The Election is Over. Now What?

 

Here are my thoughts now that the 2024 election is finally over.

The Dems still don’t get it. The blame game is in full swing, but the majority of Democrats are still missing the obvious answer to the question of why they lost. They didn’t lose because:

·         They ran a weak candidate. They ran a weak candidate in 2020 and somehow drug him across the finish line.

·         They were super negative and spent more time trashing their opponent than they did explaining why voters should opt for them. They couldn’t tell enough lies fast enough, but they tried really, really hard.

·         They tried to convince voters that the last four years weren’t as bad as everyone knew they were. Even the mainstream media couldn’t keep the lid on that one.

·         They pushed Identity Politics so far that they alienated many of their own supporters. Consider the effect former President Obama had on African American male voters.

·         They cheated enough to steal some House and Senate seats (maybe), but they couldn’t produce enough mystery ballots to pull off the miracle of 2020.

·         They ran out of celebrities to trot out on stage and support their candidate. And if you contributed money to the Harris campaign, aren’t you glad to hear that it was spent on concerts and special appearances by already wealthy superstars?

Although true, these are only symptoms. The real reason is simple. They are the minority, and they are out of touch with the actual citizens of the country they want to rule. The majority of Americans don’t share their views. And their response to that fact continues to be their biggest problem.

Talk about sore losers! Spend a little time on social media and in a very short time, you will see what I mean. They still think Trump supporters are stupid garbage. They think they are right and the rest of the country is wrong. And now, they’re mad because they still think they are the smart ones and they can’t understand how they could have lost.

Let me help.

Most Americans want a secure border. The majority of Americans favor Trump’s plan for mass deportation. It may be an ugly and painful process, but it’s the only solution to the problem caused by the previous administration’s absolute refusal to enforce the law. The majority of Americans believe in legal immigration and not the wide open border that we’ve seen for the last four years.

Most Americans want a strong economy. They want inflation under control and they are smart enough to see that “Bidenomics” did not work. They remember the first Trump term and they want a return to that pre-Covid economy. They want to be able to afford necessities like gas and groceries.

Most Americans want a president who puts America First. They don’t want billions of taxpayer dollars going to finance foreign wars. They don’t want see huge amounts of money being spent on non-citizens, while tons of Americans are homeless, including veterans who certainly deserve better. They don’t want to hear that there is no money for disaster relief, while there illegal immigrants living in five star hotels with unlimited access to government funds.

And most Americans don’t look at abortion the way they do. The majority of Americans still believe that abortions should not be allowed after the fetal heartbeat begins. Many Christian women (and men) consider abortion to be murder. And many reasonable Americans believe abortion should be limited to specific situations such as rape, incest, or the health of the mother. They do not believe in the extreme views of the Left which include very late term abortions. Most Americans do not want abortion used as a last minute form of birth control.

I could go on, but enough already. Liberal Democrats are out of touch with the views of the majority of Americans and that’s why they lost. Pure and simple.

Reasons to Vote for Kamala Harris

 

In a sane world, the last four years (or even the events of the last few weeks!) should ensure a landslide victory for Donald Trump. Instead the polls say this could be one of the closest races in our history! Sadly, I fear the pollsters may be right. If Democrats could round up 82 million ballots (not votes) for a sleepy old man in his basement, I have no doubt that a Harris win is possible. I just don’t understand why anyone would vote for Harris/Walz. These are the only reasons I could come up with.

1.       You hate Donald Trump more than you love your country.

Don’t doubt me when I say that this is the scary voting block that can create a Harris/Walz victory. Let’s be honest. Donald Trump won the 2016 election because there were huge numbers of people (myself included) who voted not FOR Trump, but AGAINST Hillary Clinton. In 2020, after four years of nonstop attacks by the media, there were tons who voted not FOR Joe Biden, but AGAINST Trump. The Democrats are counting on the same thing happening again. There are many voters who do not like Kamala Harris or her policies, but are perfectly willing to vote for her, because of their rabid hatred of her opponent.

The problem is that electing Harris/Walz could be very bad for our country. This is NOT a popularity contest. Voters from both parties generally agree that the key issues involved in this election are the economy, immigration, foreign policy, and abortion. If you hate Trump so much that you are willing to endure four more years of rampant inflation (higher prices on everything!), a wide open border (including a flood of criminals and drugs), wars around the globe (paid for by your tax dollars), and the continued slaughter of our most innocent, then you would have a hard time convincing me that you love America.

