Friday, August 10, 2012

And the VP is....

Who will he pick? It is the great mystery of the political news world and morning talk shows. The evening prime time news line up can't seem to talk about anything else. News paper articles and talking heads are a buzz. When will Mitt Romney reveal his running mate and, more importantly, who will it be?
There is good reason to be so concerned about this decision. It is critical for this election. The election of my lifetime - and possibly yours, too. The future of our country and its success lies in the balance as we wait for the results of the November 2nd general election. There is no room for error on either side of the fence when it comes to running their campaigns. Both sides want to win with a burning passion. And both side want the opposing to lose with a passion that burns just as intensely.
What we are all looking for is a successful nation. The difference is how we define success. Some see success as how many are on government funded health care or receiving food stamps. Higher numbers mean we are doing something right in the eyes of the bigger is better government mentality. Then there are others who believe that high production within our country and low lines at the welfare office mean we are a country on the right track. The less the government is controlling the better.
With this election we have two sides that are diametrically opposed to one another. One wants to see the government grow and the other wants it to shrink. It doesn't get much different then that. The citizens of our nation have a choice to make, and whichever side you choose puts on a very different side of a very large fence.
And that is the problem.
The fence.
We are a country divided by a Berlin Wall that, although not made of bricks and mortar, is just as impenetrable. The United States of America are far from united. Instead, we are taken back to the days of the Civil War without the guns and freezing cold battles, yet the ideology is the same. This war is of the minds and of the principles of how a country should be run. It has brought brother against brother and sister against sister.
The way you see these particular issues cuts to the core of basic human beliefs and morals. Issues such as the right to life, the death penalty, war, welfare, immigration and education are not small matters. They hit people at fundamental levels. They put people on the side of heartless or sympathetic, giving or greedy. A simple yes to the death penalty can make you into a blood thirsty murderer to some while a pro-choice vote makes you a baby killer. The issues that face our country aren't of the friendly conversation nature. They are the issues of heated debate, broken relationships and riots.
So, what importance could a vice president possibly play in such a colossal problem? Some might argue that this is far too great a divide to be bridged by one person and one decision on a political ticket. I see their point. One person can only do so much. They are limited in their influence and responsibility. Can we really expect one person to bring a country together? That is asking a lot. Yet, this decision - who will be on the republican ticket below Mitt Romney - speaks volumes to the direction Romney wants to take our country.
The VP on the republican ticket can be one of two people: one who unites or one who divides.
We don't need another divider. We have one of those in the oval office. He has used lies, rhetoric, broken promises and divisive language to tear apart our country. He has driven a wedge into the foundation of our nation. He is making quick progress eroding the fundamental principles that have made the United States the great country that it is. We've seen what a divider in the office of president will do - and it is utterly destructive.
What we need is someone who wants to bring our country back together. We need a president and a government with the desire to see the states and the citizens of those states truly united.
The name on the ticket with Romney will show us what kind of republican we are voting for. Romney has the chance to show us who he is and where he wants to take our country, not in terms of economics or health care but in terms of fundamental principles and values. If he chooses someone with a bombastic attitude and argumentative streak we are only adding bricks to the wall. But, if Romney chooses someone who is respectful, calm, level-headed and likable, then we take steps to demolish the wall.
The next few weeks are crucial for this election and symbolic of the direction of our country. We, as a people, don't need a thicker wall dividing us from one another. What we need is a return to the country as it was founded: united.
My prayer is that Mitt Romney truly wants to restore our nation to its greatness. Its true greatness was about more then a good GDP, oil production or well maintained roads. This country was and is great because of the freedom is provides. Unlike anywhere else in the world, you are free if you are an American. In November we have the opportunity to choose whether or not we want to uphold that freedom or if we want to give it to a government that is too big, too involved, and too powerful - and only getting more so. Will we further the divide or make steps to close it?
Americans have the freedom to vote. I hope they vote to restore America. And I hope the second name they vote for on that ticket is someone who wants to serve this country as a uniting force for freedom, prosperity and the pursuit of happiness.

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