1.Christians should be evaluating each candidate for president on critical sets of issues: a. LIFE — What position does the candidate hold on the issue of protecting innocent human life,Does he or she agree with the right to liberty, and that these rights are endowed to us by our Creator. b. MARRIAGE — What position does the candidate hold on the vital social and enculturating institution of marriage? Does he or she have proven, consistent experience defending and promoting marriage as a sacred union between one man and one woman? And as president, how will he or she not only defend but esteem and encourage the institution of healthy, lasting, natural marriages going forward? Does the candidate understand that poverty, lack of economic opportunity, and a host of social pathologies to a great extent impact families ? c. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY — Does the candidate truly understand that blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord? d. NATIONAL SECURITY — Does the candidate have demonstrated wisdom and commitment on internal and external National Security and foreign policy issues? Does he or she truly believe in a policy of Peace Through Strength and have a credible plan to provide internal and external National security? e. ISRAEL AND RADICAL ISLAM — Does the candidate have a clear and coherent view of including a demonstrated, consistent, long-standing support for Israel and a solid understanding of why Israel matters ? Does the candidate have a clear understanding of the urgency of the threats posed by Radical Islam more broadly, and a serious approach towards dealing with such threats? f. ECONOMIC GROWTH — Does the candidate have a realistic vision of how to revive the growth of the economy and family incomes by unleashing free market forces and job growth? Has the candidate and his team subjected their plan to economic modeling and truly understand the implications of what they are proposing? At the same time, does the candidate have a plan for balancing the budget and stop borrowing from foreign countries g. THE RULE OF LAW — Can we trust this candidate to truly govern according to the entire Constitution? Does he or she have a deep understanding of the importance of the constitution? Does he or she have a deep and convincing commitment to restore the rule of law , based upon the Constitution? Can we trust this candidate to appoint strict constructionists to the Supreme Court and reform the Judiciary to ensure justice according to the Constitution? 2. To be clear: it wont be enough this time around for a candidate to simply have the right position on issues that matter to Christians. We will need to see longstanding leadership on these issues. And we will need to see specific reform proposals. Any candidate who is considering throwing his or her hat into the ring must take the time to carefully develop their analysis of the nations challenges and their plans for keeping our nation strong and productive. During the campaign , voters have the right to hear the candidates lay out their reform proposals, and the responsibility to evaluate those proposals carefully. 3.Effective governance requires more than men and women with solid public/private experience and the right ideas. It also requires men and women with the demonstrated ability to lead in three key areas: • TEAM-BUILDING: Does the candidate have a team of political advisors, strategists, pollsters, and policy advisors who have a proven record of winning, and does he or she listen to wise counsel? Are they surrounded by seasoned and respected advisors who can help them govern the nation and oversee the implementation of these reforms if they win? • FUND-RAISING: Is the candidate capable of assembling a team of major ethical donors, bundlers, and grassroots supporters who can truly fund a winning national campaign? • COMMUNICATIONS: Does the candidate have the wherewithal to earn the nations trust to be the next president in word and deed? Does he or she have the ability to connect with voters who might not have considered voting on party lines in the past? Is their personal style one of offering hope as opposed to pessimism? In this high-speed, high-tech media culture, does he or she consistently demonstrate the ability to truly and effectively communicate a powerful message or at least give evidence of the ability to grow more effective as a communicator during the course of the campaign? Can he or she learn quickly from mistakes, and make course corrections on the move? Whats more, can the candidate withstand the pressure cooker environment of a national campaign, maintain message discipline and a positive approach, and not crack under pressure? 4. What happens if several candidates emerge that seem equally qualified and compelling based on these criteria? Then we must go deeper and examine their record and proposals on other critical issues that matter to our nation.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 21:58:35 +0000
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