The general election isn't for another 252 days, but what happens tomorrow could be just as important. Campaigns have circled Super Tuesday on their calendars for months, knowing that the whirlwind of state primary voting could make or break their candidate's chances for the nomination. With about a quarter of the delegates on the line, more than on any other single day, tomorrow's primaries hold particular significance for the final Republican and Democratic tickets.
Based on what we've seen so far, experts predict a huge turnout in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming, and even American Samoa. Although Super Tuesday will likely further whittle down the GOP field, March 15 kicks off the much-coveted "winner-take-all" primaries in places like Ohio and Florida. People's perspectives heading into mid-March, though, will almost certainly be shaped by what happens in the mainly southern states March 1.
To read the media's account leading up to Super Tuesday, you'd think the victors had already been declared. But if the first few primaries are any indication, nothing is certain in this race except voters' determination to be heard. In the next few weeks, a lot depends on you. As Christians, we have a responsibility to pray and act with knowledge. That means digging deeper to find out what the candidates stand for. As Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, counseled him in Exodus 18, our focus should be finding capable, trustworthy leaders "who fear God." The best way to know which ones do is to read where the candidates stand on a host of non-negotiable issues -- including one that should be at the top of every Christian's list: religious liberty.
Twenty sixteen is a religious liberty election, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has said since last summer. And he's certainly done his part to raise the profile of our First Freedom -- not just in his campaign, but in the race as a whole. To that end, Ted announced today the creation of a 19-member Religious Liberty Advisory Council, which I'm privileged to chair. Never before has religious freedom been more endangered than it is today under the policies of the current administration. As I have repeatedly said, I will do everything possible to elevate the issue of religious liberty and educate the candidates and the public on what we must do to protect this essential freedom.
DISCLAIMER: Tony Perkins has made an endorsement in his individual and personal capacity only, and it should not be construed or interpreted in any way as the endorsement of FRC, FRC Action, or any affiliated entity.
