Once again, we have been hearing that this is the most important election in our history -- maybe so and maybe not.  I’m sure that was also said during the election leading up to the Civil War, and probably again in the depression era of the late 20’s.

Actually, neither candidate can have much effect on the economy except for his/her ability to sway congress.  Congress controls spending, so statements that begin with “My plan … “ do not really mean much unless Congress goes along.  Even with complete cooperation from Congress, a major change in economic policy frequently takes years to become fully effective, and by then a different administration gets the blame or credit.  The United States economy is like a huge ship, and moving the rudder full left or right will still take the ship a very long time to turn.  Our current problems have grown from seeds planted years ago.  In the same way, our present military shortages stem from cuts made years ago.

It is not my intent to recommend a vote for one candidate or the other.  Instead, I would like to submit some considerations for making that important decision.  The United States is, and has been, the greatest and most generous nation in civilized history.  We have assisted more countries and more individuals for good than any nation ever.  In his book “Democracy in America”, Alexis De Tocqueville observed that America is great because America is basically good, and America is good because of the influence of its churches.

I think De Tocqueville is right, and therefore I view each candidate through the prism of faith.  I also use the prisms of family, business, and defense; and I apply these criteria to other national and state candidates as well as the presidency.

Faith:  The United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and a belief in God or “Providence”.  All we have to do is look at our founding documents, engravings on buildings in our capital, and even our coins to see evidence of that.  So I look at which candidate is most likely to bring the U.S. closer to a return of those founding values.

Family:  Family was and is a fundamental contributor to making America great.  Lifestyles are private, but tinkering with the fundamental concept of ‘family’ also tinkers with one of our basic foundations.  Therefore, it is important to me to discern which candidate is most likely to hold onto our historic concept of ‘family’.

Business:  Businesses, including farming, are the engines that drive the U.S. economy.  Except for enforcing laws, the more government involves itself in a given business, the more difficulty that business has remaining in operation and providing jobs.  Some businesses that can afford to do so go out of the country to escape government interference and taxes, as well as labor costs.  Businesses pass these costs on to consumers or worse, they go out of business and jobs are lost.  So, which candidate is most likely to foster a business friendly climate right here in the United States?

Defense:  I consider myself a citizen soldier who has been willing to fight to preserve our freedoms.  Throughout history we have seen that when potential adversaries perceive weakness, they threaten or attack us or our friends.  Therefore, I believe it is crucial that we maintain a strong military.  Peace through strength is more than a catch-phrase; it is a working principle.

Even the Preamble to our Constitution uses the word “provide” when describing “common defense”, while it uses “promote” for “the general welfare”.  I believe this choice of words to be deliberate, and that it establishes the priorities our founders had in mind.  So, which candidate is most likely to keep our military strong in order to “provide for the common defense”?

With the above thoughts in mind, I recommend evaluating the candidates through reason and not emotion; and for the long term good of the nation and not any short term or temporary gain for a given group or individual.  Sadly, many today vote on the principle of ‘who will give me the most right now’ regardless of long term consequences.  The bottom line – with as much factual information as you can garner, make your decision, and vote.

These are my opinions only and not those of any organization that I am a member of or serve a leadership role in.  I am certain that some members of those organizations will disagree with me and certainly I cannot speak for them.