A Head Taller

 Why did you vote for him?

Because he’s tall.

How will he lead the country?

Well, look at him. He’s more than a head and shoulders taller than everyone else.

How will he defend the country?

He’s tall! Other countries will be scared of him.

But, what will he do to support agriculture? Increase commerce? Create law? Punish violators? Tax? Education? Immigration? Jobs? Healthcare? Poverty? Free speech? Gig jobs? Religious liberty? National forests? Infrastructure? Spending?...

No, you’re missing the point. He’s TALL!

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This is a true historical account of the selection of a national leader. And the consequences were catastrophic. Leading an entire country to despair, and for this particular leader, to lose his life and lives of his family.

Though this incident occurred almost three thousand years ago, it rings true today.

Consider this example. An individual from my community is put forward as a nominee. Yay! Of course, I am going to vote for him. He comes from where I come from. He gets me. I’ll finally get mine.

But what if he does not value human life or dignity? What if he thinks what I have worked for should be taken and given to someone else? What if he thinks that the rule of law should apply only to his allies and not his enemies? What if he thinks that only those people he agrees with should be allowed to be on the news, or in education, or even part of the marketplace?

Can I vote for someone simply because they come from my community? From my tribe? Simply because they are black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Catholic, Evangelical, none, Muslim, a fly fisher, a biker, a tennis player?

Yes.

Should I?

No. At least not without learning much more about them.

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What more should I know?

1. What are they for?

It seems like today, most candidates are against their opponent, but don’t actually seem to be for anything. They will say anything to win, even to the point of contradicting themselves. A good candidate has a goal for their community and their country that is so much bigger than simply putting down the other guy. They have a vision for what they would like the country to look like in twenty to fifty years. And they know what steps need to be taken today to get there.

A way to consider this is to ask, “What are the long-term impacts of this policy?”

2. Does their vision cause human flourishing or human suffering?

This can be an incredibly challenging question to answer. Some policies may appear to alleviate human suffering in the short term but have extremely harmful consequences in the long run. Just think back to the War on Poverty. It was meant to decrease the number of people struggling to make ends meet but removed the number one indicator for preventing poverty – married parents.

Also consider abortion. Not only has the allowance for the killing of the unborn eliminated sixty million lives in America, it has made children into commodities. It has generated a selfish and self-aggrandizing society under the guise of freedom. At the core it is saying, “Do what you want; we’ll let you pay to get out of the consequences.”

The policies of every candidate have more to them than just a free lunch. They impact the direction of culture and the outcomes for each individual. Not just in the here and now, but for years to come. Choose wisely.

3. Do they do what they say? Can you trust them?

This seems simple, but it is always a risk. Look to past actions. Are they consistent? Or have they changed their position to fit current expectations? When they do change their position, are they able to articulate the specific reasons for doing so? Are they willing to admit when they are wrong?

4. Do they recognize that they do not have all the answers? That they are not the supreme authority?

Humility is the greatest asset in a leader. Someone that recognizes they need to be surrounded by experts is of far greater value than someone who thinks they have it all covered. More importantly, a candidate that recognizes that they are running to steward the role of leader is far more valuable than a candidate that believes they are entitled to authority, or that, once in power, they are the authority.

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These should be characteristics of us as voters, too. Our vote should be for the long-term good of ourselves, our neighbors, our country. It should be based on policy and consequences, and not simply on height, looks, ethnicity, race, religion, sports affiliation, or many other incomplete reasons.