Vote for Love of Country

We don't often blog about politics. But I love this country and my family, and this election is important, especially to my kids. Plus, this is too long for Facebook.

WARNING: FREE SPEECH

In 1980, the economy was a catastrophe, terrorists were having their way with Americans overseas, and Jimmy Carter asked for four more years. He was a good man, but he was a poor leader. Thankfully, most of our parents didn't gamble on the slim chance that he would suddenly become a good president. It wasn't revenge. It was just common sense. The result was an economic boom and the end of the Cold War.

Well, it's like 1980 again. The incumbent is a good and intelligent man but a poor leader and an unwise steward. He tells his supporters that "voting is the best revenge," like the world and our lives are some sort of B-movie and he's the star. Revenge against whom or what exactly?

• Americans who owe $6,000,000,000,000 in new federal debt?
• 23,000,000 Americans who are looking for work?
• The heroes of Benghazi who tried to avert a crisis when pleas for help were rejected?
• The firearms provided by this president to Mexican drug dealers and used to kill innocent people?
• Our brave soldiers who continue to die in the Middle East in wars that were supposedly ended by fiat?

If your worldview boils down to revenge, I can't help you. But if you're a thoughtful voter, consider voting for a proven leader who understands the following:

• America is exceptional and can be a force for good in the world.
• Americans are good people who will voluntarily take care of themselves and each other if given the chance.
• The world is a dangerous place, full of people who hate us for our beliefs. In my view, you reject the haters, not our beliefs! (Apology tour?)
• You don't ignore the Constitution for convenience. (Fast and Furious?)
• The government serves the people, not the other way around.

I have said outside this blog that this is not the most important election of our lifetime. Thinking better, for my friends born after 1980, it just might be. Do we keep marching to the establishment drumbeat toward the well-lit 1,000-foot cliff that represents certain failure? Or do we try a new direction with someone who knows how to fix things and who cares about the original American ideals?

Vote well, my friends. Vote for love of country.

"In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children"