Election 08: America's Ultimate Racial Litmus Test?

Here's an excerpt from a recent article from Onenewsnow.com:

A political scientist at a Christian college in New York City warns that if Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama loses the election on November 4, race riots could break out in large U.S. cities.

A recent Associated Press-Yahoo News poll suggested Senator Obama's race could cost him up to six percentage points on election night. David Corbin, a politics professor at The King's College, contends there is potential for public riots the night of or after the election, if Obama's lead in the polls does not translate into victory. "I don't think that's something that we've looked at very closely, and I think that this could be a powder keg here as we get towards that day, given that Senator Obama is an African-American and given that there might be some backlash if he actually loses," Corbin explains. Corbin notes that seemingly small stories involving O.J. Simpson and Rodney King have brought into play terrible riots in major cities across the U.S. "I think a lot of people are looking to an Obama presidency to affirm the notion that somehow Americans aren't racist and, if for some reason Senator Obama loses, then it's just, 'Oh well, it's said and done. We must be a racist nation,'"
Corbin adds.

Regarding that poll: "There are a lot fewer bigots than there were 50 years ago, but that doesn't mean there's only a few bigots," said Stanford political scientist Paul Sniderman who helped analyze the exhaustive survey.


Such thinking is only fueled by articles such as this one from Jacob Weisberg of Newsweek magazine (that bastion of left-wing liberalism):

"If Obama loses, our children will grow up thinking of equal opportunity as a myth. His defeat would say that when handed a perfect opportunity to put the worst part of our history behind us, we chose not to. In this event, the world's judgment will be severe and inescapable: the United States had its day, but in the end couldn't put its own self-interest ahead of its crazy irrationality over race."

But he is not alone. Consider these words from CNN's Jack Cafferty:

"Race is arguably the biggest issue in this election, and it’s one that nobody’s talking about. The differences between Barack Obama and John McCain couldn’t be more well-defined. Obama wants to change Washington. McCain is a part of Washington and a part of the Bush legacy. Yet the polls remain close. Doesn’t make sense…unless it’s race." (emphasis mine)

And then there's CNN's Roland Martin who said:

"For all the talk about inclusion and the historic nature of this campaign, the true tribal feelings of so many people will come into play, whether we want to admit it or not." - and - "It's wonderful to talk about the economy, immigration, the war in Iraq, health care and education, but we can't be naïve to the reality that when voters go into that voting booth, they will, as one person told me during an interview, 'vote with their tribe.'"

So is that the bottom line? Is a vote for McCain an act of racism? Or is it possible to reject Obama - not because he is black - but because he is ...

Green? - far and away the least qualified candidate in modern history, or ...
Pink? - as close to overt socialism as any American candidate EVER, or ...
Chameleon? - ever adapting to wherever he finds himself and to whatever audience he addresses...

... or could it simply be that you find his big-government proposals frightening, his politics of "hope" and "change" vapid, his promises to groups like America's largest purveyor of abortions, "Planned Parenthood" (what a horrific oxymoron) appalling, and the prospect of him choosing as many as three future supreme court justices catastrophic?

Maybe you simply think he is not America's best choice for president.
Is that racist?

Haiti, Cuba, My IRA, and Dave Ramsey

What do all 4 of these entities have in common? They have all been used as eye-openers in my life recently. And God is using all of them to change my perspective on material "stuff".

Let's start with Haiti. While in Haiti towards the end of August (thankfully we flew out on the last flight of the day as hurricane Gustav blew in or we might still be there!) I noticed what I expected to see there - horrific and abject poverty. I visited Haiti back in 2001, but memories - as vivid as they may be - fade over such a span of time. And I - like you - have read and viewed much about Haiti's ongoing struggle of late in the popular media. But none of that prepares you for what you see, hear, and smell on the ground in Haiti. The stench and squalor of the city streets is almost unimaginable. And the sense of hopelessness is almost tangible. In the countryside where our church's mission and school is, the poverty may be even worse. I walked in mud and thatch huts (bent over and turning sideways to get in the door) that were only two small, dirt-floor rooms (you can see some of my pictures here) that contained a family of 6. I saw people with no plumbing, no running water, and little-to-no food surviving. And I wondered often, Could I survive this?

