Politics

I began publishing Revive America Blogs in the fall of 2008 when the United States was in the throes of a presidential campaign. Some of the first articles received quite a bit of criticism.

But I shared what I believed was true–and time has, unfortunately, confirmed those fears. The American electorate chose poorly in 2008–and three years later:

• Unemployment stands at 9.1 percent and is rising, not declining.
• Big Government is regulating the life out of the job-creating private sector.
• A mountain of debt is threatening our future, and the Party in power seems oblivious.
• The secular onslaught on our society continues–encouraged by those in leadership. 
• There is increasing fear and uncertainty about what the future holds for America.

And now the 2012 presidential campaign is underway. The liberal media has already tipped its hand on how it will try to keep its man in power. They can’t point to his record, so they will resort to smearing or diminishing his opponents. The current strategy is something like this:

The Republican field is mediocre with many flawed candidates.

Don’t believe the spin.

It’s seven giants versus one dwarf in 2012. 

Here’s why.

First of all, let me explain what I mean that the current seven Republican presidential candidates are “giants” and the current US president, Barack Obama, is a “dwarf.” I use these terms figuratively as to what makes a national leader effective and trustworthy.

All eight of these men and women–seven declared Republicans and one Democratic president–are fallen human beings with flaws, quirks, and sins. Standing before the Cross of Jesus Christ, they are all on equal ground–in need of redemption and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. All of them identify themselves as followers of Christ. I will not judge that aspect. Only God knows the heart.

Their giant or dwarf status does not lie in this realm. It pertains to two other categories.

First, a political-leader giant has broad, executive, real-world leadership experience. Being the president of the United States is, in essence, being the CEO of the world’s largest corporation.  To do well in that role, our political chief must understand how freedom works, how jobs are created, how free markets operate, how compassion works, how to build strong families, and why nations are respected in the world.

In other words, to be a good president, one needs to have a track record of proven success. Novices do not make good presidents of nations.

Secondly, in keeping with America’s history, a United States president needs to have a set of guiding principles that are anchored to the pillars of biblical liberty. He or she must be the leading cheerleader and policy implementor of limited government, hard work, free enterprise, fair courts, strong defense, public morality, and in a word–freedom. The President of the United States must know how to create jobs and strengthen culture. He/she must be clear in the principles that allow God to bring His blessings to a nation.

To be a political giant you need to be anchored to GIANT PRINCIPLES–common sense truths–that work in the lives of individuals and nations. Worldview is a vital quality of good leaders. You ultimately do not lead through personality or style. You lead by your principles. Knowledge is power (Proverbs 24:5).

This distinction makes dwarfness obvious: A political dwarf is inexperienced and operates by a bad set of ideals. 

It is on these two points that the Republican candidates for president of the United States and the current Democratic incumbent are miles apart. In the 2012 election, the seven Republican challengers are all giants. Our current president is the only dwarf.

Let’s look at each individually, beginning with the seven most likely Republican presidential candidates (declared or undeclared), and a few others that might be in the mix. First there are three former governors.

Mitt Romney– he is the current front-runner and former governor of Massachusetts. Romney is a giant on both accounts. He is a very successful businessman who guided (rescued) the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. He also has strong political executive leadership experience as a successful governor of a blue state. In worldview and policies, Mitt Romney understands job creation, free markets, the importance of family and morality, and the necessity of strong defense. His so-called Romneycare weakness is defensible along the lines of federalism. He has promised that his first act as president will be to give all fifty states a waiver on Obamacare. He wants it repealed. For whatever weaknesses he has, Romney is still a giant in experience and principles.

2. Tim Pawlenty– Pawlenty is the former governor of another blue state–Minnesota. He is recognized as one of the most effective governors of the past decade who helped turn the business climate around in his state. Prior to that, Pawlenty was a successful lawyer and vice president of a software company. Pawlenty has experience in the real world. Tim Pawlenty is an evangelical Christian who also shares the biblical view of limited government, personal responsibility, pro-life, strong marriages, and strong defense. He is also willing to take on the reform of entitlement programs that are swelling the American deficit.  Pawlenty is a leadership and policy giant.

