I’m sick of this election season. I really am. This is probably the most bitter, vile election cycle I’ve seen since Gore, Bush & the hanging chad incident (that sounds like a great movie title doesn’t it?). What makes this one worse for me though is first, that neither candidate exhibits a strong moral character, and second, as a people we don’t seem to care as long as “our side” wins.
It’s the partisanship that really annoys me. And nowhere is it more annoying than with my Christian friends. Why? Because if anyone should be looking at this election and our political process from a moral standpoint, and not a party standpoint, it’s us Christians. Yet the Christian right often seems as blind to our own faults as any group to the left is of theirs.
Example: I recently had some friends tell me how much they love Dick Morris on Fox News. And the first thing that came out was… really? Dick Morris? The same Dick Morris who was a Republican yet switched parties to mastermind Clinton’s election and served him throughout his time in office? The save Dick Morris who slandered anyone from the right because that was his job and he did it without reservation? The same Dick Morris who is now slamming Obama in the same fashion because it allows him to make a living on Fox News? The same Dick Morris who relates every single argument back to doing what is needed to win elections, with no regard whatsoever to moral consequence? The guy has no soul!! He’s all about political strategy, yet because he’s on “our side” right now, suddenly he’s a “great guy”? Really???
The attitude toward McCain strikes me almost as comical. Two years ago he was too liberal to run on the Republican ticket. Most of my right wing friends considered him a weak centrist. And as far as his Christianity, early in the campaign he didn’t even know what denomination of church he attended, or at least he wasn’t willing to admit it.
What I want to know is why this wishy washy behavior doesn’t bother us? Why aren’t we more pissed off about Republicans like Dennis Hastert who has become a millionaire due to pork projects since he got his job in Washington? What about the RNC spending five years worth of the average person’s income on clothes for their candidates? What about a $700 billion dollar bailout going straight to filthy rich companies who simply failed to do business in an upright and responsible fashion? What about those Republicans who refused to sign that bill claiming high moral ground, but then did so eagerly once the correct kickbacks were added for their “constituents” in the fine print? I could go on and on.
I think the problem this country faces is not Democrat vs. Republican at all. It’s moral vs. immoral, responsible vs. irresponsible. Until we start measuring ALL parties and ALL candidates with the same ruler, that ruler being defined by our belief in Christ, we’re doomed to continually electing poor leadership.
