Why I'm Voting for Romney

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be taking my youngest for a civics field trip – to the voting booth where I will vote for Mitt Romney.  I’m sure my presidential choice is not a surprise to any of you who read this blog regularly; nevertheless, if you'll indulge me, I would like to take a moment explain to you why I’m voting for Romney.

It’s not because I have a particular affinity for the man.  I suppose he’s likeable enough in his presentation of himself.  But most people out there experiencing his kind of success in business and/or politics have a strong streak of ruthlessness.  They’re not generally nice guys in practice, even if they appear one on the surface.  And he has played the politician’s game of saying what needs to be said to get elected.  I’m not sure of his deepest convictions on social issues.  I'm not confident what his view of the role of government is.  I don’t have a good grasp of what he specifically intends to do to fix the economy.  I’m not certain what he plans to do with his four years in office.

But here’s the thing:  I’m pretty confident about what Obama intends to do with four more years in office, and this is why I can’t vote for him.  Obama may be a decent enough guy on a personal level, but I’m not happy with the direction he has taken the country while he’s been President. 

I never thought the stimulus plan was going to help the economy, and it hasn’t.  (Interesting to me that my husband said almost from the very beginning of O’s administration that he would get re-elected no matter what, because by the end of four years, the recession was going to work itself out and start back on an upswing and he would get credit for it.)  Obamacare is a very bad idea, in my opinion – and from day one I argued that we simply couldn’t afford it even if it was a good idea.  The national debt is . . . oh, my gosh, there aren’t words.  Beyond a disgrace.  It’s inconceivable the mess we have gotten ourselves into. 

 The “worldview” that Obama promotes does not mesh with mine.  I am a conservative; I may even dance close to being a libertarian.  I believe that it is not the government’s job to make people’s lives better – it is the government’s job to ensure that everyone has the freedom to make their own and their neighbors’ lives better.  Unfortunately, that means we also have the freedom to be selfish and heartless, but if our government is not a religious institution – and it most certainly is NOT – than it is not in the business of making people less selfish and heartless.  In fact, I consider it very dangerous to assign that task to the State.  Giving government the power to do all the “good things” that the liberals want the government to do (and even some of the good things the conservatives want it to do) means also giving government the power to do a lot of bad things.  We will regret it someday.  Most of us conservatives already regret the power we’ve given the government in the last century or so.

I don't doubt our president's sincerity.  I don't suspect him of selfishness or power-lust or even necessarily of stupidity.  I think he genuinely believes that he is making the country a better place.  I just believe he is very mistaken.

Romney isn’t a certainty (nobody would be), but I’m confident his administration will be closer to what I want than a second Obama administration will be.  He is the lesser of two evils.  One of these days, I hope to have the opportunity to vote for someone whom I really believe in.  This is not the year.  But I do have the opportunity this year to vote against a vision for the country that I definitely disagree with.

All this said, I am thankful for a video shared with me yesterday (by a non-Christian friend, interestingly enough) which reminded me that no matter who is president, a Sovereign even greater is in control.  My President is not my salvation.  My country is not my salvation.  My salvation comes from the Lord.  I refuse to despair.