I voted for Obama.
It is instructive to see how people voted on social issues.
At this time of the morning, gay marriage has been turned down in several states and looks to actually be turned down in California by a slim majority. Gay adoption has been turned down in one state.
All anti-abortion related issues have lost.
Affirmative action has been rejected by one state and kept, by a slim majority, by another state.
A state income tax has been overwhelmingly kept by one state.
A measure to further control illegal immigrants was defeated, and it was in one of the border states.
And, finally, the medical use of marijuana has been approved by one state.
As one looks at the vote results, I would argue that one sees a nation that is moderate. If one contrasts the vote for President-elect Obama over against the vote for social measures, it means that many social conservatives voted for President-elect Obama. As one looks at the results of the anti-abortion measures, it makes clear that social conservative and religious conservative are not one and the same thing. However, there is some overlap in that the nation voted, in every case, against gay-related measures.
What does this mean for those who are strict religious conservatives? It looks like a long time in the wilderness for them. The one clear rejection in the social voting was the clear rejection of the strict religious conservative. They are morally correct on abortion. I agree with them on that issue. But, their tactic of making that issue and only that issue the definition of “true” Christianity, their tactic of maligning in the worst possible terms anyone who might suggest otherwise, their initial over-the-top rejection of Sen. McCain with their threat to sit out the election, has led to a visceral rejection of what truth they spoke by many in this nation. And, that is a sad commentary on their tactics.
Leave a Reply