Most of us who did not stay up late watching the election returns probably felt like the people in 1948.
I was just a year and a half old when Republican Thomas Dewey ran against Harry S. Truman. On page 1 of the Chicago Tribune’s early edition the banner stated: “Dewey Defeats Truman.” That was wrong, of course. However, late on Election Day this year, almost every poll and news network as well as a myriad of commentaries predicted Democrat Hillary Clinton would defeat Republican Donald Trump. That too was wrong. The only reason we didn’t see papers like that is the speed of communication and computers today that they did not have then.
Sometimes we need a wakeup call like this to remind us that God is in control of all life events. I would like you to think about this event the way you would think about decisions you will make in life. I believe it was the same assumptions, perspectives and mentalities that brought about these results that can cause us to make decisions that may negatively impact our lives. Now, I want you to understand that I do not believe that poor decisions caused Trump to be elected, I want you to see how mentalities and God using those mentalities got Trump elected.
- First, those who voted for Trump were passionate and angry about the state of affairs in the USA. Trump was smart enough to focus his efforts on the block of voters who have previously felt left out of election decisions and who perceived that they were being hurt most by current policies. He also tried to represent himself as a friend to the conservative populous who is aware that they are the shrinking majority. They knew that time was running out and wanted their message heard.
- Second, those constituents did not respond loudly or negatively to the polls, networks or all the “campaign noise.” They knew that all they could do was vote their conscience, pray and hope for the best. In the past we called this the silent majority. Yesterday they spoke very loudly, not just for President, but for Congress and the Senate.
- Third, the polls, press and networks went into this election over-confidently. They had promoted an agenda in the last election and felt it would be easy to do the same with 8 years of continued growth of minorities and seeming apathy for current trends. They tried to sell the populous what they thought they needed to hear. Unfortunately, too many people are out of work and having to pay unrealistic medical costs, etc., etc., etc. Reality is that the rich are getting richer and the middle class is disappearing – and we can read THOSE STATISTICS.
- Lastly, people are tired and disgusted with the present approach to politics. They wanted someone who would say what’s on their mind, NOT be politically correct to avoid answering real questions. None of us know what Trump will say next, however, he said what he believed and it resonated with the voters and was consistent rather than waffling. We all know he, like all of us is flawed, but he didn’t pull any punches to fluff our feathers.
So, back to the mentality. Democrats were overconfident of their position of incumbency. The polls told them Clinton was ahead so many did not vote. Those on the other side of the fence can see the handwriting on the wall that their majority is going away and if they were going to be heard it had to be now. God, who is the only person who can affect people’s hearts instilled over confidence on some and passion in others to achieve the results He wanted. I know this is true because of Romans 13:1.
Love Dad