Barack or Mitt?

I'm not at all in favor of continuing the status quo of the U.S. government. For most Americans, the choice comes down to one of two contenders, with the argument made that failure to vote for one of the two is simply a wasted electoral exercise. There are serious considerations tied to the upcoming election, and there are certain facts which need to be examined before leaping off into the ballot booth.

I. The economy. The Democrat (Socialist) Party incumbent would have us believe that all will be well if we just continue to borrow money. What is not discussed is the fact that money is a portable substitute for goods and services. If money is printed without any backing other than a promise to pay, and the people who own broken promises stop accepting them, the system propped up by that money must collapse. The challenger has offered some ideas that would slow down the breaking of the promises, but not eliminate them altogether. Further, sober number-crunching shows us that as a nation we have already passed the tipping point for economic collapse. The patient is terminally ill, and we aren't making funeral arrangements yet. When he dies, the body will get stinky in a hurry. Get ready.

2. Personal freedom. The status quo is a movement toward greater restriction and control of individuals and their liberty. The Democrat position is that might makes right; individuals must be subordinate to the will of the majority or face being beaten into subjection. The Republican (Whig) position is that the central government has the privilege of dictating uniform laws across the land; if you are not for them, you are against them, and if you are against them, you face being beaten into subjection. Not much choice of outcomes there.

Helping my mother fill out her absentee ballot the other day -- and no, I did not tell her how to vote, but simply made sure she followed the instructions for filling out the envelope -- I was made aware of the number of choices available on this election's ballot. (From the Summit County BOE website).

• Stewart Alexander/Alex Mendoza (Socialist)
• Susan E. Daniels/Jerry A. Veneskey (Write-In)
• Richard Duncan/Ricky Johnson
• Virgil Goode/Jim Clymer (Constitution)
• Gary Johnson/James P. Gray (Libertarian)
• Nelson Keyton/Jay Jennelle (Write-In)
• Barack Obama/Joe Biden (Democrat)
• Jill Reed/Tom Cary (Write-In)
• Platt Robertson/Scott Fall (Write-In)
• Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan (Republican)
• Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala (Green)
• Randall A. Terry/Cathy Lewis (Write-In)
• Mike Vargo/Jeff Angeletti (Write-In)

Quite an array. We have a fairly clear idea where the Democrat and Republican candidates stand on things, but what of the others? Let's take a look.

Write-Ins & Independents. Those aren't actually write-ins; they are real ballot choices. I have no idea what they stand for. They don't seem well enough organized to actually be effective presiding over the United States.

Socialist Party : "Socialism and democracy are one and indivisible." That is their party line. Socialist Party USA. Prepare to be assimilated. Ugh.

Libertarian Party : "We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose." That's a nice sentiment, but, personally, I don't subscribe to it, because I know that God will bring us all into judgment. Libertarianism sounds good as long as the fine print is ignored. God ordained government to hold libertarians in check. Libertarian Party 2012 Platform. Sorry, I don't buy this.

Green Party of the United States : "We are partners with the European Federation of Green Parties and the Federation of Green Parties of the Americas." Wonderful. These folks believe government should control everything -- a sort of Anti-Libertarian party -- with the ultimate authority seemingly the UN General Assembly. 2012 Green Party Platform . Run away! Run away!

Democrat Party : "Democrats believe that we're greater together than we are on our own." That's why Mr. Obama can say that an individual cannot succeed without government help. Democratic National Platform. If you are tempted to vote for these guys, read the platform carefully. They spend more time bashing Republicans and bragging about how they spent borrowed money than setting forward their political theory.

Republican Party : "The American Dream is a dream of equal opportunity for all. And the Republican Party is the party of opportunity." Sounds good, and the Prez/VP candidates seem to be men of good character. But … a part of their planned reforms is "…reversing the undermining of federalism…." 2012 Republican Platform . Sounds good, but not quite good enough.

Constitution Party : "The goal of the Constitution Party is to restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations and to limit the federal government to its Constitutional boundaries." Constitution Party National Platform. I guess these folks are as close to what I believe as anybody out there gets.

So what happens if I vote for Virgil Goode and Barack Obama wins the election? Maybe I should be asking what happens if Virgil Goode wins?

You see, the election is not in the hands of the people of the United States. This nation has invited the wrath of Almighty God, not through the actions of its rulers alone, but through the wanton disregard, by the people, of God's standards. It is God who sets up kings and takes them down. It was God who placed Barack Obama in Washington as a warning and punishment for America's sins.

So, unless there is wholesale repentance on the part of the people of the United States, it will not matter who sits in the White House. God will have put that person there. Despite that person's beliefs or desires, God will deal with America according to its sins. If our vaunted freedoms disappear because of our personal, everyday lifestyles, that is God's justice.

Make the best decision you can based on the facts that you have, and leave the results in God's hands. He can save, whether by few or by many.