Cartoon from here.
We are our own worst enemy. No one can betray us quite as well as we betray ourselves. That is why each election must both be an occasion for celebration and for wariness. Even the fact the election process worked is cause for celebration. Yet why did we elect the people we elected? When all our candidates are merely fallible souls like ourselves, are the blind leading the blind?
In particular our last election provides both cause for celebration and suspicion. Because we elected a Black man, we broke an old racial barrier. Yet we also elected candidates who espouse radical philosophies. What of those philosophies? How did we decide to vote for Barack Obama? Did too many voters trust the wrong people to keep them informed? How do we decide who we trust? This website, “How Obama Got Elected,” (H/T to Salt and Light (see here)) offers an answer. Did we listen to those who tell us what we wanted to hear, or did we listen to those who care enough to tell us the truth? (updated since links are out of date)
There is a famous statement in the Bible that explains the problem we face when we try to maintain our freedom.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Out of context, this verse may not necessarily be understood. When we think of freedom, we automatically think of freedom from oppression. When Jesus used these words, he meant freedom from sin, not freedom from mere oppression. Jesus explained.
John 8:31-38
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
Because we are heirs to our fleshly wants, we cannot escape from our sinful nature without God’s help. Jesus offers us that help. Those who accept Jesus’ help He can in time free from sin. When enough of us accept Jesus, only then can we live in a society freed from oppression.
Free societies exist only to the extent men accept God’s offer to free men from sin.
Cartoon from here.
Citizen Tom 
James – Your comment about the Constitution is right on. Unfortunately, we have not been doing a good job teaching our children what they should honor and why we must strive to elect honorable people.
kgotthardt – One of the jobs of the news media is to provide us information we can use. Please turn off any source that provides you false or incoherent nonsense. While such garbage may be “entertaining,” it is not worthy of your attention.
One of the reasons we are not allowed to vote until we are 18 is so that we can learn what is important. If the respect too many show for Christianity, our Constitution, and our nation’s traditions is any indication, then I fear too many of us have failed to teach our children what is important. Now they will have to learn the hard way, and their elders will suffer doubly hard. We too will know the pains of corrupt politics and a failing economy, and we will know in our hearts how we could have prevented the whole mess.
Make certain you visit “How Obama Got Elected.” The film clips are very revealing.
I think we can safely say there has been cheating in numerous elections and that media does crazy things during campaign time (as do campaigners). The whole process is corrupt, IMHO, if for no other reason than we are inundated with information. If we take our information from only one source, we are doing ourselves an injustice by listening to only one perspective. If we listen to too many sources, however, then we can easily get confused. By the time some people reach the polls, they have one thing in mind: push the stupid buttons and get it over with! This age of information overload has probably hurt us as much as it has helped us–in elections and otherwise.
It’s not clear how well the election process is working until, or if, there is an accounting for the vote cheating and the illegal contributions. The coruption will only get worse, if it doesn’t get corrected.
Fallible sinful men and women lead our government by design. Our Constitutional limited government of separated powers, checks and balances is intended for just men, not angels. We need to have those Consitituional limits in the future.
Archie – Thanks for the compliment.
kgotthardt – Glad you enjoy the cartoons. I do too.
When we take the time, we assess what the people we elect will do. There 535 members in Congress, and that is where most of the power resides. So what Congress does for the most part reflects our nation’s own character.
Because the power of the presidency resides in one man, this choice is somewhat more chancy. Nonetheless, we can choose to elect someone with a record as well as a platform. When we do select someone with a record, we have a good basis decision.
However, to make an informed decision, we do need to know about the people running for office. Many voters did not, and that is the point made at “How Obama Got Elected.” Much of the news media’s coverage was inexcusably biased. Too many voters naively assumed they were being told the whole truth by people who abused that trust.
Love the cartoons, Tom.
Unfortunately, elections are crap shoots and we won’t know if we made the right decision until the crap hits the fan.
Great thoughts. We all have eternal life. It’s just that we choose where we will spend it.