I liked Mike. I still do. I wish he hadn't suspended his campaign.
A week from Tuesday is Primary Day, here in sunny NC, so I'm thinking politics. I've decided I'm going to vote for Mike, even though he's not technically running the presidential race anymore.
Don't get me wrong... I WILL vote for John McCain in the general election. I think he's a hero... a true leader. I like the way he follows his values and doesn't fit neatly into anyone's pocket. But in the NC primary, I'm going to darken a bubble for Mike Huckabee.
Mike represents me. He holds sacred the things I hold sacred... God, life, freedom, family, compassion... I even like his national sales tax idea. It makes total sense to me. Everyone gets taxed. People who are legal residents of this nation and below a certain income level get tax relief. I'm good with that. People who are illegally in our beautiful country either pay up or go home. Goodness... why doesn't everyone else see the perfect simplicity of this plan?
Anyway... here's a little bit about where I'm coming from. I understand that I'm in the demographic that will determine this election. I am a woman. I am a mom. I am married. I am in my 40's. Currently, I am a homemaker and blogger, but I have my real estate license and a teaching degree and have worked for pay in both fields and plan to return to working for pay in both fields when the time is right. It'll likely be sooner than later because our family is feeling the pain of rising gas and food prices.
I have a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree. I attend church weekly and serve in both student ministry and women's ministry leadership. I drive a gas-guzzling Suburban because it was the only vehicle on the market that would hold all the kids in our carpool to... you guessed it, Christian school. I would love to buy a hybrid, but can't afford one because: 1) They are outrageously expensive; 2) We pay a huge portion of our income in taxes every month; and 3) We pay mondo-gigantico tuition at a Christian school, which is NOT tax deductible. I will have a hybrid... someday!
I'm part of the so-called "Religious Right" in that I am conservative because my core values come directly from the Bible. I actually believe that The Book is true. All of it. Literally. Six days of Creation. Virgin birth. Crucifixion and bodily resurrection. The whole thing.
I come from NC Democrat stock. Jesse-crats. My Grandma Baker registered to vote as a Democrat and voted a straight ticket until the day she died, one month shy of her 103rd birthday. Although I was only 16 when Reagan ran for his first term, I was terrified when he got elected. Everyone was saying he was going to get us into World War 3. So, when I turned 18, I registered to vote as a Democrat.
I went to college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The one Jesse said to build a fence around and call it the NC Zoo. Bastion of liberalism. My history TA told us that the US was the aggressor and had bullied all the nations of the world into submission. That's how we became the #1 World Power. I thought he was a snotty TA. He seemed to hate the USA. I loved my country. So... in my first presidential election, I voted to re-elect Reagan, probably more as a vote against my liberal TA's views than as an affirmation of the direction in which our nation was headed at the end of Reagan's first term.
Just before my senior year at UNC, I had to make a life-changing decision. It was about my faith. I came to a crisis in my life... my parents were divorcing, my boyfriend broke up with me, my sorority (I was the president of the chapter) was under scrutiny from National because our numbers were low, my best friend was mad because I'd moved out of our shared room and into the President's Room... pretty much everything I'd built my security on was crumbling under me.
So I had to choose a landing spot. I could have landed in the world and denounced the faith in which I was raised. I'd pretty much given it only lip-service for the past few years. Or I could get real with the faith my parents taught me and truly commit my life to the Lord God Almighty of the Bible through faith in His only Son, Jesus Christ. I chose the latter.
With that choice came a whole new view of the world... and of politics. I started listening to what politicians were saying and figured out, very quickly, that the liberal side didn't match my values.
I am pro-life. If you don't start with that concept, the rest doesn't really matter. I don't think bombing abortion clinics is the answer. I think educating hearts is. Full disclosure, people. I haven't had an abortion, but friends I dearly love have, and years later, they all come to the same conclusion that they wouldn't have done it if they'd have known they were killing a baby. Mass of tissue, my foot. It's a life.
[Incidentally, I'm wrestling with the death penalty. I don't think I could ever be on a jury that would sentence anyone to die. If I couldn't do it, how could I expect others to do it? I don't think that the death penalty is against biblical teaching either, though. It's an issue the Lord and I are working through.]
Being pro-life pretty much negates being a Democrat for me. And voting for one too. Period. The End. I switched my party affiliation just after I got married. I was 23.
Then in 2000, I worked for the Republican party, making calls to get-out-the-vote. I was highly motivated to make certain a Republican was elected President because it disturbed me the way the courts were starting to legislate. I wanted judges appointed who had some sense and would quit re-writing law to fit the liberal bias.
As for the Republicans... at the moment, I have to admit I'm not too thrilled with them either.
