Is it a mandate?
Currently, we have a nation wide discussion on whether or not Bush has a mandate. The vote statistics are available. The question, in my opinion is not whether or not he has a mandate, but whether or not he owes his constituency anything. I want to pose that question and briefly discuss whether or not he does owe those who voted for him something.
Does Bush owe those who voted for him anything? I would say, to an extent, he does. I don’t think that he has a mandate to the whims of the voters. We have checks and balances to prevent something horrible from happening on both extremes. I do feel, however, that Bush was elected by conservative Christians. Therefore, in order to maintain a Republican majority and keep the presidency in the hands of a Republican, he and the rest of our elected representatives in Washington need to acknowledge the conservative Christians by making small movements in the direction conservative Christians see the world.
Conservative Christians have now discovered activism. They are flooding in Senate faxes protesting the advance of Alan Spector to the chairmanship of the judiciary committee. In the next four years conservative Christians will not let any elected official forget why elected officials are in the current majority situation they are in.
Most conservative Christians followed the advice of commentators and considered a majority and a Republican President important. And a majority is important, but only if you do something with it. It is the opinion of some that since the Republican majority has been increased, the job of the voters is done and we should trust the elected officials and mind our own business. It is the opinion of others that we should be obnoxious. It is my opinion that we need to be watchful of those we elected, respectfully express our opinion, and strive for one or two pieces of progress. I would like to make suggestions to both elected officials and voters.
Elected officials, you may not “owe” conservative Christians anything, but if you want to be re-elected, you need to make progress in advancing the conservative Christian cause. Progress to any one of the following would be greatly appreciated and rewarded by your voters: advance conservative judges who are Constitutionalists and believe in state rights, advance the rights of the unborn and encourage states to address the issue while encouraging the Supreme Court to encourage states rights, advance the sanctity of marriage through states rights, and, most importantly, advance the cause of free expression of conservative Christian speech and practice of religion. Conservative Christians understand that in four years we will not have everything we want. We just want steps in the right direction (sorry for the pun).
Voters, be realistic. Spector is probably not the person we want in charge of the judiciary committee. But, remember that Roe v. Wade will not be overturned by 2008 and one way or the other, eventually, a Democrat may nominate judges too. Remember that we may not get a marriage amendment (by the way, I do not think this is the best way to proceed, it is a states rights issue). Remember that progress towards the ultimate goal is still progress and good. When elected officials make strides to nominating favorable judges, reward them with re-election. When elected officials advance Christian freedoms, no matter how small the advance, reward them. Furthermore, watching elected officials is not enough. Are you happy with the direction of the Republican Party? Attend caucuses, vote in primaries. Pick an issue and educate yourself on it. See that your issue gets air time on the radio, on internet newspapers, and in the paper newspaper. Furthermore, devise an argument for your issue that does not rely on “the Bible says this is wrong.” The Bible is a good moral resource, but many in our nation do not fear or acknowledge God, and so, in order to advance your issue, you will need to speak the language of an unbeliever. Be noisy, be verbal, be heard, and be intelligent about it. If you are so inclined, blog. Regardless of your method of activism, advertise that you are active. Let others know about your articles, letters to the paper, involvement in caucus, and blogs.
Progress and change will not happen without voters voting, achieving majorities, being involved, being heard, and holding elected officials accountable. For more information, I recommend visiting Hugh Hewitt.
Does Bush owe those who voted for him anything? I would say, to an extent, he does. I don’t think that he has a mandate to the whims of the voters. We have checks and balances to prevent something horrible from happening on both extremes. I do feel, however, that Bush was elected by conservative Christians. Therefore, in order to maintain a Republican majority and keep the presidency in the hands of a Republican, he and the rest of our elected representatives in Washington need to acknowledge the conservative Christians by making small movements in the direction conservative Christians see the world.
Conservative Christians have now discovered activism. They are flooding in Senate faxes protesting the advance of Alan Spector to the chairmanship of the judiciary committee. In the next four years conservative Christians will not let any elected official forget why elected officials are in the current majority situation they are in.
Most conservative Christians followed the advice of commentators and considered a majority and a Republican President important. And a majority is important, but only if you do something with it. It is the opinion of some that since the Republican majority has been increased, the job of the voters is done and we should trust the elected officials and mind our own business. It is the opinion of others that we should be obnoxious. It is my opinion that we need to be watchful of those we elected, respectfully express our opinion, and strive for one or two pieces of progress. I would like to make suggestions to both elected officials and voters.
Elected officials, you may not “owe” conservative Christians anything, but if you want to be re-elected, you need to make progress in advancing the conservative Christian cause. Progress to any one of the following would be greatly appreciated and rewarded by your voters: advance conservative judges who are Constitutionalists and believe in state rights, advance the rights of the unborn and encourage states to address the issue while encouraging the Supreme Court to encourage states rights, advance the sanctity of marriage through states rights, and, most importantly, advance the cause of free expression of conservative Christian speech and practice of religion. Conservative Christians understand that in four years we will not have everything we want. We just want steps in the right direction (sorry for the pun).
Voters, be realistic. Spector is probably not the person we want in charge of the judiciary committee. But, remember that Roe v. Wade will not be overturned by 2008 and one way or the other, eventually, a Democrat may nominate judges too. Remember that we may not get a marriage amendment (by the way, I do not think this is the best way to proceed, it is a states rights issue). Remember that progress towards the ultimate goal is still progress and good. When elected officials make strides to nominating favorable judges, reward them with re-election. When elected officials advance Christian freedoms, no matter how small the advance, reward them. Furthermore, watching elected officials is not enough. Are you happy with the direction of the Republican Party? Attend caucuses, vote in primaries. Pick an issue and educate yourself on it. See that your issue gets air time on the radio, on internet newspapers, and in the paper newspaper. Furthermore, devise an argument for your issue that does not rely on “the Bible says this is wrong.” The Bible is a good moral resource, but many in our nation do not fear or acknowledge God, and so, in order to advance your issue, you will need to speak the language of an unbeliever. Be noisy, be verbal, be heard, and be intelligent about it. If you are so inclined, blog. Regardless of your method of activism, advertise that you are active. Let others know about your articles, letters to the paper, involvement in caucus, and blogs.
Progress and change will not happen without voters voting, achieving majorities, being involved, being heard, and holding elected officials accountable. For more information, I recommend visiting Hugh Hewitt.
posted by Consecutive Odds @ 11:22 AM
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