“Does God have something to accomplish using one of these candidates? Or is He prompting us to take remedial action, so we’ll never again face a choice like this?”

Rough riding

Buckle your safety belts, America. The ride will get choppier before we arrive. And without making changes, it’ll be bumpy the next time around.

I try to take comfort in knowing “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1b ESV). That verse challenges me when I think about dictators like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-Il. But I do believe God places leaders in power and allows them to stay there—or not—for a reason. One of them is to keep order in the land, so suggests Romans 13:3–4, and I suppose dictators are good at that. According to Ephesians 1:21, God rules over them, anyway.

But then I look at the unraveling 2024 presidential campaign in America. Urgh!

The embroiled political landscape and the candidates it has produced raise deep concerns.

I know God’s ways are not our ways. But really?

What are you doing, Lord?

What is wrong with this picture?

On the one hand, we have a candidate whose use of hyperbole has morphed into slanderous attacks on anyone who disagrees with him. His incendiary rhetoric taps into anger and distrust of government. He seems driven by a matchless ego. Or to keep himself out of jail.

Trump has remade the Republican Party in his image, with enablers who pledge unwavering allegiance to him. Despite numerous failed lawsuits to prove the 2020 election was “stolen,” most Republican legislators avoid answering questions about it or remain silent. I’m not here to relitigate January 6, but only to observe the political climate in this election.

On the other hand, we have a candidate who entered the grandest political stage from the back door and is still adjusting to the bright lights, taking cues from party operatives. She has flip-flopped on policy positions and belongs to an administration that has mismanaged a border crisis and overseen an economy challenging for people living paycheck to paycheck.

Based on current approval ratings, Harris will be elected not from merit but from voter distaste for Trump’s character. Similarly, Trump will only win due to voter concerns about the policies and performance of the opposing party.

To bolster support, both candidates are now pitching giveaways they’ll have difficulty convincing Congress to legislate. Meanwhile, the burgeoning federal deficit threatens to topple us on the world stage. But the issue of fiscal responsibility has been swept offstage. Once voters declare a winner, we’ll find out what we end up with . . . and who the rest of this rapidly shrinking world must contend with as it grapples with power-hungry regimes and radical terrorists who hate America and its values.

Both candidates are polling unfavorably with the American people but also receive sizeable support from extremists. This race is a choice between the lesser of two evils. And the larger electorate in the middle is forced to choose sides.

Faith-minded voters may stake their claim on policy positions, fearing the advancement of anti-biblical social issues such as on-demand abortion and the gay and transgender movements. Those who vote character over policy must discern the moral fiber of a veiled candidate whose policies they either don’t like or don’t know about. The conscience of others may persuade them to write in someone who won’t win.

Soon it will be over—for this cycle. And we’ll live with the consequences, for better or worse. But I’m wondering…

Does God have something to accomplish using one of these candidates? Or is He prompting us to take remedial action, so we’ll never again face a choice like this?

What got us into this mess?

Limitless dollars are poured into campaigns. And we allow it.

Candidates used to run for office to reform campaign finances and institute term limits. Have you heard any of that talk lately? No! Because those measures work against the incumbents, and they don’t want to cede power. Instead, we’ve seen conscionable people leaving public service because they’ve been outed for their moral stances and denied the finances required to continue.

Or they’re just fed up.

With the current rules, politics is a pay-to-play game, and those without resources or the ability to attract them are shut out. Contrariwise, deep-pocketed individuals have undue influence because they can buy favor. Worse yet, dollars are spent across state borders on candidates and issues irrelevant to those out-of-state donors. That’s simply wrong.

Most campaign dollars go to media advertising, which is more about show and exposure than educating voters on the issues.

Reforming campaigns:

• Restrict the length of campaigns

• Impose more stringent limits on political contributions

• Establish funding for mandatory debates with limited interference from moderators; loosen eligibility requirements to allow for more candidates

• Outlaw cross-state-border funding of state-ballot initiatives or candidates

The two-party system in America has failed us.

In support of a moderate candidate who would work across party lines, Joe Lieberman formed the No Labels movement, placed it on the ballot in nineteen states, and invited several established moderates from both major parties to run on its ticket. Then, No Labels stalled.

What happened? First, no candidates were willing to run. Then in April, Lieberman died. Buried with him was his mission to reunite Americans through No Labels.

But Joe Lieberman was on to something. Where would we be today if No Labels had fielded a credible candidate?

Media are also culpable for the polarization of the American electorate. Many “news outlets” propagandize for one side or the other. People love to consume content they agree with. But is there lasting value in that?

Quality journalism is harder to find these days. Many local news sources couldn’t compete with online material and the demand for instantaneous content. Furthermore, the attention span of readers in a rapidly moving society is now measured in bytes and characters rather than words and sentences. We’ve lost a vital watchdog. Those closest to the stories had the skill, channels, and commitment to present truth without spin.

Reforming politics between elections:

• Foster third-party participation

• Revise journalism curricula at educational institutions

• Establish certification for unbiased journalism

• Incentivize non-management funding for local media

• Build relationships with people of different persuasions

A straightforward solution

Everyone can pray.

Pray that God will appoint, through the people's votes, the candidate who will fulfill what He has in store for America and the world. Pray that God’s Spirit will draw the souls of the two candidates to make Him Lord. And pray that their character and decisions will reflect His presence.

Neither of these candidates is going to solve all our problems. They can’t. Maintaining that perspective and granting grace to the elected will make America a better place.

The next President will have a difficult job. Not only must that person deal with the serious issues that threaten America at home and abroad, he or she will need to piece together fragments of a broken system. Regardless of political party, the President needs prayer now and into the future.

We can also pray for revival in our country and that dissidents find peace and meaning in knowing God. Only when the hearts of the electorate are transformed will social strife subside. I’m praying for it. Will you join me?

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (I Timothy 2:1–2 ESV).