The Devil You Know: U.S. Election 2024

Last night’s historic U.S. election will be talked about for decades to come.  Aside from stunning Kamala supporters into (momentary) silence and leaving the liberal media gasping for air, it spoke volumes about the heart and mind of the American people.

I did not follow the run up to the election closely.  I abhor most news outlets for their negative and blatantly obvious political slants and sensationalism that seeps into the American psyche, poisoning it with half truths at best.  Instead, I have my news sources that I glance at on a need-to-know basis.  Otherwise, I prefer to live and vote my truths but lean into my faith that things work out as they are meant to be.

I always have faith in God.  I woke up this morning with my faith restored in the American people.   These were my thoughts as I got ready for work:

1. You can shame and terrify people into silence.  You can lie and manipulate.  But you cannot dictate or legislate people’s feelings.   Americans who support what Trump has to offer may have gone silent in the face of the left’s violent shaming tactics, afraid of reprisals or a battle they can’t win against the liberal media, but underneath the surface,  Americans want what Trump offers.  And when they went into the voting booth and no one was watching, way more than half the country exhaled as they were finally able to speak their truth: that they believe this country will be way better of with Trump at the helm than Kamala Harris, shamers and media be damned.
2. Americans voted for the devil they know instead of the devil they don’t.  No one in the world will tell you that Trump is an angel.  No one will say that he’s refined or patient or well thought out.  But if there is anything that the last year has shown us about Trump, its that he is hyper-resilient, unafraid, kowtow’s to no one, and knows his own mind.  He also knows how to get what he wants and has the resources to do it.  And his belief in some of the most classic American values is solid.  To Americans, that translates as strength, security, national pride and knowing, not guessing, where your President actually stands.
   
   Kamala is the devil you don’t know. As Vice President, her record of creating positive change for America was non-existent.  As President, no one really knew where she actually stands because she is a political chameleon.  She pandered to whichever group was in front of her in the moment.  She wavered and waffled and stammered and stuttered, leaving us all wondering who the real Kamala Harris is –  a crap shoot as to who would actually be at the helm for the next four years.  That is exactly what America doesn’t want anymore – fear,  instability, anxiety, and weakness.  Add to that questions about her patriotism and true loyalties and she represented a witches cauldron of possibilities.  To that, America said no.
3. However you feel about Trump, Americans last night voted that they were better off when he was President.  They voted that they have suffered over the last four years.  They voted that during the Trump presidency, they felt national pride, they felt more secure, and they were more prosperous.  They also voted that the world was calmer, the violence less, and the streets safer. National and international anxiety has skyrocketed in the last four years under Biden.  And Harris was unable to convince the majority of Americans that she was the Ambien to their sleepless nights, as they tossed and turned about how to pay bills, keep their kids and communities safe, and feel hopeful about the future.
4. Last nights vote was also a vote for authenticity – not because Trump always tells the truth.  We know he doesn’t. But because he is who he is.  He is the devil we know.  And for now, that is enough.