Must-Not-See TV

I won't be watching tomorrow night.  There are two reasons for this:

1) I'm completely turned off to politics, Republicans and Democrats, all, and

2) I can't remember what #2 was.  Make that one reason.

I do think, if you're committed to the Democratic Party view of life, it'll be kind of good news/bad news.  The good news is that more Democrats will be in office come January.  The bad news:  America will still be a sovereign nation for at least awhile.  So it's mixed.

Reporters are wondering if more conservative Christians are turned off from the political process, and from my vantage point, they certainly are.  After years of introspection on might-making-right, many on the Christian Right no longer see politics as a be-all, end-all.  This is good news for those on the Christian Left, who still do.

The abortion issue is not what it was.  I mean, it still is what it was -- violent, unjust, unmerciful to the most vulnerable -- but more and more evangelicals consider it an issue on par with, say, auto emissions.  The central ethical/scientific argument over abortion (Is is human life?) is long over (ultrasounds seem to suggest it's not, say, canine life) but it's just not an issue for the hip.

Ditto for marriage.  If you want a ticket directly out of the hip church crowd, say you're voting for someone because the candidate wants to keep marriage as a coherent legal concept.  There's a high price to pay for its loss, certainly, but we've readily paid the price before for sexual liberty.   Like writer P.D. James says, it's not the adults who pay that price.   And the others can't vote.

There will be silver linings for conservatives.  A resounding Democratic Party resurgence to power might lead to op-ed columns that actually branch out from the standard template of "Aren't Christians stupid/easily-led/idiots/ignorant/racists/fools/hicks/unfashionable/repressed/simpletons?"   Might.  Maybe.

We won't get an immediately-coordinated campaign alleging widespread voter fraud.  Reverse the outcome, and we will. 

Also good:  Democrats in power will actually spend less than Republicans. 

If Kansas votes for the enlightened, we wouldn't get another What's the Matter with Kansas?, asking how dupes could possibly ignore their pocketbooks, and instead vote on values issues.  What kind of truly evolved American would vote according to convictions about issues instead of what lines their pockets? 

Maybe we'll be spared that.  Probably not.  Intellectual energy is tough to recover.  I know this first-hand after Xboxing.

I might TiVo NBC.  I like it when Tim Russert uses that marker-board thing. 

Comments

[Shawn Bashor]

I think the republican and democratic (which is misnamed by the way)parties are full of crud, what would be so wrong with a true third party? I know we need more than one party to balance and have debate which is healthy in a democracy, but I think both sides ignore certain issues that as a Christian we are not supposed to neglect. I have zero interest in this election as I know nothing about what the canidates will do, but only what the other says they are not doing. I would ask you all to vote for me, because I promise to be as useless and unclear as any other canidate!

[Doug Hannah]

You've said a lot of things that I agree with on this blog, but I don't think I've ever read anything you've written that I agree with more. 100.0% accurate.

Don't change a word.

I feel the exact same way.

[Carolyn Hansen]

I'd vote for you, Shawn.

I vote for Shawn.

[Paul Goldsmith]

The Republican Congress' spending is out of control, but if you think a Democratic Congress under a Speaker Pelosi will do better, you're kidding yourself. They have promised to raise taxes in order to spend even more. You want to curb big spending, the answer ain't Democrats.

As for the abortion issue, that might not be posh, but it's still really happening and really evil. I'll be darned if I'm going to vote for someone in favor of a women's right to murder her own child. I’m a stickler when it comes to taking innocent life.

On the subject of murder, Democrats are weak on national defense. This is no secret. Can someone explain to me how a person in good conscious and sound mind could not vote in this election, or even worse, vote Democrat?

[Pinky-Wink]

The point about folks on the Christian left still believing that politics is the be-all end-all is interesting. Where'd you get that idea from? I'm on the Christian left and I don't feel that way. Neither do any of the other Christian left people I know. Did you read it somewhere, or something?

