Already? Really? That was my reaction to the news that Senator Elizabeth Warren has established one of those interest committees for would be presidential candidates. The campaigning for the 2020 Presidential election is ramping up and I’m not ready. These last few years with Trump at the helm and then the resistance that successfully flipped the House of Representatives have left me exhausted. But I’d better take an energy drink and get ready.
What is clear to me is that our nation cannot afford another four years of Donald Trump. I’m amazed how he has lowered our expectations for what a president should be. His anti-intellectual, anti-law, anti-information, anti-immigrant, anti-truth, anti-news, and anti-decency and anti-morality has not only embarrassed our nation in the eyes of the world, but he has lowered the standards of common decency and further divided us. He has put the earth itself in further danger with his anti-environmental policies. So, I will gear up to support the candidacy of a person who actually deserves my respect and support. A hundred million Americans showed up to vote in the mid-terms. More will need to show up to elect someone new because of the way the electoral college works.
The next president won’t be perfect (no one is), but he or she will need to be intelligent, articulate, honest, experienced, and thoughtful. He or she will need a respect for the rule of law, knowledge of history, an appreciation for diversity, and a thoughtful approach to the environment. Only a candidate with these qualifications will deserve my support.
I hope the last two years have taught my fellow Americans that character matters and their votes matter. It’s been eye opening and disheartening to hear some fellow Christians continue to support this president who is clearly against pretty much everything Jesus taught us to be in relationship to God and our fellow human beings. I doubt Evangelical Christians understand how much their stance has revealed their hypocrisy and damaged the message of the Gospel. They have become a stumbling block.
I’ve also seem how gullible other Americans can be, blindly believing the lies of Fox News, the president, conservative radio hosts, and friends. Because of their own prejudice, ignorance, and fear of others, they cower behind this wall of lies that surrounds them. Trump, Fox News and conservative radio prey on these vulnerable people. With so much fear and hope for a return to a fictional past, the truth can’t penetrate their wall of lies. They will likely remain closed off while we tear down the wall with this next election.
The 2020 Presidential campaign is on our doorstep. This year I’ll be listening and watching carefully those who aspire to be the next president. The bar has been raised because we’ve all experienced the consequences of lowering the bar for the highest office in the world. It is clear that a huge fight is coming for the soul of our nation and the meaning of the presidency. Despite my political weariness, I’ve resolved to take a deep breath and gear up.
I look to the day when honesty & integrity are once again standard operating guides to those in public service. When Mega Ministers stop readjusting the straightforward meaning of gospel verses in favor of something with more fear & profit to it. When ugly language ceases to be a public norm, even if I agree with the idea, a civil tongue is never shameful. I watch, wait & stay informed. When uniqueness of being is accepted as a wonderful norm. When Honor returns.