Choose Wisely (Part Two)

[A Follow-On Commentary, Continuing from the Previous Post]

Having done my best to dissuade you from certain candidate in the previous post, it is now my privilege to give you a ray of hope, a chance for greatness, a hint of prosperity, a link to someone who might be able to lead our America back to pride and integrity again...
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There is a way back to Peace, Prosperity, and Pride in America. 
We must Believe.  And we must Choose Well. 

Part One of this post was about a candidate characterized by self-justification, personal irresponsibility, and haughty self-importance.  It was necessary, in order to explain that part of our current political situation, to write some negative things.  But I cannot stop with negativity, because there is more to the story.  If we are fully to understand the choices we must make in the coming election, we must see clearly both the ugliness and whatever bright rays of hope may be taking shape around us.

Having written about the candidate of deceit and division, I now want to write about a candidate who offers the promise of better days ahead, because there is hope.  There are several ways for this to play out, and some of the scenarios are very positive.  It is up to us, citizens and voters, to face the truth about our options, to avoid being deceived with slick pseudo-intellectual doubletalk or intimidated with the politics of fear.  It is up to us to discover, perhaps with surprise, that there is reason for optimism.  We are at a turning point this year.  We will collectively choose to continue down the dark road to anger and insignificance… or we will choose to make a course correction in the direction of wisdom, responsibility, and faith in ourselves. 

If we are wise, we will choose a leader who speaks truth and practices integrity.  If we are responsible, we will follow a leader who lives responsibly and respects others.  If we are to recover from a crisis of confidence that we created ourselves with input from both political left and political right, we need to elevate a leader who knows we are capable of great things, who is equipped to lead us in a more positive direction, who can inspire and encourage us as we begin to heal our broken national government.

If we are to overcome the bitter partisan divide and hatred that threaten to destroy us, it will not be because we choose yet another extremist or manipulative Machiavellian.  We can only have hope for a better tomorrow if we are courageous enough to break with the cycle of escalating contempt and break the habit of self-loathing that we have learned over past decades.

To make the right choice, we must make a conscious decision to reject hypocrisy on both sides of the political aisle.  We need leaders who respect us instead of patronizing us, to whom we are partners, not subjects or peons.  We need to exercise good judgment and wisdom.  We need to choose as our leaders persons who will inspire instead of threaten, who will raise our spirits instead of limiting our expectations.  We need to give access to our “bully pulpit” to a person of principle, compassion, proven ability, and undying belief in the possibilities of what we, and our America, can be.

We need a leader who can tap into a deep well of optimism about our future, who can lead us out of this desert of despair where we have lived for too long, forward to a new faith in our nation and ourselves.

There is a candidate who is capable of all this.  If you want to know who he is, look for the candidate whose face has laugh lines rather than angry furrows from scowling.  You’ll figure it out, if you pay attention.

Think about the significance of that simple observation.  Who smiles when things are not so good?  The one who sees a bright future.  The one accustomed to encouraging.  The one who is proficient at instilling positive attitudes in others.  The one who basically likes people. 

If we apply moral fortitude, if we resist the manipulation of elitists, if we reject the drama of intimidation so common among extremists of both sides, then we have the real possibility of starting down the long road to economic and moral recovery before this new year is out.

Our choice of attitudes, leaders, and role models will determine our future.  At least for now, we still do have the power to decide what our future will become.  Time, our behaviors, and our votes, will tell.

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If you want to be persuaded, or merely informed, in a much more specific way, I recommend that you follow this link to the candidate endorsed by the Des Moines Register.  Thank you for taking time to think seriously about these issues.  Your understanding and action are an essential part of building a solution to the crisis in which we find ourselves at the beginning of 2012.

http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/12/17/23902/

Gryphem