My ballot has been sitting on my desk for two days. Serving as a poll worker makes it impossible to vote on Election Day so I am one of those voting early. Beside my ballot is a stack of articles from various websites encouraging me to “vote my values,” “save our courts,” “look at the big picture” and “consider the stakes.”
I’m very aware of the stakes; which is why my ballot is still sitting on my desk. I know I’m not alone. Being the president of a national organization of and for women I am in a unique position to hear from women all over the country. My Facebook page and inbox is full of emails and messages from frustrated women across America expressing their anguish over this election.
We are told if we don’t vote for Trump we are voting for Hillary; if we don’t vote for Hillary we’re voting Trump and if we vote for anyone else we are throwing our vote away. The “
It seriously annoys me when I hear radio hosts say Christian conservatives who don’t vote for Trump are selfish, stupid and irresponsible. “There is no excuse not to vote for Trump,” they say. They don’t seem to realize when they say those things they’re talking to mothers like me who love God, cherish liberty know the Constitution, and are devoted to our families. We don’t need an excuse not to vote for Trump, we have every reason not to—and Hillary knows it. That is why she has spent millions of dollars trying to convince mothers to either vote for her to stop Trump or not vote at all—because either way she wins.
Hillary Clinton is using us, Ladies. Her entire campaign is targeted on women; using her gender as the sole reason to cast our vote for her because her positions are downright scary. When being a woman wasn’t enough to sway conscientious mothers Hillary pulled every campaign trick and used every card in her deck to convince us that Trump hates women when she promotes and supports the very things she is attacking Donald Trump for. She’s just better at hiding it.
Many of us were well aware of Trump’s offensive comments and lude behavior long before he made it through the primaries. I wrote about it several times. My final plea before the Indiana primary was “If your child behaved like Donald Trump would you be okay with it?” Apparently the majority of voters were. But what about the rest of us? What about all those mothers who didn’t vote for Trump but would never vote for Hillary because we know what that would mean? Is it any wonder Evan McMullin emerged from nowhere surging in the polls in western states? Mothers are desperately seeking any option because for too many of them not voting at all seems the only viable one.
It is years of neglect that has brought us to this place in time—years of thinking “it doesn’t affect me,” or “I don’t do politics.” Regardless of how we got here, the fact is we are here. So what do we do about it?
If we vote for Donald Trump we will have a very good chance of stopping Hillary. If we don’t vote for him there is a very good chance she will win. If we vote for Evan it could upset the whole system—which wouldn’t be a bad thing—but it could also take enough votes from Trump throw the election to Hillary. So who do we vote for when we are the deciding vote in this election?
Many women have suggested writing in Jesus Christ. I actually considered it. It certainly would send a message but then I realized it would be taking the Lord’s name in vain because He isn’t running for president and He never will. When He returns every knee will willingly bow and every tongue confess. God has put the government in our hands and it is our responsibility to choose from among us.
So for all those mothers emailing me, calling and stopping by my house asking who I’m voting for and what you should do first let me say thank you. Thank you for being engaged and taking this important stewardship so seriously. I am not going to tell you how to vote but I can give you some information that helped me.
There is an outstanding video produced by Rev. Cary Gordon I highly recommend watching. Laura Ingraham made some very positive, substantive points on why voting for Donald Trump is a practical option. Sharlene Wells Hawkes wrote an excellent article with powerful points on why a vote for Evan McMullin is worth considering. I haven’t found any articles providing good reasons to vote for Gary Johnson but he does have a hilarious video very relatable to this election that’s definitely worth watching. After considering all the information I’ve compiled throughout this election it was my friend Rachael that has impacted me and my decision the most.
“The only way this stops,” she said, “is if we stand up and say, come what may, we will not back candidates that don’t have the most basic values of integrity, fidelity and honor. Period! These are the things that built America, not our foreign policy and not our supreme court justices.”
Racheal’s right. Unfortunately in our current culture it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find candidates with any of those values. The two-party system certainly doesn’t help. The American people are fed up with the corruption of both parties—which is why we are having the election we are. Many see Trump’s candidacy as a political revolution. Trump’s supporters wanted someone who was tough enough to stand up to the Washington bullies and crack the political status quo. He’s certainly done that. Evan McMullin is definitely
Hillary Clinton proclaims “Women have the power to stop Trump.” I would counter that and say the mothers of America have the power to send a message—we will vote and not for her!
We are the ones determining the future right now with our vote, our voice, our message to the world.
Ultimately it is you and you alone who have to live with your vote. That is why it is so important we weigh all the options carefully, considering the consequences of each, and then prayerfully, giving as much consideration and attention to every office and issue on our ballot, vote our heart and our conscience the best we can with what we’ve got. Then, no matter the consequences, what people say about us or how bad things get we will be at peace with our decision.