March 13, 2008
By Norma W. Beaird, Copyright 2008
norma@reddirtworld.com

I have finally figured it out. America doesn't want a president today; America wants a rock star. On the other hand, Americans don't want just any rock star, they want a star who is handsome, charismatic, inspirational, smooth-talking and popular. They don't necessarily want to hear the truth, they want his autograph. A large majority of American voters are not interested in a candidate's foreign policy knowledge, economic experience, political history or moral character; they are interested in whether or not he has good stage presence. Does he make you swoon, bring you to tears or give you chills? Can he dance on a talk show or tell a good joke? Does he make you faint? No sir, the electorate today doesn't want Mr. President, they want Bon Jovi.

Forget the endorsements of senators, congressmen and the local newspaper. Forget the endorsements of governors and mayors, the real endorsement comes from Rolling Stone Magazine. That's how you know that someone will make a good president. When Rolling Stone Magazine says so, then so be it. Wonder who Senator Obama will consult when faced with the threat of an enemy, the Secretary of Defense or Oprah? I don't know about you, but the word comfort doesn't describe what I'm feeling right now.

Gone are the days of our country's founding fathers. Gone are the days of “Let's vote this way because it's the right way to vote”. Today, it's about opinion polls, talk shows and celebrity fund-raising. Today's news broadcasts speak more about a candidate's personality than they do their political experience. If they can get us hooked on who has the best personality instead of who has the most experience, then the “Knomes of Zurich” can deceive and ultimately convince the American population to vote for their favorite puppet…….and a puppet he or she will be.

Let's face it - the politicians of today are financed and endorsed by huge corporations, wealthy businessmen and new age celebrities. That's not hard to figure out. It's rubbed in our faces on the nightly news. These donations of generosity come with a price tag, the requirement of loyalty to the mind-crippling think tank. When a politician can grace the same cover that would normally showcase the likes of Mick Jagger, we're on a slippery slope to disaster. It's not about what is right anymore, it's about what is popular. The gods of pop culture, the “Knomes of Zurich” and the “screwed up” voting machines now decide our fate. Who are the “Knomes of Zurich? They are the elitists, the ones who have more money and power than we could ever comprehend in one lifetime. They are the ones who aren't just rich, they're filthy rich. We are mere worker bees in their eyes; poor little paupers. It's hard to imagine the magnitude of their wealth.

We once thought that hard-working American people decided the fate of this nation, well, once upon a time they did; however, much of the electorate has been so brain-washed by Hollywood, big business and outright stupidity, a sane voter doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell.

Why do you think that people like Ron Paul have difficulty getting their fair share of air time? Well, for one thing, the man does something that is relatively foreign to the press today - first he thinks, and then he tells the truth. Our cable news programs have managed to turn a political campaign into a nightly soap opera. It's a he said, she said round of insanity……..a repetitive hour's worth of finger-pointing and name-calling ……..it sounds as though the candidates need to be sent to the principal's office instead of the Oval office.

Barack Obama has the following on his website that says……(and this is copied and pasted from www.barackobama.com)....... “I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful. I didn't 'fall out in church' as they say, but there was a very strong awakening in me of the importance of these issues in my life. I didn't want to walk alone on this journey. Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has been a powerful guide for my conduct and my values and my ideals.”

When a candidate has the above statement on his website and when he professes faith in Jesus Christ and proclaims to be a devout Christian, if that is true, then there is absolutely no way he or she can support abortion or partial birth abortion and feel okay about it. Yes, this is a soapbox issue with many Christians. I don't care what you call it - abortion is another word for murder. If something is to grow, it cannot grow unless it has life. There is no way a baby can grow in a mother's womb unless that baby has life. Therefore, when a woman chooses to abort a baby from her womb, she has chosen to kill an innocent life. Saying you're a Christian is one thing, living like a Christian is another. Any politician who does not respect life at conception will not respect life in other ways as well.

In the Bible, James 1:8 says “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” In Matthew 10:16, Jesus says, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” WE'VE BEEN WARNED……..

Jesus was not soft on sin and neither should a professing Christian candidate entertain the idea that sin is okay is some circumstances.

Another comment made by Barack Obama in one of his speeches was…..“Given the increasing diversity of America's population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.” - Call to Renewal Keynote Address

“We are no longer just a Christian nation”..…..well, at least he got that one right…….but how far will he go to appease everyone, in order to remain popular? How “un-Christian” will his policies become in order to appease the establishment? I would encourage anyone to go onto his website, www.barackobama.com, and read his “Call to Renewal Speech” and read his “Faith” beliefs. People who are not grounded in the Bible and who do not understand the complete truths of the Bible will be easily deceived by this man. This man is highly educated, motivational, very well-spoken and evangelistic in tone. In simple terms, he is a modern-day rock star. He offers the inspiration of easy promises and good feelings rather than solid solutions. Hope is built on more than a positive answer to the question," Is he electable?" Better to ask the more critical question, "What price will we pay for his thin brand of hope?"

People today are not aware. They are only aware of what they are told on the television, the internet and in magazines. They hear words, but don't discern the truth. The see smiles, but don't discern the evil. They vote for celebrity, but don't discern the character or lack of it. Reading the Bible is one thing, hearing the voice of God is another.

Listening to a politician speak is one thing, hearing what they say is another. We've been deceived, and will continue to be deceived until people start voting for a president and stop voting for a rock star.