When Christians like me talk about seeking the will of God in the coming election, politicians and strategists cringe and want to run away screaming. We are less likely to swallow the wholesale manipulation of the likes of Carl Rove or Jimmy Carville. Candidates like Rudy G., Hillary C., Mitt, Obama, and others hope we will compartmentalize our beliefs during our vote and commit a from of electoral cognitive dissonance.

Rudy doesn’t want us to focus on his three marriages, philandering and pro abortion beliefs. Hillary doesn’t want us to remember the nightmare of her national relationship with half the country during her husbands two terms. Mitt wants us to forget that his faith is at odds with orthodox Christianity. Obama wants us to forget that his message is the same old failed “Great Society message.”

Christians like me, when presented with a poor slate of candidates tend to stay home from the polls when the choices are bad or worse then bad. The bible doesn’t give lots of ground for triangulation of beliefs. Some politicians recognize that people of conservative faith are a necessary evil. They may hate it, but they realize they have to deal with us to win.

Much to the chagrin of most politicians, I encourage people of conservative faith to seek the will of God for their vote in the ’08 election and all elections. Doing what’s right is often viewed by society at large as impractical or too costly or as not working well. The Children of Israel wondered in the desert for 40 years because they rejected the instructions of God.

Aren’t you tired of wondering in the desert?

John

According to Illinois’ junior Senator, Barak Obama, more young Illinois citizens die in school related violence then Illinois solders die in Iraq. My question is, “ Where are the tens of thousands of white college educated protestors and activists shouting for an end to the outrageous loss of life in Illinois public school age children?

The sound of silence is thundering.

Senator Obama recently said that the poor masses are seething and ready to explode. He’s right. Yet the poverty that makes the masses boil has less to do with material poverty and more to do with poverty of social and personal character.

I’ve seen and lived in real third world poverty. What passes for poverty in Chicago is luxury by the world’s standard. It’s probably fair to say that 40 years of our Great Societies War on Poverty has failed. Yet, Neo Conservative republicans and most democrats can’t let go of a failed dream.

So, what is the answer to our growing social and personal poverty situation? I doubt that government has any viable answers. Throwing money at it doesn’t work. Martin Luther King Jr. said that he looked forward to the day when men are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

The mostly poor, mostly minority children of Illinois who have been killed in the streets are the victims of a poverty of Character. Money doesn’t build Character. If it could then Linsey Lohan wouldn’t be in trouble.

Government can not legislate character. Only God and viable families seem to breed it. Taking on the Character of Jesus is the only real answer I see.

John

Hillary, for most non democrats, is about as politically radioactive as you can get today. Newt Gingrich, for most democrats, is a about as politically radioactive as any potential republican presidential candidate.

Hillary is a fighter. She will fight like hell, use just about any means necessary and she like to cut and slash with the knife. The bloodier the fight gets, the nastier she slashes. She is a queen of politically fighting pit bulls. However, pride and the very stubbornness that brought her to the championship can be her downfall.

Newt, on the other hand, likes to throw political bombs, Molotov cocktails, and fragmentary grenades. He is smart and Wiley but no match for Hillary in a hand to hand political knife fight. His ideas, though, shine above hers.

Now, Hillary is chugging toward the democrat nomination. It’s not a done deal, but it looks promising for her.

The republicans are in disarray. Newt and Fred are standing on the sidelines waiting for the three republican stooges to fatally trip themselves.

Can you imagine a more divisive election then Newt vs. Hillary? There would be political blood and bad feelings everywhere. Yet, the spectacle of blood letting might enthrall and repulse the American people to such an extent that they couldn’t take their eyes off of it. It would be political roller derby and professional wrestling rolled up in to one spectacle.

Maybe we could get Don King to promote the fight, err, I mean election.

John

I used to actually believe that Democrats and Unions were out for the little guy. People like me and my little colleagues working in obscurity and living from paycheck to pay check. Then I ran into the titanic AFLCIO and The Service Employees Union.

I can’t imagine Jimmy Hoffa being proud of negotiating lower pay and poorer quality benefits for the rank and file. But that is exactly what the Service Employees Union did in my case. Then I realized what the rank and file are to the union bosses: Cash Cows, nothing more. While the working people of my local needed help with true injustice, the Service Employees union gave over 100 million dollars to the Democrat party. In return, those of us who actually paid those bills got a swift kick in the pants.

I elected to leave that bad situation and have no regrets what-so-ever.

In the 2008 election the unions will provide half or more of the Democrats money. Even if the Democrats win, the rank and file will get zip. The best thing the rank and file can do is learn to take care of themselves, without the national vulture bosses siphoning their dues into doomed ventures.

As a former cash cow I decline to pay for the failed ideas of the Democrat Party.

John

I saw part of the democrat debate last night. It made me yawn. It made me think of pitch sessions where aspiring television producers and writers parade the same old recycled ideas before unskilled unintelligent network execs with the hope of success and wealth.

One of these people may win the election for president of the United States and be sworn in. Hoping that they would be capable of making anything better is like watching a 1967 episode of Star Trek you’ve seen twenty times and hoping that Captain Kirk defects to the Klingon Empire. It’s just not going to happen. You’d have to shoot new footage.

