Voting, etc.

Vickie and I went over to the Holladay City hall and voted early on Thursday. According to the poll workers there, nearly 7,000 people will have voted at that one site before Election Day. It's terrific to see that so many people are being energized by this year's campaigns.

In order to vote intelligently, I read McCain's Faith of My Fathers and Obama's The Audacity of Hope to get a feel for each man. Having done so, I voted for Obama. Obama's life is a true American success story, and the man himself shows a rare combination of high intelligence, superb education, careful thoughtfulness, and a true dedication to public service. I am also impressed that he has taught constitutional law: the Bush Administration has done more to damage the Constitution than any administration in recent history. The invasion (on very shaky pretenses) of Iraq and the subsequent abandonment of the strictures of the Geneva Convention for anyone suspected of being a terrorist are appalling! The Bush policies have alienated our traditional allies around the world, and have greatly tarnished the shining image of America as a nation devoted to truth rather than just to power.

McCain is a genuine war hero, but seems to be a flawed politician. Though he professes that he is not George Bush, McCain has consistently voted for Bush's misguided policies, placing ideology above pragmatism. Moreover, he is famous for having a very hot temper that has often gotten him into trouble. One of the things I like about Barak Obama is that he is very slow to come to a boil - and he seems to use that time for thinking about solutions to problems, rather than just having knee-jerk reactions to them.

I have always though of myself as a moderate. When I lived in Oklahoma, I was active in Republican party politics. But I've noticed that the Republican party has moved significantly to the right, while I've moved slightly to the left. The result is that I now consider myself a Democrat, though still a moderate.

As a Mormon, I've tried to take seriously the teachings of the Savior. I find the Sermon on the Mount a good (if difficult to apply consistently) guide to Christian living. The Republican platform seems to be mostly about right-wing ideology, while the Democrats talk a lot more about helping people other than the wealthy. I find that the Democrats' positions more closely mirror King Benjamin's position (for the non-LDS, Benjamin is quoted in the Book of Mormon) equating service to others with service of God. I'm a little disappointed that so many of my LDS brothers and sisters are taken in by the far-right cant of the Evangelicals (who really don't like Mormons, anyway!)

Summing up, I voted for Obama and sincerely hope that his election will bring a rebirth of true American spirit in the years to come.