Katie's Thoughts On Politics

Let me preface this blog by saying...I don't usually comment on politics, usually because I don't care and I don't know much about it. I don't get excited about elections, maybe more about presidential but definitely not local ones. When all the commotion started with the Presidential race, I actually got interested.

For a while I never declared who I was voting for until Gov. Mike Huckabee played the Jesus card and I was hooked. To me, he was legit and sincere. I also like Fred Thompson but I think that's more becuase he was on Law and Order and was a good speech-giver. But after those two were pushed out of the race and John McCain had sealed the Republican nomination, I started to get a little scared. It meant that he, Hillary or Obama would be the next president and I didn't want any part of either. I've threatened to move to Australia if Hillary or Obama became president several times. No threats with McCain. I just wasn't a big fan.

But after watching Sarah Palin (Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain's pick for a running mate) address the delegates last night, I've got too much running through my mind to not put it in writing. I don't usually watch the Repulbican National Convention and I definitely didn't watch any of the Democratic National Convention, but I've been intrigued but McCain's pick and I wanted to hear what she had to say. I guess you would say that I've increasingly become a McCain supporter. He's got the right stand of most of the issues I care about, he's a war vet and he's a believer. He took a gamble asking Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate, and I think the jury will be out on how great that decision was until November 5 (the day after the election).

However, I'm a fan of Gov. Palin. She's a tough cookie and definitely appealed last night to those who could give a rip about what other people think. Her speech was witty and full of truth, although she took several cheap shots at the opposing party (which I thought hit the nail right on the head). She made very good points, opened the nations eyes to a woman who has experience dealing with energy resources and praised our military forces instead of belittled them.

However, I think my favorite thing about her is the way that she has dealt with the so-called "controversy" surrounding her family with her teenaged daughter being pregnant and her having just given birth to a Downs Syndrome child.

So many people, i.e. the media and celebrities, are chastising the Palins because her is pregnant at the age of 17. Let me remind the public, all 4 of you reading this, that the Palins are no different than any other regular person. Being a public figure or governmental official doesn't automatically mean that a person can't make mistakes or has to be perfect in the public eye. We are not the judge. The only person in history who is able to judge us is God/Jesus Christ, because he walked this earth, upright and blameless, facing temptation many times, directly from Satan himself three times, and turned away. He took all the sins of those who had passed, are living, and are yet to come, he took them upon himself and defeated them by walking right out of that tomb after the third day, laughing in the face of the devil.

We don't derserve or have the right to judge the Palins. Bristol Palin and her fiancee' are taking responsibility for their actions. They knew what they were doing, they knew the consequences of their actions and no one is forcing them to get married (Joy Behar), and this young man is not sacrificing his life to take care of his responsibilities. That's called being a man. That's what men do. They take responsibility for their actions, come what may. He's not "not being allowed to life his life because he's having to married the girl he knocked up," he's choosing to live his life by the path that life has taken him on. The couple is choosing to accept the gift God has given them and learn, instead of making it go away and pretending nothing happened.

I'm not saying abortion is not heart wrenching. I've never had to go through that experience, so I couldn't imagine what that person goes through. But just like you choose to live your life the way you want to by getting rid of that person inside, God chose to give that person life inside you for some reason, and you are denying that child life by aborting them.

Her eldest son is about to be deployed to Iraq. Her youngest was born with Downs Syndrome. He was a "surprise" or a "mistake" as some would say, but he has undoubtedly been a blessing to that family. Adversity strengthens a family. That's one strong family in my eyes.

I want to point out some interesting things I've observed and have discussed with my Dad throughout this whole process. I'll list for easy reading:

- Obama's mom was white and 16 when she had him. Why are we chastising the Palins and why is he being heralded as the first African-American candidate? He's half-white. Doesn't that mean he's mixed-race? Mulatto?

- Why did Obama refuse to wear a flag pin at the beginning of the presidential race but now proudly sports one? And why can't he answer a question without going all the way around the world, and still he can't give a straight answer?

- I love how Hillary talked negatively about her opponent when she was still in the race, but once she's out of contention, she's praising him and supporting him to get her supporters to vote for him? Flip-flop much?

- My Dad and I talked last night about how we'd almost rather Obama win because nothing would get done with a Republican president and Democratic Congress because most of the Congress wouldn't want to work with the Republican president. However, I still don't know if I would want to take that gamble and have Obama run our country.

- The Democratic National Convention was a freaking red carpet affair. The good ol' boys showed up to the Republican National Convention. No red carpet. No flashing bulbs. Just Mike Huckabee on the electric guitar and crazy protesters outside.

- Gov. Palin rarely mentioned Obama by name, maybe once or twice. She mostly referred to him as "our opponent". Very clear. Sort of tongue-in-cheek.

- She also made a good point. He's written two memoirs but has never written a major law or reform. Tu chez, Gov. Palin. Tu chez.

But...in all of this...here's the kicker...

God is in control. He's got a plan and it is unfolding in front of our eyes. He's going to be glorified, no matter who gets elected. Good or bad. This God is the same God who rose up leaders like Moses and King David, made Esther queen (she ended up saving her people group from being obliterated), wise King Solomon and Billy Graham. He's the same God who rose up Pharoah from the book of Exodus and Pontius Pilate, Hilter, Stalin, Bin Ladin and Sadam Hussien. And God has received the glory and is still receiving the glory from all the things those people have been associated with.

We don't need to worry about who is running our country. God is ultimately in control. He's working out a plan. We don't often understand the things that may happen in that plan. Often, we may not even see the good things from that plan in our lifetime, but if we are faithful to the One who is faithful to us, who brings us through those hard times, strengthens us and shows his power in our weaknesses, we have nothing to fear.

God is good. Amen? Amen.

And no, I'm not moving to Australia. Unless God wants me to.