After Decision 2024: What the Election Results Really Mean for America

I wanted to let a few days go by before I voiced my thoughts regarding the 2024 election. As you can plainly see, there is a wide array of opinions being noised abroad. In some sense, you can literally see the reactions are a mirror of what we saw in 2016, if not slightly less vitriolic. I believe that there are several take-aways that we can glean from this election and they should be noted and considered for how we should proceed in these next four years. 

It’s Not an Indictment Against All Black Women 

The first thing that we should understand about the outcome is that the results of this election are not an indictment against all black women. People want to believe that the election results mean that people hate women and more directly, black women. The reality of the election is that people in general just want a competent, credible, authentic, and capable person, regardless of gender or ethnicity. Much of the voting populace did not find the presented candidate to meet that standard. They saw how voting that way in previous elections resulted in working against their own interests.  So, repeating a mistake was not about her so much as it was about what was best for them. 

It’s an Indictment Against Failed Policies 

The dichotomy between the last four years and the previous administration could not be clearer. People could plainly see the difference in leadership and could clearly determine what type of leadership should carry this nation forward. This time around, there will likely be less resistance for the incoming administration as there is now an alignment in all three branches of government at the federal level. In previous generations, you could have still had cooperation even when things weren’t so singularly aligned throughout, but so many games were being played that those in power forgot that they were there to serve the people rather than themselves. This time, it will be because of this alignment that there will be a greater ability to work the work that all were sent to do. 

It’s an Indictment Against a Shifting Culture 

Another thing that we can see is that there is a clear indictment against a shifting and sliding culture. The country has been in a cultural, ethical, spiritual, and moral decline. Those who see this decline as detrimental to the future and stability of the nation chose to stand for solidifying and assuring that stability. Parents want to know that their children are safe in the classroom, and in their neighborhoods, and that their parental authority is not going to be usurped by legislation and covert curricula. People want to know that their businesses can be run as they see fit, with minimal restrictions, or regulations, and won’t be taxed into oblivion. Those who work 9-5 type jobs want to know that their paychecks are actually theirs and not going to be taxed to be sent across the globe but used to support the interests that exist at home first. 

The Nation is not as Divided as Reported 

If there is one thing that we can take away from this election, it is that contrary to the mainstream media's opinions and reports, the nation is not as divided as they would have you believe. The metrics bear out that nationally, the election was won not just by the electoral college but also by the popular vote. The numbers reveal that larger numbers of people of every race, gender, and educational background all increased for the winning candidate. If you look at the map breakdown by counties, even in states where the state was won by Vice President Kamala Harris, the greater portion of that state was carried by President-Elect Trump. 

Where there is division, it is among a fringe group of people who have been so stuck on what they’ve been told to believe that they are unwilling to consider the reality of what is but rather cling to the facade that has been shrouded over them. 

I was listening to a podcaster several days ago who stated that when you look back at history, you will notice that there were three groups of people during the American Revolution; those who were for independence, those who were against it, and those who simply didn’t want to rock the boat. Likely, America is still much like this when it comes to elections. Some supported Kamala, many who didn’t, and those who simply couldn’t or wouldn’t decide either way (for whatever that reason might be). 

At the end of the day, the person chosen to lead this country has had four years to prove himself in office, whereas the person who was not chosen failed to show enough to the voters that she could. Healing the nation will require people who are willing to take things as they are and move forward to live their lives focused on what they can contribute to a flourishing society. We the people of the United States are now in a position for the next four years. What we focus on in the next four years should not be about who won or who lost but how we can make the most of what this election has presented us with the opportunities that it provides. 

We all still have to live, work, and create our own futures with what has been presented to us. The question I want to ask is what do you really want these next for year to be as a result of the outcome of this election? If you voted for Kamala, will you spend the next four years sulking, or will you push ahead, knowing that it’s only four years? If you voted for Donald Trump, will you spend your time celebrating, forgetting that the next four years is but a short time in which to get certain things done? 

We all have work to do, that extends far beyond the election outcome. We must focus on improving our lives and the lives of those around us. Bitterness, pride, and ego must be quelled so that we are not tainted from making the most of what is before us. I pray that we all see the positives and work to minimize the negatives. We can still be a united country if we truly look beyond the rhetoric and noise. There truly is more that we have in common than what separates us. Let’s live like it.