I won't vote for “the lesser of two
evils.” Really? Why not?
Perhaps the desire could be framed, “I
will vote for the better politician.” That's an ironic term to be
sure, but it lets us make a good choice in light of the true
situation.
The hope for an ideal candidate in any
election is surely a fond one. “Hope springs eternal” the
marketers know. Politicians always strategize to maximize their
benefits and minimize their liabilities. It is up to their opponents
to maximize liabilities, right? This should be no surprise to
anyone.
For some reason, people are “shocked”
and “surprised” when American political campaigns swerve into the
gutter. Or when they are swerved intentionally in the gutter.
Proverbs 18:7 says, “A fool's mouth
is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul.” A few verses
later we read, “The first to plead his case seems right, Until
another comes and examines him.”
We don't like to be disappointed with
politicians. Like optimism and hope, disappointment is ever-present
and looms around every new sunrise in politics and government. Many
of us would like to cast a vote and solve some problems. There are
so many problems that it is hard to keep track of any progress if you
are actually trying to hold down a job.
So why the insistence on idealism? On
Godly, righteous people in government, especially if they are not
running? At the end of the day we have to “give to Caesar the
things that are Caesar's.” The Kingdom of God is not equal to any
human government, no matter what Evangelicals fondly wish.
And just because a particular
politician is sub-optimal is many ways this does not mean voting for
that person is a dramatic and revolting act of evil. It is actually
a rather mundane act, like raking leaves. It may not be fun or
“holy,” but it needs to be done.
Character counts, but only if character
is a selection on the ballot. Character is measured against promises
of action and policy. Politicians influence public policy, laws and
their enforcement, regulation and initiatives of public investment,
and hopefully moral leadership. Only with time will the true nature
of politicians be revealed, so you have to look at the record, not
the mud that is slung.
So, when one candidate is to you better
or worse than another (after you've formed evidence based opinions)
then you have to “pay your money and take your choice.”
It may not do any real good to see
candidates as “evil” just because they are less (or even very far
less) than ideal. This is silencing your own vote.
If you chose not to decide, you still
have made a choice.
