Greetings!
It’s been a few days, but I think the mid-term elections that happened earlier this week are still a major topic of conversation.
This week’s Doyle’s Half Dozen gives commentary relating to both state and national election issues.
- Questioning ‘How to Vote’
I don’t get it. Why do Christian writers/leaders downplay the issue of abortion in America? Jonathan Leeman wrote a good pre-election piece “How to Vote Today.” Scroll down to his third point “Vote Strategically,” where he wrote “American Christians today have their own baby dilemma. One party claims to care for babies in the womb. Another party claims to care about babies at the border.”
He compared the issue of abortion to the confusing condition involving children of immigrants. Am I wrong, or does it sound like he thinks abortion is a negotiable issue? As a conservative Christian, I don’t think there are any exceptions to the horrible practice of abortion in America, especially considering the thousands of unborn babies that are aborted by Planned Parenthood.
Leeman presents liberals supporting abortion practices is equal to the loose interpretation of what has been reported of children being separated by their immigrant parents at the borders.
I do care about those children and wish the border conditions could improve, while also making sure our country is safe. I would challenge Leeman or anybody else defending those who claim to “care about babies at the border” to ask their defendants what they think about the unborn and would they give up supporting abortion. Abortion and immigration are not on the same plane when it comes to critical priority.
Even Russell Moore, who demonstrates sympathy toward those involved in immigration, has said he hopes abortion will one day become unthinkable.
- How to respond
Dan Darling wrote a great piece on Lifeway Voices website titled “4 Ways Christians Should Respond to the Elections.” I appreciate all four of Darling’s points.
“There is much to lament about America’s growing incivility and it could lead, in the future, to increasing instability,” Darling wrote. “When Christians engage in tribal partisanship, it damages our Christian witness. But we should be thankful for the privilege of free elections and the stewardship God has granted us to use our influence to shape the governments who lead us.”
- Oklahoma Governor race
In last week’s DHD, I predicted that Drew Edmondson would be the next governor of Oklahoma. Not only was I wrong, I was way off. In spite of my failure to prognosticate, I am thankful.
I voted for Kevin Stitt because I knew he was a pro-life candidate, and that’s most important. Edmondson not only was for abortion, but he was not a good fit for Oklahoma right now. His intention to raise taxes could have been a disaster for the state’s economy.
What this also means is I’m looking forward to the next Rose Day on the first Wednesday of February. Stitt will be invited to speak, and I’m predicting he will receive a roaring welcome at the rally in the State House.
- Education and the election
Education was a major factor for many with the Oklahoma elections. Many candidates won because of the dissatisfaction of the educational system in the state.
One state question on this year’s ballot involved funding for education. SQ 801 would have allowed local control of funds for districts and allowed districts to use ad valorem for any purpose, not just building and maintenance. This includes increased teacher pay and increased classroom funding.
However, despite all the clamor for increased educational funding and increased teachers’ pay, SQ 801 did not pass. After all the demonstrations at the State Capitol, after all the emotions expressed on social media and in the news, after all the reminders of “Remember in November,” when a tangible process is proposed through a state ballot, this gets rejected.
Thanks to my friend Christi Roselle, here is the response from Oklahoma Education Association:
“We are pleased Oklahoma voters rejected SQ 801. They want to continue directly ad valorem property tax dollars to school maintenance, repairs, upkeep and construction of school district facilities and property. SQ 801 would have caused an even greater financial gap between wealthy and poor school districts, and it would have shifted the responsibility of funding teacher salaries to local school boards instead of keeping it where it belongs — the responsibility of the Oklahoma Legislature.”
OEA was a major instigator in the ruckus last spring. They are not about solutions. If they were, they would have supported the state question, which would have allowed districts to decide what to do for their educational systems. They do not want school boards to be in charge of their teachers. OEA wants to decide for all districts and wants to continue to breed class warfare.
Teachers, if you really want things to improve, weaken the power and the negative influence of the OEA.
- Steve Russell
One of the biggest surprises, if not the biggest, that happened on Election Night in Oklahoma is U.S. Congressman Steve Russell losing to Kendra Horn.
I feel bad for Russell, but in hindsight, there appears to be three factors for why he lost:
- Passive campaigning. Horn went on the major attack, especially late, on Russell. Unfortunately, Russell did not respond aggressively. In fact, he was barely visible in the final days leading to Nov. 6.
- Out-financed. It appears that Horn received significant campaign funding from out-of-state sources. Russell, reportedly, did not put much money into his campaign. Perhaps he thought he did not have to do so in order to win – and considering a Republican has won District 5 the last 40-plus years, you can’t entirely blame him – but Russell definitely was behind in visibility apparently because of low financing.
- Changing demographics. It appears NW OKC has become less conservative recently. If you look at the state map of the governor’s race, Stitt won the majority of the counties, except for the north and central part of OKC. This may need to be considered in future elections, if a conservative candidate runs for office representing this area.
- Future elections
Here’s my weekly Al Mohler reference. He gave a lot of analysis related to the elections this week in “The Briefing”. In his Thursday edition, he addressed the 2020 presidential election.
“Welcome to the 2020 presidential election political cycle, because it’s here,” he said. “And we’re going to be watching which Democrats actually gain some traction as they try to advance towards the Democratic presidential nomination. Huge issues here and those who are thinking in worldview analysis will understand that the eventual nominee will represent the worldview that will shape the Democratic Party towards the future.”
He points out how the Democratic Party is obviously favoring the extreme liberal philosophy. “That party has been surging to the left, lurching, lunging to the left over the course of the last couple of years and there is no indication as of Tuesday’s election that there is anything likely to even slow down that process,” he said.
This causes me to wonder about how Christians continue to express support or even sympathy for the Dems, if they continue down this path. I am not an aggressive promoter of the GOP, and I do realize the Republicans have flaws of their own. But there doesn’t seem to be justification in my mind to even entertain a favorable nod to anything the Democrats want to accomplish.
But as Mohler points out, 2020 elections have begun!