Never mind the Ballot Bollocks

 

Nothing seems to matter as much as the election right now.

I’ve kept my political posts to a minimum but I won’t pretend I’m not following the election news. Too many opinions just feel like noise at this point so I take the quiet role until I can write something I've though about.

We’ve entered a ‘recount-Florida-in-2000-was-a-warmup’ phase.

I’ve been sick the last few days and home bound. I’m not sure if I contracted the dreaded virus or not but I should know in a day or so. It’s given me time to settle my soul about the uncertainty ahead. I don’t like to make predictions but I’m very concerned about the upcoming year for two reasons.

First, if the recounts show large scale fraud and Trump wins reelection the rioting will be epic. I actually think this is the likeliest scenario. Needless to say there are too many votes overall in a few states. Wisconsin shows that 89% of registered voters cast a ballot--really Wisconsin? The national average every year goes between 60 and 70% at the high end. That’s the most objective case I can make for fraud.

The second option is if Biden’s lead holds and he is inaugurated in January. I don’t expect rioting on a large scale but the country will take a dramatic shift in direction. I hear Republicans rejoicing because they managed to win back the Senate and pick up seats in the House. But with the radical left running shop in DC it won’t be business as usual where they put a bill together and coral enough votes to pass it. That’s how it should work. They’ll do as much as they can through edict and regulation.

Think it can’t happen? What laws exist that require citizens to mask up or give their contact tracing details? Answer, NONE. It’s done through edict, or pronouncement. Expect more of that kind of governing, all for ‘safety’ and ‘health’. The Massachusetts governor put a curfew on his state just before the election. He just ‘issued’ it because of rising cases, no legal process, no votes—just edicts. California issued Thanksgiving Day requirements for total number of people allowed to get together, no legal process, no votes. This won’t just apply to Covid-19 either. Once you establish that people will mostly acquiesce to pronouncements…pronouncements it will be. It’s much easier than passing laws anyway.

A weak Biden administration doesn’t need to pass laws and get Senate approval, they just put activists in place and move the football. So no I’m not excited about the Republicans maintaining the Senate if we lose the presidency.  When you control the White House you control a lot of federal judges and state’s attorneys, that’s real power. It means you’re able to prosecute specific crimes and go after enemies, the way the IRS did under Lois Lerner. They dragged Patriot and Tea Party groups through the legal swamps as intimidation. Has the Trump administration upset the Democrat party enough to be dragged into court again? I think you know the answer to that. The so-called crimes can be anything (they’re just a fig leaf) since the idea is to bankrupt the family even in no jail time is required. Would this majority Republican Senate prevent an aggressive judge from going after Trump? Ha!

At this point I’m leaning toward option one becoming a reality and an ugly, violent response on the streets. As a Christian I believe the United States is still the best hope for the world despite our patchy record abroad. A strong America is a bulwark against a rising tide of authoritarianism abroad. That doesn’t mean we wage war everywhere; it means we support and defend democracy and advocate for free people. We come up short constantly and even mix up our message on trade, Mid-east policy, immigration. If we can’t get elections right here then we are doomed.

With Trump’s first term we reset a lot of institutions and policies that I didn’t see coming. From our NATO alliance and trade war with China, to our wholesale reduction in new regulations and increasing domestic energy. With Trump our country resembles the vibrant, wealthy and freedom protecting place the world needs. A Biden presidency will put a lid on this country, restricting freedoms and limiting movement.

 I’ll be in prayer a lot over the next few months.