Now that it's all over, I'm indulging in some post US election
ramblings.
Indulge is the right word for it, I think. I won't have anything
staggeringly wise to say that someone else hasn't already noted. No
doubt many will disagree with me, and they'll probably be right. I'm
just another guy with an opinion. So here I go...
When Donald Trump first announced he was running for president, I
immediately shrugged it off as another publicity stunt. In fact I
inserted my foot into my mouth on several forgetful occasions during
conversations with my neighbour. Trump is a flash in the pan, I assured
him. He was never, ever going to get the Republican nomination.
At best I thought he was indulging a whim. At worst he was a saboteur. I
couldn't have been more wrong. And I wasn't alone!
Trump stood out as the wild man of the bunch. He survived a rough and
bloody Republican Party presidential primary. Many called it a fiasco.
What had the Republican Party descended to? Should Americans look to a
fresh alternative to the GOP after the inevitable defeat? It seemed that
way.
In contrast, the Democrats (in my opinion) ran a tighter race with far
less infighting. There certainly were quarrels between Clinton and
Sanders. But the Republican brawls made the Democrat race look almost
like a Brady Bunch squabble.
The Republican spats drew attention from evangelicals who normally
wouldn't have commented so directly on politics. I shared their
concerns. Is this what we should expect from presidential aspirants?
Clinton generally got a free pass.
Evangelicals focused on Donald Trump's public sins, past and present. It
didn't matter so much that Hillary championed Planned Parenthood and the
promotion of enforced homosexual-practice acceptance across the market
place. Under her administration, Christian colleges would come under
scrutiny for teaching biblical standards against homosexual sins.
There was also the Israeli paper which kept pushing articles which
suggested Trump was anti-Semitic. Does Hillary love the Jewish State?
Well, not according to her emails. But the popular thing to do was
demonize Trump because he was an easy target.
Everyone did such a fantastic job that Clinton's victory was presumed a
mere formality. Here, I must confess enjoying the videos of the
celebrity media types who mockingly wrote Trump off. I'm just glad there
isn't one around of me. Ha, ha!
Such was the confidence that even when it began looking bad for Clinton
on election night, the media put on a stoic mask. Those of us who
followed certain Twitter analysts got a more accurate picture of the
trend. The rest is surreal history.
Then there was The Meltdown. I'm not only talking about Hillary Clinton.
Some dismiss the rumours surrounding Clinton's state of mind on election
night. The fact remains she didn't show herself or concede defeat until
the following day. This speaks volumes.
We also saw media and celebrity meltdowns. I don't really think any
fearful-tearful celebs flew to Canada, Cuba or Mexico. There were the
riots...notably, neither Clinton nor Obama attempted to quell the
capricious rioters who insisted that Trump wasn't their president. Some
College Campuses even staged "Cry Ins."
Even the fickle Stock Markets wavered before rallying.
Fear mongering abounded. The day after the election, one gay activist
claimed several transgender teens had committed suicide out of fear of
Trump. There were no citations, no fact-checking. It was deceitful
propaganda aimed at presenting Trump as a threat to the LGBTQI+
community.
Democrats and leftists continue wistfully wondering what could have
been. The Washington Post recently opined that Sanders could have won
the election had he run:
Donald Trump’s stunning victory is less surprising when we remember a
simple fact: Hillary Clinton is a deeply unpopular politician. She won a
hotly contested primary victory against a uniquely popular candidate,
Sen. Bernie Sanders.
As the song goes..."I think you're just a little bit late." Anyway,
didn't Clinton win the popularity vote? Isn't this why they wanted a
recount? Shall we move on?
Perhaps people simply got fed up with the current
preachy-condescending-nanny-state's controlling ideology. Did I use
enough adjectives? I doubt Sanders could have presented himself as
viably different enough from Obama to pull it off.
I find it interesting how both Obama and Trump came out of the blue to
be elected. Obama was a relatively unknown junior senator and Trump a
well-known tycoon. Trump's victory shocked most pundits. This shows how
unpredictable and volatile our world is. It could happen again.
Mr. Obama and his ideological friends aren't going to crawl away and
hide forever. Once they've licked their wounds, they'll be back at it
with new people. You can be sure of it.
President Trump has four years to perform. He may ease the US economy,
and he may take some pressure off Christian witness in the market place.
Trump may even make America's borders more secure. Yet people can be
fickle, and voters are especially. The pendulum could swing back
quickly.
From a prophetic standpoint, I doubt Mr. Trump can positively influence
the Middle East. The dynamics set in place with the Russian-Iranian
alliance and the Syrian implosion won't go away through diplomacy.
Moreover, sabre rattling will only exacerbate the situation.
Mr. Trump's stated intention to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital
will ignite more conflict (if he follows through). Neither can he change
the hearts of those who hate Israel. What he can do is keep Israel
strong, despite the misgivings of some Israeli journalists.
His victory possibly parallels a rise of the right in Europe. Europeans
are growing dissatisfied with Islamic appeasement, as well as fears
about Russia. This was to be expected. Is it a death-knell to globalism?
How does this affect Bible prophecy?
I'm no prophecy expert, but the Antichrist globalism only comes after major conflict. Look at the seal judgments of
Revelation (e.g., Rev 6:4). The Antichrist reigns for forty two months
after he has conquered (Rev 13:5). Are we seeing the germination of a
global conflict right now? Only time will tell.
In the interim, God is always in control. Our trust is in Him only. God
pulls the strings for His own purposes and glory. When He says it's time
for the rapture, or the 70th week to begin, then it will all happen very
quickly - like a flood!
As far as prophecy is concerned, don't look at America. Look to Israel.