News/Politics 11-7-12

What’s news today?

The re-election of President Obama is the obvious choice.

From the NYTimes

“Barack Hussein Obama was re-elected president of the United States on Tuesday, overcoming powerful economic headwinds, a lock-step resistance to his agenda by Republicans in Congress and an unprecedented torrent of advertising as a divided nation voted to give him more time.”

““Tonight in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back,” Mr. Obama told his supporters early Wednesday. “We know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.””

I guess he means in 4 years.

The voters have voted for 4 more years like the last 4, as much will remain the same. I keep wondering what voters were thinking?

Then I read stuff like this, and it becomes apparent that many weren’t thinking at all.

From NBC Chicago

“Jesse Jackson Jr. Wins Reelection From Mayo Clinic”

🙄

The consequences of re-electing Pres. Obama have already started.

From Bloomberg

“The dollar dropped the most in a week against the euro on speculation Barack Obama’s re-election as president will boost chances the U.S. will maintain monetary stimulus policies that tend to weaken the greenback.

The U.S. currency fell versus all except two of its 16 major peers as Obama defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney, who disagrees with current Federal Reserve policy. Obama now faces the so-called fiscal cliff, $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts due to be implemented in 2013. Australia’s dollar rose for a third day as stocks rallied, boosting demand for higher-yielding assets. The euro gained against the dollar as the Greek parliament prepared to vote on austerity measures.”

In other news……

From Reuters

“Families and victims of a mass shooting in 2009 at the Fort Hood military base in Texas filed a wrongful death suit on Monday against the U.S. government, the accused gunman and the estate of an alleged al Qaeda leader.

The 148 plaintiffs are seeking damages and a ruling that the rampage was a terrorist attack. The finding would clear the way for them to receive benefits.

Major Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, faces 13 charges of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder for the November 5, 2009, attack on soldiers preparing to deploy to Iraq.”

And FEMA is still a joke. A really bad joke.

From the WashingtonFreeBeacon

“Eight days after Hurricane Sandy, Accetta is still waiting for FEMA to come and assess the damage to his home. After the hurricane, he was given a case number by FEMA. Now he waits in the cold.

“FEMA came to my block and a few neighbors were assessed,” he said. “I asked the worker if he could check my home and he replied, ‘You’re not on my list.’ “

President Barack Obama promised during his visit to the Northeast as he surveyed the damage that there would be no “red tape.”

That promise has not been fulfilled.”

 

71 thoughts on “News/Politics 11-7-12

  1. If this campaign has changed one thing for me it is that I have gone from have a grudging respect for President Obama to really not liking him at all. Between the campaign, Libya and Hurricane Sandy he has shown that he is just another petty politician. There are cries of “now lets all work together” but that what got us in this mess. It was only the “dig in and fight for what we believe in” mentality of the Tea Party that has kept the last four year from being worse. It is time to sell the GOP as the new cool rebellion.

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  2. Today, instead of focusing on what I consider a bad choice on the part of the American people, I choose to focus on things I’m thankful for.

    I’m thankful for material blessings. I have a job that I mostly enjoy. I have a house and two vehicles that are paid for. I have savings. I have been blessed with a wife who has taken the money I have made, and made the aforementioned possible.
    I have the talents and intelligence that God has given me. I have relatively good health.

    I have a relationship with a God who loves me and forgives me, and no economic, polical or physical circumstances will ever change that.

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  3. I’m hoping for a new Obama in these next 4 years. Yes, it’s up to both sides to work across the aisle. But the president sets the tone and example in that — and this president, so far, has portrayed an attitude of “We won, get over it.”

    Perhaps he can get some mentoring from Bill Clinton. He’s a cad, but say what you will, he has some good instincts when it comes to seeing the other side as potential partners to work with as opposed to an enemy to conquer and pummel.

    Now that they’ve won, they can afford to exude a little (genuine) humility, I would think (and hope).

    BTW, Mitt Romney’s concession speech came early and was gracious — classy.

