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The Most Important Selection of Our Lifetime
Joe Biden has announced he will select his VP by the end of the week. Many have said that this is the most important election of our lifetime, but Biden’s VP pick may truly be the most important selection of our lifetimes. Biden announced in March that his VP would be a woman and after the protests during June and July, most have assumed it will be a woman of color. There are at least three on the shortlist: Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Susan Rice, and Rep. Karen Bass from California.
Susan Rice, former Ambassador to the UN and National Security Advisor to President Obama may be sliding out of contention after Bill Barr’s announcement of a DOJ investigation into the Flynn unmasking hurt her chances. Harris is the strongest of the three but faces serious pushback from inside the Biden campaign. After a picture of Biden’s notes and a Politico mishap made it look like she was going to be the candidate, some Biden allies moved to prevent her from being the choice. Karen Bass is the least well-known of these three but has a lot of political experience. She is the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus and appears to be the least controversial of the top picks - despite the fact that she’s come under fire for praising Fidel Castro over the weekend.
Stacey Abrams has been high on Biden’s list, but her lack of political experience makes her an unlikely choice. Tammy Duckworth is the most likely choice of the second-tier candidates. A senator from Illinois, a disabled veteran, and an Obama administration veteran, she has risen in prominence after her feud with Tucker Carlson. Rep. Val Demmings from Florida is also in contention. She was one of the House members chosen to prosecute the Trump impeachment. Elizabeth Warren remains in contention, but the massive policy differences she would bring to the candidacy pose difficulties and she does little to gain Biden another block of voters.
Biden’s selection is especially important for two reasons: First, Biden is running as a coalition candidate between the liberal and progressive left, the two factions of the party. If he’s going to shoot the gap between Obama and AOC, his VP will be crucial. So far, he’s chosen candidates closer to the 2020 Left than to the Obama years. Second, Biden has announced he will not run for a second term, he would be the oldest president ever elected, and his mental fitness is questionable. If he cannot do the job, his pick will become an unelected president of the United States.
America’s New Pasttime
The re-opening has provided opportunities for more people to make corporate and individual statements in support of Black Lives Matter. Most notable, the major sports that have restarted have all gone to enormous lengths to show solidarity with BLM by kneeling for the national anthem, wearing shirts that have the slogan emblazoned on the front, having a “moment of unity” and vocal tributes, painting Black Lives Matter on banners and on playing surfaces, and doing interviews with players and coaches to name a few.
All of this serves as a demonstration that Americans overwhelmingly stand against racism and the death of George Floyd. At this point, it would be extremely difficult to find someone who didn’t support these causes. But many Americans are unsure of what else they might be endorsing. Several athletes have begun to defect from the monolithic support for Black Lives Matter over the difference between what that phrase means at face value and what the organization that stands behind it and the activists who are leveraging might want them to support.
In the NBA, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac was the first player to stand for the national anthem and refuse to wear the Black Lives Matter warmup shirt. Asked why he stood in the postgame press conference, Isaac responded, “I do believe black lives matter… I don’t feel like putting that shirt on and kneeling went hand in hand with supporting black lives… My life is supported by the gospel.” He used the opportunity to proclaim the gospel and talk about the importance of Christ in his life. He pointed out that racism is just one thing that plagues our society and that the answer for sin is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Trader Joe’s also took a turn standing up to the mob. Corporate activism has become ubiquitous as every product must be re-evaluated through the latest lens of politically correct speech. After several thousand people called on Trader Joe’s to change the names of some of their products, the company put an end to any hope that they would cave.
In a statement last week, Trader Joe’s offered an alternative narrative to charges of racism, “Decades ago, our Buying Team started using product names, like Trader Giotto’s, Trader José’s, Trader Ming’s, etc. We thought then—and still do—that this naming of products could be fun and show appreciation for other cultures.” They’re holding to a rare but important point in today’s politically correct culture - using names and emblems from other cultures can be appreciative, not racist. The pressure now is to view anything that points out a cultural difference to be appropriation at best, hatred at worst. But as Trader Joe’s points out, how else can you celebrate and enjoy diversity?
We should all take a lesson from the clarity of this statement: “We want to be clear: we disagree that any of these labels are racist. We do not make decisions based on petitions.”
There may be no better parable of this phenomenon than the Washington Football Team. The team formerly known as the “Redskins” had stood up to those who called for the team to drop their racist moniker for a decade before they finally reversed course after the latest round of heat - similar to the way Roger Goodell pulled a one-eighty on Collin Kaepernick this time around. But in today’s world, what can you change your name to?
I’ve often thought that if American’s were tasked with writing a new version of the Constitution right now, to serve our country in the future, we’d end up with a blank page. But I didn’t expect we’d have so much trouble naming a football franchise. Between all of the activist groups and the power they wield, no noun is safe, especially for a city like the nation’s capital. Given the time constraints, they will play this year as the “Washington Football Team.” It would be hard to think of a better parable of the impotence and counter-productivity of our culture right now.
