Voting - Some Thoughts
My first vote for President was cast for Jimmy Carter, when I was 18 years of age. He was a grassroots candidate with a big smile who preached the mantra of change, and I believed it. I was a freshman at Samford University especially drawn to Carter's willingness to express his Christian faith. I was told he came to the school at the beginning of his campaign and hardly anyone showed up to hear what he had to say. Now people were listening. Since faith was at the forefront of my life, my ears perked up whenever he broached the subject. He told us he was “born again” and I nodded with approval. He confided he lusted after women, but only in his mind. I could relate! He was member of a small Baptist church. It became the focus of unwanted attention when the national press discovered it was exclusively white in membership, a fact of life about rural churchs for all of us in the South, but apparently not so acceptable to much of the rest of the country. In the coming weeks, a black radical pressed the church for membership. Carter got on the phone to encourage the church leadership to acquiesce. The pastor resigned. The petitioner was voted into the church fellowship, although I'm rather sure he did not prove to be active in attendance. And, Jimmy Carter moved on to be elected President. I think he was a good man. I voted for him twice.
My record for selecting the president has been about 50%. For what it's worth, here are my votes:
Carter, Carter, Mondale, Bush, Bush, Dole, Bush, Bush
Interestingly, I at the time I never voted for a man whom I now highly respect, Ronald Reagan.
My wife and daughter are in line, right now, to cast their votes. To my chagrin, one of them promises to counter my vote!
Yesterday I conversed with a lady who told whom she wanted to see elected as President. I asked her why, and she said she just liked him. So I asked her to name one issue, just one, in which she agrees with her candidate. She could not! Later I discovered she would most likely not even vote. That is probably good! An uninformed electorate, making decisions for surface and shallow reasons, is dangerous. That's likely why our founding fathers made sure we would be a Representative Republic, and not a pure Democracy.
If my preferred candidate does not win this election, I am going to do my best to behave with a modicum of dignity and class in the aftermath. As best I can, I am not going to be bitter and angry. I am going to wish and hope for the best. America has some serious problems, and extreme political partisanship is right at the top of the list. Both of these guys end their rallies by saying “God bless America!” I am going to cast aside my skepticism, and believe they truly mean it.
Finally, here's Bible verse that makes sense to me, and why I always have hope even in political matters:
Proverbs 21:1 (NRSV)
1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.
11.04.08 (8:45 am) [
edit]
posted by:
squirrelzone (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (7:10 am)
I think if my preferred candidate does not win this election I will no doubt through a fit most likely within the confines of my house. Then, I will shake it off and go about my business and hopes that the citizens of this great nation with all of it's problems will move forward and not wind up in some sort of bread line.
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (7:21 am)
I was mulling it over in how I would respond to this post and when I clicked to 'voice my opinion' ~ ta-daaaa, here it is put so eloquently by SZ ~ my thoughts exactly!!!
I voted ~ and now I will wait as the rest of us, for the final outcome.
Good day to y'all!
posted by:
Ladyg (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (7:22 am)
I am voting for the person of my choice but i do ultimately believe that it is all in God's hand.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (7:30 am)
Reply to: squirrelzone
Throw a fit! Yep. The key, as you have said, is to do so in private and therefore not say and do things you will later regret. Then, hopefully, we can conduct ourselves in public with at least a little bit of grace. Thanks.
Seems, according to the press, the election in your part of the country is a foregone conclusion. I'd like to see some surprises, to embarass the press and their prognosticators.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (7:32 am)
Reply to: auntconi
I'll be going to vote at about 2:00 today. The line will likely be long, with me and the rest of the folk who have flexible schedules, Senior Citizens, the unemployed, and those who do not want to be employed. We'll all have a party as we stand in line.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (7:33 am)
Reply to: Ladyg
It's a mystery. I believe in choice, that the President will be chosen by the voting public. Yet, God being sovereign can certainly accomplish His purpose no matter who will be elected.
posted by:
squirrelzone (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (7:36 am)
Reply to: PastorDave
All we have to do is look back and see that we as Californians get douped all the time by our political leaders. Take our Governor for example....really, please take our Governor.
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (7:37 am)
Reply to: PastorDave
:)
"God being sovereign can certainly accomplish His purpose no matter who will be elected..."
Yes.s.s.s!!!
Amen, Amen, A-Amen!
posted by:
sebastianjoshua (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (7:38 am)
FINAL COUNTDOWN... hmmm
p.s:- lets go for vacation after the election :-)
posted by:
fractalmom (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (11:01 am)
well said PD.
me, if my preferred candidate doesn't get elected, oh gosh, I just hope he does LOL. at the worst, I will pull the girls out of public schools for the next four years which are very formative ages.
we shall see what we shall see I guess.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
11.04.08 (2:13 pm)
Reply to: kurtmaddox
I can only hope you miscast your votes in California, where the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
