Politics

I have a confession to make: I am not sure who I'm going to vote for in November. I know that most of my family and many of my friends probably won't understand my dilemma. Most of my family votes Republican every year, while most of my friends and neighbors vote Democrat. And here I am caught somewhere in the middle.

I watched most of the Democratic National Convention in Denver last week, and I'm planning on getting caught up on the Republicans this weekend. As I listen to what both sides say, I find myself agreeing with much of what is said. I like one party's candidate for these reasons, and I like the other party's candidate for completely different reasons. Yet all of those reasons are important to me. It's hard for me to relate to those who see this as such absolute black and white.

I'm encouraged by people like Jim Wallis, who say that we should vote on the issues rather than the person or party, but that seems impossible at a time like this, when everything is becoming more and more polarized. Here's what I do know. Neither of these men is a savior. Neither of them will lead America to destruction, nor will either save us from all of the problems in our society. Both will lead the way their parties have always led, focusing on some things at the expense of others. That's not meant to be pessimistic, just realistic.

For now, I'll just continue to read, think and pray, and then two months from today I'll make use of the liberties I've been given and I'll cast my vote.