As the once crowded field of GOP presidential contenders further dwindles, I wonder if the extra space on the stage during tonight’s debate will serve as a distraction to those who have watched the previous debates. Only Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich remain.
John Huntsman has withdrawn and thrown his support behind Mitt Romney. No surprises there.
Texas Governor Rick Perry has suspended his campaign and thrown his support behind Newt Gingrich. Somewhat surprising?
Gingrich’s second wife Marianne has an interview scheduled to air on ABC’s Nightline tonight. From where I sit, what we know about Gingrich’s marital behavior is more than enough to turn off anyone who considers private integrity something to be considered at the ballot box. Despite what we know, Gingrich is still polling well enough in South Carolina to keep going. I figured if there was any place his track record would damage him, it would be a Bible belt state. Apparently I was wrong which actually makes this whole thing all the more intriguing.
In rather surprising news, it seems that the declaration of a Romney win in Iowa’s caucuses was a bit premature. Recounts are suggesting that Santorum may have won Iowa after all. I guess we’ll have to stay tuned to get the final score in that contest.
Voddie Baucham has weighed in to share why he supports Ron Paul. I think it’s worth a read. I have a great respect for the integrity of his ministry and thought his article provided much food for thought.
I found this article from another Christian minister sharing his reservations about Christian support for Ron Paul’s candidacy at Cindy’s blog. She also posted her personal thoughts on Paul’s candidacy and his growing support among conservative Christians. Again, worth a read. I think it’s good to contemplate both sides of an issue.
As for me, I shared recently on another forum that I was already asking my husband to consider the notion that we may not want to cast a ballot for president this year. At the very least, that he excuse me from casting one since I usually use my vote to add more support to whomever he has decided is worth his.
I find all this very entertaining. I fully admit that. I like politics for its own sake. However I increasingly find myself feeling the way Laura feels about saving the country.
Whatever will be will be, and I would do better to pin my hopes on something Higher.
AGREED!! It looks like you have come to the exact point that both my husband and I have. We live in a write-in state, I am thinking about writing in my husband’s name for President. I wrote in Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party in the last election because I could not stomach McCain/Palin. I was surprised to have to do that and I am even more surprised that four years later there is STILL no one stepping up that I can bring myself to vote for. I, like you, am setting my sights on something higher and you know I am all right with that. Also like you I love politics, for politics sake. I would rather pop some salt-free (high blood-pressure) popcorn and watch a political debate than watch a movie any day!! Have a great day Terry!
Thanks for the links, Terry! I read all of them and found something to think about. I’m determined not to allow my sense of impending doom to dictate who I vote for or even if I vote. I’m voting because I feel like I should and I’m voting for the man who’s the furtherest removed from business as usual in Washington, but I certainly do feel like Laura’s indian! I love that illustration and believe it or not, I’m fine with folding my arms and lighting my pipe because like you said, we’re dependent on a much higher power anyway.
Blessings to you!:) I’m still enjoying your blog even if I hardly ever pop into the comment box to say so!
Hey, Mrs. Henderson! It’s always good to hear from you. I do recall your sharing before that you find politics as fascinating as I do. That’s why I continue to blog about it; not because my hope is in man, but because it is such a fascinating study of human nature, government, society, groups of people, and individuals. Way better than “reality TV.”
@Tonya: Laura’s Indian certainly resonated with me. I struggled for a long time with the desire to continue being a part of the culture war (mainly for my kids) but I recently figured out that change on a large scale is something of a pipe dream. About the same time I changed my screen name to “Elspeth” which translates “Chosen by God.” No one was intrigued about that though but Heather, LOL.
I do believe that believers will have to rise above our petty differences and create societies and more cohesive communities for the sake of our children while this unfolds and as Our Sovereign Lord uses events to refine his people.
I had to write this is two chunks. I apologize for any redundancies, or general grammatical gaffes.
I do believe that believers will have to rise above our petty differences and create societies and more cohesive communities for the sake of our children while this unfolds and as Our Sovereign Lord uses events to refine his people.
Remarkable statement considering your impending decision to sit out the vote, as we will sit in God’s hands regardless. Are our children not in God’s hands? If so, why do they need our supervision?
And if they need our supervision, then it stands to reason that just being in God’s hands is not enough reason to be unsupervised by mere men. It is just so with we adults, also.
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad… 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
In the United States, that’s us. We are the kings who ought to be a terror to bad conduct. We owe taxes to each other, respect to each other, and honor to each other. We are not usurpers who put ourselves in this position. We found ourselves here, and it is not wrong to exercise our authority. In fact I think it is wrong not to; as it is wrong for a king to ignore wickedness in his city. That goes double, I should think, for those whose very heritage exonerates its children from declamations of power-grabbing.
I think these enlightened decisions to sit out votes are selfish. You don’t want to feel responsible for the bad things that your candiate might do. We are, in all things, imperfect. Moreover, the world is full of only imperfect decisions. It is not just you and yours at stake, here. We pull our children out of public school. Good for us. In the meantime, the very least we can do for the rest is vote for the guy who isn’t likely to further destroy parents rights; who won’t appoint bureaucrats to overtly promote sexual perversion; who, at some level, and to some degree, generally thinks people working is better than government handouts.
