Election thought(s)

I think it was in 1972 that Zonker Harris, the character in Doonesbury, spent election day submerged in Walden Puddle with a thought balloon over his head: "go away. Politics gives me migraines". In the past five or six years, I've grown more and more to agree with him.

I used to be an intensely political animal: grabbed hold of all the left-wing political causes I could think of and promoted them as much as possible (while still maintaining a patina of balance, being a broadcast journalist at the same time) (THINKS: "balanced journalism" -- there's an oxymoron for you!) even as the still, small voice was screaming "IT'S WRONG!" Now, though, I just submerge myself in my own puddle -- prayer -- and ask God to have His way on the elections.

So we are currently in triple-migraine season in Metro Vancouver. We've just had the federal election, the US election is coming up and right after that, we get to vote for mayor and council and school board and probably park board too, if I remember correctly.

Federal election is behind us, and I'm bemused at the response from the boffins to the result. To a person, they seem to believe that Stephen Harper "blew it" by not getting a majority government. CBC had two experts on their election night coverage: one had advised Jean Chretien, and I believe the other was an advisor to Brian Mulroney. Cool. Certainly the people I'd turn to for sage political wisdom. They pontificated about the fact that it was an election that didn't really have an issue and that no one knew why it was called in the first place.

But here's where the boffins miss the point. Usually, if a government calls an election without an apparent reason, they get punished, big-time. They lose seats, lose their majority or lose the election. They don't come away with more seats than they had before.

Indeed, there was a purpose to the election: force the opposition parties to show their true colors. By and large, the Liberals, NDP and Greens come across as would-be social engineers, declaring they know better than anyone else what people should be doing and intending to bring in measures to ensure that and fund them from tax dollars. Canadians, by and large showed their true colors, too, and to a great degree, it ain't green. A lot of the Conservatives' success in this election -- gaining seats -- can be seen as a repudiation of the Green Frenzy. Much of the Green Frenzy is based in guilt and one group of people dictating what everybody should do. Neither of those is a correct motivator because neither of those is "of God". People get concerned when they hear about the environmental situation, but it's apparent that many are still looking for another way to deal with that situation.

There is another way, although it's very much the "elephant in the living room" that nobody wants to talk about.

If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins ...
and will heal their land.

-- 2 Chr. 7:14