One of the odd phenomena of elections is how very often people in a given state or town pay close attention to and do right in nationwide elections, while either neglecting or mishandling state and local elections. This is one of the reasons a state will often go for a good, conservative presidential candidate, while simultaneously electing governors, judges, representatives, commissioners, and others who are diametrically opposed to the one they voted for at the top of the ticket.

In 2016 North Carolina went for Donald Trump for President, while at the same time electing a very liberal Democrat, Roy Cooper, as governor. Likewise, Michigan went for Donald Trump in 2016, and then two years later in the mid-term elections put the ultra authoritarian leftist, Gretchen Whitmer, in the governor’s mansion. The same thing happens with a fair amount of frequency in Senate races.

An old saying of politics is, “all politics is local.” And while there is a measure of truth in that, I believe a more accurate statement would be “All politics, even local, affects the entire nation.” Simply put, if we elect the right people for the job in far off Washington DC, and then elect liberal buddies and cronies locally despite the wider ramifications of that choice, we are very much throwing away any good that we did by voting right at the top of the ticket.

It all starts at the extreme local level. Every little township and community has elections. And while voting for “Susie Democrat” for town council may not seem to have national implications, a rising blue tide lifts all leftist candidates. In other words, picture every one of your votes for a local or state candidate as a cup of water to be poured either in the Republican lake or the Democrat lake; whichever lake you pour it into lifts the national “boats” higher, President, VP, Senators, etc.

People are easily swept up into a movement, even if they do not know what it is or whether it is right or wrong. The Bible itself gives credence to that, and in a political setting. In Ephesus, a huge brouhaha broke out over Diana of the Ephesians, and the fact that Paul’s preaching was “affecting the bottom line” of the idol business around her. The government ended up involved (including a really impressive yet unnamed town clerk) and it was a mess. But look at how the Bible describes it:

Acts 19:32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.

That describes modern politics to a T. A “movement” happened, everyone jumped in, and very few people even knew what was going on. That exact thing happens when candidates of the liberal side win local and state elections. Susie Democrat may be a fine lady, and reasonably level headed. But her win will help lift the candidacy of Billy Democrat, the avowed Socialist vying for the governor’s mansion, since “the momentum seems to be going that way.”

Refusing to vote for so called “good local” candidates who are flying under a liberal banner, of a liberal party, with a liberal choice at the top of their ticket, will take the wind out of the sails of any devils at the top of the ticket.

Another thing to consider is that, based on the very way our government was intentionally designed and codified in the Constitution, the states themselves have a tremendous amount of power reserved to them, and from the federal government. The tenth amendment is a great protection to the states in that. But that means that voting for a conservative President while voting for liberal governors and state officials builds a wall against the influence we voted for at the top of the ticket. We could literally vote Jesus Himself as President, and if we at the same time voted for Satan as governor, the Constitution would give Governor Satan more influence in our day to day lives than President Jesus.

People have found this out the hard way during the ill-advised lock downs of the states. The President fell into a trap, I believe by instituting the “fifteen day lock down” to begin with. Once that door was open, liberal governors, power hungry by nature (see: Cuomo, Whitmer, Newsom) grabbed hold of that and refused to let go. So we are now in day 215 of “fifteen days to flatten the curve.” The President, seeing what was happening, tried to call off the lock down. But the governors understood their power too well for that; Washington had no more say in the matter once that Pandora’s Box was opened. And that is how we ended up with a mish-mash of states, in near proximity to each other, with some opting to re-open, and others kept under draconian lock downs while people’s businesses die and their life savings disappear.

Far too many people do the oddest things during voting. Some vote only for President, and leave the rest of the ballot empty. Again, that causes the offices that really affect you the most on a day by day basis, the local and state offices, to end up being filled by bad candidates, who hold far more sway over daily issues than even the President himself. Others, as I have mentioned, vote for a conservative President and liberal governors and lower offices. It is much akin to patting yourself on the back with your right hand while socking yourself in the jaw with your left.

In North Carolina, it is my sincere hope to have Dan Forest as our next governor. He is a good and level headed man. By contrast, a group of pastors literally had to sue Governor Cooper just to have the “privilege” to go to the house of God and worship.

So whatever state you are in, go vote. And vote for every race on the ballot, don’t leave anything blank. And above all, vote at every level for conservative candidates who will then help to be a rising tide for conservative candidates all across the nation.

Pastor Bo Wagner can be reached by email at 2knowhim@cbc-web.org, and his books are available by clicking the “Store” link above.