 1988, such doom and gloom stories make an appearance as presidential bumper stickers start showing up on cars.

But Dave Kinnaman of the Barna Research Group said a soon-to-be-published study will show that nine out of 10 evangelical still consider abortion a major issue, and seven of 10 take note of a candidate's views on homosexuality.

"The movement is still focused on values," he said. "It's still focused on a pretty broad range of issues that's it is trying to achieve electorally."