Two years ago, I gave politics up in a huff. While I had my reasons, when I dropped the format life got duller. A nice duller.
However, as we are all want to do, I needed the thrill. I needed the action. I needed the obsessive–compulsive disorder to make of mockery of my social life (again). I had to get back in the grift.
The problem with grifting is this: usually, you want something out of the deal. Whether to inform, persuade, or — in my case — to make all that mad blog money the kids seem to talk about all the time. You use your angle to get leverage to take the thing you want. That’s the grift.
In 2008, I need no leverage. There’s nothing I want.
Dogs, hunts, and not having them
During this latest presidential primary season, I never had a candidate. Never in the 2004 primaries — er — 2008 primaries (just feels like it’s been going on since then, I guess), did I endorse a candidate. Not even when there were 19,033 Republicans on the stage could I pick one.
It got so bad this year that I actually tried to find out something about the Democrat candidates. No, not the only ones that were going to win the thing — the ones who would actually do something different in government. Depressingly, no candidate brings much of anything other than status quo.
Well, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul would, but they have been deemed unelectable. We all want change, as long as it’s not us that gotta do the changing.
The can–you–believe–it short version
The past couple of weeks have really changed my outlook on the current presidential elections. I’ve weighed the consequences of speaking out against what I believe to be wrong versus the safety and calm of silence. For whatever reason, I chose today to stop being silent. The reasons for breaking my silence would take longer than you’d care to read, but suffice it to say one major reason was a speech in a church.
Churches are near and dear to me, whether you understand them to be the buildings we go to meet each other, or the people who meet. The church is a body, with many parts, with many different functions. Since I value everything in a caste system starting with God, then family, then country, then other stuff, I usually think clearly.
So when somebody claims to be doing good for God, I usually think, “really?” For those of you who don’t understand the fundamental plank of Christianity — that none of us are good — American pragmatism tends to take over.
But God does not require us to do “good things.” He requires obedience. And, rightly, when God requires something for his purposes, it will benefit those whom he chooses (again for his purposes, not ours). And God is bullish on the future, things happening now may not have a relevant impact for decades — or centuries.
Long story medium: politics and my relationship to God are incredibly important to me. Seeing bad doctrine preached, or watching people lead the church astray get me motivated. That’s why I’m here.
And while yer at it, couldya mebee tho in a thing er two 'bout them 'conomicals you done useta mention ever nownthen?
My eldest boy and I was speakin 'bout the impact of them conomicals on the formation of gubments. You know what ahm talkin' ' bout.
Not really. Have the years ruined your ability to form sentences? It’s because you can’t afford food anymore, isn’t it?
US OUT OF MICHIGAN!!!
U ain't in Michigan . . . I is.
You're just trying to get me riled up again. You're going to make me go off on Poor Unsuspecting Sen McCain. You're going to leave little hints that he's none too conservative in the 'free markets' department. You're going to say that he's willing to seriously consider gas tax vacations.
Well it won't work. I'm un-rile-able. I think.
Mike (who has made a scant $0.17 posting as "Captoe")
Ya know, it’s that sorta mushy math that never got me on the McCain Train, be it in 2000 or beyond.
I’m almost at the point where I think there will be dramatically lower turnout at the polls this year, just because of the craptackular selection we’re given.