Election 06

Well...Yesterday was election day. Interesting political times of late; not that this is not always the case. But I think for me, I've been especially trouble (?), confused (?), frustrated (?) over the last year when it comes to politics, especially in relation to faith.

I have loathed the way in which faith--and Jesus in particular--has continued to be used as a pawn in people's/parties political aspirations. I think the ways in which the right has thrown around Jesus and morality on behalf of their causes has bothered me more than the ways in which the left has, but since the left "found religion" after the last presidential election I've been frustrated with them as well. I feel like every time a candidate would talk about their desire and our need for them to be elected, I was getting an (all too familiar type of) email that had as it's last line, "You can show your love for Jesus and pass this along to every one you know, OR you can just delete it and know that you're denying him in your heart." And like such emails, these candidates have loaded their exhortations with a good amount of false facts and/or half truths.

All that said, I am deeply disappointed that Harold Ford was not able to defeat the Bob Corker machine in the Tennessee Senatorial race (I think he started campaigning for this in about '98, after frustration from losing in '94 and boredom from making his millions in Chattanooga). It's not like I really expected Ford to win....but I really did want him to win. Don't get me wrong...I realize that Harold Ford has his own machine, as well. I don't believe Harold Ford to be a saint or have all the correct views on particular issues. It's more that, in Corker, we get more of the same in Washington. An avoud economic conservative cloaking himself in social conservatism. And more of the same pretty much seems to sum up the political philosophy of President Bush and the more stringent proponents of "republicanism." "If it aint broke (for me) then don't fix it", eh?

With the House balance of power moving to the democrats, at least there will be some challenge to the bullying through of policies on the part of President Cheneyrumsfeldbush. We'll see about the Senate. More thoughts to come....