Ah, Presidential elections. the time when all of America gets to find out all of the secrets of a small group of people. From affairs, to questionable business deals. Why does it seem like we can’t find a good candidate? Its because a good candidate needs balance, a balance of character and communication. All too often it seems like when we find someone who communicates effectively they have more skeletons in their closet than a haunted house. And all the ones with a seemingly spotless background can’t give a speech, or debate to save their life. Let’s look at some examples.
A few things to never forget: “There is none righteous, no not one”(Romans 3:10), and every person has bloopers when they are communicating.
So for our examination we will look at two of the candidates in the current election(though one has dropped out) that I consider to be the most Conservative: Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry.
Newt Gingrich
There is no argument he is possibly the best communicator in my lifetime(post Reagan). He can debate the socks of anyone, and give a speech that will move the most apathetic among us to action. But Newt is the perfect example of how a lapse of character and judgement years ago can haunt you for the rest of your life. Because of choices he made in his personal life some consider him unfit to be president. Newt is the epitome of why, at Patriot Academy, they teach that having good character is every bit as important as having the right stances on the issues.
All it takes is one mistake, one lapse of judgement, one failure of character to ruin your chances of being able to serve your country, and lead the change. That is why Patriot Academy puts so much emphasis on maintaining character that is above reproach.
Rick Perry
Compared to Newt, Rick Perry is a horse of a different color, both hold good political principles and values. But both have big problems, that are very different. Perry in his tenure at Governor of Texas only deviated from strict conservative principles a handful of time and most were minuscule. Governor Perry, compared to other candidates doesn’t have any skeletons in his closet. all those years of living in the public eye, and no controversies or conspiracies. You don’t find that often in a candidate.
But Perry’s problem was that he couldn’t communicate effectively, which is very out of the ordinary for the Governor. I personally think it had to do with the fact the he had very recently had back surgery, and between the pain and the medications, Perry was thrown off his game. But regardless, having the ability to communicate effectively is every bit as important as having spotless character.
So, what can we learn from this. Here are a few things:
- Nobody has it all together. You are never going to find the complete package in a candidate.
- Character is VITAL.
- The right principles are VITAL.
- Communication is just as VITAl.
- And lastly, quit looking for the perfect candidate. You won’t find him. Because as Rick Green says: “Unless Jesus Christ is on the ballot you are going to be voting for the lesser of two evils.”