The good news is that it’s on him, not you, if our worst fears are realized. He is responsible for any wrongs he might do. The bad news is that your feeling comfortable with yourself for not voting for “the wrong guy” is selfish. It’s a form of hopelessness; which is wicked.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three
Those are virtues we should practice. Faith that God will see it all out. Hope that the best as can be done will be done. Love enough for our fellow citizens to have concern for their treatment in the hands of others. Even with our ballots.
I understand what you’re saying, Cane. Except that you’re requesting that we betray our consciences for the sake of rescuing the country from the fruit of its own misdeeds and mismanagement. That’s not reason enough to cast a ballot that I’m not comfortable casting. Been there done that in 2008 and I’m not interested in doing it again.
Romans 14:23 says that whatever is not from faith is sin.
I have already registered GOP so that I can vote for Ron Paul in our Jan. 31 primary. And I’m willing to submit to my husband and vote for whomever he desires that I vote for should he find his conscience at peace enough with one the candidates to pull the lever. Even if I’d rather not. I plan to make my voice heard so long as I am convinced there is a choice worth making.
But I do not believe that my faith demands that I vote against my conscience for the lesser of two evils. Frankly, I am weary of running to the polls to vote against a liberal out of fear of what they might do.
Your words are good and right if there is someone I feel warrants that level of commitment to the vote.
We’ll see.
Your words are good and right if there is someone I feel warrants that level of commitment to the vote.
When I most likely vote for whichever weirdo the Republican establishment puts up against Obama, I’m not going to have any commitment to him. It will be because of a commitment to my principles. Santorum is not my bag, but if it’s going to be a statist either way, then the correct choice is to steel myself for more fighting against the state, and vote for Santorum. At least with him I don’t have to worry about feds pushing condoms to the local elementary school kids.
Small potatoes, Hawaiian Libertarian might say. Perhaps, but I’m starving here, and I’ll take what I can get. The new socialist attack isn’t the old barter “I’ll give you welfare reform if you give me expanded housing regulations”. They’ve become greedy. Now they threaten everything, and if they let something go, it’s a favor. It is natural for them to follow gangster tactics–it’s in the Democratic Party’s DNA from Tammany Hall onward. It’s not just a fear of what a liberal might do, anymore. They’re doing it.
(Off-topic: Them winning the argument of forced acceptance of homosexuality shows their strength, and they know it. The idea of if being as natural as heterosexuality is so downright absurd, that to have won it, they feel like they can win anything. Orwellian stuff.)
I do believe that believers will have to rise above our petty differences and create societies and more cohesive communities
Which is exactly what I’ve been talking about. If they’re all statists and banksters, it’s a petty difference which one you don’t vote for. You eat the small potatoes first, and gain your strength for bigger fights.
That’s all I’ll say about it. I sympathize very much with your feelings.
I’m watching the GOP debate right now and can I just say that Ron Paul absolutely NAILED the abortion issue. Knocked it out of the park.
He rightly noted that abortion is a violent act and like all other violent acts it needs to be dealt with at the state level. This is why Roe was wrong as a legal ruling.
I agree wholeheartedly with him. States will undoubtedly have stricter laws on abortion state by state then the federal government ever will.
But the best part of his comment was that when he was trained in obstetric medicine, he was taught in medical school that when you treat a pregnant woman you have 2 patients. This, he says settles the life issue. Further, this issue has developed as the morality of the people has changed and is far deeper than anything the law can tackle. However, you can start by letting the states regulate abortion within their own borders.
I think folding our arms and lighting our pipes doesn’t mean that we sit back and do absolutely nothing. It just means that we are at peace with what’s ahead for us because we know that someone greater than any government (or grass roots movement) determines the end. We do all we can do but we do it with a sense of peace and trust in God. No panic. No angst. Just faith and obedience.
Our nation is a gift and I’d like to see it change for the better. It doesn’t look like it will but I’m still willing to pick up my paddle and stroke towards a better place if I think one may be out there. And if it doesn’t do any good (which it probably won’t) then oh, well. God’s still in control and at least I made an effort. Don’t give up. The fat lady is singing but I don’t think she’s hit the high C yet:).
Hope springs eternal! (right?)
Posting at the same time you were up there. Excellent points by Dr. Paul on abortion.
Hope springs eternal! (right?)
Of course!
Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all…As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.
~G.K. Chesterton
My view is this: it’s no skin off my nose to go vote for Paul, Santorum, Gingrich, or Romney over Obama. Any one of them guarantees that at least one battle will go away for awhile. Not sure which ones, but less is better.
The difference between most political banksters and Obama is this: the others want to use the system to get personal gains; Obama wants to destroy the system with his looting. I’d rather put up with thieves in my city than arsonists.
Sorry about not closing the italics after Chesterton.
Also just realized that I summarized the plot of The Dark Knight. That Obama/Joker guy had it dead right.
fanaticforjesus.blogspot.com has a fascinating post up on Ron Paul. She has a track record for years now on research. Everytime I think she is wrong…sadly, she is right.
Ace
What’s that quote? All it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing? I’m going to vote for the person that will hopefully oust B.O. and I won’t feel bad about it at all.