Dakota Beacon

(Disclaimer: Anything appearing below might be construed as sour grapes. Not so. It is neither the intent nor the purpose to excuse the Republican defeat of 2012. An honest search should determine what went wrong in the 2012 elections.)

Republicans took a shellacking on November 6. Mitt Romney’s defeat was stunning to say the least.

Without a doubt the Obama campaign successfully cobbled together a winning coalition of youth; women; racial and sexual orientation minorities; and public and private sector unions.

To be sure, 15 million fewer people voted in 2012 than in 2008. Three million fewer Republicans voted for Mitt Romney than for John McCain. We know the dominant group of non-voters were white. Who stayed home? Anti-Mormon Evangelicals? Disgruntled Ron Paul supporters?

Where was the Republican ground swell so many of us expected? The evidence indicated a Romney win. The landslide elections of 2010, the massive Romney rallies, the failed recall of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, the Tea Party resurrection -- all were there.

In short, a majority of American voters want more of what President Obama has to offer. Although, after four years, we know who Obama is, the opposition did not show up at the polls in sufficient numbers.

Those who voted for Obama voted for the destruction of the coal industry.

Those who voted for Obama believe he is a great international leader.

Those who voted for Obama have no problem with Obama ignoring congress and dictating policy through executive orders.

Those who voted for Obama have no problem with him signing treaties with the United Nations altering our Constitution and restricting American sovereignty and liberty.

Those who voted for Obama because they believe the “rich” don’t pay their fair share will see middle class taxes increase. These are the very people he promised to protect.

Those who voted for Obama will not see their wages and salaries keep pace with inflation.

Certainly we can nitpick the Romney campaign. There are lessons to be learned. For example, Romney made the mistake of promising jobs to people who don’t want to work.

No more blaming Bush for Obama’s failed policies. Obama owns the mess he created. His legacy will be determined by how he handles the time bombs waiting to explode.

-- No more stimulus. No more blank checks for government spending. We’re broke.

-- The so-called “taxmageddon” will take $440 billion away from millions of consumers and companies.

-- The Budget Control Act of 2011 will slash federal spending by $110 billion a year for nine years. This will destroy an estimated two million jobs including state and federal employees and government contractors.

There was a time not so long ago when serious sociologists attributed the stability of society to the fundamental building blocks of home, school and church. With the increase in non-traditional homes and families, failing schools and the liberalization of churches these institutions have failed us. Alluding to the words of Barack Obama’s former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, the chickens have come home to roost. How right he was.

Twenty-five hundred years ago a different Jeremiah, Obama’s pastor’s namesake, finding himself in dire straits, wrote a letter to his people in exile offering some straight talk. First, he acknowledged that the exile of the Jews was reality. The exile was the plan all along in a religious context and it would not be short lived. Can our exile for the next four years be any less real?

Acknowledging the Jews defeat, Jeremiah’s letter (Jer. 29) gave the following advice while living under the tyranny of Nebuchadnezzar.

-- Build homes and get on with life.

-- Plant gardens and eat the produce.

-- Marry and multiply.

-- Give your sons and daughters in marriage to multiply.

-- Increase in number and do not decrease.

-- Seek peace and prosperity for the cities of your exile.

In the end, Jeremiah’s people called on God seeking him with all their heart. The Jews were to learn lessons in exile that would help them survive to this day.

In our exile, we too, have lessons to learn.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at P. O. Box 337, Stanley, ND 58784 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).