I agree with Andy Rooney (of 60 Minutes) and Colin Powell (former Sec. of State), both men seem to have great qualifications and would do well… am I still undecided? am I a single issue voter?
Well, the emails just keep on a coming and some of them are garbage and others are thoughtful and based on personal experience which make a lot of sense… thanks for sending them. Like my friend Dan, I wish you would post a comment, but that’s okay… their topics have included the whole Ayers thing and terrorism, Rev. Wright, Obama’svoting record, and a big one: abortion (stick with me to the end of this post for more on this topic)…
Abortion is a supreme court issue isn’t it? Recently, I was at James Madison’s house (Montpelier) and listened to a PhD candidate (UVa) lead 12th graders through a discussion of the constitution. During this time it struck me – – – Where a candidate stands on the constitution and who a presidential candidate would nominate to serve on the Supreme Court matter more than thier economics, foreign policy, etc. Think about checks and balances… think about legacy… looooong legacy – example: Gerald Ford nominated John Paul Stevens the year I graduated high school (1975).
So… the more I think and pray about this election, and I have done that more with this election than any other… the more I think about the Supreme Court… It now looks like the senate might have 60 Democrats in January. This makes a big difference, a very big difference… If a Democrat (being a democrat is not bad or evil – it is a point of view to be respected) – namely Barak Obama (who has a very liberal voting record – maybe the most liberal voting record) – gets to nominate the next Supreme Court justice (they say John Paul Stevens, 88, is just hanging on for a more liberal president so he can retire), and the Senate is freshly packed with Democrats – then where are the checks and balances? Who will ask hard enough questions of court nominees? Yes, there will be Republicans on the judiciary committee, BUT…
This concern I have goes to such a huge number and variety of issues that the Supreeme Court deals with. I am now ready to risk Sarah Palin (I will just pray for McCain’s well being and that he and others can help her get up to speed on things… No, she is not Harry Truman – but we did get through Agnew, didn’t we?). I was not a single issue voter… until this week… my single issue… my litmus test… is not the economy, the war, or abortion ((which I believe to be a scar on humanity, a scar which breaks the heart of God because it ends the life of a human being (it is not above my pay grade) and an act which has such devastating results on those living after it). My litmus test is what happens to the Supreme Court and who gets nominated to serve there and interpret and apply the supreme law of the land to so many issues. Maybe I’m being inconsistent, but checks and balances are imperative.
My single issue? The Constitution.
Who do I want to promise to uphold it as president? John McCain.
There, I am no longer undecided.
Thanks for caring enough about our democracy (it’s a representative republic, by the way) to care and to discuss and to urge one another on to think…
I hope this urges you to think, to pray, and (to those of you who are American and are registered), to vote.
kingdom travelin' 
Tom, I am like you but reasoned for a different single issue. I am actually going on gut. I am looking for authenticity to the issues and the candidate. In other words, who I believe is just sayin’ and who I believe is believin’. This could have been said of Pres. Bush originally therefore we should not vote people into office on good intentions but I am concerned about character that which is revealed in the crucible. Will both candidates prove themselves outside campaign machine? Perhaps but I will look to the past and decide based on performance!
I finally decided to vote based on 4 things: gay marriage, abortion, big government involved in every day life and raising taxes, and the Supreme Court nominations coming up during this next president’s term. I too went with McCain.