why i'm not telling you who i'm voting for

I've been upset at Will for months. I married a conservative Republican who loved the political process, felt the same passion for the unborn as I did, and carted me to all sorts of fundraisers. And all of a sudden I get this guy next to me in the bed who is a different person than I married. In most ways, it's good. And I sure used to like being "in" on his biting wit (something you don't normally see on his blog) and cynicism. But sometimes it turned around on me, he'd catch me in his web and there I'd be, stumbling over my thoughts. Finally I just screamed at him to stop talking politics, that I didn't marry him to argue with him.

So there's a moratorium of sorts around the Samson household.

It's not that I'm all that hot on George W., I just don't know who this new guy is around my house. Will's motivation for change is honorable, he's trying to see things through the eyes of Christ and that's good. We all should do that. And when I went through a real upheaval in my theology last spring putting me past him on the liberal scale of theology, he didn't say a thing. So why am I having such a hard time with this? But I don't even understand what he's saying these days. He says if anything he's anti-political, but still I see the fire in his eyes when election talk comes up and I know it's just new terminology and ideas masking his old disease. We've never had a taboo subject before, and this stinks.

I feel like I'm taking a chance even putting this blog up after Will's last blog. But I'm hoping there isn't some reverse-legalism from the more liberal among us. If I won't be honest here, I can't be honest in my novels.

So who am I voting for? Well, I hate it when artists use their platform for their political leaning, and so I'm not going to do that here. But I can tell you it'll be either George or nobody. (I'm only saying this because I commented on Will's blog I couldn't pull the lever for Kerry, so I kinda commented myself into a corner!*g*) I'm actually praying for a flu so bad I'm sitting on the potty, draped over the big stainless steel puke bowl all day. So be it. Amen and amen. Even so, Lord Jesus, let it come.

Anybody got an island someplace warm they want to give me? I'll call it Lisovia and I'll do everything right!

grace,

lisa

Comments

[Sherri]

Lisa,
I walked out of my Sunday School class last Sunday with feelings similar to the ones you are expressing here. We were supposed to be discussing Godly leadership, and ended up debating why people won't vote, and who is the best presidential candidate. To be honest, I'd never seen such fervor in that group before.

For once, I didn't say a word, and I'm usually the one trying to stir things up a little. I don't know who Jesus would vote for in this election, but I doubt he'd be spending quite so much time worrying about it. I'm more concerned about the divisiveness the whole issue brings about even among Christians--not that we can't disagree, but the anger and hatred I hear in people's voices when discussing the issues--is it worth it?

Gotta run--I'll send up a prayer for peace in the Samson household :-)

[Lo]

I almost fainted when I read Will's blog last night. I am at a loss, too. I even emailed him about some of the same things you say in your blog. I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels like I've fallen through the rabbit hole when it comes to Will's politics.

Sisters are blood. We truly both come from Joy.

[angi]

I agree with you, and your reasons for voting for W. Luckily my husband and I will both be voting for him. My parents on the other hand are split. My dad was born and raised a democrat. To him, you don't vote for the person, you vote for the party. He doesn't realize the party changed a long time ago, and his beliefs are along the lines of the Republican party. My mom, she is a born and bred Republican, and says Kerry doesn't have a trustworthy face.

I am trying to convince my dad to look at the facts and not the party. It isn't working.

[Bill]

I don't blame you for voting for G.W. I still don't know who I'm going to vote for. Maybe I'll vote for you!

I'm not a very good follower of current events, so I probably am not the most aware voter at this point, but I don't like what I've seen from either side. I agree with a lot of what Jim Wallis has been saying, but think he just ends up sounding like we should vote for Kerry. Although I actually like Kerry's stance on a couple of issues, I don't know that he's the solution, especially due to the issue of abortion, as you have duly noted.

Just between you and me, I kind of feel like all of a sudden to be emergent you have to be anti-Bush. He's a politician who is just as imperfect as all the rest of them. Maybe that feeling is irrational. I'm sure people would argue against it. But that's what it feels like.

While I'm on the subject, it's also starting to feel like you have to be pro-gay, too, which is bothersome to me. Anyway, I think I understand your frustration.

[Bill]

P.S. Hopefully readers will understand that I don't mean we should be anti-gay, just that the whole debate about the gay lifestyle and practice is still filled with important questions and I don't think we have all the answers.

[Jules]

You can vote third party.

[lisa]

I haven't said I'm voting for George either. I just know it won't be for Kerry. I'm thinking about writing my sister's name in! How 'bout it, Lo?

[will]

Have I commented lately on how much I love this woman?

[lisa]

Even though I don't always agree with him, I still gotta love the guy!

[Bill]

Yeah, you're both loveable.

[Paula]

Oh man. You got me going. I had to check out Will's blog and put in my 2 cents worth and ended up writing much more than I intended. Prayers for your household as you deal with this issue.

I really connect with your comments about hoping there isn't reverse legalism from the more liberal among us. I see hard lined attitudes, angry attitudes on the political left and right.

Now we've got Christians trying to figure this stuff out and as many in the emergent movement try to climb out of boxes and legalism, I think there is grave danger of reacting to the things we so dislike in the traditional evangelical movement and becoming just like what we hate, only from the other side.

To truly live receive and give God's grace we must open our hearts to those, who not to long ago, we were very much like. We must forgive the system we were hurt by and offer them grace to find God and change and walk their journey just as we are bending over backwards to offer grace to those who've never know the Lord before and come to us hoping to find God and change and walk their journey.

[lisa]

I wholeheartedly agree, Paula.