Homicide rates have skyrocketed in America’s largest cities since June. In total, homicides have risen 24% in the nation’s 50 biggest cities this year. Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, Houston, and Los Angeles have the most cases and Austin, Chicago, Fort Worth, San Antonia, and Phoenix have seen the largest percent increase. This comes after the wave of defunding hitting police departments and new protocols for physical contact during police encounters. Law enforcement officials also point to rising gang violence during the lockdowns.
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Study Philippians
When Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians, he saw an opportunity for the Gospel in a difficult time. In this series, Terry Feix walks through the unique opportunity we have to see our world changed by the Gospel during these unprecedented times.
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Best Reads:
“When a Lesbian Atheist at Yale Came to Christ” - Becket Cook, The Gospel Coalition
This story, the author writes, offers “clear truths to a confused world,” and I just love stories like this. You hear almost every day about people who leave, modify, or ignore their faith in favor of their sexual preferences. We need to tell more of the stories about people who follow the biblical example of turning away from their former lives and following Christ. Of course, the Bible is clear that this is the course of every follower of Christ, but this topic is especially important to highlight. Many in the church have become convinced that sexuality is an exception: no change possible or necessary. But this is a total renunciation of the gospel and stories like this remind us of that truth. Rachel Gilson started her journey toward Christ by reading philosophy and coming across a copy of C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity. What a great reminder of the power of God to transform our lives.
“Forgiveness as a Political Necessity” - Jordan Ballor and Eric J. Hutchinson, Law & Liberty
Eventually, everything gets canceled, even Hamilton. This just goes to show that in the revolution, even the guillotiners go to the guillotine. But that’s exactly the lesson we should draw from this phenomenon: it’s impossible to live in a world without forgiveness. Why? Forgiveness is the lubricant for social and political life. We cannot function in a society that believes in moral absolutism: one racist tweet by today’s standards and you’re marked forever. Not only is this an entirely wrongheaded view of human nature, even the keepers of cancel culture can’t live up to their own ideals. Instead, we should step back and point out that there’s a better way to treat each other. Forgiveness comes as we treat other people the way we want to be treated and it opens the possibility for progress in the future. Of course, we practice forgiveness because we’ve been forgiven by God, but we might also think about the impact teaching forgiveness to others could have on the world around us.
“The Captive Mind and America’s Resegregation” - Andrew A. Michta, The Wall Street Journal
How does all of this cultural upheaval end? At some point, someone is going to have to put a stop to the unrest in America either by force or by acquiescence. The Republicans seem to be failing with force, the Dems look like they’re going to try acquiescence. One of the most concerning trends in this brewing cultural revolution is that the Democratic Party, for their assurances that they are not be identified with radical left-wing groups have gone utterly silent on drawing the line between themselves and these left-wing groups. How far is too far on the left? The cultural architects on the left aren’t just the ones continuing to riot in L.A. or burning Bibles in Portland, they are the ones policing speech, changing names, and rewriting history. Michta rightly points out that if we’re not allowed to call things what they actually are and debate things that have actually happened, we’ll have no ability to fend off the coming revolution. This is one of the few clear-eyed, sharp, and incisive summaries of what’s happening on the far left and what their goals are. The solutions to are problems will all come from honesty, truth, and reason, not by giving in to the thought policing of the mobs.
“How the Media Could Get the Election Story Wrong” - Ben Smith, The New York Times
I don’t think it’s a partisan talking point to say we may not know the outcome of the election in November. Whether that will be a week or a month is up for debate. But if the primary elections are any preview, especially what happened in Iowa and New Hampshire, it could be a long time. Then there’s the problem of self-fulfilling prophecies. People on both sides have been talking about foul play in the elections, either by mail-in voting or by the President’s refusal to honor the results. Either take could be construed as proof of misbehavior in hindsight. What Smith highlights, maybe inadvertently, is the media’s role in all of this. No matter what happens with the voting process on election day, the media will have played a large role in stoking fears and fringe theories leading up to it.
“Free Speech Prevails at Princeton” - Robert George, First Things
“Here are two important, and related, questions: Can we debate issues pertaining to race while honoring principles such as freedom of thought and expression that are essential to the maintenance of a democratic republic? Will our intense disagreements over such things as monuments and defunding the police destroy what Lincoln called “the bonds of affection” that enable us to recognize one another as fellow citizens—not mortal enemies—despite our differences?” Robert George has been a national treasure for the last few months, and this article proves it. We have to be able to debate important issues under the assurances of free speech. He relates the story of Joshua Katz at Princeton and how the censorious mob was eventually put down.
George’s conclusion is worth reading and re-reading: “What should these two academics do about their disagreement? What they should do is what the two of them are in fact doing. They should respect and honor each other’s right to speak his mind. They should state their positions and give their reasons. Each should engage the reasons and arguments presented by the other. They should lay the evidence supporting their positions before any and all who wish to follow the debate, and let those who are following it decide where the truth lies, who has the superior view.”
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