Second Term Blues

Well, that was depressing. Seriously. How, after the worst first term of any President ever, could Obama have won a second term? Well, despite constant talk all day of "the longest lines we've ever seen" at polling locations, it turns out that the number of people who actually voted were at historic lows, much lower than the number of people who voted in 2008. What's done is done, and whining won't change what happened. Instead of asking why people didn't show up or what Romney could have done differently (or if rampant corruption screwed up the system so thoroughly the truth will be lost in the mist), I will instead be looking forward. It's not a pretty picture, but it's one we must all face if we are to move on to better days.

For those of us in the United States, the future isn't rosy. Even if Romney had won in a landslide, the nation's debt, entitlement problems, and foreign relations would have made the next four years difficult at best. But instead we have more Obama (Mo-bama?) and, instead of putting our political will into stemming the tide of potential disasters the Democrats will be doubling down. Now they are free to do whatever they please without needing to worry about petty things like what the American people think about them. That may seem politically short-sighted (Obama will not be the last Democrat to run for President. Probably. Maybe. Actually, I'll get back to you on that), but the thinking goes that if the administration can push through enough legislation, regulation, and appointments to the Supreme Court it will ensure that any future administrations will be forced to play inside a sandbox the Left controls. Fortunately, the Republicans held control of the House of Representatives, so we will not see a total repeat of the 2008-2010 time frame when Washington was a one-party town. I urgently pray that it will be enough to slow the bleeding before the nation goes into a shock from which we may never recover.

For our friends who live outside the United States, please remember one thing: the President is not the people of this country. Obama has said that a second term would give him more "flexibility" on foreign policy matters (to the Russian government. Not exactly our best friends in the world. Heck, not even our best friends in Russia), though what exactly what that will mean remains unclear for the time being. Even if our President abandons you, know that you still have friends here. But I want to warn you that the days when the United States would come in to save the day may have passed into the history books. The world is growing darker by the hour, and the unfortunate truth is that many of you will have to stand and fight for freedom without our support.

Finally, I want to make one thing clear. God Almighty is not asleep at the wheel. No matter how dark things will get, no matter how much blood is shed, the Creator of the universe is still in control. He will not give anyone a burden they cannot handle. Remember this simple fact and do not fall into despair.

The Middle East is on fire. The Caliphate is re-emerging. The economy is on the verge of collapse. Old hatreds are rising anew. Monsters though long banished are creeping back onto the world stage as eager for blood as ever. But remember this: when monsters arise, so do heroes. It is up to each of us to determine which path we will choose.