Who Will Win?

Roots in Ripon
Chuck Roots
10 October 2016
www.chuckroots.com

Who Will Win?

So here we are – down to the last four weeks before election day. The second of the three presidential debates is mercifully over. Who will win the election? Who knows?

Right after the debate last night between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump my email inbox received a rush from various politicos and pundits asking the question: Who won the debate? Then the follow-up TV news analysts had a field-day critiquing each candidate and their performance. Sycophants from both parties loudly and unabashedly proclaimed that their candidate won. It’s at this point in the evening when I feel like it’s time for a cookie and a glass of milk before the slumbering embrace of my bed enfolds me.

So who won the debate? Actually, the American people won. The Constitution of the United States won. And freedom and liberty are still intact in America.

I was bemused by some of the news commentators who said there were angry exchanges between the candidates. I looked at my wife and said, “Did you see any angry exchanges between Hillary and Donald?” She said no, and was as befuddled as I was, especially after they replayed one of the supposed “angry” exchanges. It was truly laughable. It wasn’t exactly Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, but angry it was not!

As I have written in this column before, I am not and never would be a supporter of Hillary Clinton. My reasons for this are too many to recount in this column. But the most damning reason for not even considering her is summed up in one word for me: Benghazi. She and President Obama made the unconscionable choice four years ago to leave our ambassador, his aide, and two former Navy SEALs to die unnecessarily at the hands of Muslim fanatics. Then she lied about it to the families and the American people, claiming that some movie about Islam inflamed these nut-jobs to seek vengeance on Americans. Furthermore, Hillary stated a number of years ago that she was named for the great New Zealand adventurer, Sir Edmund Hillary, famous for having climbed Mount Everest in 1953. Before that he was unknown. And when was Hillary born? 1947! If she lies about her given name, what won’t she lie about?

When it comes to Donald Trump, I find him to be obnoxious in a number of ways. First, he’s a bully in the manner in which he addresses those he disagrees with. The debates between the Republican presidential hopefuls last year are a good example of this bullying tactic on display. Second, “The Donald” is often boorish in his manner, voicing his thoughts without a check system in place before he blurts out something offensive and ill-advised. He also belittles others for no other reason than he can. Third, he is a cad, meaning he has been accused of behaving in dishonorable or irresponsible ways toward women. Of the 17 Republicans in the race for the nomination, Trump was near the bottom, if not the bottom, of my list. His attacks on Senator John McCain’s war record, declaring that he is not a hero, were over the top.

So, where does all this leave me as a voter? Frustrated, mostly.

Some might not vote at all because they do not like either one. This would be foolish because one of these two candidates will be the next president of the United States. Yes, I know there are some other candidates, but let’s be honest – they have no chance of being elected. Not voting is not an option for me.

I will vote for the next president of the United States. I have never missed an opportunity to vote, beginning with my first presidential election when I voted absentee while serving as a Marine in Vietnam in 1972.

Because I am a Christian I would not be able to vote for any Democrat. Why? Because I remember in the last election cycle that the Democrats ruled God out of their platform. It was breathtaking to watch the vote as the chair asked for a voice vote on whether to keep the name of God in their platform. The Nays totally overwhelmed the Yeas. On top of that, the Democrats have embraced socialism which is antithetical to the Constitution and our freedoms.

The bottom line for me is this – I will vote for Donald Trump for several reasons. First, the Republican Party stated beliefs most closely align with my own. Second, the next president will be selecting several Supreme Court Justices which will have a significant impact as to whether the Constitution is upheld as the Law of the Land, or will be diluted with a mixture of socialism and Sharia Law. Third, Mr. Trump has surrounded himself with quality people whom I respect. It is my fervent prayer that he will act on their counsel. Last, though he is “rough around the edges”, I can live with that. He has never professed to be a Sunday school teacher. Nor is that what I’m looking for in someone who is to lead our nation into the future.

Above all of this, I have a firm belief that God is going to see his plans accomplished. A cursory view of the Bible reveals that God is always at work in the affairs of man, especially in our darkest hours. Moses had a real problem with his temper, to such an extent that he was denied the privilege of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. David lusted after another man’s wife, committing adultery, and then murder. Because of this he and his family were denied rule over Israel, plunging the country into a succession of despicable characters as their rulers. The list could go on, but you get the idea. God even used rulers of other nations who frequently spurned the Jewish beliefs, yet God worked through them anyway.

This election may not turn out to my liking, but I rest in the assurance that God knows exactly what is going on. In the final analysis, I will stand with God. You see, I’ve read to the end of the Bible. And God wins!