REFLECTIONS ON ELECTIONS

NOTE: I wrote this piece at the end of the presidential nominating process but feel it is just as relevant after the election as it was before.

So the presidential nominating process appears to be all over but the shouting. The Republicans have Donald Trump and the Democrats have Hillary Clinton as their presumptive nominees. The nominating process has been the most vicious I’ve witnessed in my lifetime. I fear that the run up to the presidential election in November will plumb new lows of decency and discourse. 

But something has emerged during the nominating process that is significant, the emergence of two political movements that are challenging the status quo in both major parties. Of course, I’m speaking of the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders as political forces. The established parties dare not ignore the forces they represent if they want to remain viable. Politics as usual will not suffice. 

Of course it’s easy to make fun of the supporters of both men, and I’ve seen a lot of that during this cycle. It’s easy to dismiss Trump supporters as “racist” and “stupid”. It’s easy to dismiss Sanders supporters as “communist” and “naive”. But I implore everyone to pause and listen to the people behind the candidates. They have valid reasons for embracing them.

Many of the people supporting Trump are genuinely hurting. The loss of highly paid manufacturing jobs has stolen their hope and the hope they have for their children. When I was a kid growing up in Detroit a person without a degree, or even a high school diploma, could build cars for 40 years, raise a family, own a home, a car, a lake house, and put their kids through college. Not anymore. These people are struggling just to pay the bills. They also see rapid change in the societal institutions that helped define their place in the world. And they are frightened. Things they took for granted, like their Christian faith, the role of men and women, and the very definition of what a man or woman is, are no longer the bedrock of society. Is it any wonder they want to go back to where they felt safe? Is it unreasonable for then to embrace anyone who promises to bring back the America of their parents?

Those supporting Sanders are equally hurting. We baby boomers keep telling our kids that if they get an education and work hard they can achieve their dreams. This was true for us, but it’s not necessarily true for them. I see this in the struggles of my children and others in the so-called “millennial” generation every day. We’ve been telling them for years that they can have anything and be anything they want only to have their dreams and expectations dashed when they enter a globalized workforce. Many are returning to the nest because they are unable to live independent lives in the new reality. And, rightly or wrongly, they blame their predicament on us. They see a corporate structure that places profits before people. They see a government that that serves the interest of their corporate benefactors rather than the people they represent. And they rightfully call out the systemic inequalities in our economic and political systems and demand change. Is it any wonder they embrace someone like Bernie Sanders who promises to fight these unseen forces holding them back?

So as we grind towards the end of another presidential election cycle I’m asking everyone step back and think of the other guy. Before you send out that mean spirited tweet, before you post that inflammatory article to Facebook, think about the reasons behind another person’s positions. Treat them with respect and, especially for my Christian family, treat them with the love that Christ demands of us.