I’d like to share some observations and predictions about the election here today. Before you take any of my predictions too seriously, remember that I stated with full confidence that the GOP would never nominate Trump in 2016, and once they did, I stated here that Trump had absolutely no chance of becoming president. My previous failures at prognostication do not prevent me from engaging again in prognostication.
1. Everyone says this as established truth, but our actions and words sometimes ignore it – whoever wins tonight, God is still on the throne. All of those “the future of the church hangs in the balance” and other apocalyptic statements that many made were simply false. The church was founded on the work of Christ and it will go forward on Christ. You know it. I know it. We need to remember it – even if our voting desires go awry.
2. Our Christian brothers and sisters matter more than our political parties. I was around during the Conservative Resurgence and I saw the division it brought. Though I disagreed at times with how that conflict was conducted (and yes, I disagreed at the time, not just with the perspective of time), I supported the cause itself. The current divisiveness, pushed by some extremists, the CBN, and some powerful SBC power elites, threatens the future of the SBC for ungodly reasons. We should NOT divide over politics. People should not be anathematized for voting for Donald Trump and they should not be anathematized for NOT voting for him.
3. America is a broken nation. America’s political system is badly broken. Our two primary political parties are broken. There is no solution for America in the Democratic party and there is no solution for America in the GOP. That is not to say that there is no difference in the platforms of the parties, but they are both ungodly systems seeking power at any cost. They lie and they deal and then they lie.
4. American Christians will have a chance to show their godly character if Trump loses. We have heard people trumpeting the truths that “we should support and pray for our president.” What if Biden wins? Will they continue to support and pray for the president? Will their convictions continue? We will show if we are driven by character and conviction, or by partisan considerations. I have my fears on this one.
5. Now, some predictions. I think Joe Biden will assume the presidency in 2021. It will be without my vote.
6. It Trump wins, the polling system in America needs to disband. The results of the last election were on the edge of the margin of error. Biden is ahead by about 10 points in most polls. Are those polls wrong? There is no chance for a Trump victory this time without the polls being completely skewed. If Trump wins, questions about whether the polls were political tools will abound.
7. Trump supporters in specific, and GOPers and conservatives, in general, should give thanks for the genius of the electoral college devised by the founding fathers. In the last election (based on my memory), Hillary won California and New York by about 8 million votes. The rest of the country went to Trump by nearly 4 million votes. In other words, if we elected the president based solely on the nationwide majority, there’d be no point in anyone outside of those two states going to the polls.
8. This election could be a mess rivaling or even surpassing 2000 and its hanging chads.
- There have been record-setting early voting and mail-in ballots. These will be counted and that counted may take time.
- Both candidates have said that if they lose, it will only be because of campaign shenanigans. Both candidates have said that only cheating can prevent them from winning. Expect legal challenges.
- Accusations about Russia, about intimidation, about voter fraud – it will get ugly.
- There are already a ton of legal challenges happening in localities across the nation.
- Counting will likely continue for days.
9. It may be that the outcome of Senate races matter as much or more than the outcome of the battle for the top office. There are several scenarios.
- If Democrats win the presidency and the Senate, holding on to the House, the nation will take a hard left turn. We would not like the next two years. If Democrats overplay their hand, the 2022 congressional elections could be a corrective.
- If Biden wins, but Republicans hold the Senate, we are in for 2 years of gridlock (personally, I’ve never minded that). Little will get done. The 2022 election gets interesting.
- If Trump wins and Republicans hold the Senate, gridlock still reigns. Of course, the judiciary will continue to turn to the right, so most of us will rejoice in that.
10. Who would have thought, a year ago, that the primary issue in this election would be a pandemic? With the economy rolling, this election would have been a very different thing if the coronavirus had never hit our shores.
11. I do not see either side accepting a loss very well. Even Christians have come to see grace and dignity as weakness. There will be vituperation and derogation. Violence is a possibility. Before conservatives say that only the left engages in violence, check out the story about the “Trump train” surrounding the Biden bus and forcing the Biden campaign to cancel a campaign stop. Having said that, a surprise Trump victory likely ignites a storm.
12. I live in Iowa, a battleground state, and the “first in the nation” caucus state. Here is one bit of good news – the obnoxious political ads, political tweets, and political assaults should take a short break.
I can’t wait.
13.This is the twelfth presidential election I’ve voted in, and I believe it is the twelfth straight that has been breathlessly called “the most important of our lifetime” on which the future of America hung. We really need to stop with the hyperbole.
Now, to go vote and find “God’s man” “for such a time as this.”
I appreciated reading your thoughts on the election. You always speak truthfully, transparently, & meaningfully. Blessings and encouragement to you, my brother.
Now I have to go vote. This was easier.