    I’ve never cared for Obama personally, he strikes me as arrogant. I’m hoping he can tone that down.

    Beyond that, there is a definite sense of living in exile a little while longer …

    Ha, as a personal aside, there was a distinct familiar feeling to all of this last night for me. So I started counting them up and realized that presidential candidates I’ve voted for in my lifetime have only won 3 times — Jimmy Carter (ouch, so sorry!) and the younger Bush (twice).

    Every other single time my candidate has … lost. Lost, lost, lost. That’s the story of my political life. I was on a total losing streak when I was voting for Democrats; then after much struggle and analysis, I switched and voted for the elder Bush for a 2nd term. And, ka-pow, he lost. ! Shocking (not).

    So I’m beginning to think it might be me.

    If I switched back to being a Dem, I’ll bet they’d start losing.

    😉

    Personally speaking, this all just another presidential race lost by my side. It’s all oh, so familiar.

    Sigh.

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  4. What I am dreading is the gloating that no doubt will be going on today at work. 😦 😦 We have some younger folks who are just really partisan Democrats, they see conservatives as dinosaurs at best, racist at worst — basically a combination of both.

    They’ll be absolutely “told ya so!” giddy. 😦

    This is when living in a blue state does become truly annoying. Ugh.

    But you know — even when the younger Bush won those two times I voted for him (and, yes, I was totally stunned to be on the “winning” side for a change) I don’t believe I ever “gloated.”

    Having been on the losing side so often, I know too well how that feels on the morning after. Rubbing it in is classless.

    Telling the losing side what they “need to do” to win (become more like us!) also is tactless.

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  5. Thank you MIM for the reminders of thankfulness….the Lord is good indeed
    I really was hoping I would no longer be mumbling to myself every time I heard or saw our President on the tube…but, alas…this old lady continues to mumble “idiot” at the tube, which is plastered with his face, his voice, his supporters….ho hum…it’s gonna be a long road ahead… 😦

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  6. Let us remember that THIS is what God has for us today. He is still on the throne of Heaven, and we are his people, and we are to serve him.

    We would do well to remember that this is not our home. We are just passing through as pilgrims on a long journey.

    Let us go forth, and make the world better for our passing through. This happens, not by political means, but as we develop relationships and care for people.

    My wife reminds me this morning that people do not care what you know, until they know that you care.

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  7. Last night I was unhappy as we went to bed, and I told my husband the things that concern me (humanly speaking) about our own personal vulnerability if things utterly break down (e.g., we’re out in the country and need a car and gas to get anywhere). I said I have to consciously trust my husband and consciously trust God. He told me he has no answers to my list, “humanly speaking.” And he’s right.

    As a nation we deserve President Barack Obama. I didn’t see how he could possibly be re-elected, not after the disaster of the last four years, but intelligent analysis, and moral analysis, just is not an American strong suit. We have a nation of people reared by public school training and media training, and neither of those does well with political, economic, religious, or moral reasoning.

    It’s a sad day for our land, but then, Romney never was the answer to what really ails us. God is. May our nation seek Him. May our churches seek Him.

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  8. I have liberal friends who were celebrating last night, chanting “Forward!”

    I was thinking: “Yep. Headlong off that fiscal cliff. How much celebration will there be when the unemployment rate and the debt go up even further? Will we still call it compassion when the bill for all that mis-allocated capital comes due?”

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  9. Is there any chance that with the utter failure of the right wing media/blogosphere on reporting polls during this election that folks will take a second look at the quality (or lack thereof) of their journalism and hold them to a higher standard?

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  10. CB, the polls were pretty consistent (including Rasmussen, often labeled conservative, and I believe the Fox polls as well — all pretty much showing the race as within the margin of error, one way or the other, with Obama seeming to gain points in the last week). So I don’t think the problem is the polls themselves, they actually proved to pretty on target.

    What’s interesting were the “predictions” (and I think they were put forth as only that) by people I respect in terms of having a good, long-standing knowledge of polling and demographics (Michael Barone, even — though partisan — Karl Rove).

