President or Pastor?

Okay, two great tastes that taste great together. Someone on twitter was torn about the election, believing that Obama would be a better President but that McCain was more in line with his morals. So I asked him, do you vote for a president or a pastor. I think that’s a good question for my fellow believers to ask.
If you don’t believe that Obama would be a better President that’s fine. I disagree (obvs) but hey for the most part we are ALL speculating to a degree. However if you’re voting for McCain solely on the basis of what you believe his morals to be, even assuming you’re right in what you believe about him, is that sound?
I don’t think so. I mean you and your pastor should be on the same footing morally speaking (save any Rev. Wright jabs you have, that ship has sailed) and you should choose a church based as least partly on that. You should also be on the same footing theologically as your pastor.
That should not be the reason you choose a President though. You should pick the person you believe will make the best President based on policy decisions and on the platform you support. Morals may enter that thought process peripherally I suppose, but I don’t think it should be priority one. If it happens that your morals do line up, then great.
Thoughts?

  • Rock
    Who wants an immoral person as president? I don't think anyone would because immoral policies would not be good for the country. It depends on what you define as moral and immoral. If you pick one issue, such as abortion, and make that be the binary test for morality, what sense does that make?
    We have to look at results and not just words. Did President Bush outlaw abortions, even after gaining extraordinary executive power in the wake of 9/11? No. Yet lots of people voted for him in two elections in the belief that he would do just that.
    Look at the other cultural issues such as homosexuality and the other things that cultural conservatives oppose and that Bush also opposes. What has Bush realistically done to combat any of that other than talk about it during election campaigns? Even with all three branches of government in Republican hands. What power does an American president have over homosexuality etc. anyway? Would would McCain be able to do that Bush could not?
    Anyway, I think the Democratic platform is closer to the spirit of Christianity that the Republican one, although there are serious problems with both parties.
  • Star
    Admittedly, politics is not my normal sphere, but I would tend to think that to a great extent, policy issues and moral issues are the same.
    Whether you agree or disagree with a policy depends on whether you think it is "right"--whether it is wise and good, whether it upholds what you believe is true about the issue. You interpret issues and policies on them through the lens of your morality.
    ...No, you shouldn't expect or necessarily want a president to be judged by your standard for a pastor--who wants a president who knows less of foreign affairs and current legal issues than he does of theology? But this does not mean morality is a peripheral issue is relation to some sort of separate "policy" sphere.
  • Kansas Bob
    Not sure I agree Scott.. I guess it depends on the morals we are talking about.. for instance, if I am absolutely against gambling and consider it somewhat immoral I might have a problem with..
    A candidate who is a promoter of casino gambling and himself is a frequent craps shooter at Indian casinos that he himself has helped to establish.
    ..because in this candidate I see a person that may occasionally take unwise gambles in their cabinet appointments and policy decisions.
    Does that make sense?
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