Primary Concern

Sometimes, you just gotta wonder. As you may have guessed, I’m less than ecstatic with the primary results for our state. And I feel a fireside chat is in order. This will come in a series of parts. Two or three, we’ll see how it goes. I’m not going to tag anyone or address anyone specifically. I don’t want any person to feel singled out. This isn’t written with any person or specific people in mind. Let’s just quash that imminent rumor right now. First, I’m going to operate on the assumption that I am having this discussion with a person or people of largely conservative leanings. (Otherwise, I don’t really know why you’d be reading this, unless I’m just that fabulous of a communicator and I have a groupie. If that’s you, let me know. I’ll dedicate something to you sometime.) Second, I’m going to ask that if you have not read my posting titled “On Civil Obedience,” that you please do so before continuing. I know it’s lengthy, but it will help explain the context within which I am writing and the general audience to whom this is addressed. Third, I’m going to patently ignore the lobotomized masses who voted for McCain on the basis of “electability,” and assume that any real conservative would only cast a vote for the Ted Kennedy’s best friend because they have swallowed the grape juice on that “electability” lie, one of McCain’s many. If you’re that wishy-washy, you’re more afraid of Hilary than you are a person of conviction and you deserve the Big Mac as your representative in office. Now, I want to talk to you conservative Christians. Let me ask you a question: Why are you a conservative? After all, I know people who say they are Christian and liberal. And you guys didn’t vote for Hilary or Obama. So, we have to conclude that there is some reason that you have personally made the choice to be a conservative. For most church-goers I know, it is largely an issue of social conservatism. They oppose abortion, oppose gay marriage, oppose legalizing illegal substances like marijuana, etc. After all, God knits us in the womb, established marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman, and condemned using intoxicating substances. So, this may be why you are a conservative. Maybe it is because you are more of a foreign policy conservative. Who doesn’t like safety, right? And so securing the borders, making illegal immigrants go home, keeping America what it is and not some blended member of a North American Union with blurry lines on the map, all of that is important to you. Also, you may see the merit in continuing to stabilize the Iraqi infrastructure, continuing to fight the war on terror, and continuing to actively support Israel. You are patriotic, perhaps have a veteran or serviceman in your family. Maybe that’s why you’re a conservative. Or, you could be a fiscal conservative. Having gone to a job and earned your paycheck, you believe you have the right to keep as much of it as possible and dictate how the rest is spent by elected or appointed officials. You see the federal government as a tool created to serve its people and be controlled by its people, not the other way around. You want to keep the government off your back, out of your bank account and away from your thermostat. You see America as a land of opportunity and want to continue its economic prosperity by creating reasonable spending and budgeting practices for our government. I ask you, now, to think about why you are a conservative. Maybe you aren’t as obsessive as me and won’t draw a list like that delineating where you fall on each and every point. Actually, that might not be a bad idea. Are you a social conservative, a foreign policy conservative, a fiscal conservative, or all three? Think about that, let me know where you end up, and my next post will carry the discussion from there. Please, be honest. You’re not going to hurt my feelings. I think we’re all mature enough to be able to tackle an adult discussion without getting huffy. After all, we’re not John McCain. … Oh, and I guess I should answer my own question. I’m all three.