During the election of 2004, I volunteered to make phone calls for the Republican party. The folks down at headquarters on Hillsborough Street gave us a script to read. We were calling only registered Republicans, so it was supposed to be a friendly crowd. For the most part, it was. But the script told us to say that we were taking a survey. The coordinator explained that even though we weren't actually taking a survey for statistical purposes, we were technically "surveying" them by asking them if they planned to vote. Hummm... That didn't feel right. I think I used that script for one or two calls and then I just couldn't do it anymore. I felt like I was lying. I finished my phone calling time without reading the first paragraph of the script. I don't think I ever went back. I just couldn't stick to that script.
Values matter. In both of the big parties. And all the little ones too. I vote values.
I would have LOVED to support Rudy. He is a strong leader. I can forgive him for mistakes in his personal life. Goodness... not voting for him for that reason would be like casting the first stone. But I can't vote for someone who holds personal choice to end an unborn life above the right to life. I just can't.
Don't get me wrong... I'm fiscally conservative too. My husband and I both worked hard getting an education. We work hard in our jobs. We would really love not to have our income re-distributed to those who don't work or who are in our country illegally and receiving benefits of citizenship without chipping in to help foot the bill. We would love the chance to give more to our church and other ministries that help the poor. It's one of the mandates in our Handbook... help the poor. Not an option. A command. We wish we could do more, but unfortunately, we can't. Nearly half of what we make goes to Caesar. Jesus said to pay taxes and move on... "Render unto Caesar..."
Values. They matter. Have I said that before?
To those of us in the "religious right" movement... and I have to say I'm good with "right" but the word "religious" isn't even the correct term for us... values are more important that towing the party line. Our loyalty is to the One Who gave His life as an atoning sacrifice for sin.
If we ever see values vs. our "pocketbook," we will vote values. Sorry, Ann. I think you are one of the most brilliant women in the history of our wonderful country, but you are wrong about Mike Huckabee. Sorry, Rush. You've done so much to bring to light the silliness of liberalism, but you are wrong about Mike Huckabee, too. And Dr. Dobson... where were you? Why didn't you support the guy earlier? Why were you quiet until Romney dropped out of the race? If you were torn, why didn't you say, "Either of these two would be great?" You know, I admire you all... Ann, Rush, Dr. Dobson... but the bottom line is that my vote's not between me and you all. It's between me and Jesus. So, I've figured this one out in prayer.
We have a little more than a week until our primary. Not that I need any more time. I'm voting my values. I know it's a "lost cause," but if you read The Book, you'll notice we sort of expect that kind of battle, at least for a little while longer. Still, that doesn't negate the need for us to cast our votes with all our hearts.
And that, I'm gonna do.
A week from Tuesday is Primary Day, here in sunny NC, so I'm thinking politics. I've decided I'm going to vote for Mike, even though he's not technically running the presidential race anymore.
Don't get me wrong... I WILL vote for John McCain in the general election. I think he's a hero... a true leader. I like the way he follows his values and doesn't fit neatly into anyone's pocket. But in the NC primary, I'm going to darken a bubble for Mike Huckabee.
Mike represents me. He holds sacred the things I hold sacred... God, life, freedom, family, compassion... I even like his national sales tax idea. It makes total sense to me. Everyone gets taxed. People who are legal residents of this nation and below a certain income level get tax relief. I'm good with that. People who are illegally in our beautiful country either pay up or go home. Goodness... why doesn't everyone else see the perfect simplicity of this plan?
Anyway... here's a little bit about where I'm coming from. I understand that I'm in the demographic that will determine this election. I am a woman. I am a mom. I am married. I am in my 40's. Currently, I am a homemaker and blogger, but I have my real estate license and a teaching degree and have worked for pay in both fields and plan to return to working for pay in both fields when the time is right. It'll likely be sooner than later because our family is feeling the pain of rising gas and food prices.
I have a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree. I attend church weekly and serve in both student ministry and women's ministry leadership. I drive a gas-guzzling Suburban because it was the only vehicle on the market that would hold all the kids in our carpool to... you guessed it, Christian school. I would love to buy a hybrid, but can't afford one because: 1) They are outrageously expensive; 2) We pay a huge portion of our income in taxes every month; and 3) We pay mondo-gigantico tuition at a Christian school, which is NOT tax deductible. I will have a hybrid... someday!
I'm part of the so-called "Religious Right" in that I am conservative because my core values come directly from the Bible. I actually believe that The Book is true. All of it. Literally. Six days of Creation. Virgin birth. Crucifixion and bodily resurrection. The whole thing.
I come from NC Democrat stock. Jesse-crats. My Grandma Baker registered to vote as a Democrat and voted a straight ticket until the day she died, one month shy of her 103rd birthday. Although I was only 16 when Reagan ran for his first term, I was terrified when he got elected. Everyone was saying he was going to get us into World War 3. So, when I turned 18, I registered to vote as a Democrat.