Once you’ve prayed about God’s man for such a time as this…will you tell us who that is so we can vote accordingly. Thanks.
Thank you! Someone saw that.
I’m not in the politics biz so I am not going to make a prediction. I agree that our nation is at a cross roads. To have a functioning nation there needs to be agreement on some basics. The areas of agreement are growing smaller and that is concerning. The biggest concern I have is over the future of the Supreme Court. The Dems in the Senate started talking about adding justices to the court to undo the effect of Trump’s appointments. If Clinton has won, she would have nominated 3 justices, but she did not win, so Trump was… Read more »
The number of justices on the court has been changed 6 times in US history. It’s not unprecedented and is itself a check on the judicial branch which now holds not only 3 SCOTUS picks but countless lower court appointments (many with questionable to non-existent experience) appointed by a minority vote president.
I am not nearly as concerned about Republican versus Democrat as I am about Capitalist versus Socialist. Socialism is communism for slow learners. Margaret Thatcher said the problem with it is that you eventually run out of other people’s money. Someone has said you can vote your way into it but you have to shoot your way out of it. It consistently fails in every country that attempts it. I don’t want America to be next. It is mind boggling to me that so many Americans are willing to ignore the lessons of the Twentieth Century. As for the Electoral… Read more »
The electoral college is genius. It allows votes in Iowa and New Hampshire and South Dakota and Idaho to matter.
I have a feeling that the primary look on the newscasters faces tonight might be bewilderment. It may be December before this one is decided. Who knows?
And, while I am no fan of socialism, I think there is an equal danger, and that has governed my vote. The church is in danger of selling its birthright for a pot of political porridge.
Excellent article. Having already voted, I would say that many of your thoughts here were things taken into consideration. I did vote for one of the two major party candidates. I’ve voted third party before and, well, I don’t see that playing out any time soon. Your point No. 11 is very sad. The sitting President has, in contrast to his opponent, tweeted nothing but affirmation to those on his side who have openly threatened violence if he doesn’t win and didn’t discourage those in his ranks who recently tried to kidnap the Governor of Michigan. In all of his… Read more »
Re-read Dave’s #11 and check out news reports. No one “ran a Biden campaign bus off the road”. The police did say a Biden staffer in a car purposely swerved into a truck with a Trump flag. The video proves that really happened.
Spin. Rinse. Repeat.
FYI Trump did not win the electoral or popular vote in California or New York. I assume this was meant to say Clinton. The point on the electoral college is very true.
That was a typo.
Hey, is it true Biden introduced his niece as his son Beau Biden today? I heard that on a radio show just now. Anyone heard that?
“Even Christians have come to see grace and dignity as weakness.” Probably one of the saddest and truest commentaries we will see on the Trump era.
I kind of think of “socialism” as the new Red Scare.
I agree, though I think there is a legitimate trend in that direction. I think it’s slower than the pundits would have you believe, though, and after all, Christians ought to be most concerned with building and strengthening the Church, and the Church has always grown mightily in adversity.
Today’s threat can be easily distinguished from the Red Scare. McCarthy accused people of communist sympathies even though they were vehemently denying it. By contrast, AOC and others are openly embracing the label Democratic Socialists of America. Their political identity is not an irrational fear but an indisputable fact.
Socialism is a terrible idea. I am sure some use it as a bogeyman, but it’s a horrible idea. I hope AOC and her ilk fail miserably.
Kamala Harris has taken a great deal of heat for the video she endorsed which says that “equity is when we all come out in the same place”. It’s a sentiment that would be right at home in Cuba, Venezuela or the USSR. Regard for the welfare of our fellow citizens should lead us to oppose socialism and its false promise of equality.
Every four years the Democrats sound more and more like socialists. At the same time it seems more and more of the Republicans move a little closer to the Democrat platform. The Democrats today make Bill Clinton’s time in office look conservative. The average Republican today makes Reagan look like a right wing extremist.
Remember, we are salt and light. So, we must be involved. We cannot retreat into our own enclaves and ignore what is happening to the country God gave us. Pray that God will give America space to repent and send us another Great Awakening. (Matthew 5:13) “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. (Matthew 5:14) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Remember… Read more »
What if I disagree with your views. You still want me active?
What if I vote differently than you do, Curtis? Am I still salt and light?
You don’t know what my views are, now do you?
I’m just agreeing with what Jesus said!
I do not see Dave’s comment was about what your views were… but what if they (whatever they are) were different than his.
Also, if they were different and he stated he was just agreeing with what Jesus said. What does such do to having a civil discussion?
When someone says they are just agreeing with Jesus, what are they saying… publicly about the comments of the other person in the discussion?
Hey, love him or hate him but DJT inspired people to get out and vote. That’s not a bad thing.