10 lessons from the presidential election

It appears last week’s presidential election results didn’t turn out like most Oklahomans wanted. President Trump appears to have lost to former Vice President Biden, but in Oklahoma two thirds of the voters choose Trump. 

Ten lessons from the 2020 presidential election:

(1) Democrats have a history of cheating. Starting with the 1960 presidential election(Kennedy vs. Nixon), Democrats seem to wait until the election results are almost in and then ‘discover’ more ballots for their candidate. It always happens in large urban areas under Democrat control.  

(2) Trump should have let Biden talk at the first debate. If the strategy was to rattle the former VP at the first debate, it didn’t work. Think of the material that could have been gleaned from Biden’s own words on a radical agenda if he would have been allowed to talk?  A missed opportunity.

(3) Conservative principles and ‘the cause’ are bigger than one person.  Trump is a cult of personality and his policies did advance many conservative causes, but the movement should be more than one person.  Time will tell if Trump supports believe in the cause?

(4) Confidence in the integrity of an election is fundamental. Without honesty and integrity in the election process, we don’t have a country.  

(5) President Trump’s re-election strategy was wrong. Those large rallies fired up his troops, but it also fired up the opposition. Voters were voting for Trump or against Trump.  Few were rabid Biden fans. The ‘mass communicating’ didn’t work.

(6) Lack of faithful engagement in the political process by the vast majority is why we are where we are. The vast majority of voters in America are low information voters. That has to change if America is to be changed.  People have to pay attention all the time- even on off-election years.  

(7) Allow those who invested in the campaign time to mourn.  Monday morning armchair political observers who have never put up a political sign or knocked a door telling longtime political activists to accept the results is irritating. 

(8) The Republican Party needs a reboot. President Trump is not a traditional candidate or president. Many of his supporters are Trumpers first and Republicans second. It remains to be seen who will take up that mantel?  

(9) Democrats will move the U.S. further left?  Biden has already said he would rescind Trump’s executive orders on immigration and the Keystone pipeline.  Get ready to pay higher taxes and higher gasoline prices. Socialism is on the move.

(10) God wasn’t taken by surprise at the election results. He sets up kings and brings them down.  All authority comes from Him. Believers need to recognize He will give us what we need- even if it’s a good starving. 

If a lesson is to learn from this election, it is that no matter how hard you work, sometimes God doesn’t give you what you want. The good news is what He gives us works out for our good.

A more elaborate, expansive essay on these ten points can be found at stevefair.blogspot.com.

Steve Fair is Chairman of the 4th district of the Oklahoma Republican Party.  He can be reached by email at okgop@aol.com. His blog is stevefair.blogspot.com.