Post Election 2008 Thoughts

In light of the election results I think there are some things that we need to be realistic about.

1.) First, the pollsters were not correct. Except for the IBD-Tipp poll which called the final total at 2.9% the pollsters were overwhelmingly wrong. Remember that the RCP average ended with a 7.4% spread between Obama and McCain. Without all the votes fully counted the spread between McCain and Obama stands at 3%. (edit Morning 05 November — Looks like it ended up 52%-47%)

2.) I think we have to admit that the country may stay as left as it went tonight for quite some time. I say this for three reasons.

(a.) Hispanics voted overwhelmingly for Obama and Democrats. This is significant because given the amnesty for illegal aliens that Democrats will shove through this will anchor the country in its newly minted left tilt as more and more Hispanics will become voting citizens.

(b.) We must remember that one way FDR established 36 years of overwhelming Democratic control (1932-1968) was to make large enough constituencies beholden to the Federal government through his and (its) sundry socialist give away programs. Obama and the Democrats will certainly try to recreate that kind of program and that kind of legislation that will, in effect, create financial incentive for people to vote Democrat.

(c.) Look for a resurgence of Unions and unionism. Unions have traditionally been Democratic voting constituencies and the talk of creating laws that will make it substantially easier to unionize will build a Democratic constituency in the middle class.

The implication of all this is that the Republican party will have to move left in order to avoid oblivion. The movement of the Republican party to the left will be similar to Republican dime store new dealism that arose in the context of the success of the New Deal.

3.) We need to realize that though Obama won convincingly in electoral terms that we can not call this a landslide due the tightness of the popular vote. This is important in order to deflect the inevitable mandate language that we are bound to hear.

4.) The neo-cons destroyed the Republican party. Their influence in the Bush administration produced the compassionate conservatism that grew the size of the state in ways that Lyndon Johnson could have only dreamed of. Their influence in the Bush administration set America on Empire building that alienated millions of Americans.

5.) A silver lining in this may be that Obama will bear the guilt for the serious economic downturn that is 6 months to a year out. The downturn will be sooner and more intense if he insists on pursuing protectionist policies combined with policies of tax increases that burden small businesses.

6.) Obama and the Democrats will not rule from the center. This Democratic President elect and the Democratic leadership in the US House and Senate may be as far left as Henry Wallace and Alger Hiss were in the Roosevelt administration. There is already talk of censoring the radio airwaves, creating a Federalized police force, cutting defense spending by 25%, serious cap and trade policies that will have the effect of wealth flowing out of America to the rest of the world, and a clear pursuit of wealth redistribution here in the states.

7.) The Democratic party will pursue globalism. Look for the Democrats to become very cozy with the United Nations.

8.)With a overwhelming Democratic victory the National Education Association as well as all unions will be greatly empowered again. Look for legislation that will make homeschooling more difficult.

9.) There will be absolutely no advance on any pro-life issues for the next four years. Obama is more pro-murder then any candidate that could have been elected. Indeed, look for pro-life issues to suffer significant losses.

It is possible that what we have witnessed this evening is a political realignment that may not change for a generation. The last realignment of this nature was in 1968 with the election of Richard Nixon and which rose to its nadir in the Reagan years.

I am not without hope this evening but I am very saddened. I believe resistance will be difficult and may even have consequences that are not pleasant to consider.

God is sovereign.

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him. View all posts by jetbrane