Election Day Postmortem

By now, most of you have seen the election results from last night, and you’re still wondering who the next president will be. The mainstream media says it may be three whole days before we know what the vote count really is, and weeks before the litigation is settled. In spite of all that, however, I think we know enough to make a postmortem analysis of what happened yesterday, and project what the likely trends are, regardless of how the final electoral college vote goes, or who is sworn in on January 20, 2021.

This was a big loss for the Republican Party and conservatives in general. The national demographics are rapidly shifting toward more Democrat victories in future elections, and this election was the Republicans’ last chance (ever) to solidify their numbers enough for a chance to prove that fiscal conservatism can produce better economic hope for the poor and middle class in the nation. That last chance was squandered yesterday, as Democrats will retain firm control of the House of Representatives, and the Republican lead in the Senate has been narrowed at best. The bottom line on this topic reads, there will be no conservative legislation coming out of Congress for the next two to four years — minimally — if ever again.

Things don’t look good for the US Congress…

The best we can hope from the Senate, at this point, is good judicial confirmations, should Trump retain the Whitehouse, and that’s if everything goes well. As for good legislation, as I said above, that is not going to happen anytime soon, if ever again. Assuming Trump pulls out a victory in all of this, and assuming the Senate remains (narrowly) under Republican control, it will become almost entirely a hearing body, confirming new judges and settling future impeachments. That’s about it. Everything else they do will be mostly symbolic. Whatever legislation they pass, won’t survive in the House.

The best we can hope for from the House is basically nothing. The Democrats will retain control of the House of Representatives and Nancy Pelosi will remain Speaker. The hard-Left Marxist base of the Democratic Party has expanded now, and Pelosi will be under increasing pressure to take the House, and the Democratic Party, further Left. Because the Democrats don’t control the Senate (yet), whatever Leftist legislation the House passes will be mostly symbolic. So there isn’t much left for the House to do other than make rhetorical arguments to the press, launch more special investigations against Trump, and probably try another impeachment or two. Outside of this, they’re basically a useless legislative body, so the only way to push their agenda forward is through rhetoric, symbolism, investigations and impeachments. Basically, at best, we’re looking at a repeat of the last three years, but probably worse.

The Whitehouse could go either way at this point…

It is possible that Biden could win now. If that happens, he will last about six months before he will be replaced by Kamala Harris. There are more roads leading to his removal from office now, than there are for him completing his first term. (Completing a second term is not even within the realm of possibility for him, so get that out of your head.) He is clearly in mental decline, suffering from some kind of dementia, and is unfit for office. This could lead to his removal based on the 25th Amendment. It’s unlikely he will be able to withstand the pressures of the office for even a year. This is why I suspect he’ll be removed in just half that time. Then, of course, there are the Hunter Biden scandals, which are substantial, and will likely put even more pressure on Joe Biden to voluntarily resign for “health reasons.” I suspect his “friends” in the Democratic Party will urge him to do it, and if he should make it necessary they will do it for him by enacting the 25th Amendment, having a team of doctors declare him incompetent. A President Kamala Harris will be worse than a President Joe Biden, and Americans will soon learn what it’s like to have a true and unabashed Marxist as the commander-in-chief. She’ll make Barack Obama look like a conservative in comparison. The best we can hope for, should Biden win, is internal fighting within the Democratic Party, hampered by roadblocks in the courts. This will be the only way to slow the Marxist tide sweeping America.

If Trump retains the Whitehouse, his presidency is crippled. There is no possible chance of him pushing any conservative legislation in the Congress, there will be no substantial changes in the federal government, the swamp will not be drained, and he will have no clear mandate for a future agenda. What he will have, however, will be more investigations and probably another impeachment or two. The mainstream press will continue to tear him down, and the Democrats will accuse him of an “illegitimate presidency.” The best we can hope for, should Trump win, is more conservative judges in the courts, perhaps a few Supreme Court victories (which could be huge), and a president who continues to keep us out of senseless wars, as well as keeping us out of the globalist New World Order for as long as possible. Trump will have to do everything by executive order, as he has been, which means his legacy can be quickly undone by a future Democrat president. Perhaps the border wall will be completed, and perhaps more blue-collar jobs will return to the United States over the next four years. With a divided Congress, and Trump in the Whitehouse, at least there won’t be much Democrats can do to raise taxes on the middle class, and that will offer some level of stability for the next four years as well. In other words, the absolute best conservatives can hope for is four-more-years of the same daily grind we’ve been witnessing for the last three. This will not bode well for Republicans in 2024, as the American people will become tired of it, and ready to give-in to a Marxist Democrat in that election.