    Of course, everyone, including Bob Dylan, had election night predictions — and the more partisan they were (right or left), the less seriously I took them. 🙂

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  11. I’m actually glad I’ve “lost” so many presidential races in my lifetime.

    I definitely learned not to gloat when I won (though I suppose I was simply too stunned at being on the winning side those few times!) 🙂

    But the gloating last night & this morning was so ugly (I’m referring here to FB and what I’m anticipating I’ll encounter as soon as I get to work — speaking of which, time to get out of here) . 😦

    Ugh.

    As I said last night, time also to pray — and I suspect this could be a boon to my own prayer life. 😉 God works in mysterious ways …

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  12. The majority of American people will now get the government they deserve. According to some Today Show figures this morning that majority consists of 93% blacks , 75% Latinos, 67% of single women, to say nothing of homosexual and “transgender” persons. This is the wonderful Obama coalition. These folk apparently have no problem with serial $trillion deficits, a basically groveling stance in world affairs, and a president who favors homosexual behavior and aborting fetuses born alive by mistake.

    Obama didn’t run on his record including the $800 billion “stimulus” and Obamacare. He basically ran a campaign in the swing states that involved massive smear tactics that attacked Romney’s wealth and character. This plus America’s lethal fascination with celebrity figures is what gave him a victory.

    I am, also, consoled by family and faith, though, frankly, I despair for the nation’s future. We live in a fundamentally decadent culture that lacks character, virtue, and orthodox religion. Our politics reflects that culture. Our country is in deep trouble; we ought to have the sense to realize this.

    In 1952 an essentially great people who had won World War II and worked through a major depression elected a great leader, Eisenhower, whom they well deserved. In 2012, sixty years later, a feckless majority of the people elected a third-rate leader whom they richly deserve.

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  13. Ah, “we have no king but Caesar,” is the line that keeps coming to my mind.

    Thank you, MIM, for reminding us in everything to give thanks. God is still on His throne and as long as I continue to examine my heart, confess my sin and strive to love others, all will be right in my world.

    The world, itself, will lumber along in its self-seeking way. Folks will continue to do what is right in their own eyes and Romans 1, will come into play–God giving them over to their desires.

    I actually can see a positive in all this and I hope you will bear with me as I explain.

    The Church is weak and as I said the other day, persecution usually strengthens the Church. God uses suffering to get our attention and so many in our country are spiritually adrift, if we who know the truth return to our roots of believing the Lord is the only answer, perhaps we can “help” the Holy Spirit bring revival to our land.

    I think had Romney been elected, many would have been inclined to continue drifting, hoping for a political solution to what is truly a spiritual crisis. Now you have to be focused. The choice is clear–whom do you serve?

    For those who read Larry Burkett’s books, listened to his program on the radio and attempted to put his fiscal policies to work, the juggernaut of fiscal irresponsibility cannot be a surprise. I raised my children with the expectation their standard of living would not be as high as mine. I stuffed them full of experiences and opportunities because even 25 years ago, I suspected they might not get them as adults.

    But the best thing they learned–other than fiscal responsibility–was the Lord is the source of all meaning and richness in life. Loving your family, laughing over books, raising children and serving your God is the key. The government just makes it easier or harder to do that.

    Harder is here.

    Some folks are suggesting we abandon California and move to the mid-west where people who think “more like us,” can be found and we can live in peace. But, the best place to be is in the center of God’s will for your life.

    Boccachio’s The Decameron is a seminal piece of world literature written circa 1350. It’s the story of rich Florentines who abandon Florence during the plague to decamp to the countryside. Bored, they demand stories and that’s what they get.

    Meanwhile, back in Florence the dead and the dying are cared for by–guess who? The Christians.

    While I’m sure some Christians fled to the countryside, many stayed at their post, they were doing a good work and could not leave.

    If God has called you, like me, to live on the outskirts of Soddom and Gommorah, you have to believe he has a purpose for you. Maybe it’s just to be light in a very dark world.

