Elections have consequences, but one is not the end

The 2020 elections are this week and, depending on when you read this, may either be looming or recently completed.  As all of America makes its choices on who to lead us and who to trust to make key decisions for our cities, states, and nation, we should all remember the fundamental truth that elections have consequences.  For better or worse, the people who we choose this week will be making decisions that impact almost all parts of our daily lives.  Depending on who we elect, those decisions may differ dramatically.
To illustrate, consider the 2016 Presidential election.  The election of Donald Trump had massive impacts on our daily lives.  President Trump nominated three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court and many other judges throughout the country.  The difference in judicial philosophy between those President Trump appointed and those that would likely have been appointed by Hillary Clinton will almost certainly impact many areas of our day-to-day lives.  President Trump’s tax plans, spending priorities, foreign policy decisions, and handling of COVID-19 are all vastly different than what we would have seen under Hillary Clinton.  The same holds true for this election.  The administrations of Joe Biden and Donald Trump will make very different decisions on very important areas of our lives.  It is vital that voters make their preferences known.
This also holds true for our other national races and our state and local races.  The balance of power in the United States Senate may very well come down to a single Senator.  The difference between what bills could be passed with a Republican Senate as opposed to a Democratic Senate are significant.  Our state legislature will also have its decisions and solutions impacted by the candidates elected on Tuesday, not to mention the races for mayor, city council, and school board.  All of this is to say, as we have all heard a million times, it is important to vote.  The results of our votes have real world consequence.
At the same time, when the dust settles, many of us are going to be disappointed at the results.  The two party system lends itself to relative parity – at least on a national scale – and it is almost impossible for a single party to maintain control over an extended period of time.  Some candidates we believe in will lose, and sometimes in circumstances we believe are unfair.  We can mourn the results for a while, but even though every election is important, we should not let a single election lead us to despair.  Even good ideas sometimes fail to catch on the first time.  It is important that we learn lessons from elections, but it is also important not to overlearn them.  Just because a candidate or cause is unsuccessful in a particular race – and especially a particular close race – does not mean that the candidate or cause will be forever unsuccessful.  Elections are merely a reflection of a particular point in time.  They measure voter attitudes and enthusiasm in that moment, but as we can see by changing vote totals for candidates, voter attitudes change over time.  
One election will not make or break a particular party or cause.  It may result in better or worse policies in the short term, but it will not end the debate.  We will still have to carefully contend with the issues, keep an eye on our elected officials, and fight for what we believe in.  Victory does not mean that everyone – or even a majority – agree with a particular course, and our public officials should still be proactive in explaining their decisions and their rationale to the public.  A winning candidate one year may be a losing one the next.  Life will go on, even in the political sphere.  The political world is a series of battles, but it is doubtful anyone will ever win the “war.”  As we digest the results of this year’s election, let’s keep that in mind.  It may be painful.  It may be joyful.  It is certain to be important, but just as certainly, it is not the end.