BY STEVE CRAIN

Special to The Pilot

Robert Potts, of Duluth, Ga., served as guest speaker at a recent "Faith and politics" meeting held at Grace Church in Southern Pines.

Potts spoke about promoting voter participation in the 2012 presidential election.

Eddie Nobles, facilitator for Grace Church's "Faith and Politics" small group, introduced Potts, who serves as deputy national field director for Faith and Freedom Coalition, an organization billed as "conservative and nonpartisan."

"The window of opportunity to communicate with voters is closing," Potts said, noting that network news viewership has decreased 44 percent since 1980 and that people access "varied news sources."

Many people use DVRs (digital video recorders) to assist in selective viewing and use cellphones equipped with caller ID to screen incoming calls, he said.

"Twenty-eight percent of Americans have unlisted numbers," Potts noted. >

He said that in 2008, 17 million registered evangelicals did not vote in the U.S. presidential election.

"John McCain lost by just 8 million votes in 2008," Potts said. "If you don't have the numbers, you don't win."

Steve Crain lives in Southern Pines.