This one goes out to all the depressed Republicans out there...
Of which I am happy to say I am not one. Well I am not depressed anyway, although still am probably Republican. Here's my thoughts on the election, if you care to read.
First, let me say I am disappointed in the results. I am not an Obama supporter, and probably never will be unless he radically changes his viewpoint on, well, just about everything. Although McCain didn't get me all fired up either. However, as is typical, I considered McCain the lesser of two evils and was hoping he would pull it out. Of course, I knew that pretty much everything was looking like the R's were going to get their a$$es handed to them, and that was certainly the case, both nationally and locally here in MO. So, why am I not curled up into the fetal position sobbing quietly in a corner? I pondered that myself actually. Because really, I'm fine. And fine despite being pregnant and hormonal, I might add. My conclusion is this - God does not depend on the results of American political drama to do what He wants done. Despite how important we hold the ability and duty to vote - and our votes do matter, don't misunderstand - it is God who establishes and removes rulers, both politcal and otherwise. I think here in the US we forget that sometimes, and that God can work even through the guy (or gal) with whom we happen to disagree. Because guess what, God would have done what he wanted to do if McCain had won too, and I disagree with him on a lot of issues (as I said, lesser of two evils for me).
Now, for those of you who may not buy the God arguement, let me remind you of our system history as well. Our founding fathers actually set it up this way, you see. Having been oppressed by a ruler who they could not vote out, they determined that the best way to govern is to not let any one person or group of people get their way all of the time. Historically, it really was time for the Dems to win, and the political pendulum to shift. It happened with Clinton in '92, and it happened with Bush in 2000 (don't give me that crap about the Supreme Court and the popular vote - Bush was not the first Prez to lose the popular but win the electoral vote people, get over it already. Actually, I was kinda hoping McCain would win the popular vote but Obama would win the electoral, just to give you a taste of the other side. Who would have stolen the election in that case, huh?). And, much to the Democrats dismay, eventually the pendulum will shift the other way and R's will be back in control, in Congress probably sooner than the Presidency, but eventually. But anyway, the point of US government is not to have one party in power all the time, and it has proven a very wise and well-thought out system. When your party is in the minority you get to be vocal and whine about what isn't getting done, and you get to screw up the majority party by forcing them to compromise or killing legislation altogether sometimes. When your party is in the majority you (hopefully) get what you want done, but still having to compromise so that most people are benefitting and satisfied. I don't believe that most politicians or groups are really out to destroy the country. We just have different ideas about how to improve it and the lives of the citizens. While some ideas may prove destructive or may have consequences that weren't thought through or thought of at all, it's usually not the intent of whatever idea or legislation to completely marginalize a group or harm them, however misguided it may be. So yes, I think a lot of Obama's ideas are destructive, and hope that they at least get watered down a little. Some of McCain's are too. And I don't rule out greed and a hunger for power, that's just a fact of our sinful state, but again, our system is set up so that anything you do at least has to have the pretense of being good for the majority. So, Obama will face a tough time getting his rather radical ideas to materialize into the national reality, and that's not a bad thing. He's going to be scrutinized more now than he ever was during the very long campaign, because now it's not just a hope or a thought out there, it's a true possibility, and do we really want that possibility to become reality for us? Or do we actually need to tweak things a little, including his health care plan, his economic viewpoint, his foreign policy - especially his position as Commander in Chief of the military, and his very left-leaning social ideology? I hope even the Dems who have been gushing over him since the '04 elections are going to take a step back and evaluate him a little more critically now. If they don't shame on them.
For those of us who are Christians, don't forget to pray for this man who will be our President. Remember, we're supposed to lift up our leaders to God, even if we didn't vote for them! And also consider this, if God could not work through Barak Obama, then He wouldn't be God. He would be an ineffectual, pathetic deity who doesn't deserve our time or worship. And remember, even if the country does go in the tank as so many fear (I don't think so really, but I suppose it's possible) that sometimes God gives people what they most desire, and even deserve. A woman on a forum I read regularly brought up the story of the Israelites first king in Saul (which they desperately pleaded for to be more like other nations), and how while he disobeyed God's voice and took the nation in the very opposite direction God intended for it to head, God was quietly and calmly raising up a shepherd boy to take over and lead them into history - King David, for those of you not up on your Old Testament.
Quite frankly, I congratulate Mr. Obama and hope that he turns out to be all his supporters think he is, except for those wackjobs that thought he was the Messiah, because really, we've go that already. He won a hard fought race, an historical race that was going to change textbooks either way (I mean come on, a black guy or a woman was going to be in the White House, and that's just cool. Not unexpected for me, as I think that possibility was there a while ago and people just refused to accept it, but still cool.)