    But maybe it’s to minister to the dying, particularly to those without hope.

    Yesterday I taught on 1 John 4, with stark admonitions to love one another. No matter what. That’s where I am, today, praying a good deal because I don’t feel very loving towards several people in my life.

    But, God is still on His throne, Jesus died even for this petty sin, and the Holy Spirit will lead me and guide me in the way I should go.

    I am very thankful.

    Blessings!

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  14. Well said, Michelle.

    In Bible college there was a bit of a push during the annual missions conference to be a missionary. I had never felt any desire that way, but my freshman year I noted on the “decision card” that I didn’t know where God would take me–it might be outside the country. In later years, I noted that I believed my place was in America . . . and I remember being aware that if that meant suffering and trial came to America, it would still be my place. No staying if it’s easy, fleeing if it’s hard, not if God has placed you somewhere. (Not that God can never move a person, but the person shouldn’t act as though suddenly the new calling from God is somewhere easier.)

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  15. Well, is “the best yet to come?” Not according to Os Guinness in his book, A Free People’s Suicide. He writes “…Americans will one day fade from history still muttering by rote that their best and brightest days are still to come – as if saying it made it so.”

    I’m only halfway through this excellent book but I can hardly put it down. Every page, every paragraph is pregnant with substance and significance – really. This is what Eric Metaxas says about it: “Sometimes a book is so important and so timely that not to have read it is to embarrass oneself. This is such a book…This book’s clarion call is both piercing and full of hope. May God help us to hear it and to take action.”

    So, don’t be embarrassed. Read A Free People’s Suicide.

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  16. MiM

    Of course there is left wing blogosphere — Daily Kos, Huffpo, Talking Points Memo, Think Progress, that’s certainly not something that I thought was in any serious contention.

    Sails

    In 1952 to top marginal income tax rate was also 92 percent. Now that is too high. They didn’t have everything right back then either.

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  17. Some thoughts:

    We social conservatives may need to give up on having one of the main political parties reflect our opposition to gay marriage. I’m certainly not saying support gay marriage, but the main thing right now is to keep religious freedom so that Christian hospitals and businesses are not forced to violate their consciences, no matter what else happens on gay marriage – because the battle on gay marriage is lost unless God intervenes. Young people are pro-gay marriage and the GOP opposition to it is a big turn-off for them. The only way to stop the tide now is to change people’s hearts, and the only way to do that is by a massive spiritual revival. That can only be done by families and churches, and the church in America needs revival. Politically we have to defend religious freedom, but the GOP may need to moderate its stance and be okay with civil unions or having the government get out of marriage altogether, and not be shrill about opposing gay marriage. Young people are going to flock to the Dems if they think the GOP is just a party of the past.

    But abortion is different. Candidates need to stop saying stupid things about rape, but opposition to abortion itself is stronger than it was a decade or two ago. Pro-lifers aren’t going away, especially since young people are more pro-life than their parents, and Hispanics and blacks also tend to be pro-life. Those are the demographics that are growing, especially Hispanics, and apparently participating more in elections (making the electorate more Democratic than we expected). We have got to get more moderate on immigration, and consider reviving the “compassionate conservative” interest in helping charities, including faith-based charities. And it must be a genuine interest from the heart. Bush may have had the right idea after all, even though he was too lenient on other spending issues like pork. Bush’s mistake wasn’t compassionate conservatism, but putting tax cuts and watered-down education reform ahead of entitlement reform. That’s my thought, anyway. If the GOP had followed his lead, perhaps minorities would have a much more positive opinion of us and the demographic changes wouldn’t look so bad.

    Social conservatives need to present a more positive, constructive case for their views, without a whiff of malice. And fiscal conservatives need to make a more positive case that accepts the social safety net and doesn’t treat half of the country like parasites or “welfare queens.” Don’t characterize all Obama voters as free-loaders looking for handouts – that’s not how they see it, and that’s not how most of them are. Make positive and constructive arguments that unite – not scornful attacks that turn off the people we to win.

