EDITORIAL: Who will you trust on Election Day?

Posted: 10/27/06

EDITORIAL:
Who will you trust on Election Day?

Election Day is upon us. Have you decided how you’re going to vote? Whether you vote early or stand in line on Election Day, what’s important is that you study the issues, compare the candidates and vote your conscience. In a year when U.S. troops are risking their lives so others may enjoy the benefits of freedom, Americans should not scorn and diminish those benefits by failing to vote.

We might expect Texas to produce a big turnout this time around, especially for an off-year election. Featuring four significant, well-financed candidates, the governor’s race has been more interesting than any Texas political contest in a long time. Independent candidates Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn ensure that. Friedman brings his mix of humor and ambiguity to the fray. You can’t help but wonder, “Is this guy for real, or is he playing out a long, expensive, elaborate joke?” Strayhorn adds irony. Here’s a lifelong political insider and government veteran running as an outsider. Oh, and don’t forget Chris Bell and Rick Perry, who have run as what they are—the Democratic and Republican candidates.

The gubernatorial race should remind us of a fact stated by ethicist/author Tony Campolo: “God is not a Republican or a Democrat.” In Texas this year, Campolo would have to add: “God is not an independent, either.”

Most of us see this as obvious. But a significant number of our fellow citizens don’t get it. Often, they’re Christians who seem to believe the only moral issues are abortion and homosexual marriage. They say (and I’m not making this up), “I don’t see how you can call yourself a Christian and vote for a Democrat.” Occasionally, someone will come down on the other side, singling out justice and care for the poor as paramount issues and questioning whether a person can follow Jesus’ commands to care for the “least of these” and still be a Republican.

The uncomfortable truth is that politics and voting and governing aren’t that simple. Morality covers many issues. And because they’re human beings and human organizations, the candidates and parties aren’t consistent enough to come down correctly on every issue. That’s a truth as old as, well, sin. The corollary also is true: Voters aren’t consistent, either. We’re fallen and selfish, and we typically vote for our own self-interest, whether or not that reflects our faith and our best selves.

Our local paper carried a helpful chart that outlined the gubernatorial candidates’ positions on a range of issues. I wasn’t surprised to learn I do not agree with any candidate on every issue. Unless you’re a straight-party voter or a single-issue voter, you probably have the same problem, even if the points at which we agree/disagree with the candidates aren’t the same. So, voting ultimately becomes a process of elimination. Which issues are key? Who will do the best job on the things that matter most?

People whose firm religious beliefs shape their worldview face an added challenge—squaring political decisions with faith. If you’ve ever prayed over your ballot, asking God to help you make wise choices, you know what I mean. And yet we of all people should be most skeptical. In politics, faith-oriented voters are an easy mark. Politicians and political advisers know exactly which themes to work to get these folks to the polls and voting the way they want them to vote. But that doesn’t necessarily translate into policy the voters desire, much less mutual respect.

This brings to mind a piece written by Cal Thomas, the brilliant conservative columnist, in 1992. The elder George Bush had just lost to Bill Clinton, ending a 12-year reign by presidents whose margins of victory had been secured by conservative Christians. Thomas noted practically nothing on those voters’ agenda had been accomplished during three presidential terms. But rather than condemning Presidents Reagan and Bush, he chastised their conservative Christian base for placing faith in politics and politicians rather than God Almighty.

That lesson from years ago serves as a timely reminder in this turbulent political season. Faith-based voters on both sides of the aisle—and people of faith do populate both sides of the political aisle—are on edge, fearing the worst, hoping for the best and seeking redemption for their cause out of the polling booths. This is as it should be—to a point. Voting is a noble right and responsibility of citizenship, as is expressing opinions about legislation to the winners. But if we look to these elections to solve our problems, we make an idol of the political process.

We must remember that only God—who is neither Republican, Democrat nor independent—is ultimate.