A Vote Against Cynicism.

Alright, here's my dilemma:

I am cynical when it comes to politics and politicians.  And as we all know, there is nothing more hip, more cool, more (dare I say it?) "funky" than cynicism.  Heck, without cynicism one can scarcely maintain one's indie cred.  So far so good...

But alas!  As the title of the blog indicates, I am a Presbyterian.  Which is a roundabout way of signifying that I am (among other descriptors) a Christian.  And as it turns out, cynicism is completely and utterly incompatible with Christianity.  Jesus was no cynic.  And so I probably shouldn't be either.  

You see the problem, yes?

So in an effort to combat said cynicism I have endeavored to post about the two major presidential tickets in a completely sincere and non-cynical manner.  I am determined to write only positive and honest reflections about each candidate.  (for those of you trying to read between the lines, I did presidential candidates first, vp's second and alphabetically by last name respectively).

As a pastor it is very important to me to keep my ballot secret, or at the very least to purposefully refrain from offering any hints as to my preference of candidates in any public manner.  The reason is because a Christian pastor is to call people to Jesus, not to any human being or political party.  Of course there are political issues which are important to me!  And many of those issues are based on what I believe to be Christian principles derived from the life of Jesus and the Scriptures.  And of course there is a time and a place for a pastor to address social (even political) issues when the Bible speaks to them.  But my blog is not the time or the place.  Frankly, I care much more that you resist the allure of cynicism than I care who you vote for this November.  Our next president will be gone in four years.  Eight, max.  Cynicism is much more difficult to depose.  So vote often.

John McCain

John McCain was a horrible student.  He finished 894th out of 899 in his graduating class at the Naval Academy.  Of course given the trajectory of McCain's life, his political career, the universal respect of his peers and his undeniably courageous record as a prisoner during the Viet Nam war, the fact that he finished fifth from the bottom is more of an indictment of our culture's faith in grade point averages and class rankings as reliable indicators of one's potential success or usefulness to society.  

John McCain's experience as a prisoner of war is generally known.  Some have accused him of playing up the story for political gain.  I can't say wether he has done this or not.  But should he be elected to the presidency, his five year imprisonment gives me confidence that he would serve his country with integrity.  The fact that McCain was offered release and declined it so as not to demoralize his fellow prisoners and disobey the Code of Conduct, speaks volumes to me about the man's fortitude and character, even if it says nothing about his political skills and policies.  What could McCain be bribed with that he has not already denied for the sake of honor & duty?  What could McCain be threatened with that he has not already endured for his country?  

I'm not saying that character and integrity are reasons enough to elect a president.  One could certainly have character and yet be incompetent.  A president could have integrity and yet exercise it in favor of policies that are unwise.  But character and integrity aren't bad places to start, either.  Plus the dude must be tough as nails.  As it turns out, character, integrity, and fortitude don't really show up well on the academic transcript.   

Click the link to read about McCain's imprisonment in his own words.  

Barak Obama

Way back when Barak Obama was just another name on the list of democratic candidates who would inevitably lose out to Hillary Clinton in her waltz to the nomination and the White House, I was speaking to some family members and told them in no uncertain terms that I believed Obama would be president of the United States.  Maybe not in 2008.  Maybe not in 2012.  But eventually, I assured them, he would be president of the United States.  

Barak Obama is important.  Before you christen me Captian Obvious, let me say that the reasons I have in mind are in addition to those routinely cited.  Of course it's important that he's the first african-american to receive a major party's nomination.  The import of that little fact can scarcely be overstated.  But in my opinion, and just as important in the long run, is that Obama is the first post-something-or-other candidate.  He's not an "either/or" candidate.  He's a "both/and" candidate.  He is the first presidential candidate who understands the nation's emerging generations and cultures well enough to communicate sincerely in their own categories without the condescension which previously has been so transparent to me in other candidates.  (Remember Clinton's saxaphone performance on the Arsenio Hall Show? How about John Kerry's windsurfing photo?)  When it comes to his apprehension of the mindset and worldview of most of the men and women of my generation and younger, Obama gets it.  

