May 2nd 2016 was the last day that I had complete clarity in regards to the current race for President. That was the day before Ted Cruz suspended his campaign. For more than 5 months now I have struggled with what to do on election day. For much of the summer I was beyond any doubt never Trump. The way he treated Ted Cruz absolutely turned my stomach. As time passed and those fresh wounds began to heal I have started to exam my position. That does not mean that I will end up voting for Trump but it does mean that the last month has been an agonizing evaluation of all sides of the argument for and against voting for Trump. As a born again believer what should I expect from a non christian political candidate? Should it surprise me that they do not live up to my "christian" standards? It shouldn't but yet too often I think it does. Should I then just give them a free pass? Absolutely not. At the same time however I cannot have the same expectations from them that I would my Pastor or someone that is claiming to be a born again christian. I think this has to be the main reason that this years campaign has been so difficult for so many evangelicals.
So who are our alternatives other than Hillary and Trump? Gary Johnson? No thank you. I didn't like him when he ran in 2012 and he hasn't improved since then. Jill Stein? Absolutely not. She is ultra left wing on almost everything. What about Darrell Castle? Who? That is probably one of the biggest problems with him, no one knows who he is. His domestic agenda is solid but his thoughts on foreign affairs seems to be a bit too isolationist. What about Evan McMullin? Much like Castle nobody knows McMullin. He is the Independent Party candidate. Unlike Castle, McMullin's background of being in the CIA in counter terrorism gives him a far different view of the world. He is not an isolationist and his domestic agenda seems pretty solid so overall he is probably a little better than Castle. So there are the alternatives in a very quick nutshell.
So now what? What do we do with all this? I believe any honest person will admit that only Trump and Hillary have a chance to win. But should that stop us from voting for someone else? That is one of the questions that makes everything so complicated this time around. If both candidates are awful and no one else really has a chance to win what do we do? Its painful, its agonizing, it just down right stinks! This isn't Romney vs Obama or McCain vs Obama. I didn't really care for Romney or McCain but I had no doubt they would be better than Obama. While I was not a huge fan of either man, I did not have the moral questions and doubts about McCain and Romney that I do about Trump. What about Trump? Will he be better than Hillary? I think he will but I am not 100% sure, not like I was with Romney and McCain. I held my nose and voted for both of them because they were the lesser of two evils. I have so many doubts about Trump, not to mention all the baggage and junk that comes along with him.
So what to do? I can understand those that are choosing to vote for Trump. I can also understand those that are voting for someone else. Its been a difficult decision process for me and I have not completed it yet. If I vote for Trump it will come down to 2 main issues. First there is a current vacancy on the Supreme Court and I know for certain that Hillary would appoint a left wing justice for that vacancy and any future one. Second I believe that Hillary would be a danger to the 2nd Amendment. Would Trump be better for the country in those areas? I am reasonable certain that he would. The rest of Trumps "agenda" I am not as confident in.
Obviously to many people Trump is not the ideal candidate. He is a flawed man as we all are. At the same time he has created shock waves in the media and he managed to overcome 16 primary opponents and the establishment of the Republican Party in order to win the nomination. He is neck and neck with Hillary in the polls despite the "scandals" that have come to light. We may sit back and say "if only so and so had been the nominee", I know I do that from time to time, I salivate at the thought of Ted Cruz debating Hillary Clinton. Unfortunately that is not going to happen. Like it or not we are stuck with Trump. Now it is just a matter of diligently praying and thoughtfully considering what we should do. I think there has been a bit of a divide created in evangelical circles because of Trump. Some are and have been ardent supporters of his from the beginning. Others have been dead set against him and it has created tension and hard feelings. It is almost as if the family of Christ had to choose sides between Ohio State and Michigan, yes it has gotten that bad! If the last 5 months have taught me anything it is that I am responsible before God for my own decisions. It is not up to me to smack down someone that has decided that Trump is the way to go. If someone is feeling lead to vote for Trump than so be it. Secular political candidates do not have to be the next Charles Spurgeon or D.L. Moody. Paraphrasing Ravi Zacharias who might have said it best, "we should look for the candidate that will provide us access to the most fertile soil in which our christian values can grow".
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