Donald Trump wasn’t the reason for the red ripple
It’s the culture!
There has been a disproportionate amount of hand-wringing as a result of the mid-term elections. A number of Republican pundits were predicting a red wave that would sweep over America.
Prophets were on YouTube predicting a historical win for the Republican Party.
Based on this, one can see why there has been much consternation amongst Republicans and Conservatives. Naturally, they want to blame someone. Insert former President Trump.
Truth be told, I do believe the former President’s presence and endorsement in a number of key races caused the endorsee to underperform. But, it wasn’t because of the endorsement.
It was because of the candidates.
Take Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania. He was a weak candidate from the beginning.
He was slippery and did not have any convictions as a conservative. Pennsylvanians saw him as a carpet bagger who did not share their values.
As an aside, he should not have won the primary, but with the backing of a few notable Republicans, he won the nomination.
But, that alone was not going to win in the general election. He needed to have principles that he clearly articulated which would separate him from his opponent.
He did not. Thus, he lost.
The same can be said for Herschel Walker in Georgia.
We know this race is headed for a run-off, but if there was a stronger candidate running in this race, it would be over.
Alas, because he had the backing of Donald Trump, Herschel won the primary.
In the end, he may win, but he was not the strongest candidate that could have been nominated.
Taking all of this into account, I can see why some conservatives would want to blame the former President.
However, they are missing the point.
In 2 Timothy 3, the Holy Spirit through Paul describes the nature of humanity during the last days.
“For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane. [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good. [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God. For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].”
2 Timothy 3:2-5 AMPC
It wasn’t Donald Trump that caused the red ripple, it’s the depravity of the culture.
The culture is so depraved, that because there is not a federal “right” to abortion, non-married women overwhelmingly supported the Democrats by a whopping 37 points: 68% to 31%. Keep in mind that non-married women accounted for 23% of the electorate.
Instead of understanding the response of the progressives as a result of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v Wade, a number of candidates chose to dodge the issue or attempt to ignore it all together. They did not want to stand on principle and articulate the importance of life.
These candidates failed miserably.
But in order to stand on principle, one must have principles. If the candidate does not espouse a biblical worldview, more than likely that candidate will be malleable to whatever the culture is prescribing.
In these cases, the depraved will undoubtedly vote for the candidate that is the most extreme. Hence John Fetterman in Pennsylvania.
It has been said that politics is downstream from culture. I agree, but culture is downstream from the church.
When the church is weak or having a form of godliness, then the culture will continue to grow darker and darker. In turn, we will see politicians that are more extreme.
The darker the culture becomes, the brighter the church must be.
Otherwise, we will continue down the descent to irrelevance and impotence.