I remain fascinated at those who have the ability to do the right thing but choose not to. Of course the escape clause to this always hinges on the definition of what right and what is wrong is in each individual. You are welcome to disagree or ignore altogether with the following opinion piece, but I urge you to hear me out.
Please consider the following statement: "I am not on the ballot this fall.....But make no mistake: My policies are on the ballot. Every single one of them." president Obama, October 2014. This is an very important, meaningful statement which we'll get back to in a moment.
In 2008 our country was at a political, economic and moral crossroads and its citizens were ready for change. Many people were entirely dissatisfied with the status quo and their ears itched for someone new to give them a fresh hope and the promise of change. Someone did come along and subsequently made history by becoming the first black man to become president of this great country. This was a moment all Americans could be proud of. It was a moment intended to usher in a new direction of unity and brotherhood but would instead cause even greater disunity and division. Media headlines for years have validated this truth.
I have an important question for you. The policies president Obama claimed in 2008 have extended six years forward and represented the policies of democratic candidates who ran in 2014. The president made this clear when he said in October of 2014: "I am not on the ballot this fall.....But make no mistake: My policies are on the ballot. Every single one of them". I will not detail these policies or make any arguments for or against their defense at present since they are easily researched by a quick internet search. Let the reader decide, the voter already has. My primary intent at the moment is to examine the mind and intent of the voting electorate.
Statistically speaking, a certain percentage of the population who are qualified to vote never do for one reason or another. They are often included in the total number of those who did not vote in a particular election to buttress an argument as to why a particular candidate lost. However, this results in false assumptions. Granted, when enough people decide to vote it certainly can and does effect the result.
With the foundation now laid, here is a question nagging me to no end. Why on God's green earth would those who supported the president in 2008 by casting their vote in his direction, now do an about face in 2014 and withhold their vote in an effort to exercise a silent protest? This fascinates me. Not only have the afore mentioned facilitated the re-election of the opposing party but they seem to no longer support the president's policies since, once again, they were on the ballot according to the president himself. Allow me to augment this point because it is so crucial. The president's policies have not changed in six years, that's 2008-2014. The president is still working to enact those policies and has successfully implemented many of them. This demonstrates that the afore mentioned voters as well as those who voted against these policies (by voting against democrats) are either not happy with the outcome of the policies or they are unhappy that ALL of them have not yet been implemented.
So which is it? Since president Obama made it crystal clear what his intentions were leading up the his election of 2008, there should be little confusion about what his intentions are in 2014. They have not changed, yet a historic number of his representatives were just voted out of office. There are reasons for this.
I happen to believe there remains a third possibility. It is most likely that the policies of president Obama and the political 'left' are not the policies America truly desires. They may sound noble and have the greatest of intentions, but in the end they simply do not work. "Spreading the wealth around" as was the president's claim to fame in 2008, clearly does not grease the wheels of an economy. Our government has to now undergo a process of "re-booting". It will take time to unravel the twine of partisanship which now binds us. We must strive to get back on course and move forward in the best interest of all Americans, especially those who do not have a voice. But we must do so with liberty and justice for all. As much as it may pain some of you to acknowledge, Almighty God has to be honored and respected. He is the One who extends blessing and takes it away. In 2014, America voted to bring back accountability and a return to the values that made this nation great.
This is my belief and hope. May God richly bless us all.