3. Sarah Palin– She is not a declared candidate, and may sit out the 2012 election, but she is a potent force in American politics despite the constant bludgeoning by the political left. When she joined the Republican ticket in 2008, she was the most admired governor in America with an 80% approval rating. She has strong experience in both small business–with her husband Todd–but also in executive  leadership as mayor of a town and governor as a state. She is hated by the drive-by media because she is the antithesis of their idea of a modern woman–she’s loves God, family, the military, and has a Judeo-Christian philosophy of life. She will have giant-like influence on the 2012 election regardless of whether she runs or not.

There are three from the United States Congress that are also giants in experience and ideals.

Newt Gingrich– Former Congressman, and Speaker of the House helped produce balanced budgets during the latter part of the Clinton years.  Newt has a very clear understanding of American history and exceptionalism and is probably the most innovative “idea-guy” among all the contenders. He understands how to create jobs, has run many successful organizations, and seems to be deepening in his faith the older he gets. Newt is an intellectual giant in the areas that matter in American society.

5. Michelle Bachmann –She’s a current rising star in the Republican Party who just recently hired Ed Rollins to run her soon-to-be-announced candidacy. Rollins was the guiding mind behind the Reagan re-election of 1984. Bachmann has great personal leadership experience as a lawyer, business owner, and mother of over forty foster children. She now serves as a US Congresswoman from Minnesota–a  blue state.. Her understanding of the biblical perspective on government is top of the list. She also has an urgency about the current state of our nation that is both prophetic and realistic. Michelle Bachmann’s giant status on the national stage is growing daily.

Rick Santorum– The most recently declared presidential candidate is Rick Santorum, former three-term senator from Pennsylvania–a swing state. I remember meeting Rick years ago in his office while working on legislation that would benefit families in America. He was sharp, compassionate, and seemed to  understand the principles that made America great. Santorum is a lawyer who is a strong economic and social conservative. His eighteen years in the US Senate and clear set of freedom principles make him a giant who is once again flexing his muscles in the political realm.

Herman Cainis the seventh declared candidate, an African-American who would be fun to watch debating Barack Obama. Cain was a very successful business leader who is credited with turning around Godfather’s Pizzaand who currently is a radio-talk show host. Cain is a clear thinker on the issues of the day–and very articulate. He is also a giant compared to the alternative.

Then there is our current president, Barack Obama. I believe he means well and is a great speaker with a teleprompter. But we’ve learned over the past three years what some of us already knew: He is an extremely inexperienced man who is way in over his head. He came to the position of POTUS with no real-world experience; He’d never run a business of created a job; And his main apprenticeship was as a community organizer. COs don’t create jobs–they look for government monies to dole out to people. He’s continued that practice in the Oval Office to the detriment of the nation.

As far as principles go, Barack Obama’s track record shows that he is, at the least, a quasi-socialist. At the worst, he is a radical that wants to alter the American way of life. His principles are essentially anti-Christian, anti-family, anti-business, and anti-freedom. He is pro-bureaucracy, pro-Big Government, pro-wealth re-distribution and weak on foreign affairs.

Most of what he has done for the economy over the past three years has failed.

Barack Obama’s resume and principles make him a dwarf. He’s very similar to the other Democratic one-term president of our lifetime–Jimmy Carter. But Obama’s leadership failure comes at a more sobering time. 

A Christian leader I trust believes that the next US president will determine world history, for evil or for good, for the next one hundred years.

Gulp.

I reluctantly agree. That makes the election of 2012 desperately important.

Don’t believe the media spin. Let’s watch and pray for a “giant” in experience and principles to rise to challenge the current occupant of the White House.

Then let’s pray that he or she will prevail at the polls–and will wisely point America back to God and greatness.