Taxes. Unemployment rate. Energy policy. Obamacare. Is it 47% or 30% or 100%? Vouchers for students and vouchers for seniors. The war on women. War with Iran. And occasionally we talk about Afghanistan. All issues worthy of our time and our discussion. President Obama and Governor Romney have each weighed in countless times on all of these issues. They generally disagree on everything. Even in one area where they do agree–the need for more jobs–they disagree completely on how to get there. So they debate and hold rallies, create photo ops and run ads about themselves and about their opponents. Other very wealthy interest groups run ads for them about themselves and about their opponents. The coverage is constant. What a sideshow. What a distraction from the really important stuff! I submit to you that each and every one of these things listed above, though all very important, are Second Tier issues getting the Top Tier coverage.
There is only one Top Tier issue in this campaign. Nothing else the candidates try to sell to us or try to convince us of is remotely close in importance to the kind of people they are themselves. I care about their tax policy but I care more about their character. What they say about health care matters a great deal to me but I weigh that against my assessment of their genuine compassion. I am concerned about war and I am concerned about the security of our nation and I expect my president’s policies to reflect a conviction about human rights. Both candidates tout their love for seniors and the disabled and the less fortunate, so which has the most honesty? Does he have a passion for the message he brings or is he more of a spokesperson for the message developed by his advisers and deep pocketed friends?
Below are some character-defining questions that I am asking in order to clarify which presidential candidate I can trust with my vote.
Does my candidate follow the Golden Rule? Believing it is one thing and following it is another entirely.
Does my candidate believe he is his brother’s keeper? Not his boss or his Lord. “Responsible for”…that’s what I’m talking about.
Is my candidate more Peacemaker or more Warmonger? ‘Nuff said.
Is my candidate more Poor in Spirit or Rich in Pocketbook. I know they aren’t exactly opposites but they seem to fit together.
Does my candidate live his life more for himself or more for his country? Anyone who profits from war or from sending domestic jobs overseas, is no patriot.
If my candidate had two coats would he give one to a stranger? Or would he wait until he had 50 coats before giving one to a stranger?
Does my candidate care as much about the 12 year old girl in a group home as he does about the unborn?
Does my candidate believe that nobody should have THAT much when so many have nothing?
Is my candidate willing to be honest enough with the American people to admit that everything Congress does and doesn’t do is about wealth redistribution in one direction or another? Except maybe treaties. Oh yeah, they do too.
Would my candidate lie to get us into any war? Or just really, really stretch the truth?
Does my candidate believe that the lives of people from Mexico, Iraq, North Korea and yes even Iran–I mean their LIFE, is as valuable as anyone else’s?
Does my candidate change his mind with the wind? I do not mean the deliberate, thoughtful changing of mind that shows growth and even wisdom. I mean, does my candidate change his mind to get campaign donations?
Does my candidate believe that we need fair and honest elections where the voice of every voter cannot be smothered by the millionaire’s and billionaire’s money?
There you go. Each of these questions goes directly to character, honesty, compassion, and a conviction about human rights. That’s Human Rights. No candidate is perfect, but if you go through this list you might try seeing where Obama and Romney come out on these things. To me, if a candidate falls short with respect to many of these questions, why would I believe anything he might say thereafter? How would you score the two candidates?