I went to college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The one Jesse said to build a fence around and call it the NC Zoo. Bastion of liberalism. My history TA told us that the US was the aggressor and had bullied all the nations of the world into submission. That's how we became the #1 World Power. I thought he was a snotty TA. He seemed to hate the USA. I loved my country. So... in my first presidential election, I voted to re-elect Reagan, probably more as a vote against my liberal TA's views than as an affirmation of the direction in which our nation was headed at the end of Reagan's first term.
Just before my senior year at UNC, I had to make a life-changing decision. It was about my faith. I came to a crisis in my life... my parents were divorcing, my boyfriend broke up with me, my sorority (I was the president of the chapter) was under scrutiny from National because our numbers were low, my best friend was mad because I'd moved out of our shared room and into the President's Room... pretty much everything I'd built my security on was crumbling under me.
So I had to choose a landing spot. I could have landed in the world and denounced the faith in which I was raised. I'd pretty much given it only lip-service for the past few years. Or I could get real with the faith my parents taught me and truly commit my life to the Lord God Almighty of the Bible through faith in His only Son, Jesus Christ. I chose the latter.
With that choice came a whole new view of the world... and of politics. I started listening to what politicians were saying and figured out, very quickly, that the liberal side didn't match my values.
I am pro-life. If you don't start with that concept, the rest doesn't really matter. I don't think bombing abortion clinics is the answer. I think educating hearts is. Full disclosure, people. I haven't had an abortion, but friends I dearly love have, and years later, they all come to the same conclusion that they wouldn't have done it if they'd have known they were killing a baby. Mass of tissue, my foot. It's a life.
[Incidentally, I'm wrestling with the death penalty. I don't think I could ever be on a jury that would sentence anyone to die. If I couldn't do it, how could I expect others to do it? I don't think that the death penalty is against biblical teaching either, though. It's an issue the Lord and I are working through.]
Being pro-life pretty much negates being a Democrat for me. And voting for one too. Period. The End. I switched my party affiliation just after I got married. I was 23.
Then in 2000, I worked for the Republican party, making calls to get-out-the-vote. I was highly motivated to make certain a Republican was elected President because it disturbed me the way the courts were starting to legislate. I wanted judges appointed who had some sense and would quit re-writing law to fit the liberal bias.
As for the Republicans... at the moment, I have to admit I'm not too thrilled with them either.
During the election of 2004, I volunteered to make phone calls for the Republican party. The folks down at headquarters on Hillsborough Street gave us a script to read. We were calling only registered Republicans, so it was supposed to be a friendly crowd. For the most part, it was. But the script told us to say that we were taking a survey. The coordinator explained that even though we weren't actually taking a survey for statistical purposes, we were technically "surveying" them by asking them if they planned to vote. Hummm... That didn't feel right. I think I used that script for one or two calls and then I just couldn't do it anymore. I felt like I was lying. I finished my phone calling time without reading the first paragraph of the script. I don't think I ever went back. I just couldn't stick to that script.
Values matter. In both of the big parties. And all the little ones too. I vote values.
I would have LOVED to support Rudy. He is a strong leader. I can forgive him for mistakes in his personal life. Goodness... not voting for him for that reason would be like casting the first stone. But I can't vote for someone who holds personal choice to end an unborn life above the right to life. I just can't.
Don't get me wrong... I'm fiscally conservative too. My husband and I both worked hard getting an education. We work hard in our jobs. We would really love not to have our income re-distributed to those who don't work or who are in our country illegally and receiving benefits of citizenship without chipping in to help foot the bill. We would love the chance to give more to our church and other ministries that help the poor. It's one of the mandates in our Handbook... help the poor. Not an option. A command. We wish we could do more, but unfortunately, we can't. Nearly half of what we make goes to Caesar. Jesus said to pay taxes and move on... "Render unto Caesar..."
Values. They matter. Have I said that before?
To those of us in the "religious right" movement... and I have to say I'm good with "right" but the word "religious" isn't even the correct term for us... values are more important that towing the party line. Our loyalty is to the One Who gave His life as an atoning sacrifice for sin.
If we ever see values vs. our "pocketbook," we will vote values. Sorry, Ann. I think you are one of the most brilliant women in the history of our wonderful country, but you are wrong about Mike Huckabee. Sorry, Rush. You've done so much to bring to light the silliness of liberalism, but you are wrong about Mike Huckabee, too. And Dr. Dobson... where were you? Why didn't you support the guy earlier? Why were you quiet until Romney dropped out of the race? If you were torn, why didn't you say, "Either of these two would be great?" You know, I admire you all... Ann, Rush, Dr. Dobson... but the bottom line is that my vote's not between me and you all. It's between me and Jesus. So, I've figured this one out in prayer.
We have a little more than a week until our primary. Not that I need any more time. I'm voting my values. I know it's a "lost cause," but if you read The Book, you'll notice we sort of expect that kind of battle, at least for a little while longer. Still, that doesn't negate the need for us to cast our votes with all our hearts.
And that, I'm gonna do.