2.       You really do believe that she will fix the economy, the border, and our foreign policy.

If this is your position, I question your grasp on the facts. Harris has a clear track record. Both Biden and Harris have repeatedly asserted that she has been actively involved and in agreement with ALL of the “accomplishments” of the previous administration. She recently said she could not think of anything she would have done differently! As a candidate, she can continue to insist that all of the problems of the last four years are Trump’s fault, and she can keep on insisting that things are better now than they were four years ago, but the numbers don’t lie.

Inflation skyrocketed while they joyfully proclaimed that Bidenomics was working! Illegal immigration is at an all-time high, and recent reports from ICE reveal that massive numbers of illegal immigrants with criminal records (including more than 13K murderers and 15K rapists) have been released into our country by this administration. Human trafficking and drugs are out of control due to the Biden/Harris open border policies. Meanwhile, countless American citizens are suffering while we continue to send billions to support other countries’ wars. Do you really believe that Harris can fix these problems? She talks a lot about what she will do on Day 1, but the reality is that she has been in office for almost four years already with little evidence to show that she cares about fixing any of these issues.

3.       You believe in abortion, even late term abortions, as a right that should be federally protected.

Harris (and Walz) insist that Trump plans to institute a federal ban on all abortions, despite the fact that he has never said this and has repeatedly denied it. Harris and the Democrats are willing to revise Congressional rules (eliminating the filibuster) and completely change the Supreme Court if necessary to get their way. Based on current California and Minnesota law, their way is clear. Those are two of the fourteen states that place no restrictions on abortions all the way up to the moment of birth!

If you believe that abortion is healthcare (and that the mother’s rights count more than the baby’s right to life), then go ahead and vote for her, but understand that you are also condoning not just the killing of innocent children, but you are also ignoring the problems previously mentioned. More than just one issue is at stake.

4.       You don’t care about the first amendment, or the second. Or the Constitution in general.

Harris is already openly calling for increased censorship of social media. Liberals love to label any opposition as disinformation, misinformation, malinformation, or whatever new terms they can invent to avoid having any civil discussion with those who do not agree with them. I’m sorry, but our country was founded on the belief that all citizens should have the right to speak freely and voice their honest opinions. Giving government the power to control speech is a really bad idea.

As far as the second amendment goes, I believe in reasonable regulations and laws, but I am decidedly against the banning of weapons by the politicians who invariably surround themselves with armed guards. Hypocrisy much? And leave the Supreme Court and the rest of the constitution alone. It works. Stop messing with it!

5.       You are impressed and/or influenced by all the celebrity endorsements.

Do you really think all the millionaire actors, singers, and athletes care about the cost of gas or groceries? Or houses? Or electric cars? Or the problems of the average U.S. citizen? Do you think any of these people ever buy their own gas or go to the grocery store for themselves? Not likely. Funny how all these rich people love the party that continues to say that the wealthy are the problem.

Maybe you’re just hyped about electing the first woman of color. Again, is it worth it considering everything else that would come with a Harris/Walz win?

6.       You don’t care about election integrity.

Forget COVID and all the mail-in ballots from God knows where. Let people go to the polls (and show some ID) and elect our leaders in a fair and open way. Non-citizens should not be voting in elections. If you want to vote and have a voice in our government, then become a legal US citizen. There actually is a process of legal immigration in America.

7.       You really love a good word salad!

Honestly, when choosing someone to represent our entire country on the world stage, who is the most embarrassing figure? Bad orange man? Bumbling, stumbling, cognitively impaired old man? Or the woman babbling incoherently interspersed with cackling, inappropriate laughter? I know which one makes me cringe. Can you imagine four years of President Harris?

8.       You honestly, believe she is the best person for the job.

I respectfully disagree, but at least you would be voting for a truly valid reason. I don’t know what the future holds, but I pray that whoever wins, the media will dial back the hateful rhetoric.

Don’t Be a Foolish Voter

 

The last time I wrote about voting, despite my best efforts, I managed to offend some readers. Now, don’t get me wrong, I certainly don’t lose any sleep over the fear of offending anyone. I can honestly say that I’ve never intentionally set out to offend, but simply to state my opinions clearly and openly which I have every right to do. I cannot control the reactions of others, and although I respect the right of others to disagree with me at times, I have little (or no) respect for those individuals who cannot hear a contrary thought without getting hurt or offended.

