Special Bulletin 08-2014

by Rick Joyner
 

     The news was shocking. Eric Cantor, the second most powerful Republican in Washington, was soundly defeated by a virtual unknown. Cantor is one of the two most visible faces of the Republican establishment. Cantor had vastly superior resources and far outspent his opponent in the Republican primary, Dave Brat.

What Does This Mean?

     Virtually everyone across the political spectrum is trying to figure out what this means. Because people tend to see what they want to see, we can expect this story to be spun in a myriad of ways that favor the different interests, but these takeaways are obvious:

• The Republican base and the Republican establishment are far apart and drifting further.

• The Republican base is rebelling against the establishment.

• The Republican Party cannot win a national election without its base being energized and mobilized.

• The Republican Party will not likely lose a national election with its base energized and mobilized.

• The biggest need of the Republican Party, if it is to win another national election, is unity.

     The biggest question is: Is this unity possible? The Cantor defeat is a major political earthquake along a major political fault line. It is as clear a warning as possible that this fault line is very active, and more devastating quakes are likely. How both sides of the divide react to the primary defeat of Cantor could well determine if unity is possible.

     If the establishment distances itself from Dave Brat and fails to support his race against his Democratic opponent in November, more devastating earthquakes are likely. If they do the right thing, hear the message, and start listening to the base instead of attacking it, this could be the beginning of a victorious unity.

     Many reported that the biggest reason for Cantor’s defeat was his seeming agreement with amnesty for illegal immigrants.  Exit poll interviews indicated that it was much more than that. It seems that Cantor’s biggest sin was to be “a Washington insider.” The Republican establishment is now viewed by the Republican base as a major part of the reason for the dysfunctional Federal Government.

     To the Republican base, the Republican establishment is now RINO—Republican In Name Only. The establishment has run their moderate candidates in the last two Presidential campaigns and lost. They lost to a candidate from the Democratic base, the extreme left. Obama was about as extreme a leftist as there was in the Democratic Party, but his message and agenda were clear. The Republican message has been muddy at best. A trumpet call must be clear for people to rally to it.

     The RINO opposition of John Boehner and Cantor while holding the purse strings of the government, arguably the crucial power of the government as intended by the Founders, did little to counter the spiritual, moral, economic, political, and military dismantling of America. This happened on their watch. Therefore, they are being held accountable just as much as the perpetrators.

     There are times when moderates are the candidates of choice and are likely to win. These are not those times. In times of great polarization, moderate voices are easily drowned out and have virtually no chance of inspiring people deeply enough to make a difference. We are in times when ultimate issues are being determined—issues that will have extreme consequences for our future.

     When ancient Israel fell into its deepest debauchery, the greatest prophets arose. As Elijah challenged Israel in its darkest hour, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions?” (see I Kings 18:21) America is now in a time when such boldness and clear distinctions are necessary.

     The Democratic Party base got their candidate elected and re-elected. In contrast, the Republican Party establishment often joins with Democrats to attack their base. Then the Republican establishment can’t figure out why the base does not mobilize for elections. This remarkable blindness has been at a terrible cost.

     Will the Republican establishment hear the message of Cantor’s defeat? The spin they put on it over the next few days will tell us a lot.

     Whether the Republican establishment hears the message correctly from Cantor’s defeat could well determine if the Republican Party has a chance to win the Senate in 2014, or the Presidency in 2016. The base is where the energy is for any campaign. If they are energized, they use it—contributing their resources, working in campaigns, getting the message out, and then getting voters out.

     The Republican establishment leadership has not led. They have just been trying to navigate a course that they think is politically expedient. This is not a time for politicians—it is a time for leadership! The establishment has not sounded a clear trumpet call, and then they wonder why no one is mobilizing. Cantor’s defeat was a clear trumpet call to them. The fabric of what made America the greatest nation on earth is unraveling.

     Multitudes are ready to rally to a clear trumpet call. They will not rally to a candidate who is just a little less liberal. If the establishment continues with its weak, indecisive compromising of clear conservative principles, then it is time for bold action. Boldness and decisive action is required if we are going to extract ourselves from the quicksand in which we are now sinking.

     What kind of bold action? If the Republican establishment continues to alienate its base, it cannot win a national election. Over the next few days we may see that a third political party is not just a possibility, but an inevitability. It may also be the only hope for the peaceful restoration of an honest, functional, and effective Federal Government that is essential if we are to remain a free people.