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  18. CB, yes, in 1952 the top marginal income rate of 92% was a ridiculous product of Roosevelt and Truman. Many economists including Amity Schlaes claim that Roosevelt’s policies extended the Depression by several years. Eisenhower had nothing to do with this.

    Eisenhower effectively led a generation that had worked through a depression, fought WWII, and was building the best economy in world history. Also, the American people had not been corrupted by the decadence of the sexual “revolution.”

    Don’t kid yourself. Compared to the Fifties, America in general has become a rather decadent nation that is just now involved in serious decline.

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  19. Good points, Matt. Absolutely agree with you on the immigration issue — the governor from Arizona, for example, appears to me always as so harsh and unyielding. I’m in the same party and even I don’t like her very much. I understand the frustration with illegal immigration — and, sadly, we’ve ignored dealing with that for far too long.

    But we need to move forward with a comprehensive policy (as Bush tried to do) that addresses the many people who come here truly seeking a better life for their families.

    I think the powerline link/post also got it right when they suggested that we may now be a center-left country, culturally. We’ve been headed in that direction for some time and we may have finally reached that critical point.

    I’ve felt for a long time that gay marriage was a lost cause, ultimately. Last night’s results pretty much confirm that, in my opinion. Perhaps time to move on.

    And I agree that religious freedom issues are paramount. Above all we need to pray for a government that will protect that, so the battle there will certainly continue when it comes to the recent contraceptive disputes.

    It’s all quite disheartening, isn’t it? More than a little jarring when you look at the big picture of what happened last night nationwide. 😦 Ouch.

    But God remains on His throne.

    Providence.

    Now we must find a way to be a light through what could be some darker times ahead.

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  20. And , of course, issues like gay marriage still will likely intersect with freedom of worship issues.

    Look for those conflicts to grow; so in that sense the gay marriage matter will still need to be dealt with as it arises in some contexts that we might not be anticipating currently.

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  21. Coyote,
    Maybe you’re backpedaling on that admission?

    You left out the “media” part of that “media/blogosphere” comment. So the sites you mentioned were indeed, not in contention.

    However, other media outlets have been, and I think you know it.

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  22. Christians would be wise to be more discerning in how they a) choose which churches to attend, and b) determined which candidates to supp0rt.

    Enough with selecting a church because it plays music I like, or it has certain programs for the kids. Enough with outcome-based political strategy.

    We should clear our minds and start at ground zero–the Word of God.

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  23. Matt, you’re right that the Republicans need to tone their policies on immigration and rhetoric social issues. However, the reality is that the Democrats have put together a coalition of Blacks, Latinos, single women, and others who have become dependent on government largesse and the delusions of loose behavior. In the long run this coalition will likely ruin the country financially and morally.

    Patty above at 12:15 gets to the heart of all this with her quote from Os Guiness’s book as follows:

    Not according to Os Guinness in his book, A Free People’s Suicide. He writes “…Americans will one day fade from history still muttering by rote that their best and brightest days are still to come – as if saying it made it so.”

    A country that has largely forsaken character, virtue, and orthodox religion simply cannot last. This is far more the problem than the sins of conservative excessive rhetoric and policy.

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  24. Sails, I think the question lingers as to whether we’ve already gone too far down the road we’re on to make a turn. Most likely we have, I have to say.

    But … we need to continue to pray that God will still show mercy and that what seems now like our probably fate may yet be altered.

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  25. About the church part, that is (Solarpancake). As to candidates, yes, both discernment and wisdom are needed. But understanding that, we also acknowledge we sometimes will simply disagree.

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  26. MiM, if you refer to MSNBC, I would definitely agree. If you refer to the other non-Fox major media outlets, I’d disagree.

    Donna,

    But shouldn’t people who follow Christ’s teachings sometimes disagree with what the rest of society is about? It seems natural to me and that the answer is not a political cudgel but rather a spiritual witness.

