Choosing a President

As in every other presidential election, it is a difficult task to chose a president of the United States. Debates and interviews are artificial and superficial at best. Candidates are long on rhetoric and short on specifics. It’s also amazing what isn’t said, especially concerning the “hot button” issues that are important to those on both the left and the right (such as abortion, gay marriage, hate crimes, etc.) I was unimpressed by last night’s debate (Oct. 7).

Both candidates seem to be men of character. We know McCain is a man of principles and a war hero who has dedicated his life to public service, and votes his conscience. We know Obama is a family man who cares about his wife, kids, and country, and has also spent much of his life in some sort of public service. Therefore, we have to look at where each candidate is coming from in order to make an informed decision.

Obama is definitely “liberal” meaning he subscribes to all the policies and principles followed by the Left. He is pro-choice, against even parental notification, he is for gay marriage, for hate crimes legislation, for more government, and is an internationalist. Joe Biden is also a liberal, and we have both houses of Congress controlled by Democrats. Therefore, if you lean to the Left, Obama-Biden is your team, because between Obama and Congress, the liberal agenda will move forward like it never has before.

McCain isn’t quite as easy to label. He is generally viewed as being a moderate leaning to the Right. He is generally pro-life, against gay marriage, is for less government, and may be less of an internationalist than someone on the Left. Electing McCain might result in a good system of checks and balances, because his veto power would prevent a Congress dominated by Democrats from running amok (as we have seen for the past 10 years or so in California).

I mentioned Obama being an internationalist. What does that mean? It means that he has a broader view that goes beyond just the US. He would most likely be effective in mending fences with our allies, and he views the world more as a global village. Supreme Court justices who are internationalists look to foreign court decisions for precedents, which I believe is not a good thing. Obama would appoint liberal and internationalist justices to the Court, while McCain would most likely appoint more moderate justices who are less activist.

It’s a tough decision, so please pray for God’s guidance. Also pray about whom to vote for regarding other offices up for election, such as Congressmen and local officials. These are very tough times, and we need local, state and national officials who can get the job done.