Picking a Candidate

Is it electoral time already?

It is hard to imagine how fast and furious the hype and speculation has come out of the liberal press concerning the 2008 elections. Of course, to understand the intense hatred of all liberal media for George W. Bush is to understand why the hype is so in-your-face. If they are not misrepresenting the progress of establishing democracy in Iraq, they are trying to focus upon what they hope will be their time in the presidential race. Either way, they want to shove George W. aside and move on. Someone has apparently forgotten to tell them that he is still president, fully vested with all the powers thereof, and conducting business so that this country remains free, so that those on the left can enjoy their drunken, litter ridden "save the planet" crusades and fund raisers at mansions of the godless and famous.

Well, election time for the top job is coming up within a year and a half, so it's not too soon to begin looking towards who you will vote for. As you are considering such things in such a timely fashion, here are some tips and handy thoughts that may help guide you on your way towards picking "your candidate."

1. Remember what we are: a Republic. Yes folks, we have a representative government, not a true democracy, even though there are many democratic-themed ways we do things. But as a true republic, we choose people to REPRESENT us, and our beliefs, values, and hopefully, virtues we all share. As such, the business of choice is all the more weighty, for in a republic, we are essentially electing someone to go and do their thing, provided they do their thing in a way that is consistent with what they said their thing was prior to election. An example of this going horribly wrong would be ol slick Willy - Bill Clinton. Posed as a moderate (were you fooled?) but proved to be a flaming liberal....even as that old battle axe Hillary pulled his strings. An example of this going right is our current president. Bush told the nation what he was, and dadgoneit, he has stuck to his principals. He has pulled precious few surprises, the latest being his unbelievably lenient take on immigration. Other than that, he has stuck pretty close to representing what he said he would represent.
2. Keeping with that theme, as you survey the candidates, you want to seek out someone who will be faithful to represent in office what they said they would represent in running for that office. This goes back to voting records, stances on certain issues, and an overall consistency in their stated values and virtues. We can all be wowed by persuasive speeches, but what you really want to find is consistency. That way, you can at least know what you are in for if your candidate prevails.
3. Reflecting your virtues. Please note that "values" are usually substituted for the word "virtues" in our society, but that's not all that surprising when you consider just how flakey some in our culture are. Values denotes a transient, personal take on what is right and wrong, while virtues alludes to those things that are good and honorable regardless of time or situation. Some candidates may "value" free choice, while another candidate may hold the sanctity of life as a virtue. Values change with situations, virtues do not. Hard work, honesty, accountability, responsibility, etc. are virtues, and so, does your candidate reflect those things that do not change for you?
4. True to America: Our constitution is not a terribly complicated document. Our country was established to promote religious and political freedom in a republic-based government founded upon real, true biblical principals. Inherent in that design was an understanding that personal responsibility would be key to making it all work. Mutual respect. Putting others first. The American spirit shines brightest when you see hard working people sacrificing for others. Is your candidate truly in line with the basic tenets of the constitution, or do they give you the feeling they would like to rewrite the whole thing? Do they really prize the wonder of democracy, or do they seem to long for another type of government, more reflective of other countries? It is incredibly naive to think that every presidential candidate is loyal to the basic foundational principals of this country.
5. Is this all they can see? The best leaders are those who have leadership thrust upon them, rather than those who seek it out with all their being. Now, no one is running for the office of the president unless they want the job, but some (AlGore, for example) reveal that without that position, their life has no purpose. If all a candidate can hope for or apply themselves to is the obtaining of an office, then if/when they get it, they will live to protect their position, rather than use their position to benefit the people of this great country. That is a simple fact. Anyone in a high position who can walk away from that position, is in a very favorable position to lead properly. Got it?
6. Finally, have you prayed about all this? Jesus said to His disciples that those in government are there by God's will, and we are to submit to their authority. In all of history, God has used both good and bad leaders to do His will, but that fact of sovereignty does not absolve us of the need to both pray and vote. This is number 6 on the list, but it should be # 1. However, you still need to be informed and think this all through logically as you pray for guidance. And while we're at it, let's all pray that God will give us a godly leader who will bring virtues and godly principals to the white house, in the hopes that we can remain a strong symbol of good and decency in this world.

Liberals love to show everything that burns or bleeds, but turn aside from their sadistic telecasts and look at the true America. Sure, we have problems, but we are also still a country comprised mainly of decent, hard working and conservative people who believe in virtues and in God. We give more than any other country in history, and our military is one of the strongest and yet most benevolent in history as well. We should be both thankful and proud to be Americans, and we must see the need to preserve this nation by being active in the political process. So, pray, and vote!