I had hopes for this presidential campaign. I had hopes that it would be a vigorous discussion of the issues so important to our future. I had hopes that it would be a close but fair examination of which candidate would be best able to address those issues. I had hopes that we had seen the last of Karl Rove type politics based on character assassination, lies told with unashamed confidence, avoidance of difficult issues, and distortions of every kind, but that does not seem to be the case.
The Republicans appear to be running a campaign along the lines of one of those reality shows where the winner is the one who, with obvious pride, can outwit the others through devious, underhanded ways. It may be that responsible news reporting and analysis are doing a decent job of revealing all of that to the public, but my sense is that the public is not paying much attention. The public appears to be absorbed with talk radio and Fox television hosts who pander to Rove style politics with absolute delight. It’s certainly more entertaining than listening to the considered and thoughtful response of someone actually interested in the issues and the well being of the nation.
So as far as hope goes, I don’t have much right now. I figure we will elect a man who may have many years of government service but has progressed little, who will continue economic policies that are driving us into the lower ranks of the developed countries, and who has demonstrated that, in spite of years in Washington and military service, he doesn’t know beans about foreign policy. His vice president will be a ideologue whose short time on the national scene has been filled with calculating deceptions of every kind.
My friend Don will smile and say all of this is just so much whining from another liberal Democrat who knows he’s losing again, but I’m really a pretty conservative Independent, and what I see is a Republican machine that is undermining the foundation of the nation in the pursuit of power and position, and that values little and has less use for legitimate democracy.
….and I fear the same! Let not our fears defeat us nor stop us from voting for the right person nor deter us from speaking from our deep and honest trust that hope, reconciliation, peace and honesty will prevail in this election.
Here in Texas, we get no visits from the candidates for President. The state is in the Republican bag. Alas, my vote will have no value. No matter for whom I vote, the conclusion has been reliably predicted. :-(Oh, but they do still count the votes in the good ol\’ US of A. At least in most places here in Texas, they do count votes. The manipulators and fear mongers have not corrupted the entire system. Hmm? I think I\’ll go ahead and vote. Sometimes the predictions are wrong. I can continue to hope so.And here is my little contribution to the political rant:The choice of Palin is held up as an example of the astute judgment of John McCain and his advisers. That\’s scary. I don\’t want a Commander in Chief who complains about the lack of experience of his opponent and then chooses a neophyte who uses political power to fire or bully those who disagree with her wisdom, which she considers to be divinely inspired. What is more scary is that she could ascend to the Presidency.I\’ll rant no further in this comment. It is your blog, not mine. (However, I do appreciate getting to use your forum.)Thanks for using sharing your rant. I find your offerings to be worthy of careful consideration. Their basis in study, experience, and thoughtful analysis shows in the eloquent presentations. D
I do not think the outcome of the election is a foregone conclusion. It\’s not at all certain that Republicans will prevail.I always dislike campaign season. The rancor and rhetoric generally overwhelm any real public discussion of issues or plans to effect change.I don\’t think that will ever change – such partisanship seems to be a very human attribute.Jesus, of course, is neither a liberal nor a conservative; not a Democrat nor a Republican.I don\’t think he can accurately be described as a moderate; dying on the cross to save his enemies is too extreme an act.He wouldn\’t qualify as an independent, a libertarian, and obviously, not as an anarchist.Not only all of this, but, because he has the advantage of being God, he is always correct about everything!And yet he is love.Please, God, help us to remember Jesus and his ways as we hold our discussions, make our decisions and cast our votes.
I do not think the outcome of the election is a foregone conclusion. It\’s not at all certain that Republicans will prevail.I always dislike campaign season. The rancor and rhetoric generally overwhelm any real public discussion of issues or plans to effect change.I don\’t think that will ever change – such partisanship seems to be a very human attribute.Jesus, of course, is neither a liberal nor a conservative; not a Democrat nor a Republican.I don\’t think he can accurately be described as a moderate; dying on the cross to save his enemies is too extreme an act.He wouldn\’t qualify as an independent, a libertarian, and obviously, not as an anarchist.Not only all of this, but, because he has the advantage of being God, he is always correct about everything!And yet he is love.Please, God, help us to remember Jesus and his ways as we hold our discussions, make our decisions and cast our votes.
Sorry about posting twice! Don\’t know how I managed that.
Geezer dude made a good point that in Texas, as in many states, one party is so dominant that rarely can one\’s vote for another party have any effect. That is as true of dominantly Democratic states, like California, as for the dominantly Republican ones, like Texas. Henrik Hertzberg, the political writer for the New Yorker, has in both election aftermaths recently, decried the whole idea of the Electoral College, where, by the disputed wisdom of the Founding Fathers, each state\’s whole electoral vote goes just to the winner in that state, even if a very narrow margin. There is a ballot measure in California to count the electoral vote by the winner in each congressional district, which, ironically, is a measure opposed by the Democrats, as being too democratic!
Firefly,You may enjoy reading John Howard Yoder\’s book, \”The Politics of Jesus.\” Yoder, now deceased, was a Mennonite who taught for many years at Notre Dame. His various students and colleagues have spread out all over the country and have become some of the most important thinkers in the realm of Christian moral theology.CP
I\’m afraid I feel the same way you do, Country Parson. Even Barack seems to have given up hope. Sad!
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