Intensity

We have to make sure that our priorities line up with the priorities of Christ for us, as we find in the 
Scriptures; for instance, Philippians chapter 2 says:
(2) fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

There are those that criticize political involvement, saying it harms our witness.  I would submit that involvement in anything that supersedes our involvement with Christ does not accurately reflect His presence in our lives.  He desires to be the Lord of every single area of our lives, and in order to adopt and reflect this attitude, we have to consider what the Bible has to say about what we choose to deem important.  Recognizing the preeminence of the Scriptures can help us to develop a passion to follow Him.

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We have to make sure, especially during a political season, that our passion and intensity about matters 
of politics are controlled by the Lordship of Christ. 1st Peter 2 challenges us:
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.

The religious vote, and specifically the Christian vote, has been quite a focus for pollsters and those who follow their work.  We have heard frequently over the last four years about the 81% of white evangelical Christians who cast a vote for President Trump, and besides that fact that many in the media still don't understand that, it does seem as if there is an investigative focus on seeing that number decline.

According to Pew Research, it really isn't that much.  In fact, in August, Pew reported that the percentage of white evangelical Christians was up to 83%, and it has gone down some in the latest poll, to 78% - still comparable to the level of support in 2016.  In this October poll, 52% of white Catholic voters and 53% of white Protestant voters are with Trump.  The survey summary says:

Biden, meanwhile, is currently favored by 90% of Black Protestant registered voters, 70% of Jews and 67% of Hispanic Catholics. Among people without a religious affiliation, Biden is the preferred candidate for 83% of atheists and agnostics, and 62% of people who describe their religion as “nothing in particular.” In all of these groups, support for Biden is on par with that seen in the August survey.

There was speculation that the presence of third-party candidates in the survey could have contributed to the President's numbers.

Support for Trump has held steady throughout his Presidency; while this new survey, conducted just after the first debate in late September, did not measure job performance, still, according to the summary: "The share of White evangelical Protestants who said they approve of Trump’s job performance was 72% in the August survey, identical to the share who said this in Trump’s first summer on the job three years ago."

So, at least among this group of Christians, who, it's been speculated, voted for the President based on his stated pro-life views and promise to appoint originalist Supreme Court judges, are holding fast in 2020 - and with intensity.

The election has certainly, so it seems, turned into a referendum on Donald Trump - perhaps more the personality than the policies - especially among younger voters.  An interesting Politico article shows that in a Morning Consult poll, 52% of Generation Z, between 18 and 23 years of age, said they were voting for Joe Biden and 45% said they were voting against Trump. And, according to the article, "just under half of Gen Zers were 'absolutely certain' they’d vote." In the electorate as a whole, about a quarter of those surveyed said their vote was motivated by opposition to the President.

Voter intensity was also measured by Pew, which asked voters to rate the candidates on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being "the coldest" and 100 being "the warmest."  The summary says:

...51% of registered voters give Trump a “very cold” rating of less than 25 (including 40% who give him a zero – the lowest possible rating) while 38% give Biden a “very cold” rating (including 25% who give him a zero rating). There is a more modest gap in the shares of expressing “warm” or “very warm” feelings: 43% give Biden a rating over 50, compared with 38% who give Trump a warm rating – with about one-in-three voters giving each of the candidates intensely positive ratings (a rating of more than 75 on the 100-point scale).

But, the fondness among Trump voters for their candidates exceeds that of Biden supporters; the survey says: "a larger share of Trump supporters than Biden supporters express very warm feelings. About two-thirds of Trump supporters (68%) have very warm feelings toward the president. About half of Biden’s voters (52%) feel similarly warm toward Biden."

Voter intensity is certainly a factor - those who love Trump, which includes a number of evangelicals, I would say, really love the man.  Those who love Biden are perhaps not intense, but that fondness for the candidate is perhaps influenced by their strong dislike for the President.  I would contend that if Biden wins, it is because enough voters were repulsed by Trump to make the difference.

We recognize that in the Church, we possess different views.  A true expression of Christian character has to do with how to communicate those views.  It's fine to express an opinion, but forethought and Scriptural backing are key elements.  Unlike most political candidates, we are certainly not trying to win popularity contests as believers in Christ, and the Bible warns against being people-pleasers, but we are called to be God-pleasers; but we are constantly called to reflect Christ's character.

And, as John Ed Mathison, Pastor Emeritus of Montgomery's Frazer Church pointed out on a recent blog post, we have to make sure we maintain a sense of civility, especially after the election.  He wrote:

On November 3rd, some people will win and some people will lose. That’s inevitable. It’s important before the election to make some commitments as to how I am going to respond following the election. I have the right to give money, energy, and influence to see certain candidates elected. But once the election is decided, I am a Christian first, an American second, then a member of a political persuasion third!!

I commit to the following 7 action points:

• I will pray.
• I will vote.
• I will treat every person as I want to be treated.
• I will not engage in taunting, accusing, blaming, an arrogant attitude, or a divisive spirit.
• I will engage only in civil discourse and not listen to or perpetuate misinformation.
• I will be a good winner – or a good loser, according to Biblical standards.
• I will see this election as a process God will use to establish His kingdom on earth.

I was intrigued by this survey data having to do with motive and intensity.  It's perfectly fine to be passionate about a particular candidate or even participation in the process. I do believe that Christians should be involved in voting and that it's OK to have more than a passing interest in politics. But, as Christians, we always have to make sure we always have a greater intensity for Christ. If our devotion to politics, sports, hobbies, or other interests, outweighs our passion for the Lord, then we need to check our hearts and make sure our lives are in balance and that our priorities are straight.  Our faith should always inform our politics, not be tailored or impacted by our political involvement.