Cuba was certainly more prosperous than Haiti, but "prosperity" is a relative term. I should rather say that Cuba's poverty was not - on the whole - as oppressive as what we found in Haiti. Nonetheless, there were needs everywhere. Ands so much of what we take so for granted is absent in Cuba. Do you like constant running water (or at least the comfort of knowing it's there? Don't count on that in rural towns in Cuba where water is only released 2x a day. How about a warm shower? I laugh thinking about this one now as I recall showering (again - a relative term) on moldy concrete floors with barely a trickle of cold water coming down (You can see some of my Cuba pictures here and here). How about food - or meat particularly? If you are a Cuban national, forget about eating any lobster, shellfish, or even cow. The government owns and controls all of those resources and they are reserved for the elite and for tourists. Even a whole chicken is a rare luxury. One of the men at our job site asked me - with complete seriousness - if it was true that in America we only ate the white meat of the chicken and threw the rest away! He had never eaten chicken breast. In fact, he said they have a saying in Cuba that all the chickens have "six legs". From the rationed food to the constant sense of political oppression knowing that your life was being monitored at all times left me wondering, Could I survive this?

I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University several weeks ago. (By the way, I highly recommend it. I only wish I had started 15 years ago, but that's another story.). Dave's teachings have convinced us to re-prioritize our way of living and break the horrible patterns of debt, over-spending, etc. You probably know where I am coming from on this. At the very least, our new budget has made me realize that I can do without some things I used to consider fairly necessary. For example, I figure that we (Cecilia and I) will save at least $1000.00 a year just by giving up Starbucks. At least. I also realized that I could not continue to use credit debt to fund a lifestyle that exceeds my income and expect to have any future financial peace or stability. The entire process has us both asking, What do we really need to survive?

Then yesterday, the stock market drops 778 points on a historically horrific day. I've been watching my retirement slowly bleed out for months and finally moved everything several weeks ago to a money fund to avoid what I thought would be a coming collapse, so at least my meager retirement is safe (for now). Oh and please note - I am in no way any sort of advisor to your finances. I did what made me feel safe. If you have money questions, better ask a pro that you trust who has your interests in mind. With all this doom and gloom on the financial horizon, and the very real nationwide fear of recession and worse (maybe much worse), I started to wonder about my family, We will survive this?

Do you see the common theme? It's like I had very subtly become someone who placed all their trust in wealth - even when I didn't have any! I always thought only "rich people" could have misplaced trust in money instead of God. I failed miserably to recognize that "rich" is a relative term and that - compared to where I have been and what I have seen of late - I am very rich! (Even though I'm really not because of what I owe, but again - that's another story). I realized I was guilty of doing exactly what Paul told Timothy to tell people NOT to do:

1st Timothy 6:17 (NIV)

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

I realized that ...

... my life is not measured by what I possess
... I have lots of "necessary" stuff I don't need
... my real security was in what I could afford, not in the Lord
... I need to do all I can to help take care of those in real need
... my real treasures are my God, my wife, my kids, and my health and thankfully, I have all those intact!

Basically, God has let me know that no matter what happens, I will be fine. I can make it. My family will make it. Yours will, too. But it won't be by trusting in the uncertainties of this life, but in the One Certainty - God Almighty!

Thanks for letting me vent a little!

Florida's Marriage Amendment

Today I am passing along to you a reminder about Florida's Marriage Amendment pending in this election. Make sure you get the facts right, are able to explain it to others, and that you vote! Here is a good series of videos from Florida's Pastoral Leader for Yes2Marriage.

Dear Beloved,

There is much disinformation being promoted regarding Amendment 2. In an effort to clear things up, I have recorded a series of videos which answer the six most frequently asked questions regarding Amendment 2. Please go to http://www.youtube.com/fbccf to view my answers to these important questions:

1. Whose rights will be violated by Amendment 2?

2. What is the Marriage Amendment?

3. Why do we need a constitutional amendment on marriage?

4. Why not allow homosexual couples to marry?

5. Will Amendment 2 impact benefits?

6. What does the Bible say about marriage?

Clayton Cloer,

Senior Pastor

First Baptist Church Central Florida

& Pastoral Leader for Yes2Marriage