How will you feel on Wednesday morning if your man doesn't win? I actually worry for my friends on the Left. I've worked with them during the last two presidential election cycles and I have to say there is so much pent up anger and ferocity toward an administration they believe to this day stole the 2000 election in Florida. I'm afraid they will literally have an aneurysm is Obama doesn't win. I also feel a similar concern, though not as much, for some friends on the Right who have too much stock in politics.
Sure I care about it. That's why I fight hard for it. And why I'll be happy to go early and slam the lever down for a candidate I don't necessarily trust. But then again, I don't trust government in general. I believe government is good and necessary. But I do not believe that government is the solution to our problems. I have far less trust in the human beings who wish to run and grow government. So, yes, I suppose you could say that for me, government is a necessary evil. And this election is the choice of the lesser of two evils, with my criticisms of John McCain being outpaced by my criticisms of Barack Obama.
But on Wednesday morning, God will still be on the throne of the heavens. Earth will still be his footstool. Jesus Christ will still save. The Holy Spirit will still comfort. The Word of God will still speak. The Church will still be triumphant as it always has been. And the real government...the one that really matters...will still rest on His shoulders. That will never change, no matter what the tide of earthly politics rolls.
A colleague of mine who is an Obama-supporter defended his choice by saying "this man can be such an agent of change that we need". I kind of feel bad for him. Because I don't have the same view of John McCain. I'm certainly not going to put stock in Barack Obama. I'm afraid my friend is setting himself up for a great fall by putting so much trust in a human being. But then, folks on the Left really do see government as the solution to our problems. Perhaps that's why they are so incredibly angry and bitter when they lose.
Don't get me wrong. I'll be far more concerned for my country, my family, and our future under an Obama presidency. And I'll be as annoyed by the pomposity and presumptiveness as I've always been. But unlike Leftists who threaten to leave the country if their candidate doesn't win (but never do), and who can't help but gloat when their guy or girl wins, I won't be slitting my proverbial wrists over the outcome. And I won't be threatening to riot in the streets.
The only thing that will change for me is the target of my criticism. It will either be Obama or McCain. Tomorrow...or the next day...or next week (can we really go through that again?) will prove who it will be. I'm already taking aim.
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5 comments:
Amen.
Just before the last election blogger Jeff Jarvis posted Posted a post election "pledge" of four commitments:
After the election results are in, I promise to:
• Support the President, even if I didn’t vote for him.
• Criticize the President, even if I did vote for him.
• Uphold standards of civilized discourse in blogs and in media while pushing both to be better.
• Unite as a nation, putting country over party, even as we work together to make America better.
Thanks for the reminder,Darren.
Peace!
Hi Darren,
I've been challenged by someone who reads your blog to add to my previous comment; to finally fully disclose who I voted for.
I have never voted for a democrat presidential candidate (though I have for other offices. Until today. I'm not a liberal, but there you go; a conservative for Obama.
Peace!
Ron,
I had already guessed as much. I look forward to hearing how you arrived at that decision. But I wouldn't recommend trying to do that here since I'm sure it is a very complex reason. I hope the "challenge" was respectful. I don't personally know everyone who reads it as you know.
Congratulations on your candidate's victory.
Darren
Hi Darren,
I appreciate the sentiment behind the congrats, but I really am quite sober about all this at the moment. This is the first time I've ever voted for a Dem for Prez, and to be frank, though my conscience is clear, it was my hope that I would see and hear what I needed to make a different choice, but alas...(at least for me). I agree that I shouldn't spend a lot of time on the blog explaining the reasons, and I'm also not emotionally prepared to explain it anywhere to anyone in any detail at the moment. But my reasons are not too complex and can mostly be summed up in these points:
I agree with what Colin Powell said about the candidates (they were my sentiments before his appearance on meet the press).
I am very concerned about aspects of an Obama Presidency, but despite the concerns about socialism, I have a greater concern for the potential neo-fascism that is on the rise, especially within some segments of religio/politico conservativism. This also should be of grave concern to Christians and yet there is silence, or worse, they defend it and that frightens and disheartens me greatly.
Sarah Palin (see above).
The reformer Martin Luther said, "I would rather be governed by a smart Turk than a dumb Christian". I don't believe that any of the candidates were dumb; all were smart to greater or lesser degree, and that weighed in on my decision.
There are other more intensely personal and devestating reasons based on personal experiences that I see repeated and reflected in the GOP, that I'm still processing.
Peace, My Friend!
It's interesting. I have the same concerns about the radical left and some of the afro-centric power groups. Jeffrey Feldman wrote an interesting piece on the Huffington Post "Palin Rallies Ignite Widespread Talk of Fascism". I would agree with him that the term is misapplied in her case. That's not to excuse the inappropriate comments made by some in the crowd. Good piece you sent by the way. Thanks.
Blessings,
Darren
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