sure sign yesterday was all of the wasps trying to find a way into the house – they know it will soon get cold. Lots of firewood stacked on the porch, waiting for the chill. Winterized the pump house today. The cold is coming…The Cutest Community Organizer to whom I am married is full of energy, humor and songs tonight. “You’re glad the campaign is over, aren’t you?” I say. She doesn’t respond, but I know it’s true. Barbra has been a one-woman campaign machine this year: going door-to-door campaigning for Justin Harris and Charlie Collins for state representative and Jim Keet for governor. Last week she called a campaign office so she could get a rebuttal for an opponent’s sleazy
attack ad. Then she called a local talk show to personally make the rebuttal because the candidate who was attacked couldn’t or wouldn’t put up a defense. And she’s been spending spare hours at Republican headquarters making phone calls. Saturday I drove her around our rural precinct as she handed out cards for Keet and for John Boozman for U. S. Senator and Steve Womack for Congress. It’s been a long year: it began for me last November when Randy Alexander asked me to manage his campaign for U. S. Senate. No way I could do that, given my day job, but I ended up as a part-time communications guy for him. Then came fall and Barbra and I worked in various campaigns – Barbra more than me as her day job is only part-time.Now we’re on the precipice. Tuesday will tell. The Big Election. We’re working as poll watchers in Fayetteville: Barbra in the morning, me in the afternoon. I look over the list of poll watchers in our county and see that about half of them are Tea Party members. The Tea Party is what got us involved in politics, just like so many others around the country. It’s hard to say what will happen Tuesday: the news media predict a Republican blowout but given their loss of credibility one wonders if they’re just saying that to make conservatives stay home. It’s sad when you no longer can believe what you see or hear. But it doesn’t matter: we’re not as dumb as they think we are.
Some say Tuesday will be like the Republican victory of 1994. I don’t think so. I’m hoping it will be more like 1980. I remember election night that year, when Ronald Reagan blew the doors off the elite’s conventional wisdom.
It was amazing. It was thrilling.
Please, Lord, do it again.
However, assuming victories for conservatives Tuesday, our work will just begin. We got into this mess because so many of us were asleep.
No more.
The day after Election Day we go to work…
Agree, the day after Election Day, we go to work - again. This election is just a reset point, and now we must keep people accountable while getting ready for 2012.
ReplyDeleteIn Arkansas, we will have to let Mark Pryor and other non-conservatives know immediately that we are indeed watching their actions and votes and will hold them accountable. Unfortunately, we will not get to rest long.
A loving husband stands in front of his wife in danger, behind his wife in support and beside her in love and co-laboring. I appreciate both your tribute to your wife and your sharing your understanding of past efforts while looking to the efforts to be put forth in the future.
Barbra is indeed most worthy of praise for her efforts. She has also been an encouragement to me to keep writing and speaking out on issues. I also must praise my very conservative wife who labors as an election commissioner & trainer. When I shared about you and Barbra, she asked where you lived. Unfortunately, we are hours apart.
We are apart in distance but not in the Lord or in the worthy cause set before us. I expected to be doing other things in this time of my life. I guess the Lord finds humor in misplaced plans and delights in our obedience.
Tuesday will indeed give the pundits and people like me lots of word fodder. While the elections are important as we elect new people to tackle the issues and represent us, the real issue will be if the awakened citizenry, including ourselves, persevere in the future (be it good or bad).
As a Christian, I find my self tested repeatedly to make the affirmation that I will this day be on the side of the Lord. He is the source of rights and freedoms. True liberty comes from Him and in serving Him.
So, as we continue to proclaim these inherent liberty and rights with other conservatives, we dare not abandoned our social conservatism (family values and religious beliefs) as we work with secular fiscal conservatives to restore our Nation's economy.
Again thank you Mike and Barbra.
God Bless!
Thanks, Bill. Your comment on social conservatism resonates with me -- got keep the priorities straight. Saturday while campaigning we met a young man whose car had run out of gas and while trying to fix that problem we had the chance to relate the gospel of Jesus to him. Turns out he has a lot of issues and we've now got him plugged into several ministries in our church that specialize in things that concern him.
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