Is God a Liberal Democrat?

I don’t know.  But one has to wonder, for Hurricane Sandy certainly didn’t help the Republican cause.  

According to CNN exit polls, 42% of those voting considered President Obama’s response to the East Coast disaster as an important factor influencing their ballot.  And those voters favored the incumbent more than three to two. 

What did the President do to receive such high regard?  He traveled to New Jersey to be bear-hugged by Republican governor Chris Christie, made promises of federal aid, and left promptly thereafter for a campaign event.

Whether Hurricane Sandy resulted in Obama’s re-election by a 51% - 48% margin, only He knows.

I cite this exit poll result to pour gallons of water on the post-election handwringing by those on the right and the mandate claims from the left. 

Whether an act of God cost Romney the election cannot be definitively answered by us mortals.  And the same can be said about myriad factors:  immigration policy, media bias, a slight uptick in economic news, the Democratic class warfare propaganda and the GOP’s lack of an effective counter, the President’s superior get-out-the-vote effort, etc.

What we do know is that the electorate remains closely divided and has been for decades.  In 2008, the Democratic nominee received 52%; President Obama got 51% this time.  In fact, the last time the Democratic nominee received more than 52% of the national vote was in 1964 (LBJ’s landslide).

So maintain perspective when evaluating the disappointing outcome.  It is doubtful that the results were a rejection of the conservative perspective or the dawning of a leftist America.  The impact of Romney’s loss, however, should not be underestimated.

The expansion of big government of the past four years will not be undone, taxes will go up, the economy’s recovery will remain anemic due to regulatory restrictions and the implementation of Obamacare, and our dependence on foreign energy will increase. 

Have a nice day.