Election '06 - Thoughts...

Well, by now most everyone knows that the Democratic party has gained a strong majority in the US House of Representatives and may yet gain a single-vote majority in the US Senate, depending on how the Virginia Senate race turns out. Now, I've been thinking about just what this might mean for us regular folks, and I have some ideas. Also, the election points out some things.

First, let me say how amazing this is, and healthy in a way, for our nation. That is not to say that I'm glad that power in our legislature has shifted the way it has, just that I'm glad to be in a nation where such a shift does not mean we are about to start a war. This sort of thing can lead to violence in many places all over the world, and has. I think it is important to remember that, with our system, nothing is really permanent and there is always next time.

Second, I am interested in voter turn-out statistics, particularly regarding conservative Christians. From what I've read/heard, the nation-wide turnout was about 40%, which is actually slightly higher than the last mid-term election cycle in 2002. However, this election was radically different in the way many races were balanced. There has been a push among some supposedly conservative Christian groups to step away from the political process because neither side has met our expectations. I realize that the Iraq war, or rather weariness of it, probably drove most people to seek change, but I wonder how many Christians chose to simply stay home rather than vote for conservatives that have let them down, seemingly. I'm not sure where to answer these questions, but I bet there will be studies published on the internet pretty soon.

I now expect a couple of things to happen. I expect that the Democratic majority will initiate impeachment of President Bush. This can happen with a simple majority of the House of Reps., which they now have. The charges will have something to do with the way he led the nation into Iraq, none of the craziness about him being behind the 9/11 attacks. He will certainly not be convicted in the Senate, but the Democrats will feel vindicated over the Clinton impeachment and will feel like they really stuck it to Bush, whom they hate with utter abandon.

I also expect that absolutely NOTHING will get done in Washington, DC, for the next 2 years. The president still has to sign bills into law, and the Democrats don't have the votes to overturn vetoes - especially since I expect the remaining Republicans to really circle the wagons. This means that the country is safe from attempts to pull out of Iraq immediately or to immediately overturn the tax cuts, and a whole host of other ideas liberals have been formulating over the past 12 years.

The truly interesting thing coming out of this election is the run-up to the next one, which will have a much greater potential impact. We should be looking for both parties to really get serious about finding that perfect presidential nominee. Those 2 individuals will have the greatest impact on which party will be able to further its agenda.

As a Christian, I feel the need to affirm that this world is not our home. We do not look to the government to provide all that we need - we look to Jesus. Also, I see that our representatives in government must be held accountable for their actions, regardless of party, and held to a high standard. The Republicans who have had moral problems have certainly hurt their cause among conservatives and must look to set their own affairs in order (no pun intended). In addition, Christians need to take stock of the issues that are confronting our society today and need to be reminded that we cannot afford, on any level, to sit back and allow the world around us to decline morally without lifting our voices in warning. We dare not become those lazy watchers on the wall who have the blood of innocents on their hands.