My previous thoughts on voting haven’t changed, even though the candidates have. Here’s what I had to say about the last election. A Writer's Life: Are Today’s Voters Stupid? Or Just Ignorant? (rdperryauthor.blogspot.com)

I’ll try not to repeat myself, but let’s talk about November. The Presidential candidates and their positions could not be more different and the decision should be an easy one. (IMHO) I really believe this, because of the candidates and their relevant experience. This is a rare and unique situation. Why listen to the candidates talk about what they will do if elected, or what the other candidate will do? We have actual data! Trump has been the president before! We know exactly what a Trump presidency will look like! And we can say the same for Harris. She has been the Vice President for the last three and a half years and claims to have been included in every major policy decision of the Biden administration. (You also have her voting record as a Senator, as well as a long history of positions on issues going back to her days as a California prosecutor.) We’ve seen a Trump administration and we’ve seen a Biden/Harris administration. And in the words of Dr. Phil, “the best predictor of future behavior is… past behavior.”

To put it simply, if you want to know what a Trump presidency will be like, look to 2016-20. If you want to know what a Harris presidency will look like, think about 2020-24. Consider the biggest issues on the minds of voters. The economy? Immigration and the border? Foreign wars? Then ask yourself the famous question posed to voters by Ronald Reagan in his 1980 debate with Jimmy Carter. “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” That answer alone should make the decision easy.

The problem is two-fold. Ignorant, uninformed voters and flat-out stupid, foolish voters.

In the first category, I consider the voters who believe everything they see and hear. Kamala Harris says quite a lot. She is a politician, in every sense of the word. With very little research, you can find her taking multiple positions on several key issues. Even Bernie Sanders has basically said that she will say whatever she needs to say to get elected. And sadly, she will say it in whatever accent appeals to the particular crowd she is addressing. Whether you agree with him or not, Trump tends to be more consistent, despite the fact that the mainstream media (and Biden and Harris) continue to call him a liar daily.

In contrast, the second group knows the facts, but chooses to ignore them. (Or acts as if they aren’t that important!) It is truly sad. There are hardcore conservatives who will vote for anyone with an R next to their name. There are liberals on the left who will support any candidate with a D by their name. (Honestly, I do believe the Democrat side has many more of these kind of voters!)  But the real problem is the vast number of voters who are perfectly willing to vote for their favorite candidate even when that candidate clearly promotes things they claim to be against. These are the foolish voters who are destroying our country.

I want to scream at them to wake up and realize what they are doing! This isn’t some high school prom queen election where popularity determines the winner. This is real life. Voting for either candidate just because you like them more than the other one is foolish, if that person has an entirely different set of values and beliefs than you do. When did our elections become so insane?

Unbelievably, there are several prominent conservative Republican politicians who have declared their intention to vote for Kamala Harris. Really? You hate Trump so much that you are going to help elect the most liberal candidate we’ve ever seen? Seriously? You’re willing to throw out your entire value system and support a candidate who holds an extreme opposite position on every issue you’ve ever fought for? Crazy!

But forget, the newsworthy fools. What about the average voter? Or the foolish one? If you can barely afford gas or groceries, how can you vote for the ones responsible for the rampant inflation in the first place? If you believe that every country should have a secure border in order to protect its own citizens, how can you vote for those who have allowed the border to remain wide open and done nothing to prevent the illegal immigration of millions over the last three and a half years? (Not to mention the problems of human trafficking, and drugs, and criminals from countries around the world who have walked across our southern border.) If you believe abortion is morally wrong, how can you vote for candidates who believe so strongly in abortion on demand (even late term abortions)? If you believe in the second amendment and the right of citizens to bear arms, how can you vote for candidates who advocate forced confiscation of guns and appealing that amendment?

Time to be blunt. When you vote for these people, you are ultimately responsible for the things they do. Bottom line. Do you want a rude, sometimes crude, sometime embarrassing president who puts America first? Or do you want a nice person who will stand by while our country crumbles? Don’t be foolish. Or stupid.

The Real Threat to the Democracy

 

How many times in the last year (or more) have you heard the expression an existential threat to our democracy? And how many times was it directed toward one specific person and his followers? Just for the sake of clarity, let’s define our terms here. An existential threat can be defined as “a threat that could conceivably risk the extinction or widespread destruction of humanity.” (Bryan Walsh, Vox Media Editorial Director) Makes a lot of what we’ve heard seem a bit over-exaggerated, doesn’t it? But these are the same people who are trying to convince you that a couple of thousand (mostly unarmed) protestors who stormed the capital one January were a serious threat to overthrow our entire government.

