Who Will You Vote For this Year, and Why?

Every four years, American voters have the awesome responsibility of electing a President of the United States.  Already, this election year has proven to be quite unpredictable.  Whether you vote for a Democrat, a Republican, or a third-party candidate, you should think about the factors that help you determine for whom you will be voting this coming November.  In the interest of full disclosure, I would remind you that I have been active in the Republican Party for the last forty years.  I have lived in Michigan, South Carolina, and Minnesota during those years.  But this post is not meant to tell you for whom you should vote; my main concern is to encourage you to consider what drives your decision to vote for a certain candidate.

For many of us, we begin the process as supporters of a particular political party.  We also are interested in the political philosophy of candidates.  Are they liberal, conservative, moderate, or somewhere else on the political spectrum?  Another consideration is a candidate's political viability.  Simply put, is the candidate of our choice electable in the country at large?  Some voters also consider the likeability of candidates.  As I heard one commentator suggest a few years ago, "Would you really welcome that individual into your living room or den on a regular basis?"  That is a good point, I think.  Personally, I believe that a candidate needs to have a sense of humor.  Candidates who take themselves too seriously are going to have a difficult time trying to lead the country for four years.

There are some more difficult factors to consider, I believe.  Is the candidate trustworthy, honest, ethical, and moral?  Can we believe what a candidate says, or do candidates say what they think we want to hear them say?  Based on what the candidate says, is it possible for him or her to actually achieve a degree of success as president?  In other words, do the political promises of a candidate mean anything?

There are other some considerations that might play into your voting decision.  The President of the United States heads up the executive branch, but we also have a legislative branch and a judicial branch.  A good example of how this plays out is that fact that the president nominates federal judges, and those judges have to be approved by members of the United States Senate.  If the president is from one party, and the Senate is controlled by another party, things can get pretty dicey.  In essence, can the candidate reach "across the aisle" from time to time in order to accomplish anything?

As you begin to make up your mind for whom you will vote this fall, it is important to take into account the serious consequences of your vote.  Are you voting for a candidate or philosophy, or are you voting against a candidate or philosophy?  If you are unhappy with the two major party candidates, will you cast a ballot for a third-party candidate who has no chance of winning?  The very nature of the American political structure allows you to vote as you see fit.  I trust that you will seek God's will and vote accordingly.  And when the election is over, we need to come together as a nation and support the president-elect.  And most of all, we need to spend time in prayer for our nation, our leaders, and our people.