So, feel better? I think I'll have some chocolate and make some tea.
First, let me say I am disappointed in the results. I am not an Obama supporter, and probably never will be unless he radically changes his viewpoint on, well, just about everything. Although McCain didn't get me all fired up either. However, as is typical, I considered McCain the lesser of two evils and was hoping he would pull it out. Of course, I knew that pretty much everything was looking like the R's were going to get their a$$es handed to them, and that was certainly the case, both nationally and locally here in MO. So, why am I not curled up into the fetal position sobbing quietly in a corner? I pondered that myself actually. Because really, I'm fine. And fine despite being pregnant and hormonal, I might add. My conclusion is this - God does not depend on the results of American political drama to do what He wants done. Despite how important we hold the ability and duty to vote - and our votes do matter, don't misunderstand - it is God who establishes and removes rulers, both politcal and otherwise. I think here in the US we forget that sometimes, and that God can work even through the guy (or gal) with whom we happen to disagree. Because guess what, God would have done what he wanted to do if McCain had won too, and I disagree with him on a lot of issues (as I said, lesser of two evils for me).
Now, for those of you who may not buy the God arguement, let me remind you of our system history as well. Our founding fathers actually set it up this way, you see. Having been oppressed by a ruler who they could not vote out, they determined that the best way to govern is to not let any one person or group of people get their way all of the time. Historically, it really was time for the Dems to win, and the political pendulum to shift. It happened with Clinton in '92, and it happened with Bush in 2000 (don't give me that crap about the Supreme Court and the popular vote - Bush was not the first Prez to lose the popular but win the electoral vote people, get over it already. Actually, I was kinda hoping McCain would win the popular vote but Obama would win the electoral, just to give you a taste of the other side. Who would have stolen the election in that case, huh?). And, much to the Democrats dismay, eventually the pendulum will shift the other way and R's will be back in control, in Congress probably sooner than the Presidency, but eventually. But anyway, the point of US government is not to have one party in power all the time, and it has proven a very wise and well-thought out system. When your party is in the minority you get to be vocal and whine about what isn't getting done, and you get to screw up the majority party by forcing them to compromise or killing legislation altogether sometimes. When your party is in the majority you (hopefully) get what you want done, but still having to compromise so that most people are benefitting and satisfied. I don't believe that most politicians or groups are really out to destroy the country. We just have different ideas about how to improve it and the lives of the citizens. While some ideas may prove destructive or may have consequences that weren't thought through or thought of at all, it's usually not the intent of whatever idea or legislation to completely marginalize a group or harm them, however misguided it may be. So yes, I think a lot of Obama's ideas are destructive, and hope that they at least get watered down a little. Some of McCain's are too. And I don't rule out greed and a hunger for power, that's just a fact of our sinful state, but again, our system is set up so that anything you do at least has to have the pretense of being good for the majority. So, Obama will face a tough time getting his rather radical ideas to materialize into the national reality, and that's not a bad thing. He's going to be scrutinized more now than he ever was during the very long campaign, because now it's not just a hope or a thought out there, it's a true possibility, and do we really want that possibility to become reality for us? Or do we actually need to tweak things a little, including his health care plan, his economic viewpoint, his foreign policy - especially his position as Commander in Chief of the military, and his very left-leaning social ideology? I hope even the Dems who have been gushing over him since the '04 elections are going to take a step back and evaluate him a little more critically now. If they don't shame on them.
For those of us who are Christians, don't forget to pray for this man who will be our President. Remember, we're supposed to lift up our leaders to God, even if we didn't vote for them! And also consider this, if God could not work through Barak Obama, then He wouldn't be God. He would be an ineffectual, pathetic deity who doesn't deserve our time or worship. And remember, even if the country does go in the tank as so many fear (I don't think so really, but I suppose it's possible) that sometimes God gives people what they most desire, and even deserve. A woman on a forum I read regularly brought up the story of the Israelites first king in Saul (which they desperately pleaded for to be more like other nations), and how while he disobeyed God's voice and took the nation in the very opposite direction God intended for it to head, God was quietly and calmly raising up a shepherd boy to take over and lead them into history - King David, for those of you not up on your Old Testament.
Quite frankly, I congratulate Mr. Obama and hope that he turns out to be all his supporters think he is, except for those wackjobs that thought he was the Messiah, because really, we've go that already. He won a hard fought race, an historical race that was going to change textbooks either way (I mean come on, a black guy or a woman was going to be in the White House, and that's just cool. Not unexpected for me, as I think that possibility was there a while ago and people just refused to accept it, but still cool.)
So, feel better? I think I'll have some chocolate and make some tea.
Comments
Not giving up on America just yet. =)