Reflections on the election

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity – Sept 20, 2020

Click Here to download the Power Point

Introduction

1. The presidential election is coming up in 43 days.

• • Alan Lichtman predicts a Biden victory
  • This week’s Rassmussen poll (Wednesday, September 16): For the first time, Trump pulled ahead in their national poll: 47% to 46% lead over Biden.
  • Enormous amounts of money being spent: Last week, Mike Bloomberg announced giving an additional $100 million to help Biden win Florida.
  • With RB Ginsberg’s death on Friday, stakes are even higher
  • You’re going to see lots of dirt come out on both sides leading up to Nov 3

2. Should we as Christ followers be involved with politics? 

• • Short answer: absolutely! You are involved whether recognize or not. Help or hindrance to insuring the laws/policies governing our nation are consistent with God’s purposes. God uses people to accomplish his will on earth.
  • Solemn responsibility. Enormous privilege (Xns in No Korea, China, Iran?)
  • Historically, Christians have done great good for the world. Grudem, p.48.
  • Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

3. There is a lot riding on this election

• • Multiple important issues are hanging in the balance. What we voters decide in November will have far reaching consequences for years to come.
  • In light of these issues, it’s more important than ever that every believer be politically involved.

What can we do?

1. Pray

1 Timothy 2:1-4

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

• • Pray for wisdom for our leaders
  • Pray for mercy!
  • Pray for peace and God’s blessing so people can prosper

Jeremiah 29:7

“… seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

2. Research the issues so you are informed

• • Focus on the issues: the principles of policy more than the personalities
  • Not everyone has the time to research. Talk with a trusted friend
  • Consult voter guides (several can be found online)
  • Watch the DNC and RNC (you can use 2x normal speed)
    • DNC Night One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI4g6C0L18E
    • RNC Night One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apGfJYkCpho
  • Make use of the attached resource list, below

3. Vote

• • Register before the deadline: Oct 19
  • How do we determine?

How do we choose? Use the three “Ps”

1. Person (least important)

• • Do they have a personality that would make them successful in getting things done?
  • Not choosing a friend, pastor or scout leader. You are choosing the chief executive of the U.S. to enact policies that will shape the country for decades to come
  • It’s okay to choose someone you don’t admire personally, don’t like if you believe that they would do the best job in enacting policy that will benefit the country.
  • In the case of this upcoming election, who, on balance, do you feel will do the best job: Joe Biden or Donald Trump?

2. Performance

• • How has this person performed in politics? Demonstrated conviction? Do they have a good work ethic? Main criterion: are they able to get the right things done? (Victor Davis Hanson compared Trump to chemotherapy)
  • In the case of Trump: we have four years to evaluate his performance. In the case of Biden: forty-eight years. In the cases of Pence and Harris, there is plenty of information pertaining to their records of their public service and statements

3. Policy (most important)

• What does this person represent? What does his/her party stand for?
• We have a duty to elect officials who will champion policy that is congruent with two things:

1. 1. Principles/values/norms articulated in Scripture
   2. Principles contained in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Our founding documents are not up for grabs.

• Conservatives want to conserve the original design of the country as embodied in our founding documents, making tweaks to improve it as necessary, but no large scale design changes. Progressives feel much more comfortable modifying or adapting our political system to current needs.
• Here is a graphic that might help. May surprise you that anarchy is depicted on the right and fascism on the left. Historically, fascism was an extreme on the left, not right (Giovanni Gentile was a Marxist; Nazi stands for the National socialist party. Mussolini and Hitler were admirers of FDR in the 1930s)
• How does this tease out practically?

Republicans                               Democrats

Economic growth                          Economic redistribution

Tax cuts for all                               Increased taxes on wealthy

Traditional family                          Reinterpreted “family”

Character essentialism                 Race, gender, sexuality essentialism

Religious freedoms                       Subordinate freedoms to cultural norms

• That’s a brief overview.

Resources

MEDIA AND MEDIA BIAS

Ad fontes Media Bias Chart 

AllSides Media Bias Chart

https://www.allsides.com/blog/new-allsides-media-bias-chart-version-2-updated-media-bias-ratings

 

List of think tanks and policy institutes: left, liberal, non partisan, conservative, libertarian and right (with links)

https://www.citizensource.com/Opinion&Policy/ThinkTanks.htm

 

Victor Davis Hanson: Mainstream Media and the Empire of Lies

 

Who Does the Media Most Want to Silence?

Can You Trust the Press?

Examples of Media Bias

LEFT VS. RIGHT AND LEFT VS. LIBERAL

Prager U: #1: How big should government be? (5:07)

https://www.prageru.com/video/how-big-should-government-be-left-vs-right-1/

Prager U: #2: Does it feel good or do good? (5:29)

https://www.prageru.com/video/does-it-feel-good-or-does-it-do-good-left-vs-right-2/

Prager U: #3: How do you judge America (5:32)

https://www.prageru.com/video/how-do-you-judge-america-left-vs-right-3/

Prager U: #4: How do you deal with painful truths (5:00)

https://www.prageru.com/video/how-do-you-deal-with-painful-truths-left-vs-right-4/

Prager U: #5: How do we make society better? (5:43)

https://www.prageru.com/video/how-do-we-make-society-better-left-vs-right-5/

Prager U: Liberal or left? (5:45)

https://www.prageru.com/video/left-or-liberal/

 

Prager U: Is fascism left or right?

Dinesh D’Souza on capitalism, fascism, racism (democrats record on racism)

 

Prager U: Historically, Republicans are pro civil rights, Dems are not

Victor Davis Hanson | Trump, China and Black Lives Matter

The Left Ruins Everything (Good introduction to several issues)

JFK: Democrat or Republican?

Stossel: Sweden is Not a Socialist Success

Is Denmark Socialist?

The Secret Life of Joe Biden

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/09/the-secret-life-of-joe-biden/

 

SOCIAL MEDIA BIAS

What Happens When Google Disagrees with You?

 

Big Tech is Big Brother

2020 POLICY COMPARISON

Democrat party platform

Republican party platform and President Trump’s second term agenda https://ballotpedia.org/The_Republican_Party_Platform,_2020

Comparison chart by Family Research Council

https://downloads.frcaction.org/EF/EF18H05.pdf

 

Comparison chart by Biblical Voter

https://www.familyvoterinfo.org/app/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Biblical-Voter-Long-Version-1.pdf

 

Fair comparison of Trump vs. Biden on several key issues

OTHER GOOD SOURCES TO CONSULT

• Victor Davis Hanson
• Prager University and Dennis Prager
• Hoover Institution and Peter Robinson
• Heritage Foundation
• Eric Metaxes
• Dave Rubin
• Robert Barron
• Falkirk Center and Charlie Kirk
• Peter Robinson, Uncommon Knowledge
• Patrick Wood – Technocracy and transhumanism
• National Review
• Townhall
• The Federalist