catholicsphere

As more and more candidates are throwing their hat into the ring of the 2008 race for President of the United States, there are, of course, several people throwing their support behind these candidates.

This greatly concerns me for a number of reasons. What do we know of the candidate’s positions? Further, what do we know of his/her character? And, what do we know of his/her ability to lead? All these things need to be taken into account, particularly when voting for a President.

For instance, Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life (whom I greatly respect!) has already thrown his support behind second-term senator, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.

My point, however, is not to call into question Sen. Brownback’s positions, voting records, etc. Nor to call into question the fact that he is being backed by Fr. Pavone, as well as Tom Monaghan (founder, Domino’s Pizza) and Bowie Kuhn (former commissioner, Major League Baseball). Rather, my concern is the fact that people will throw their support behind a candidate simply or merely because of either his/her voting record, or who endorses him/her.

I trust that Pavone, Monaghan and Kuhn are familiar with Sen. Brownback’s wider positions, personality, convictions and leadership. I know that I haven’t had the time, and I am pretty certain that most others haven’t either, to look at him on those levels.

The thing is … what is fine for a Senator or Representative is not necessarily adequate for the Presidency. We need a change in the way we vote for the President. Most people go on the record of the past. Certainly an indicator, but not the indicator. The President is more than a representative of the people, he (she - and “she” will be assumed in all further usage, even though I use “he”) is the leader of the governed. He must be able to listen to the people, but choose what is right and true and just, even if that is not directly in line with what the people say. He must do this without political or personal motive. He must do it independently of the political or personal motives of his advisers and friends. He must do it in the best interest of the American people, having the vision and the knowledge to see the outcome of both the desired action of the people and the action he takes, if those should diverge, in order that the best choice to preserve our nation is made.

Though this President has many times chosen an alternative to what the people have declared their will to be, I do not feel that he has always chosen in accordance with the criteria I’ve laid out above.

But future President’s must!

In the election cycle, we must listen for more than just mention of the issues. The candidates should share their plan. When was the last time you heard an actual plan? When was the last time you heard a candidate say “My plan is better than my opponent’s because my plan does ….” and he proceeds to lay out the details? I rarely see such a thing, even in the debates.

Over the next year and a half, I will try to dissect the positions and provide the detailed plans of the candidates as they relate to the CatholicSphere. I ask for your help in doing this, too. I can’t guarantee that I’ll always hit all the issues, but I will try to focus in on those items that should be most important to us, and also touch on the peripheral issues.

Think about who you’re going to vote for. Know who you’re going to vote for, both as a person and a politician. That person is who is going to lead for you.

[tags]politics, president, election, faith, president, catholicsphere, 2008[/tags]