This presidential campaign has inundated us with more information than we would care to have. And this would not be a problem if most of it were true. I find that as I listen to each of the major competitors, they are focusing more on what is wrong with the other person than what each can do to make life better for everyday Americans. With that said, each of us has to make a choice in November. In order to do this, we need to weed through the garbage and get to the real issues that each of us deal with on a daily basis. The bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7: 

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.“ 

If we do not fall victim to the scare tactics and allow them to shape our decisions, we can use the sound mind that God has given each of us to make an informed intelligent decision. Our decision on whom to vote for should be based on who will do the best job to keep America strong and at the forefront of the democratic process. This means ensuring that each American has the option to receive a high quality education, that each American has a realistic chance of pursuing the American dream (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), and that each American can be assured that neither Democrat nor Republican will infringe upon our right to serve God. Outside of these issues, everything else pales in comparison. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Whether you believe in big government or limited government does matter in the grand scheme of things. Whether you believe in free-market capitalism, social programs, or some hybrid of the two really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Whether you supported the war in Iraq or didn’t at this juncture in time is irrelevant. What will matter is how will the decisions that the next President make affect our lives in the long run.

I am speaking of deficit spending. Debt has eroded the very fabric of this nation. This once strong nation is being exposed for its weaknesses and failure to adhere to the principals that the founding fathers set out which were based on biblical principles. We are no longer the financial capital of the world. Our perceived financial strength is crumbling bail out by bail out, bankruptcy by bankruptcy, bank closure by bank closure. And it doesn’t stop there. The auto industry, the airlines, and all of the businesses that depend on their viability are next in line. And it is all because of debt. Think about it. No person or company would have to file for bankruptcy if they did not owe any money to anybody. Our whole economic system is dependent upon debt. You can only leverage so much before the scales begin to tilt the wrong way with no hope of rebalancing in sight. Our next president cannot continue to borrow money that we will never afford to pay back in order to continue perpetrating a fraud. Our next president needs to make sound economic decisions that will put America back at the forefront of financial stability in the world.  

“The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.” (Deuteronomy 28:12)   

We need to pay off the “trillions” of dollars we owe to China and discontinue spending “billions” of dollars in the Middle East. We need to “fully fund” our education system. We need to fix our health care system, and giving each family a $5,000.00 tax credit toward a $12,000.00 bill when we already can’t afford health care is not the answer. Our next president needs to lead us into reorganizing our automobile industry to make the cars of the future. Most of all, our next president needs to lead this nation in implementing financial literacy programs so that everyday people can truly know what is going on with our tax dollars, our retirement savings, and how to prevent this financial disaster from happening again. Remember, our children are the next leaders of this country. If they are not properly educated, can we truly hope for things to get better? The bible says in Proverbs 13:22: 

“A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. “ 

We cannot continue to leave our children and grandchildren the debts of this generation. We cannot afford to leave our children a legacy of debt and bondage. Our next president must present us with ideas of how he will change the way things are being done. And I don’t just mean change rhetoric. I mean real change. A change in the way we purchase things would be a great start. No more deficit spending. I am talking about a pay-as-you-go plan. Another point of concern is giving the small business owner the same breaks as you do to major corporations. Why allow CEOs of major corporations to fail at their jobs and receive millions of dollars in severance (i.e. Merrill Lynch, Kmart, FannieMae, FreddieMac, etc.) and penalize the small guy for trying his or her best in an economy where he or she is already expected to fail the minute he or she opens the door. There must be some fairness in the way we treat our citizens who dare to pursue a better way of living for their families. No more engorging the privileged few with wealth that they didn’t earn. No more bail outs for the rich guys making them richer while the poor guy who is only trying to get his piece of the pie gets poorer in the process. 

These are the issues that should be at the forefront of this political campaign. It doesn’t matter if your guy is McCain, Obama, Barr, Nader, Paul, or some other person who is yet to have his or her voice heard. Our issues must be dealt with for that person to deserve our vote. Let’s put party affiliations aside, personal prejudices aside, and come together to get our needs met. If you believe like I believe that it is truly time for a change, send this message to everyone you know. If we speak loud enough, our voice will be heard above all of the smear campaigns and political rhetoric. They will not be able to ignore us and our needs for another four years. 

…”Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalms 133:1) 

United, we will make a real change!!