What can we expect now?…

First things first, expect riots. During this whole litigation mess, while the race to the Whitehouse is still yet undecided, we can expect America’s largest cities to burn. We can expect lawlessness in the streets and a rapid increase in crime. This is what happens when Democrats don’t get what they want now. This is the “new normal” for the Democratic Party. They have chosen to side with rioters, and that decision has solidified their trajectory toward outright Marxism. Apparently, the majority of Democrats are okay with that now, as the election results show, so don’t expect any kind of a mass exodus from the Democratic Party anymore. The Democrats are “down with Marxism.” They totally “dig it” now. Violence and mayhem will now accompany any election the Democrats lose, or an election where the winner is unclear.

There is only one thing conservative families can do in the face of this problem. Leave the big cities! If you’re conservative, or you have small children, and you find yourself living in a big city, get out! Your window of opportunity is closing rapidly now. Get out of these big cities before your property value plummets. Nothing good will happen in the big cities anytime in the foreseeable future. The same goes for anyone living in a deep-blue state. It’s time to leave. I left Southern California nearly 30 years ago, for rural Missouri, and it was one of the smartest things I ever did. Every year that passes only confirms this more.

If you find yourself in a deep-blue state, you need to understand some things. First, it’s never going to flip red. That chance was squandered last night. If Trump couldn’t flip your state red, nobody can. It’s over. You’ll never see conservative governance there again. Second, it’s not going to get any better — ever. If you’re holding out hope that things will eventually improve in your blue state, you’re living in a fantasy world. As I said, I realized this in Southern California nearly 30 years ago, and for 30 years I have watched my childhood home descend deeper into the Marxist abyss. There is no indication that anything will ever get better there, and it would be both illogical and unreasonable for me to hope otherwise. The entire State of California is rapidly descending into third-world nation status, and that is not going to change during my lifetime. Third, the only way out is out! If you ever want to know what it’s like to live in a conservative-red state, you’ll have to move to one and see. You’ll never experience that in a deep-blue state — ever.

What’s it like to live in a red-conservative state? Allow me to speak from experience. I’m a former California boy, who now walks the streets of my small Missouri town without fear. I can take walks late at night, and other than an occasional police officer asking if I’m okay, I am left completely alone. I have no fear of being mugged. I do carry a gun, but not because I feel like I need it. I don’t. I carry it just because I legally can, and I like that. A lot of people around here carry guns for the exact same reason. Missouri is a constitutional-carry state, which means if you don’t have a criminal record, you can carry a gun legally. You don’t even need a license or permit. This helps to keep crime rates down. In addition to plenty of police, who are well supported by the community, you never know who may be concealing a firearm. So if you’re a criminal, you’re taking a huge risk if you attack somebody randomly in Missouri. There’s a good chance you might get shot. What’s a criminal to do? In addition to personal safety, I enjoy the freedom of homeschooling my children without state supervision. We go on outings and little vacations year round. Most of that is to local lakes, streams and resorts. We take a family hike through the local forests at least once a month, if not more. Yes, I bring my gun for that too, but that’s just in case we meet a dangerous animal. After nearly 30 years of living out here, that hasn’t happened yet. I’m beginning to think it never will. My taxes are low. My state government is reasonable and unintrusive. I don’t have to worry about excessive regulations. As a result, gasoline is cheap. Housing is affordable. So are groceries and just about everything else. That’s what it’s like to like in a red-conservative state. Yes, the basic precepts of small-conservative government do work, and its good for the middle class. Missouri has a strong economy and a stable government. The only exceptions to this are in the big cities of St Louis and Kansas City, which are run almost entirely by Democrats. (I don’t leave anywhere near those places.) So if you live in a deep-blue state, you may want to consider moving to a red state soon. Time is running short.

