We lost because…

November 8, 2010

It may never end! Innocent me: I thought that I’d take my own advice, and vote. They’d count the ballots, winners would be declared, and the newly elected would go home and pack…

No way, pal. The leaders may be packing, but the losers are doing interviews trying to explain why the voters veered the other direction. Talk about spin! “We lost because we didn’t tell them how well we were doing?” The last two years has been a 24/7 campaign speech…

One of the best stories of the election of 2010 is in today’s Newsweek; it features Tim Scott, the newly elected congressman from South Carolina’s First Congressional District.

Tim Scott’s bullet points:

Republican. Newbie. Owns an insurance brokerage. Single. Christian. Conservative. Tea Party. Black.

The Newsweek reporter asked Scott about his core message. His answer: “Faith in God. School choice and vouchers. And private enterprise. I want people to know that the American Dream is still alive and well, and I’m living proof.”

From the article: “When Scott was a teenager he was befriended by John Moniz, the white owner of a local Chick-fil-A restaurant. ‘He became my mentor,’ Scott said. ‘He taught me about self-discipline and self-sufficiency. Most important, he gave me confidence that I could think my way out of poverty. Not play football, but think.'”

“He was an indifferent high-school student, but he won a partial football scholarship to Presbyterian College. As a freshman he began reading the Bible seriously for the first time. ‘I read for three or four hours every day for eight months,’ he said. ‘By the time I was finished, I was done playing ball. I realized that God had a different plan for me.’ He transferred to Charleston Southern University and got a degree in political science.”

“Scott left school with two goals – to become a businessman and get elected to office – and he has done well at both. His insurance agency has five employees and has taken him from a net worth of zero to ‘somewhere north of $750,000.’ In 1995, at the age of 29, he was elected to the Charleston County Council. After 13 years in office, he ran for and won a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives…”

Tim is a member of Seacoast Church in Charleston, a thriving evangelical outpost in suburban Charleston. I haven’t met him (yet), but I’m impressed…

And, his story is refreshing! In a state where the governor became famous for his Argentine mistress, Tim is a lifelong bachelor who spends his weekends with his family and friends. On Saturdays, he drives his 89 year old grandfather – a retired carpenter – to construction sites; on Sundays, he attends church, and then has a standing lunch date with his mother. A congressman with an average life…

Allow me to highlight four key scenes from Tim’s publicized life. First: his boss at Chick-fil-A, who used his business to establish redemptive relationships. Second: Tim’s commitment to seriously study his Bible, leading him to understand life from a biblical worldview. Third: his decision to pursue empowerment rather than entitlement and work his way into the future. And, fourth: his active involvement in a local church community.

Success and achievement don’t just happen; there’s always a recipe that leads to notable outcomes. For better or for worse, consequences follow patterns of behavior. Tim Scott’s got my vote, and I’m not even in his district!

May the good guys and gals win…

Bob Shank