And the winner is ....

On November 4th, several friends came over to our house to watch the election night returns.  It was truly a historic event.  It was neat to see so many people who felt like their vote really mattered.  

When Barak Obama came on  the scene at the Democratic National Convention four years ago I, like most of you, recognized his star qualilty.  As he entered this year's race and appeared in the Democratic debates, it was evident that not only did he have star quality, but he was a great communicator.   His calm, cool and collected demeanor draws you into his conversation. His message of hope resonated with millions of Americans who feel as though our economic situation teeters on hopelessness.   

Since the vote was counted, pundits have attempted to figure out why Barak Obama won and John McCain lost.  To me it's evident.   Barak Obama was able to articulate a vision and John McCain failed to do so.  If you ask the common Joe what an Obama administration will bring to America, they will say, "Change."   Over and over, Obama proclaimed the concept of change ... a change in our economic strategy, a change in our defense strategy, a change in our tax strategy and so forth.   

What did John McCain communicate?  Hmmm.... that Obama was too risky for America.  Well, that maybe true, but John McCain failed to communicate a vision that was clear enough for Americans to rally around.   In retrospect, John McCain should have waved the banner for lower taxes and less governement.  He should have communicated a passion for personal responsibility and moral integrity.  He should have stood up for the rights of the unborn.

If a leader is going to inspire his followers to move forward, then the vision must be clear. Obama won the vision race and thus won the Presidency.  McCain was unable to communicate a conservative message because he wanted to "cross the aisle" so much that he weakened his message.  In some ways, we had two Democrats running for President this time.  The Democrat that communicated a compelling vision won.  Congratulations Barak Obama.  May God bless you and may you build your leadership team on the principles of God's word.

Deuteronomy 28:13-15

13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.