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  27. Of course, CB. How do you deal with issues such as abortion? This is what finally drove me from the Democratic party, there seemed to be NO place for any kind of a pro-life voice.

    OK, I calculated all the presidential elections I’ve voted in (11) as both a Democrat for the first half and Republican the 2nd half. The candidate I’ve voted for has won a total of (drum roll) …..

    3 times.

    Ta-da.

    That’s a pretty sorry track record, isn’t it? But I am familiar with the day-after blues, I’ll say that much. 😉

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  28. And while the real answer is, of course, a spiritual one — we also are called to take part in our communities (I think) and to bear witness there in supporting candidates and policies that will provide the best lives for our neighbors.

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  29. I don’t see it as an either or — the priority is sharing the gospel. But that doesn’t mean we withdraw and think the issues in the public sector are not important or won’t affect our ability to worship freely — and to provide protection and good for our families and our neighbors.

    It seems to be a false dichotomy that some Christians try to impose.

    ?????

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  30. My Mom said it all in her text last night…”we are heartsick…mostly for our chidren and grandchildren”.

    The gloating from black students was excessive and hateful today. Many situations to deal with. My oldest said that campus police had to shut down a riotous celebration last night at his school.

    The disturbing thing is most people I know that voted for Obama can’t give me one valid reason why…seems to be largely based on race or “cool”…

    When our country is reeling, trying to recover from 8 years of “cool”, will they finally get it? Probably not…

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  31. Don’t kid yourself. Compared to the Fifties, America in general has become a rather decadent nation that is just now involved in serious decline.

    Sails: You sound different than your arguments of a few days ago.

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  32. donna j: I acknowledge that we would disagree about certain points–as conseravites disagree about various things already–but I really think we Christians need to recalibrate. Instead of reacting to election results thinking how we can get the Latino vote and what mistakes did we make in the debate and how much emphasis to put on marriage and abortion and the economy and STRATEGY!!!, we should try to cleanse our palettes and approach politics (as all things) starting with *this* question: What does the Bible say about that? (I’ve patented the acronym WDTBSAT). I don’t mean to give unnecessary offense, but I just don’t think most Christians approach politics that way. We may get revival in the land someday, but I think that until we ditch this whole pragmatism thing in the realm of politics, we’ll be unsatisfied with affairs in that arena.

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  33. Yeah,

    The gloating is pretty bad. But look at the bright side. They stopped threatening to riot and pillage on Twitter. So that’s a plus right?

    🙄

    Not real pleased with these clowns today. Let’s face it, this type of mentality is why we are where we are. We’ve reached the tipping point.

    FORWARD!

    Over the cliff.

    Divide and conquer worked Barry. Now what’s your plan for fixin’ what you helped break?

    At least I have a new slogan.

    Don’t blame me, I voted for Romney.

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  34. Inbutnotof, exactly. Your mother has good reason to be heartsick; Your oldest observed a dangerous reality. This country after eight years of Obama cool will likely be in deep manure.

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  35. Coyote Blue,
    So you think that MSNBC is biased, and Fox News is biased, but ABC, CBS, CNN are not biased?

    I guess I’m wondering what news outlets you think are objective and for what reason? As well, what news outlets do you think are biased and for what reason?
    You may be able to answer both questions with one answer…

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  36. Donna

    Joe Donelley who replaced Dick Lugar in Indiana is pro-life. Can you name one remaining Republican Senator who could hold the opposite position and still be elected by the party?

    Sails

    Four years from now, please do remember the dire predictions. When the President was first elected Focus on the Family sent a letter with 34 dire predictions from 2012. None of those predictions came true – none. Doesn’t that tell a well spoken and obviously well educated person that perhaps their leaders are not quite in touch with reality?

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  37. I predict four years from now the debt will be even higher, the unemployment will still nearly the same or worse, and inflation will get worse.

    We may even experience the worst economic collapse of the century.

    Think I’m wrong?

