I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
- 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
- Romans 13:1
John McCain, for President
Putting aside all the rhetoric, appearances, and arguments over experience, I center my assessment on the policies and history of each candidate.
The most important issues, to me, are the moral ones. If there are distinctions among candidates in areas that are clearly enunciated in the Bible, to the degree that I can, I will always choose the candidate with the more godly position; the one that adheres best to the clear instructions of the Word of God.
Life. The most fundamental of these is the issue of life, of protecting the innocent, of saving those who cannot save themselves. John McCain has been consistently pro-life throughout his career, and has the legislative track record to prove it.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, has consistently supported and voted for the most radical possible pro-death positions. In fact, Senator Obama, in the Illinois State Legislature, spoke out against, and voted three times against, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act; a law that was was later approved unanimously (98-0) in the U.S Senate. In short, he supports infanticide. See this Witherspoon Institute article, and this National Review article for much more on this.
That alone is reason to vote for McCain...but I have other reasons, too.
Defense. Like it or not, we are in a war we did not start, against an enemy who desires nothing less than the obliteration of our nation and our way of life. Islamic fascism is not a movement we can compromise with, and I am convinced we should not give in to it at any time or any place.
Senator McCain has always been in favor of U.S. victory in the war against Islamic terrorists, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq, or elsewhere. He was one of the few consistent supporters of the surge strategy that has brought us to the brink of victory in Iraq, with a great portion of the country stable and Al Qaeda decimated and in disarray.
Senator Obama, by contrast, has always been against U.S. victory. He spoke repeatedly against the surge, wrongly saying it would not work. It has been a cornerstone of his campaign to advocate immediate retreat -- in effect, to surrender -- in Iraq. It seems likely that if we had followed his original cut-and-run schedule, we would now be facing a resurgent Al Qaeda in Iraq, with much greater risk to the U.S., both at home and abroad. I note that on Oct. 5th, 2008, the U.S. killed the # 2 leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq...a success that would not have been possible if we had already surrendered. Vets for Freedom has more here.
Economy. Economic policies are a choice, not a moral imperative. However, in this case, I agree with Senator McCain's overall approach of keeping all taxes low, thus stimulating business and job growth, investment and innovation, and allowing citizens to keep more of their hard-earned money. As we discovered in the Reagan administration, the economic stimulus effect of reducing tax rates, including business and capital gains, motivates so much increase in economic activity that Government revenues actually increase! He also supports efforts to increase our energy independence, by increasing U.S. oil and natural gas production, which would not only reduce our dependence on foreign sources, but also keep the money and jobs here in the U.S.
Senator Obama's overall strategy is to increase taxes on many taxpayers and businesses, in order to fund huge increases in Government spending, and to transfer a substantial amount of tax money to the 40% or so of Americans who currently don't even pay taxes. His "tax cuts" are not based on letting taxpayers keep more of what they earn; they are redistribution from successful earners to those who don't even pay taxes, in the form of "tax credit" Government handouts -- welfare payments in disguise. What I fear about his policies, is that the higher taxation on businesses and business owners will simply be passed on through higher prices, or mitigated through reductions in labor costs -- via either pay cuts or layoffs. The higher taxes will suppress economic activity, and actually reduce government revenue. See this Wall Street Journal article for a more detailed discussion.
There are many other elements of Obama's background and policies that I disagree with - his close working relationship with domestic terrorists, and with ACORN, an organization known to engage in voter fraud; his tax proposals, meant to "spread the wealth around" to those who have not earned it; and his support for the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act," which despite its title, strips workers of the right to a secret ballot in union organizing elections. Obama was in the minority of his own party in voting against the confirmation of John Roberts, one of the most qualified nominees to the Supreme Court in recent history, and has stated he would nominate judges and justices who would create new law, rather than interpret the constitutionality of laws.
Two quotes that sum up my view of Senator Obama:
"This is no time for a rookie with big tax hikes, huge tariffs, expanding bureaucracies and a retreat and defeat foreign policy to take the helm." - Hugh Hewitt, Townhall.com, 8 October 2008
"The country does not deserve to be put in the hands of a glib and cocky know-it-all, who has accomplished absolutely nothing beyond the advancement of his own career with rhetoric, and who has for years allied himself with a succession of people who have openly expressed their hatred of America." - Thomas Sowell, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, The Hoover Institution, 4 October 2008
Saxby Chambliss, for U.S. Senator, Georgia
Saxby Chambliss, who is running for re-election as U.S. Senator from Georgia, is a Republican who adheres to conservative positions -- strongly pro-life, with a 100% rating from the National Right To Life Committee, and pro-victory. In addition, I consider the fact that the U.S. Senate is currently majority Democrat. The Senate, in addition to its legislative responsibilities, has the duty to confirm Presidential judicial appointments. The Democrat Party continues to support abortion, defeat, and higher taxes, as well as many other liberal agenda items, so anything I can do to return the Senate to Republican majority status will help our country. And, even if not, it is crucial to maintain a 41-seat presence of good conservative senators, to preserve the ability to filibuster the worst excesses the Democrats may try to pass. Remember, the Democrats have held Congress for the last two years, and it was their meddling in the U.S. housing market, via Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that helped precipitate the current economic crisis...even though President Bush and Senator McCain sought reforms.
Rick Goddard, for U.S. House of Representatives, Georgia Eighth District
Our local U.S. Representative, Jim Marshall, GA Eighth District, presents a harder choice to me. He has represented Middle Georgia well in Congress, voting consistently pro-life, being a strong proponent of victory in Iraq, and voting against the worst of the Democrat positions. If he wins, I am confident we will continue to be well represented.
He does, however, remain a member of the wrong party in Congress. By being a Democrat, he contributes to the Democrat majority, enabling Nancy Pelosi to maintain her speakership. As one example, Mrs. Pelosi has been inaccurate in her statements about the Catholic Church and abortion, and had to be refuted by Archbishop Charles Chaput, Auxiliary Bishop James Conley, and Bishop Michael Sheridan, who all agreed that Catholic teaching is absolutely clear about the evil of abortion. Ms. Pelosi has also stonewalled all efforts to increase U.S. oil production, in clear opposition to the overwhelming opinion of the American public.
In this case, as in the Senate campaign, it is important to ensure Republican gains in Congress, so I will vote for Rick Goddard -- a conservative Republican who is pro-life, pro-victory, pro-growth, pro-U.S. energy production, and pro-low taxation. A retired Air Force general, who served as the commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, he will work for the best interests of Middle Georgia.
-------
"America, America, God shed his grace on thee."
One Nation
Under God
Indivisible
With Liberty, and Justice, for All.
Let Freedom Ring.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. (Psalm 33:12, NIV)