Source: Religion News Service

By David Gushee

Let’s say that the vast majority of the polls are right, and Hillary Clinton wins the presidency rather comfortably on November 8. Let’s further posit that the Democrats take the Senate narrowly and the Republicans retain the House. What happens next? What is the fallout of this crazy election? Getting out my crystal ball, here are ten things that I predict will happen:

1. Donald Trump blames everyone but himself — biased media, voter fraud, disloyal GOP leaders, etc. Millions believe him. But instead of remaining in politics or marching on Washington, he starts TrumpTV, where he remains ubiquitous until 2030.
2. Paul Ryan remains Speaker of the House. Reince Priebus is bounced out of his role as head of the Republican Party. The Party remains divided between Trumpists and anti-Trumpists.
3. A group of political fundamentalist Christians declare the election of Hillary Clinton to be a fulfillment of scriptures associated with the End of Days. New Countdown-to-Armageddon calendars appear. Christ’s return is set for July 7, 2017.
4. GOP senators led by Ted Cruz threaten to block any Clinton Supreme Court nominee. The Democratic leadership pushes through rules changes preventing that from happening. Republicans cry foul. Democrats smile benignly.
5. Hillary Clinton proposes comprehensive immigration reform every year. It is blocked by the House every year.
6. Ted Cruz, Paul Ryan, and Mike Pence are anointed as the leading GOP candidates for president in 2020.
7. Two new liberal Justices are added to the Supreme Court. The one replacing Clarence Thomas cements a liberal majority for a generation. Despair deepens across Red State America.
8. Christian Right organizations continue their failed 40-year-old strategy of attempting to “take back America” by electing GOP candidates to high office. Their organizations continue to shrink in influence.
9. After her Inaugural Address, Hillary Clinton is attacked by activists for not being liberal enough.
10. Barack Obama writes an award-winning memoir based on secret journals he has been keeping since 2008. He and Michelle retire to Hawaii, Chicago, and Martha’s Vineyard.

So what do I really think about the events of this election year?

I think that Hillary Clinton ran a very smart campaign and made very few unforced errors, with “basket of deplorables” a notable exception. When she saw what was going on with her adversary, she decided to stay out of the headlines and make as little news as possible. This was smart, and disciplined.

I think Donald Trump winning the GOP nomination is one of the most amazing things ever to happen in American politics, and that we will be arguing about how it happened for a long time.

I think Donald Trump could have won the presidency if he had pursued a coherent strategy and were a person of disciplined temperament. But he did himself in, and after awhile he lost the persuadables he needed to win the election.

I think that Christians who are pursuing a partisan-politics strategy to bear Christian witness or bring social change have once again been used, abused, and embarrassed by politicians far shrewder than they are.

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