Elections within elections

So I was just up praying about tomorrow's election- and by praying, I mean praying whether I should vote or not.  As I worked through it all with Jesus, several points came to my mind.

Essentially, the only important job on the line for us is Mayor of Fort Wayne.  Our choice is between a Democratic 3-time incumbent and a Republican "businessman-outsider" a la Trump.  You would think that would be an easy thing for me, but it isn't.

Our current Mayor- what's wrong with him?  Let me rephrase- what is wrong with him that changing would get rid of?  Essentially, not a lot.  Other than differing points of view about certain policies, and his knack for spreading the largess to his immediate family, my only problem with him is he is a Democrat, and because of the policies and utter lies they've held and told on a national level, that "D" prevents me from ever voting FOR him.

The challenger- he's a man I have met and I know him to be a godly man.  Despite the protests of his primary challenger who is totally butt-hurt that he got beat, and his family, I know the dude is a man of integrity.  However, it has been pointed out to me that several of his talking points involve actions that are NOT within his purview, at least in the way he wants to do them.  I feel like his lack of experience would get him hammered if he won.  Plus, he spent half a campaign saying nothing more than "we can do better", and the other half apparently turning it over to the usual bloodthirsty media people who then turned it into another, "That other guy is bad for our city" deal.

"But, Chris, you voted for Trump, didn't you?"

Yep, but that's different.  And, it's the same.

In the primaries, I was a Rubio guy who listened to the debates, weighed logically the responses to the questions, and time after time wondered just how it was that despite every logical assessment, Trump hammered everyone else in the after-debate polls.  But once he won, he was the only choice against the clear and present evil (and I mean that sincerely) of Hillary Clinton.  I was okay with that, because essentially every Presidential election since 1992 has been the same for me- not who I'm voting for, but who I'm voting against.  Bob Dole's run might have been the exception there, except my car broke down and I didn't get to vote.

Then why is voting against the incumbent- and for I guy I know and like- a hard choice now?  Well, I've gotten smarter on the local level, and ask, is the incumbent a clear and present evil?  I have to answer- no.  And what about the things the newbie would like to do?  Well, he'd like to do something that we SHOULD be doing- increase patrols and police involvement in high crime neighborhoods.  Thing is, can he?  I doubt it; by the time he gets through fighting the local council person, the police union, and the minority leaders that deny they are the seat of the high crime and will cry targeting at the drop of a hat, he'll have to face the unwinnable battle against the city's lawyers and insurers who don't want to risk the lawsuits from those minority group the first time someone gets nabbed in the new policy.  That is why nothing ever changes, and unlike Donald Trump, he doesn't have the deep pockets and support to fight such battles.

So I say to myself, there's really no point to vote FOR the challenger.  So what?  Did we really think that there was a point in voting FOR Trump?  I almost lost a FB friend back then making exactly that point.  But here's a thing- there is a point to NOT voting for the challenger- because HE deserves better.

I can't imagine why he would want to put himself through the crap-storm that will come with winning.  It is so very hard for men of real integrity to be in government and retain that.  I have another FB friend who's a former Congressman that could vouch for that.  If I start a good man on that path, have I sinned against him?

And Jesus comes back with, "How many times did you pray for men who, like Donald Trump, aren't afraid to fight for the right thing, without the insults and prevarications he can't seem to resist.  Well, here is one, and you don't want to vote for him..."


Wow.


At the end, I have to respect that the challenger weighed this out in prayer and felt led to contest this race.  But, I also have to respect I'm not voting for Pastor of Fort Wayne.

What will I do?  I'll know when I get to the light in front of our complex.  Go straight, vote.  Turn, go home.  I hope Jesus let's me in on which to do when I get there.