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  38. Solarplanet, but I think issues like immigration should definitely be approached biblically (which probably is why I’m more moderate/liberal than some of the more Tea Party types). So I don’t think we discount the biblical views at all. If I could create my own political party, it would probably be a curious mix of views (and would probably go nowhere). And I think it has the added benefit of being a friendlier place for Latinos while we’re at it, thus strengthening the party base.

    Political parties are coalitions that operate within the public square. And to compete in the public square (it makes no sense to me if you’re not serious about competing and gaining a position to help guide the community or nation or state), there will be others with whom you may not agree wholeheartedly with standing within the same coalition.

    So discussing strategy isn’t anti-biblical in the least. It is wise. And moving the nation perhaps only in nuances vs. letting it slide further downhill, I think, is a worthy goal.

    I broke with the Democratic party over abortion (glad to hear there are a few pro-lifers hanging on there, but they surely aren’t given much voice which is sad; there actually are a number of prominent pro-choice Republicans, on the other hand). There are things within the Republican party I’m not crazy about. And I’m sure there are other Republicans not crazy about the likes of me.

    But unless you’re proposing a “Christian” party (which I personally think would be not such a good idea — not to mention it would never be competitive), I’m still not altogether clear what you’re getting at.

    Unless your main point is priorities, and on that I agree. We need to be careful not to make secular politics our focus and sometimes (especially in times like these) there can be a danger in our doing that as we get caught up in the issues.

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  39. makeitman’s prediction is a bit more dire than I’d suggest. But I’m not particularly feeling hopeful, to say the least. This may be seen in retrospect as quite the watershed election for our country (and not in a good way).

    But we’ve been headed in this direction for a while. Seems like we were just hoping to plug some of the holes in the dam that seems to be breaking away. 😦

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  40. The problem is that we’re faced with a pretty stark philosophical divide regarding the role of government. Now, we will continue on the path of growing government; health care will be taken in under the government wing; and there will be a host of other changes going in that direction. And that will require higher taxes.

    So without trying to sound apocalyptic (and I’m not), there will be a march toward a form of government that many of us (almost 1/2 of the nation) feel is unwise. It will at some point be too late to change course.

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  41. The one thing that is looming is the treaties that will be ratified in the new Senate along with new justices. Should the Senate ratify the UN treaty allowing the UN to regulate the criticism of Islam or Mohammad, the 1st Amendment is effectively eliminated without a Constitutional Amendment. The king of Saudi Arabia is pushing hard for this. Along with this treaty, the UN is pushing to effectively eliminate the second Amendment to the Constitution. Should the latter become codified as a treaty, I fear the divide we now see in the electorate will result in some form of break up of the union.

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  42. It is a sad day to be an American and a Christian, Our Nation has official reject God and His values, Our Nation has official embrace a man who is an anti-Christian, Whose values are anti-family and anti-American and Anti-Christian. In 4 years we will no longer be a free nation; our Christian Values will be outlawed. As this man and his evil party will promote and push more and more anti-Christian, anti-family and anti-American values onto society.
    Hello and Good Bye.

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  43. Drives,

    What treaty are you trying to describe? If you are talking about incitement to religious discrimination this is an issue that the Adninistration is currently fighting. There is no UN treaty on the issue of incitement to religious discrimination and if the Administration is successful there never will be one. Please do tell me where you are getting this because it is entirely bogus.

    Roy,

    Take a deep breath. In four years you will still be here decrying how teh gays have destroyed marriage … by getting married …

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  44. MiM

    I know Fox is biased. Listening to the news anchor last night he asked how could “we” be losing? I know MSNBC is biased (can’t stand Matthews). ABC, CNN, CBS and big NBC, actually do present commentators who comment on the news and the news itself is presented. Your guys have been yelling that the polls are skewed, skewed, skewed and that big bad MSN was skewing them. Turns out that was pretty much just dead wrong. The WaPo also does a not too bad job and is clear about when it is offering analysis as opposed to news. Washington Times however presents news as if it were analysis.

