I am interested in comments from older evangelicals and younger ones alike: has the recent election shifted your opinion of the political influence of evangelicals as a bloc?

Jonathan Merritt has an intriguing article in The Atlantic entitled, “Election 2012 Marks the End of Evangelical Dominance in Politics.” Here’s his conclusion:

As I survey the rising generation of Christians in America, I see many who recognize the ways in which the thirst for power has corrupted the faith. They’re eschewing partisan politics as a way to coerce and control the country, and they are finding ways to work with others they may disagree with. They are looking for new ways to live their faith in our rapidly changing world, and they give me hope that American Christians may be on the cusp of a healthier engagement with the public square. American morality is certainly changing, but this in itself doesn’t account for the waning influence of evangelicals. To the extent that the faithful continue to blame their diminished influence on a shift in morality alone, they will continue their descent into irrelevance. If, however, they recognize the opportunity before them to reform their strategy and tactics, this so-called evangelical disaster might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

I certainly agree in large measure with his observations and with this conclusion. I think it is also becoming clearer that the two political parties are very similar in practice and not really interested in changing the status quo. This has contributed to the disillusionment with political action experienced by many young evangelicals such as myself.