[Douglas_Coombs]

Sorry Shawn. I won't be voting for you.

Besides the League of Women Voters Guide, http://www.vote411.org/candidateinfo.php
there are other groups (e.g., your state or local Right to Life organization) that will actually give information on where the candidates stand on various issues. While no candidate is perfect, some are much better choices than others.

Doug

Doug

[Carolyn Hansen]

Well, I was just trying to be friendly. Sheesh. Shawn, I can't vote for you because I am not a registered voter. I tried to get registered, but because of some administrative error, it didn't work out and I didn't pursue the matter. I did not mean that I would vote for you, Shawn, because I agree totally with you that there are no good candidates out there or that it is all useless. But I flippantly cast my vote in your direction because, darn it, our family likes you.

Less flippantly, I feel badly that I am not registered. I should be voting today. Being busy up to my eyeballs is no good excuse.

[The Chaotic Hammer]

The Dude abides.

There is no political solution.

No matter how cynical I get, I just can't keep up.

...

(Just for the heck of it, I did still vote. But it was not a religious experience at all. It seemed more akin to flushing the toilet or clipping my toenails than anything.)

[rob smith]

I thought only people in Illinois were apathetic about this election.

[Steve_11]

Brant - just watch the History Channel and you'll miss the whole sausage-making process, that is unless it is America Eats night and the are doing - Sausage Making!!!

Carolyn - do you by chance live in Broward county? I hear that some there do have trouble with that whole voting thing.

My philosophy on voting:

I figure it is better to elect a conservative, no matter their degree of feebleness or ineptitude than any liberal any day.

I voted Straight "R", except I switched my governor of Texas vote from that lying Rick Perry to semi-conservative "One Tough Grandma". Then I flushed.

God help us.

[Brant]

Spoken like a true Texan, Steve11.

Pinky-wink -- We're dealing with generalities here, but I do believe what I'm saying to be generally true.

I know many Christian liberals, and they talk in terms of politics/power-struggles/institutions in terms of alleviating poverty, for instance, in a manner that clearly trumps cultural considerations. So be it, and I respect many of them, but politics is their focus.

I view politics as a function of culture, rather than the other way around.

Secondly, if you study, for instance, Sojourners, you'll see a pattern: Attack the Christian right for trying to say, "This is God's politics", and then they, themselves, say, "THIS is God's politics". The fact is, the Moral Majority no longer exists, but Sojourners, and like-minded groups, are very much growing, making the same fundamental error the M.M. did.

[Shawn Bashor]

Well I have to shamefully admitt that i did not have a chance to vote today because I worked late, so I cannot legitimately complain about who wins! I am also disappointed because I was unable to vote for myself and evidently Carolyn was unable to vote for me either although a very kind gesture. Doug I am shocked that you wouldn't vote for me though, but keep up the good work promoting the League of womens voter's guide, is this something you read often?

[Lisa]

Shawn, if I had known nobody else would get to vote for you, I would have written you in. That's my new political strategy, the all write-in ballot.

[Chris, who never posts, but occasionally comments.]

I didn't vote. There I said it. I even had an opportunity, and my lovely wife reminded me, and my Dad asked me later and sounded disgusted when I said I didn't.
My reason: It doesn't matter. The country is run by an oligarchy of professionals who could easily play either side of the game, acting the part of staunch conservative or flaming liberal as needed to secure their own job. True idealogues are rare, and for the most part, indistinguishable from the fakes in the short run.
Also, 12 years of Republican control has had little effect on the direction of the country save a slight slowing in the spiral of decline. The fate of this nation is decided more profoundly by the culture we create, dominated by the major coastal cities, than by laws. The culture we create in our homes is what I can influence most, by making my home a part of the Kingdom of God. Then my workplace, my church, my neighborhood, my community. I can't begin to affect the nation, or the state, so why waste time pretending I am?
Whoa, I sound bitter. Hard day at work...