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  45. Pastor Roy, delighted with the “hello” and saddened with the “goodby.”

    A.J. has put together a fine site here that would be strengthened by your voice.

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  46. Matt 24 and Romans 1 is being play out right before our eyes, in our States, the Nation and the World. Bible Believing Christian’s are most hated in our State, in our Nation and the World, then ever before.

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  47. Sails, those “93% blacks , 75% Latinos, 67% of single women, to say nothing of homosexual and “transgender” persons” are the ones going to be the most hurting if we continue on down this path.

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  48. Drives,

    The small arms treaty has been under negotiation for a while. The USG may come to agreement next year. The treaty attempts to establish international rules for the arms trade that are extremely similar to existingg US legislation.

    The second issue – proposals are rumored on this topic and there have been prior paper. Regardless the article correctly states that the USG opposes any such proposal.

    Seriously the idea that there would be a treaty on incitement to religious discrimination submitted to the senate is simply untenable.

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  49. A friend of mine mentioned a remarkable election sermon by a Catholic priest that has been made public for listening by Breitbart. Thesermon is on the intrinsic evil involved with this election and American culture in general

    I have not heard a more powerful and moving sermon that is just as valid for we evangelicals as it is for Catholics. It is well worth twenty-two minutes of one’s time. Note that the priest doesn’t advocate for any one candidate and regards this as within the law.

    The priest frankly and eloquently suggests that our culture is involved with such deep evil that the revolutionary principles of the Declaration of Independence need to be considered.

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  50. @Sails: “CB, yes, in 1952 the top marginal income rate of 92% was a ridiculous product of Roosevelt and Truman.”

    Ike took office in 1953 and left in 1961. In 1951 the top rate was 91%. In 1952 and 1953 it was 92%. From 1954 to 1963, i.e the entire remainder of Ike’s two terms, it was 91%. Those two terms spanned the 83rd through 86th congresses. For the 83rd congress there was a Republican majority in both houses, whereas all three subsequent congresses had a Democratic majority in both houses.

    Had Eisenhower really wished to reduce the top marginal rate, one imagines he should have been able to do so during his first two years in office when his party held the presidency and a majority in both houses of congress. Perhaps he did not, in fact, view the rate as a ridiculous holdover?

    @Sails: “Democrats have put together a coalition of Blacks, Latinos, single women, and others”

    Those groups do skew Democratic in their voting preferences, but it’s worth noting that 66% of Obama’s votes came from whites. Your explanation that blacks and Latinos picked Obama over Romney because they’re poor and he gives them stuff is also suspect, since minorities at all income levels supported the president at higher levels than they did Romney. If you were a rich Latino you were more likely to support Obama than a rich non-Hispanic white. That suggests there’s something motivating minorities to support Obama other than pure material gain.

    Of course, we could as easily turn the “material gain” card back on Romney. Consider why many of the wealthy might support him: he wants to put money in their pockets by slashing their taxes.

    @Sails: “A country that has largely forsaken character, virtue, and orthodox religion simply cannot last.”

    What countries are doing better on those three vectors: character, virtue and orthodox religion? Just curious. The countries that are “doing the best”, among the highly-developed cohort, seem to often be those that are less religious and more socially liberal than the U.S.

    @MakeItMan: “I predict four years from now the debt will be even higher, the unemployment will still nearly the same or worse, and inflation will get worse.”

    The debt will almost surely be higher four years from now given the deficits we’re currently running. That’s sort of a no-brainer. A more interesting question: do you think the average of the yearly deficits over Obama’s second term will be higher or lower (relative to GDP) than the average of the deficits over his first term?

    Unemployment may be the same or worse, but if so then only because we’ve entered another recession. If the decrease in U-3 unemployment we’ve seen since the recent high point continues linearly we would reach pre-recession levels around summer 2015.

    When you say “inflation will get worse” do you mean “there will continue to be inflation” or that the rate of inflation will increase? Inflation over the last five years has been pretty average, so there’s probably even odds that it will get worse and even odds that it will get better.

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