Candidates running for office will often make outrageous claims about their opponents in order to bolster their own chances, but this particular one is downright laughable. Biden, Harris, and tons of other Democratic leaders want you to believe that Donald Trump is a tyrant (another Hitler), and if he wins in November, he will throw out the Constitution, declare himself King, and refuse to ever leave the White House again! Maybe not the end of humanity, but at least the end of America as we know it.

Do you believe them?

I don’t. I do believe however that there is a real threat to our democracy, our form of government (constitutional republic), and our country as we know it. And that threat comes from the very ones who are making the accusations.

Have you ever noticed that many people tend to project their own faults onto others? Liars tend to believe that everyone lies. Thieves think everybody steals. And so on. And then, because they believe it, they are often quick to accuse others of the very things they are prone to do. (My theory anyway.)

If you know much about the founding fathers, you know they spent a lot of time on the Constitution. They developed a unique system that has worked pretty well for the last few centuries. To avoid tyranny, they established three separate, but equal branches of government, with lots of checks and balances. Then, they added the Bill of Rights soon after it was ratified, adding those amendments to ensure that certain rights and freedoms would always be protected. (That is to say that citizens would be protected from the government. There were many Americans who did not want a federal government at all, but that’s a story for another day.)

So, is our democracy being threatened? And by whom? Ask yourself the following questions.

• Which party is using the executive branch to prosecute (and persecute) a political opponent?
• Which party wants to change the rules of the legislative branch so that a simple majority will allow substantial changes to laws?
• Which party is attacking the credibility of the judicial branch and seeking to restructure the Supreme Court?
• Which party is actively trying to censor (and/or criminalize) your first amendment rights to free speech?
• Which party would love to completely abolish the second amendment, or at the very least greatly limit that freedom?
• Which party is intent on turning millions of illegal immigrants into voting citizens?

In 2008, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke about “fundamentally transforming” the United States of America. Maybe we should have listened to him. He was serious. His party still is, and they are still working to achieve that goal.

So yes, there is a real threat to our democracy.

A New Start

 

I have been encouraged to restart my blog and against my better judgment, I think I will give it a try. When I first began this blog, I was retired and devoted a great deal of time to my writing. Currently, I am only working part-time, and aside from procrastination and laziness, my biggest problem is not so much finding time, as it is fighting the boredom of saying the same things over and over. Allow me to explain.

For a long time, I was writing mostly about politics. Maybe it is the nature of politics to run in cycles, but I discovered at a certain point that everything I wanted to say, had already been said in a previous blog. Even as I sit here today, is there really anything new to say? Or does it feel like 2020 all over again. Trump can’t seem to stay out of his own way and his opponent is doing everything she can to avoid the media. Biden hid in the basement, and Harris stages photo ops and refuses to answer questions. Like Biden, Harris is trying to convince the voters that she is a moderate and not the most radical leftist to ever seek the office.

The recent debate was worthless. Like always both sides claim to have won. And like always, the candidates only occasionally responded to the actual question that was asked. Mostly, they argued and gave mini speeches. And as always, the moderators were extremely biased, as is most of the mainstream media these days. Regardless, the thought of writing about the upcoming election simply depresses me.

Another favorite topic of mine was movies and TV. Similar to my comments about politics, my opinions on current entertainment also feel repetitious. Honestly, I watch very little in the way of new programming. Wokeness and political correctness has ruined it for me. I used to love the sitcoms, but comedies aren’t funny anymore, because we can no longer make fun of anyone or anything. Someone is sure to be offended, so we sit through boring shows that are more interested in promoting an agenda than actually entertaining us. Every show features a diverse cast (which is great) that is wasted (which is a shame) on poor quality programs that viewers quickly grow tired of. And as a conservative Christian, I am often offended by the agenda being pushed. (Instead of crying about it, I just choose to turn it off and go on with my life. You know, because I’m an adult.)

I like to write about sports, but once again, I was writing the same old things. I still hate the Dallas Cowboys, LeBron James, and Taylor Swift. And the general wokeness and political correctness that has taken over even this aspect of our society. If ever there was a place where true meritocracy reigned, you would think it would be in sports, but not these days. Biological men are winning in women’s events, and we’re not supposed to notice, because that would be intolerant of us. In the NFL and NBA, announcers often talk more about race than ability. We can’t even decide on the proper pregame protocols and what anthems to play or not play. Again, I choose not to watch at all.

Anyway, look for something new in the next few days, and then, my plan is to write a blog post at least once a month. Maybe someone will even read it.

