Three Questions for Candidates
Is your candidate up for some tough questions? As Super Tuesday looms, I’d like to suggest three questions to ask about your ‘favorite’ candidate.
[By the way, check out the end of this post for an opportunity to get more entries in the drawing that ends today!]
Question #1 – Does this candidate have an orderly personal life?
It might be easier to run for president than to manage your private life. Everyone wants to lead others, but who can lead himself or herself? As Plato noted, “For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories.”
When I talk about someone’s personal life, I am not simply referring to whether they are self-disciplined. (I think all the candidates in both parties have demonstrated self-discipline just by getting to this point in the process). Rather, I am talking about how well they have led their private lives. What do you know about their character? What were their successes and failures? What is the state of their family?
This isn’t just a good question for presidents, but for all who want to lead others. Paul asked, “for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?”[1] Dr. Lloyd-Jones applied this test to politics when he said, “I have very little interest in what a statesman has to say if he does not carry out his principles in his own personal life.”
Question #2 – Does this candidate apply moral principles to government?
Fascism believes that ‘might is right.’ Government – especially the US government – is one of the mightiest institutions on the planet. If a candidate believes that might always makes right, he or she will soon abuse this excessive power.
“It is strangely absurd,” Thomas Jefferson wrote, “to suppose that a million of human beings collected together are not under the same moral laws which bind each of them separately.”
Ask – how did this candidate act when they held power in the past? Whether exercising economic or political power, did they treat their opponents justly? Were previous decisions principled or arbitrary?
Question #3 – Does this candidate’s track record demonstrate wisdom?
Jesus was accused of being a glutton, drunkard, and hanging out with the wrong crowd. Rather than answer each accusation, Jesus dismissed the accusations, saying, “wisdom is justified by her children.” [2] It does not really matter what your opponents accuse you of. The consequences of your actions and decisions will give far better proof whether you were right or wrong.
Churchill said essentially the same thing – “We shall not be judged by the criticisms of our opponents, but by the consequences of our actions.”
When this candidate made decisions in the past, what resulted? Are their projects successes or failures? Do the laws they supported help or hurt the country?
Conclusion
How does your candidate add up? There are many important considerations in choosing a candidate, but America will win if the future president – red or blue, liberal or conservative – can give solid answers to these three questions.
[Remember, today is the last day to be entered in the drawing! For more information on entering, click here. Today only, you have the chance to get further entries in this drawing! To do so, (1) share this page on social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). (2) Send me a private message here or leave a comment on this post, stating where you shared this page. (3) For each share, you will receive one extra entry in the drawing – so you can potentially earn several extra entries by sharing this on several social media sites. Remember, the drawing ends today, so you must act now.]
[1] 1 Timothy 3:5
[2] Matthew 11:19
