Is the Republican Party losing the Christian vote?

Since 1992 the Republican Party has maintained a healthy advantage in Protestant and other Evangelical Christian voting blocks, winning by no less than 9% (Dole vs. Clinton in 1996) and as much as 19% (Bush vs. Kerry in 2004). However, with Republican Presidential candidates having lost the popular vote in 5 of the last 6 elections, and amid an escalating Latino voting presence that has traditionally sided more heavily with Democrats, Republicans are on the proverbial ropes, trying to avoid yet another political knockout. With fears they are also losing ground on the Evangelical and moderate Christian vote, it appears there is big trouble ahead. The current front runner the majority of the summer, Donald Trump, has been on record questioning a key tenet of Christianity: repentance.

Try as the Republicans may to gain ground, the party’s challenges are only severely escalating given the mass exodus of Christian voters who are bucking the traditional conservative stronghold. Here are three reasons why I believe this his happening:

Wedge issues have gone awry

The Republican Party’s two “clinch” issues—gay marriage and abortion—are becoming less of a factor for voters. While many Christians, regardless of their political affiliation, may be pro-life and in favor of traditional marriage, the tone of the conversation has changed dramatically and is no longer becoming a singular or even primary influence in picking a candidate. And with the recent Supreme Court decision, one could argue the fight for “traditional marriage” is now truly a moot point. One recent high-profile report even underscored that “most Republican presidential candidates seem to want to avoid talking about the issue [all together]—as Mitt Romney largely did in 2012.”