The reason Barak Obama is important is because he is what our nation is rapidly becoming.  He is progressive.  He is multi-racial.  He is urban.  His background includes a faith other than Christianity.  His thinking is more global/local than nationally oriented.  He is environmentally concerned.  He has a charisma which transcends party affiliation in a time when my generation is suspicious of party alignment in general.  Just recall the enthusiasm he was greeted with in his recent trip to Europe.  It's this simple:  Europe is basically 40 years ahead of us philosophically and culturally.  Where they are now, the US will soon be (for better or for worse).  Europe is our future.  And the future loves Barak Obama.  Some of the aspects of Obama's candidacy which are most unique today will tomorrow be the expected norm for American politicians of virtually every stripe.  And then explaining the significance of Barak Obama to our grandkids will be like trying to explain to your nephew why Jimi Hendrix is important even though though now all the metal bands' guitarists sound like hendrix.  That's just the point...  When Hendrix played, only Hendrix sounded like Hendrix.  And now everybody plays to sound like Hendrix!   

I might still turn out to be wrong.  Maybe Obama will never be our president.  Maybe time will reveal him to be all words and little substance.  Heck, I don't know.  But I do know that when I first read the ideas of Barak Obama (and this was before I heard him speak) I knew instantly that this guy was saying things differently.  I knew he was a game-changer.  I often wonder what it would have been like to have heard Hendrix before having become acquainted with the myriad of rock bands who were so heavily influenced by him.  I wonder if I would have known that the guy was about to transcend the art... 

Even if you don't like Hendrix, you've got to appreciate his importance in the pantheon of rock and roll guitar gods.  He changed everything.  That's why Barak Obama is important.  Or eventually will be.  

Joe Biden

Way back when the democratic primary was raging on and on, back before the field was narrowed down to Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama, I went out of my way to watch a couple of the primary debates.  During the debates I was able to make observations and formulate opinions to inform my participation in our system of democracy, the recounting of which I will spare the reader as it falls outside of my current purpose in writing.  All but one.  I like Joe Biden.  

I learned this while watching these debates.  Everyone else seemed so uptight, or calculated, or desperate to mark themselves out as a viable alternative to Hillary or Barak.  But not Joe Biden.  he seemed utterly relaxed in the midst of the verbal warfare.  More than relaxed, actually.  He seemed to be having FUN!  He was clearly enjoying it!  While others were trying so hard to sound presidential, Biden would occasionally drop some one liner or make some statement so sincere and genuinely oblivious to propriety and appearances, that it brought a momentary parting of the clouds of bullshit and a single radiant beam of common sense would shine down and light upon his podium.  A few years back the republican candidate Pat Buchanan had a similar pathos in his debate appearances.   I think the key is that guys like Biden and Buchanan never really anticipate getting their party's nomination so they are left free to speak as they wish during their candidacies.  This is probably true to some degree of guys like Dennis Cucinich and Ron Paul as well.  But there's one huge difference.  Cucinich and Paul have no sense of humor.  

Biden may very well prove to be a competent vice president.  Who knows?  But I am confident that he would bring a refreshing candor to the office, that's for sure.  Click the title of this post to watch a clip from the debates that illustrates my point.

Sarah Palin

For those of you who know my wife and me and our (three-soon-to-be-four) children, it's probably not too much of a stretch to imagine why there are things about Sarah Palin which resonate with us deeply.  First of all, she is a mother of five and we of course really appreciate large families.  Secondly, she can shoot, kill and field dress a moose without ever compromising her womanly femininity.   This quality is one of the very first which drew me to my wife Charity! (see the post below).  Thirdly, she has far too little experience to qualify for an elected position in the executive branch of our federal government in the currently popular sense of "qualified".  But I love the idea of a woman who was very recently a mayor of a smaller town being catapulted by circumstances unforeseen into a position as weighty as the vice presidency. 

We are after all a Republic.  So if I remember correctly from Mr. Gibson's 9th grade Civics Class at good ol' Greenville High School, the whole point of a republic is that normal men and women in order to serve their nation, take time out of their regular vocations to go and represent the interests of the people in government for a time.  When that time has ended, another election is held and the power to represent the people is redistributed based on the will of the voters.  The "politician" then returns to his or her prior vocation and continues life more or less as usual.  I really like that idea.  And while I know that occupying an office in the executive branch is a serious and weighty calling, requiring a great deal of skill, insight, integrity, and wisdom, I also believe that there are many people in various walks of life who have the skills, insight, integrity, and wisdom to serve adequately in the role of vice-president or even president.  I'll stop short of suggesting Palin is one of those people, because I simply don't know.  But I'm not in agreement with the line of thinking that says "oh this person hasn't been in politics long enough to have the necessary experience".  In fact, I kind of think that's the way it's suppose to be.  

Dear President Bush & Congress, Instead of a 750 billion dollar bail out for banks...

How about a 749 billion dollar bail out for banks and a 1 billion dollar bail out for the homeless, or for urban public schools, or  for aids or autism research?  I mean only if you have a billion to spare, of course.