An Insightful Perspective

An African American pastor's thoughts on Barack Obama:  

http://stevemurrell.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/11/post-election-insights.html

Post-Election Thoughts

If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know we are disappointed in America's choice for president. However, life goes on. Here are some of our post-election thoughts (in true Glenn Beck fashion):

This is what we KNOW:

• God raises up one man and sets down another. He is sovereign among the affairs of men and He is still King of kings and Lord of lords.
• As Christians we are commanded to obey and pray for our leaders, to submit to their authority and to malign no man (though we will respectfully disagree with many).
• Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. The government is not the source of righteousness in a nation, the Church is. No matter who is in office, the Church has a responsibility to Righteousness.
  
• Conservatism is not dead. Personally I think it was a lack of well-articulated conservatism that lost the election. Hopefully, there will be a resurgence and a ground-swell of conservative voices and a party organized around them.
• There were some bright spots on election day: In California, Proposition 8 passed, defining marriage as one man and one woman and reversing the court decision that legalized gay marriage. Florida also adopted their own Amendment 2, defining marriage as one man and one woman.
  
• Barack Obama is our nation's first black president... an amazing thing when only half a century ago blacks couldn't even drink from the same water fountain as whites.
• Obama ran a brilliant campaign (with a little help from the media).
• Some pretty amusing things were said last night on TV and in the blogosphere. Two of my favorites: Brit Hume of Fox News when commenting on Joe Biden said "He is loquacious, nay, even garrulous." A friend's facebook status: "I hope socialized medicine covers post-election depression syndrome."

This is what we DON'T KNOW:

• How Obama will govern. Will he remain consistent with his far-left, liberal voting record and associations? Or will he do as he promised in his campaign and move toward the center in efforts to unite the country?
• If the Republican party will return to its conservative roots or continue its shift to the left.
• If our country has reached the point of no return in our slide toward Socialism.
• If abortion rights will increase or all limits be removed.
• If things like the Fairness Doctrine will be reinstituted (what is up with the liberal obsession with unjust "fairness"?).
• If electing Obama as the first black president is worth the chains he may place on his own people (and more). I believe several of the policies he has presented will further enslave people to poverty, or at least to himself and a big-handed government.

So that's it from us. What are your post-election thoughts?

Another Way

We here at The Sisters Wade have been pretty fed up with the lack of true conservatism among our politicians today. The Democratic party is WAY off... the Republican party is shifting farther and farther to the left. Socialism seems to be the buzz word these days, so let's shoot straight: Both parties are guilty of Socialism! Both keep implementing more central control. Both keep throwing federal money, bureaucracy and regulation at problems.

In this election cycle, I have heard more talk of choosing between the "lesser of two evils" than in times past. While liberals may have their long-awaited candidate of choice, I think it's clear to say that conservatives are anything but thrilled with theirs.

A two party system has been around in America pretty much from our inception (Federalists and Anti-federalists). Since the Civil War, the two parties in power today (Democrats and Republicans) have been the major political players. So what happens when we feel like we're losing our voice in the public arena?

Is there another way?

As conservatives, do we vote McCain in hopes of keeping Obama out of power and avoiding what could be extremely destructive social/economic policies, not to mention long-standing ramifications of liberal Supreme Court nominees? Do we stay home and hope our silence catches the ears of those who supposedly represent us in government; hope that the horrors of liberalism ignite a conservative revolution? Do we vote 3rd Party and perhaps stand beside a candidate who more closely espouses our worldview, regardless of his or her chance of winning?

These are questions we've been pondering. What do you think? We're interested in hearing how you've been wrestling through these things and reaching your decision in this very important election.

In case you're interested, here are two 3rd party candidates that we find appealing and noteworthy: Chuck Baldwin and Alan Keyes.

[By the way, I had a chance to hear Michelle Malkin speak tonight... Maybe she'll feature our blog on Hot Air someday. :)]

Suffrage

For me, a political science major and aspiring future player in politics, voting in this primary was a very interesting experience. Shockingly, as I drove to my district's polling locale, I was anything but excited about casting my vote due to the fact that I was anything but excited about any of the candidates. For the first time in my relatively short voting career, I was actually still unsure to whom I was going to give my much coveted vote as I pulled up to the building. I am a person of passionately strong convictions, and it is unnerving, to say the least, not to have a candidate to whom I can unreservedly give my full support.

Despite all of this, something else overcame me as I stepped behind that obtrusively cumbersome voting machine (is that still the best mechanism they have?). I think I experienced something akin to what the average male undergoes as they slip behind the wheel of whatever they consider the most exciting car to drive (sorry, I'm so automobile illiterate I can't even come up with a specific kind of car to insert to make my point). But this was exhilarating. I felt empowered. I, little ol' me, completely unknown by anyone who's anyone, was about to directly affect the future of one of the most influential nations on earth. Wow, what an amazing privilege! What a weighty responsibility. So many things flashed through my mind's eye in that instant...the people throughout our nation's history who gave their lives to give us this freedom; the people of Afghanistan, whom I had the privilege of knowing as they literally risked their lives to cast a vote in their very first election. They certainly know what I'm talking about.

I made one other observation on my way out, as my fellow poll-goers pinched our cheeks (and yes, I mean mine as well as my baby's)--I was literally the only person in the entire place under 65. Now I wonder, is that simply due to the time of day I voted, or does it say something else about my generation? Hmmm...