Democrats and others have been scrambling for the past week to understand how the Republican and former President Donald Trump defeated, and decisively so, Democrat and present Vice President Kamala Harris. I’m one of those others. The pollsters had it wrong again, saying this election was going to be really close, especially in the seven swing states. It was not close at all. Trump won all seven swing states, he won the popular vote which pollsters said would not happen, and the Republicans won both houses in Congress, which also was very doubtful.
Trump’s Comeback
It truly is an amazing comeback for Trump. That man was was impeached twice by the House, he is still under indictment in two federal courts and two state courts, and the Manhattan District Attorney accuses him of 34 felonies. And the Southern District of New York found him guilty of what the judge defined as “rape” against columnist E. Jean Carroll.
Yet I thought Ms. Harris and her many aides, helped by much financing, made an excellent effort in only a three-month campaign for the presidency. And she clearly bested Trump in their single debate. Plus, like Hilary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, I believe both Kamala and Hilary would have been good presidents.
As an independent voter all my life, I was very much against Trump, writing a book against him (Bible Predicts Trump Fall) and therefore voted for both of them. As for Donald Trump’s campaign for this presidential term, I thought he kept floundering miserably, yet he still won. Why?
Why Trump Won
Here’s what happened. In late June, President Joe Biden had a disastrous performance in his only televised debate with Trump. It showed him to be feeble and thus too old to be president another four years. So, Democratic leaders and their main voting supporters pressured Biden to resign, which he did about a month later. But that left little time for someone to take his place and launch a campaign.
Maybe Democrats should have held a quick primary to determine Biden’s replacement. But they decided it was too late to do so. Biden then announced on television that his choice to take his place as the Democratic nominee for president was his Vice President Kamala Harris. Weeks later, the Democrats held their national convention and selected her.
America Wouldn’t Vote for a Female President
When Biden made that announcement, that his choice for nominee was Ms. Harris, I was standing in my kitchen with my television on at that moment and thus heard him say it. Even though I was alone in my condo, I immediately blurted out loud, “America is not going to vote for a woman as president, especially one who is Black and Asian.” I did not mean that was how I would vote but how America would vote.
As it turned out, I suspect that was the main reason Trump won and Harris lost. I doubt that exit polls could prove that because people aren’t willing to admit it. Many Trump voters, especially Hispanic men, said the main reason they voted for Trump was their disgust with the economy during Biden’s administration. But a president cannot effect the economy that much. Biden was saddled with the aftermath of COVID, the supply lines crunch that it caused, the resulting escalation of inflation, and the necessity of the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to tame inflation, all of which caused prices to skyrocket. Yet the past year the American economy has been humming and inflation is down to nearly normal. The U.S. economy is currently the envy of the world. Biden was blamed for something he didn’t do and largely could not control. In fact, Trump denied COVID, claiming it would soon go away. He was dead wrong and that delay led to many unnecessary deaths.
Many Trump voters cared more about the economy than choosing a president who has moral values, which Harris has and Trump does not. I believe putting Trump back in the White House bodes ill for our future if not that of the world.
“The First Shall Be Last and Last Shall Be First”
Trump’s motto is “America First.” One thing it means that he will impose tariffs on other nations who trade with the U.S., even with our allies. That will cause a trade war, which economists say no one wins. And Trump likely will pull out of COP, the worldwide alliance meeting this week in Baku, Azerbaijan, to tame manmade global warming, which Trump stupidly denies, calling it a “hoax.” And Trump likely will make the U.S. a worse partner for Europe, maybe even withdrawing from NATO.
Donald Trump displays a false form of godliness in his efforts to exploit evangelical Christians who did much both times to elect him as president. Regarding godliness, when you examine all the sayings of Jesus in the four gospels of the New Testament, it seems the saying he uttered most is this: “The first shall be last and the last shall be first” (e.g., Matthew 19.30; 20.16).
“Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”
That is the exact opposite of the President-elect’s motto, “America First.” And it is contrary to Jesus affirming in the Torah, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19.18; Mark 12.31; cf. Matthew 5.44). I believe this commandment applies to nations as well as individuals. For, it is prefaced by God saying to Moses, “speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, … you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19.1). Putting self first, thus above all others, is the exact opposite of the very heart of genuine Christianity.
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