There is no new footage in the Democrat party. Nor is there any new footage in the Republican Party for that matter. However, this election does matter.

There are few new or original ideas in this election. The race seems to about be how to win, not what your ideas are; and how to manipulate your advertising and propaganda to market the same old Pinto motor car not look like a death trap this time around.

John

They only seem to want to defend the country when the polls are good and then only reluctantly.

They seem to despise those outside of urban areas.

They hate orthodox Christians who actually believe in their faith.

If you disagree with them they look down on you, call you stupid, mentally ill or evil.

The thought of Hillary being in charge of the Patriot act frightens me. I’d probably end up in a gulag at Gitmo for reading my bible and being unrepentant about my faith.

When you disagree with them they try to destroy you.

They pander to their version of disgruntled true believers who are often hate filled grudge holders who can’t wait to toss their perceived tormentors into “progressive” reeducation camps run by Howard Dean who’s favorite therapy is electroshock therapy.

Hillary, Obama and Johnny Edwards.

Many Republicans have become overspending members of congress and the executive branch. Republicans are guilty of pork barrel indulgence and make lame excuses about it.

Six years after 9/11 our borders are not secure.

The peace in Iraq has not been properly adjudicated.

Republican majority leaders of the house and senate 1996 to 2006 were looking like preening gasbag democrat majority leaders of old prior to their defeat.

The American Military needs four or more full divisions of additional troops and new equipment to fight the war on terror.

Compassionate conservatism turned out to be a version of LBJ’s great society.

We have twelve million undocumented aliens and the number is growing exponentially.

Rudy Guliani, John McCane and Mitt Romney.

John

I was watching Glenn Beck on CNN the other night, my wife really enjoys watching him, and I was amused by his confrontation with Robert Kennedy Jr. Kennedy Jr., as usual, was espousing his personal version of Ivy League snootiness which communicates things like: if you don’t believe what I believe you’re stupid; If you’re not stupid and don’t believe what I believe you’re evil; Only our oligarchy of intellectual reality is valid; If you disagree you’re stupid, evil, wrong and a menace to the world.

Now, to be fair, I dislike Glenn Beck. My wife says I remind her of him and that perhaps that is too close for my comfort. Even though I disagree with Glenn on some things, there are many others I firmly agree with him on.

So much of political dialogue today is pure propaganda. Propaganda, like advertising, works. The founder of CNN, Ted Turner, once said that the secret to his success was:

“ Early to bed; Early to rise; Work like hell; and Advertise.” Ted is a successful propagandist.

The key to political success today is successful propaganda. That goes for the left and right and so-called middle of the political spectrum. It’s about advertising, advertising, advertising. Ideas and ideals are the products being sold, and marketing campaigns sells candidates and parties. For the idea and ideal peddlers, power and control are the profits being sought.

The great political voter base is the target audience. Since 50% plus one of the actual voters determine the outcome of a political advertising campaign. Those who don’t vote only get ceremonial bones thrown to them to sooth their rage.

There is festering political rage in the country. The root cause, I believe, is that our world is changing at an ever increasing pace. As soon as many people learn to cope with radical change, more radical change comes along. Since FDR, people look to the government to protect us from change.

Truthfully, change is inevitable, it is however, manageable. But when was the last time the government managed something well?

The key to success as an individual human being is to cope with change as it continually comes; and ground yourself and family is what is eternal and immutable.

Advertising, both political and economic win never cease. However, eternity is not prone to advertising.

John

Politics is a messy business. It’s a grab for power and then a wrestling tournament to hold on to the ring for the maximum period of time. The ring of power is tempting, but the skill and intestinal fortitude to hold on to it is too costly.

I was in Iowa recently visiting my ailing mother-in-law. Iowa, along with New Hampshire being Ground Zero for the presidential primary campaigns. Every man, woman or child hoping to get in or lead the pack of ravenous candidate dogs goes to Iowa to primp themselves and their resources before Iowa citizens for approval. Iowans love the attention and access to the powerful every few years. Every August Candidates trek to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines to walk the political Cat Walk for Iowa and the assorted media.

Mom-in-law being a life long Des Moines resident is an example of what I think is so wrong with the political landscape. She hates taxes, passionately, but loves the benefits she gets form the governments redistribution of wealth. As long as she doesn’t have to pay higher taxes she doesn’t mind receiving government handouts. She’s against the war, but wants global Islamo Fascist terrorism stopped.

On the other hand, my mother-in-law is exactly why America is great. She worked fifty years until illness struck her down, Paid off a home mortgage, raised a family, paid her taxes, voted regularly and never stole a material thing in her life. She is in many ways the salt of the Mid-Western earth.

Yet, she is prone to the prevarications of snake oil politicians, news reporters and media advertising. These three are like prostitutes who will service you for a price, yet leave you with difficult to get rid of, long lasting, often embarrassing consequences.

I remember the words of Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols at their last concert in the United States before the death of Sid Vicious; He asked: Do you feel like you’ve been cheated?

I know I do.

Yet, mom-in-law will run back to her political party, after they’ve fleeced her, she’ll vote for them again, and continue complaining.