[Brant]

Chris, I couldn't agree more, in sentiment.

I'm just wondering if this isn't merciful. As lame as our politicians are, there are actual decisions that get made based on who's in office, or, particularly, who's sitting on federal benches.

And law means something, even if you don't see it affecting your family's life. Bad law results in pain, at numerous levels. Thoughtful citizens can have bearing on this.

The culture is the thing, but the force of government can be a very real threat, or protection, for the vulnerable. That force applied without wisdom -- something that surely increasingly happens when people like you disengage -- means actual suffering.

Anyway, my thoughts. But I *feel* precisely the same.

Brant

[Chris, who never posts, but occasionally comments.]

Um, yeah, you're right. But I'm a lot less frustrated now. A little guilty, yes, but not frustrated, not at all.
Thinking that I had some part in this, some responsibility for something that is so far beyond my direct control is maddening. Perhaps the judicial appointments will ultimately have a positive effect, but that IN ITSELF is a proof that the system is broken. We complain about judicial activism all the time as conservatives, but in the end we must concede that having the 'right' judges will eventually bring the results we desire.

The lawmakers are making the laws that people want; without changing the hearts of the people, all the laws in the world won't fix it. I am trying to figure out how to be involved in changing hearts. All the rest just angers me.

[Susanne]

I'm terribly disappointed in the outcome of most of the elections, but it did feel great to vote. Even with all of its flaws, we do live in the greatest nation on earth. It's good to be free. I'm just praying for a strong Republican presidential candidate in '08. Love your blog, Brant.

[Pinky-Wink]

Hi again. I don't read sojourners, though I did attempt to read Wallis' "God's Politics". It was pretty boring.

I once read a book called "The Politics of Jesus" (I think) that made a very convincing argument about the sinfulness of political ideology. I believe the author was trying to say that the battle belongs to the Lord, and our worrying and competitive natures are what lead us to politics. I am not sure if that is true, but that's how I personally feel. The war is over.

But, back in reality, I have to say that most left-leaning Christians have already had their innocence broken by politics. His name was Bill Clinton, and I still believe he is a more articulate voice for Jesus than Mr. Bush has ever been. Some of us believed he was going to change things. He didn't. He was just another politician.

I get the feeling a lot of right-leaning Christians are going through the same experience now.

The battle belongs to the Lord!

[Douglas_Coombs]

Shawn Bashor,

You said, Re: "... the League of womens voter's guide, is this something you read often?"

Not every day: only on days when Kamp Krusty is silent and I need something fun and interesting to read.

[jonathan]

Paul Goldsmith Quote:
Can someone explain to me how a person in good conscious and sound mind could not vote in this election, or even worse, vote Democrat?
---------------------------------

I voted, and voted Democrat. Some good conscious and people of sound mind believe the war in Iraq to be a misguided, overfunded and underproducing quagmire at the brink of a civil war. There are as many as 800 men and women wounded or killed every month and spending up to $2 BILLION A WEEK on the Republican's failed strategy.

So yes, I voted for change, and voted Democrat. And other Christians who see the true spirit of Republican politics voted right along side of me.

[Brant]

There you go, Paul "Alex P. Keaton" Goldsmith.

You were cruisin' for it. Now we're going to have the abortion debate. I think that's coming.

I think you guys both mean "conscience." I'm triangulating by objecting on grammarical grounds.

[jonathan]

Speaking of, I think you meant "grammatical" :-)

[Brant]

This is an index of how nerdy I am about this. I've argued with friends, and even on-air, about grammarical vs. grammatical. The first is antequated, but I like it better.

But perhaps I should join the 20th century, now that we're in the 21st.

[Douglas_Coombs]

Brant,

You must be prescient.

Jonathan,

You said, "And other Christians who see the true spirit of Republican politics voted right along side of me."

