There are few people in the history of the world who get to witness milestones, pivot points, and events that change the course of history. While electing Barack Obama as our first black president, we’ve witnessed a milestone and a potential pivot point. Whether this will change the course of history on a grand scale is yet to be seen.
There’s one reason why Barack Obama won: he was the positive candidate with a message that resonated with Americans. Even many who did not vote for him, or even perhaps spoke out vehemently against him, would agree with the platitudes and ambitions of a more peaceful world, a stable economy, and a respect on the world stage. His message was positive. My hunch is that many who voted for John McCain were not actually McCain supporters, but those who, for one reason or another, could simply not vote for Obama for a number of reasons—inexperience, marxism/class warfare, suspect alliances, lies about the economy, or anything else (yes, I’m sure a few people didn’t vote for him because he’s black). But as Glenn Beck says, candidates do not win elections by being against something. Candidates win elections by being for something. It’s why Bob Dole didn’t win in 1996. It’s why John Kerry didn’t win in 2004. And it’s exactly why John McCain didn’t win in 2008.
Politically, I’m a libertarian. I am not beholden to the Republican or Democrat (or Libertarian, for that matter) parties. And those who wish the Republicans would have won, I’m kinda glad they didn’t. I mean that. William Pitt, The Earl of Chatham and British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1778, once said, “Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it.” Republicans got too much power and lost their way. I don’t think they were responsible for the financial meltdown. There are far too specific Democratic initiatives on record pushing for what finally became a mortgage crisis. But Republicans lost backbone, leadership, and a willingness to stand up and fight for their beliefs.
For Evangelicals, it is time to understand that the Republican party is not our party. It is not the party we can rely upon, and it is not the party we must defend. While I disagree in many ways with the politics of Jim Wallis, one thing they have pointed out is good for the church: it is not beholden to a single party. Now is the time for all of us to know what we’re for, not what we’re against.