Over the next four years, and beyond, practicing Catholics and Evangelicals can expect persecution in the United States. This is guaranteed. The only question that remains is “how much?” When I say “persecution” I’m not talking about being fed to lions, or losing our heads in guillotines. What I’m talking about is “soft persecution,” or what Americans might refer to as “discrimination” and “disenfranchisement,” coupled with random acts of violence against our churches and members of our communities. This has already begun in some places, and we can expect it to get worse. It is guaranteed to get worse in the deep-blue states (like California for example). Practicing Catholics and Evangelicals will find it increasingly more difficult to start or maintain a business, hold down a job, do internet commerce, establish a line of credit, and even open a bank account. This will happen as the Marxist Left continues to classify our communities as “extremist” and “hate groups.” We know that Kamala Harris already views the Knights of Columbus as a “radical and extremist” organization (essentially a “hate group”) that seeks to curtail women’s rights. She has suggested that members of this Catholic men’s fraternity should not be eligible to serve in public office, and she has voted accordingly. This is just a tiny foretaste of things to come. Regardless of who becomes president, Trump, Biden or Harris, this will be a growing problem in the years ahead, and it will be far worse in the deep-blue states than it will be in the red-conservative states. In fact, I think the red-conservative states are the only places where practicing Catholic and Evangelicals will have a relative safe oasis to practice their faith freely without fear of mob violence or government retribution.

A path forward, regardless of who wins the Whitehouse…

POLITICAL

• We must have an Article V: Convention of States. This is our ONLY hope against federal tyranny, regardless of the future. Demographics indicate a stronger Democrat (Marxist) turnout in future elections. Without a Convention of States, the Feds will rule the states with an iron fist. The only REAL way to fight back is through an Article V: Convention of States.
• Republicans need to refocus their strategy away from national politics and start working toward the goal of making the red states a deeper-red. Conservative states must enact more conservative laws, and safeguard fundamental civil rights (freedom of religion, speech, homeschooling, firearms, etc.) with state-constitutional amendments, litmus tests for state politicians, and enacting state-wide conservative education programs to help parents and schools teach the value of conservative politics to their children.

SOCIAL

• If you are a conservative Christian (Catholic or Evangelical) living in a deep-blue state, get out now. Your window of opportunity is closing fast.
• Start homeschooling your children, if you can. If you can’t, you’ll need to do some intensive indoctrination to counter their peer influence in public schools. Try to get them involved in church groups.
• Focus your energy on city, county and state politics and improving the quality of life in the red states.

SPIRITUAL

• If you’re Catholic, you need to plug into a Reverent Catholic Mass, and make this your parish home.
• If you’re Catholic, study both the New Testament of the Bible, and the Catechism. Use the Baltimore Catechism number 3 and number 4. Read both your New Testament and your Catechism every day.
• If you’re Catholic, pray the Rosary every day.
• If you’re Evangelical, focus on the New Testament, and study Church history, particularly study the first 500 years of Church history, and the writings of Christians during that time period.
• If you’re Evangelical, make sure you’re part of a church that teaches conservative moral views on sexuality and economics. Marxists tend to corrupt both.
• If you’re Evangelical, seek out and politically ally yourself with practicing Catholics who are traditional and conservative. (That’s less than half of all Catholics out there. So seek them out. They may be hard to find.)
• Whether, you’re Catholic or Evangelical, read my upcoming book “Are Catholics Christian? – A Guide to Evangelical Questions About the Catholic Church” (pre-order here). This will help us all find common ground.

Shane Schaetzel is an author of Catholic books and an Evangelical convert to the Catholic Church through Anglicanism. His articles have been featured on LifeSiteNews, ChurchMilitant, The Remnant Newspaper, Forward in Christ, and Catholic Online. You can read Shane’s books at ShaneSchaetzel.Com