Are you serious? Is the "true spirit" of the Republican party embodied by Nancy Pelosi, Charles Schumer, Hillary Clinton and the other Democrat leaders who are now in power?

Personally, I oppose the war in Iraq. However, there are some facts to keep in mind. 1) Saddam Hussein killed a hell of a lot more Iraqis than coalition forces ever will. In fact, he killed more Iraqis than coalition forces and insurgents opposing them have killed put together.
2) Abortion kills 1.3 million people per year in the US. That's 108,000 people killed per month compared to the 800 per month killed in Iraq. In other words, the death rate due to abortion is 3,516 times greater than the death rate due to the war in Iraq.

Will electing Republicans change all of that and reduce abortion numbers significantly? Not at first, but there are some definite improvements that can be made. For one, just hours before the senate recess for the elections 8 lying bastard Democrats who had voted for the Parental Notification Bill in the US Senate changed sides and shelved the bill in an attempt to kill it. They didn't even have the balls to go on record in their communties as having voted against it. Instead, they voted for it one day and right before the break they voted to shelve a final vote (not the same as voting against the bill itself: sneaky enough to confuse a lot of people). Currently, any kid who wants to bypass parental notification laws in their own state can simply go across state lines to avoid that rule and get an abortion without notifying their parents. Parental Notification Laws have been proven to be very effective in lowering the incidence of abortion among our youth, but loopholes for kids in border towns make them far less effective. http://www.nrlc.org/Federal/CCPA/Release093006.html

Voting for Democrats doesn't get us any closer to ending the slaughter of the innocents going on in our own towns and cities. People complain about what Herod did. Maybe 30 kids died. According to the CDC, nearly 800 abortions occur in NYC for every 1000 live births.* Yet, how many Christians really care? Seriously, how many Christians have spent even an hour total this last year praying for an end to abortion. In the spirit of
James 2:15-16, how many Christians have acted on that stated desire to end abortion and done something more than pray or talk about it? Politicians won't take moral issues like abortion seriously until Christians take these issue seriously. Voting for pro-abortion Democrats is not taking the issue seriously.

Liars and thieves deserve to lose, and there are certainly Republicans who lost who fit that description. However, there were also many who lost who didn't fit that bill. As Fred Barnes said, "What happens in a bad Republican year is that good Republican candidates lose. And there were many..."

At the end of the day one has to ask, have Americans done any better for themselves by electing a bunch of pro-aborts? I don't think so. Perhaps though, one could say though that (unlike you) I don't "see the true spirit of Republican politics."

Doug Coombs

* http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5407a1.htm

[jonathan]

Doug,

Let me clarify what I see as the true spirit of Republican politics, since many still are yet to open their eyes...

Last I checked, Charles Schumer was not having an affair with a male page, like your Republican counterpart did.

Last I checked, Nancy Pelosi was not brought up on criminal charges that she conspired to violate campaign finance laws, like your Republican counterpart did.

Last I checked, Hillary Clinton was not being investigated by the FBI on charges of trading political influence for lobbying contracts for her daughter, like your Republican counterpart is.

You can choose the abortion issue to attempt to dismiss all the adverse activity the Republicans have failed the American people on, but it will not fly.

Oh by the way, my candidate was a pro-life Democrat, something that not all Republicans in Washington can say. In fact, two of the leading hopefuls for the GOP '08 ticket have said they would not want to repeal Roe/Wade. They are John McCain and Rudy Giuliani.

Personally, I am pro-life across the board. Abortion. Death Penalty. Preemptory War. I would say your Republican friends are probably only 1/3 pro-life, wouldn't you?

For me and other "real values voters," we believe the scandal, corruption, illegal and abysmal activity was directly correlated to the "comfort" the Republicans had from being in control of the Congress and Presidency.

I believe the key was power. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" according to the old adage from Lord Action.

By removing power from Republicans on Tuesday, I CAN say that Americans have done much better for themselves.