Being Thankful

 

I love Christmas, but seriously, can we not be in such a hurry to skip past the most important holiday of the year? Now, more than ever, we need a time of Thanksgiving. A time to turn our focus away from the barrage of the daily news of doom and gloom. A time to count our blessings.

I don’t know about you, but I am so tired of hearing about how awful the past few years have been. Even the memes aren’t funny anymore. I’m just tired of the negativity. In reality, it’s just another year on good old planet Earth (which is not our true home!) So, let’s stop spending all our time thinking about the bad news, and instead, start turning our thoughts to the more positive things around us. I love the way Paul says it in the book of Philippians - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (4:8 NIV)

Several years ago, along the very same lines, I shared the following message for Thanksgiving. Still sounds pretty relevant to me!

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is here already! Or will be this week anyway. Such a wonderful time of year! The cooler weather, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year. Just a string of big events that come one after another in rapid succession. No wonder people get so stressed.

So, how do we deal with all this extra anxiety? I suggest we try and focus on the positives in our lives and not the negative. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18a (NIV), Paul says “give thanks in all circumstances.” What a great statement! Like most people, there are times when I find it easy to be thankful. But like most people, there are also many times when I find it extremely difficult to be thankful. Or to be more honest, I forget to be thankful.

Thanksgiving is a good time to be conscious and conscientious about recognizing our blessings. (A little off the subject, but as much as I love contemporary Christian music, I often long for the old hymns like Count Your Blessings.) This month alone, I could easily rattle off a list of my trials and troubles, some of those circumstances that make me want to scream and complain. And when I get bogged down in worrying about my problems, I do forget to be thankful.

So, let me focus on the good and not the bad for now. I am thankful for family and friends. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful for a long and somewhat successful career. I am thankful to live in a free country. And I am thankful for a God who watches over me and mine.

I won’t bore you with a long list of family and friends, but I will say that I am truly thankful most for the people in my life. Many of them have passed, but I still treasure their memories and value the lessons they imparted and the legacies they left behind. I am thankful for my wife and children and I pray that I can always be a good husband and father. For the many friends, former colleagues, and others, I have probably not said enough how much I appreciate the love and support and encouragement! If you want to reduce your stress over the next few months, enjoy the people around you. Time invested in people is rarely wasted.

I’ll be honest and say that I wish I had the body of my twenty-year-old self! Lord knows I don’t want to be twenty again, but I often miss the energy and vitality of that age. Nevertheless, I am thankful for the generally good health I enjoy. I often jokingly say that I wish I had taken better care of myself when I was younger, but honestly, many people my age are much less fortunate when it comes to health issues. I’m no spring chicken, but I’ll gladly accept the aches and pains that come with my age. And I will do my best to stay in shape in the years ahead.

One of the joys of Facebook (there are some to go along with all the frustrations!) is the ability to connect with former students! I am thankful for the years spent with young students and athletes whom I will never forget. I thank God for allowing me to be a teacher, coach and principal and I pray that my impact on the lives of my students was positive. There are few pleasures in life greater than watching your kids grow up and become successful, even if they aren’t really your kids! I am so incredibly proud of the fine adults you have become, even though you will forever be teens in my mind! If not younger!

If you are a frequent reader, you know I have fairly strong political views. Despite the recent election ugliness, and the ongoing negativity of the mainstream media, I am proud of my country and thankful to live in a free society. Obviously, we live in an imperfect world, but when you consider the living conditions in much of the world, we should be thankful to live in the USA. I am.

Finally, and most importantly, I thank God for all the many blessings in my life. Everything above I credit to a good God who loves His people and watches over us. I am thankful for a Heavenly Father who not only promises an eternity with Him, but also provides for us while we await that final blessing!

So, whatever your circumstances today, count your many blessings and give thanks!

 

Today is Veteran’s Day, a federal holiday observed annually to honor U.S. military veterans. For a more complete look at the history and significance of the holiday, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day.

My father was a veteran. He served in WWII and although he seldom talked about it, I know he was proud of his military service. I thought I would share a poem from my collection https://books2read.com/randomthoughts that I wrote in his honor.

War Story

          

My father served in World War 2,

But he never talked about it.

I find that very strange even now.

He was quite the storyteller,

And he loved to entertain

And repeat the tales he told

To all who’d listen.

But in all the years that passed,

I never heard one story

About the war.

So, today, take a moment to think about the men and women from your family (and all the other families as well) who answered the call to serve their country. Whether in times of war and conflict or times of peace, it is a sacrifice all too often unacknowledged and underappreciated.