You immediately run to the extreme of Guiliani. He is probably the least likely to appoint a pro-life justice, but not out of the question. The chances with him are greater than with what your vote will give us.
If you really think this, your critical thinking skills are worse than I had imagined. I can see no legitimate way to make this charge. Our liberty has been provided for by brave men and women for more than two centuries, and I think we should try to preserve it. You don't. That is a key difference, and if the preservation of liberty is asinine to you, then so be it.
There is no legitimate way to debate that voting for someone who cannot win is the same as not voting. You are not impacting the process that way. You are merely satisfying yourself. I don't think that is a good way to live.
I think God will be pleased that we vote with wisdom from an imperfect field. I think God will not be pleased that we mortgage the future for a paltry drink that will quench only our own thirst. As you said above, we have such a lack of vision, excellence, and respect for this country, that some will vote to cast our country into great malaise rather than voting to prevent it. I simply disagree with that stance.
This makes no sense.
I agree, but until we have that, we can't just throw the country away.
Where there is no vision beyond the present corrupt two party system, the people will perish, to paraphrase.
What a bunch of baloney about a chance with the Republicans and abortion.
They have had their chance.
Since 1973, Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush and Bush have done NOTHING.
Since 1973, Republican Congresses from 1981-1985 and 1994-2006 did NOTHING.
By contrast, since 1973, the Democrats only had the Presidency 12 years.
The notion that voting for a third party is a "cop out" strikes of a mindset of selling out the American people, a lack of understanding of our Constitution, and history.
1. God gives us the winners of elections.
Don't you agree?
2. Even if I had the ability to "give us" a winner the only winner I could "give us" is the candidate that I vote for.
If the candidate I vote for doesn't win, then I haven't "give[n] us" anything.
If you understand voting patterns, it makes lots of sense.
In 2004, Bush got 50% of the popular vote to Kerry's 48%.
50% of registered voters turned out.
50% of those who can vote are registered.
That means is everyone had voted, their vote would be about 25% of what they got.
That means a very small minority is selecting our leaders.
Your notion that a third party is unelectable makes no sense.
Aside from being a wrong interpretation of the verse (the "vision" there is revelation from God), I agree. I think we need a third party. BUT WE DON'T HAVE ONE. That's the point. Voting for somethign with no viability is not an act of courage.
First, the Republicans have done something. The PBA, and other acts have been "something" but not enough. They have appointed justices like Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and Alito, that provide a solid core that may overturn it. But there must be more good appointments made. But a president alone cannot do it.
Speaking of balogna, I am the one trying to get us not to sell out America. I am saying we must act to preserve the future.
Go back adn read what you wrote. It is missing a verb or something in there. It makes no sense, grammatically.
I understand all that, but the fact is that the world is run by people who show up.
It makes perfect sense, given your numbers above. 25% of America is satisfied to vote for two parties. That means a third party is unelectable because the other 75% dont' care enough to even show up.
It is not a lie. It is the truth. By voting for an unelectable person, you will be helping to elect a liberal who will appoint liberal justices. That is a fact.
That's not true. Your vote is not just a positive vote. It is also a vote against. This would be true if we had a system where a person was only out of office if someone else displaced them. But come Jan 2008, someone will leave office and someone will be put in. And you will help whoever is there by your vote.
Yes, I can. Apart from mere common sense that is plainly obvious, serious thinking shows it to be true. When there are two or three names on the ballot, with a guaranteed winner, you are not only voting for someone, you are voting against someone else. I can't figure out how you can't see this.
And don't accuse me of lying unless you have proof. Your lack of understanding does not constitute a lie on my part.
Yes, it is. Only in your obviously misguided thinking is my vote anything other than a positive vote.
Maybe yours is a negative vote. You can describe yours that way and that's fine.
However, to describe my vote in that way is a lie. I have explained it to you and if you persist in doing so there is no other way to describe what you are doing other than as lying.
You don't want to elect Guiliani, so you are voting against him. You don't want to elect Hillary, so you are voting against her. It is as much a negative vote as a positive one. When you are given options with a required choice, it is both positive and negative. My thinking is not misguided. You are simply not seeing it clearly. Your vote, however you cast it, is a vote both for something and against something else, given the fact that turnover is guaranteed.
No, your lack of understanding does not mean I am being dishonest. It means you don't understand. You need to stop saying this.
No, it means you are just too stubborn to admit that you are wrong in this case.
For instance, I agree with Ron Paul almost 100% on his stances.
There is no reason for me to vote against another candidate.
If Ron Paul was the only candidate running I would still vote for him.
Then why aren't you voting for Hillary? Or Rudy? Because you don't agree with them and you don't want to see them elected. That, by any reasonable definition, is a vote against.
Same to you. Seriously, we have our differences, though they are likely not all that great. But I hope you have a great Sunday and a great holiday time.
Failure for one to acknowledge the truth does not equate to the truth not being shown them. Many reject that Jesus is Lord, have they not been shown in the scriptures?
Now Larry, voting is telling a candidate that you want them to represent you in government. It is going the same dirrection.
I don't know how you come to this conclusion with my post. I am the one advocating that we Christians DO NOT seperate our Christianity from politics. You are confusing me here with somebody else.
Come now brother, you are a pastor of God's flock. Christians are not "evil". Being a sinner by nature does not equate to running after sin nor yoking up with those who do.
So I must know the future to vote? I have no desire to satisfy myself in this. As I have said over and over, I desire to satisfy the Word of God in all my deeds. You are placing your vote on political rhetoric of "I will do this and I will do that if elected". We cannot know what they will really do, so our best choice is to elect a Christian and pray God will guide them.
Did anyone know G.W. Bush would pound the war drum for Iraqu? We will be judged by what we knew, not by what was unknown.
Maybe Romney will get elected in spite of my Christian vote against him and a year later get saved. Does that mean I will be judged for not voting for him since he then became a Christian? Praise God if he gets saved, but I do not fear my judgment.
1) you do not know 100% for sure the appointments any President will make, and remember the Congress must approve as well. Was Reagan a social conservative? Did he appoint a social conservative Justice? How far did Reagan set us back with Roe v Wade?
2) you do know 100% for sure that Rudy is pro-murder. Therefor you absolutely would have blood on your hands if you yoked up with him with your vote.
3) you cannot know 100% for sure who will not win, unless you somehow have access to God's will. And please stop including those people who are not running for office, we are speaking of those who have declared the race.
4) The only selfless vote would be a vote for the candidate that follows God's word. Any other vote is self motivated.
Do what is right in God's eye and let the chips fall where they may. God is not going to say.... "Larry, you should have had a pretty good idea that Rudy was going to appoint conservative justices, so you should have ignored the fact that he has appathy towards the murder of innocent babies and voted for him".... Fact verses Pretty good idea!