How to choose between two evils?

Senior Pastor Andy Stanley
North Point Community Megachurch
Alpharetta, Georgia

Pastor Andy Stanley talks politics ahead of 2020 elections

How to choose between two evils?

“When forced to choose between the lesser of two evils, you still have to call out the evil, not for our sake and not even for our party’s sake, but for the world’s sake”.

“When forced to choose between two imperfect candidates, two imperfect platforms, and imperfect planks within the platform, we have to call out those imperfections”

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I totally agree with Pastor Stanley

I’ve been an independent conservative since 2006. however, in several forums;

When Bush was POTUS, his loyalists labeled me as a left-wing liberal.

When Obama was POTUS, his loyalists labeled me as a right-wing conservative.

And today, some of Trump’s loyalists have labeled me as a left-wing liberal.

Why?

Because regardless who’s POTUS, I’ll call out his imperfections.

 

I go through the same type of silly labeling. Apparently people get very upset if you call out anything negative about someone they voted for. It’s like they view these politicians as their close friends based on how defensive they get.

 

@nopartisanbull I tend to have some points where I refuse to vote for any candidates :
_ No corruption (and by corruption, I consider even things that are legal, but still corruption at my eyes).
_ No warmongering.

Then often, I tend to consider two other aspects :
The ecological one, most of the times it's not very relevant as neither politician have ambitious project about that.
Free trade. I'm quite opposed to free trades for many reasons, and if a candidate oppose free trade, I tend to vote for him or her.

I consider that politics is also about putting a hierarchy on our needs and desires, it's on that hierarchy of need that I vote. I have however more and more difficulties to vote.

 

When the two evils are ultimately working for the same end there is no lesser evil.

This is why the Americans need to work for maximizing their number of viable parties and hold multiple elections until there is a clear majority winner.

Their constitution has internal methods for amendment and every congress person should feel the heat to make this happen!!

 

~ As far as voting I often do not. If both candidates are awful what's the point ?

 

“When forced to choose between two imperfect candidates, two imperfect platforms, and imperfect planks within the platform, we have to call out those imperfections”

Well, I solved that by voting for the least of "many evils": 3rd Party for the last three elections.

There is a lot of social pressure to think we're "forced" to choose between only 2 candidates. In the voting booth, it's between you and the ballot. Vote your conscience.

Of course, if you're a Independent, libertarian or 3rd party voter, both party's loyalists will label you a traitor.

Democrats:
"But if you vote 3rd Party, you're essentially voting Republican (McCain, Romney, Trump)."

Republicans:
"But if you vote 3rd Party, you're essentially voting Democrat (Obama, Obama, Clinton)."

(It can't be both.)

Democrats and Republicans:
"You're throwing your vote away!"

The only way to waste your vote is to stay home.

I will say there is more pressure to choose between only 2 evils if your state is potentially in swing-state play, as Texas is this year.

And to agree with Pastor Stanley, we should be able to praise and criticize both candidates on their merits and shortcomings.

 

I chose not to vote in the US elections in 2016 because Hilary had already proven herself to be a serial liar and completely devoid of responsibility in the deaths in Ben Ghazi. A woman child enabled by a misplaced notion of feminist entitlement no matter what.

I also felt that US president should not be ones first elected office.

This time around I will vote for Trump if I’m allowed to return to the US by Election Day based on two issues: SCOTUS and keeping the Iran sanctions in place.

Just those two issues!

I feel Biden embraces kindergarten ethics of perceived fairness by quota and that is impractical in an adult world.

 

There are always the down ballot races. The closer to home, the more a politician can impact your life. Local and state elections are more important than the federal election as far as I'm concerned. It is local and school taxes which are breaking peoples' backs.

 

We are of the same mind on this issue.
Vote your conscience.
The two major US parties are playing Manipulate mind games with you.
Create major league threats to both parties by creating viable third fourth or later political parties and watch Dems and Reps scramble to eviscerate them and then Americans can see how little democracy they truly have.
Let the Americans call this anti trust for American politics and let them restore true representative government.
That’s not what they have now!!

 

“All politics are local”. And this comes from Tip O’Neil A savvy US democrat.

 

~ Yes I agree. I was referring to federal election in particular. I think that's what the OP was about.
Local is a different situation.

~ But it's more fun to jeer and jibe at the crazy Democrats

 

I recall telling my boss, who was supporting Trump in the 2016 primaries (while I supported Cruz), that the elite establishment would go to any length to destroy Trump, including impeaching him over any reason they could possibly conceive. If Republicans had not feared losing their own voter base, they'd have happily joined the Democrats to keep the political elite class's oligarchy alive.

 

You're making a good choice.

 

Interesting point, that is because we no longer talk about ideas, no longer can compromise, we are only interested in attacking people and assessing blame.

 

~ This is a big reason Trump is practically working on his own and why so many turnovers in the administration. I am guessing 20% of the Republican Congress is actually working the Trump agenda.
( Lindsey Graham is not one of them )

 

So true that it can’t be both, yet that won’t stop people from BOTH sides making that silly argument again.

 

For amusement, I was looking at the #nevertrump #neverbiden comments on Twitter yesterday. People, mostly socialists and Bernie loyalists, saying they won't vote or are voting Green or Libertarian Party. They are definitely getting "the scolding".

 

Main reason why I became an independent;

The financial crisis; Back then, both Dems and Repubs were playing a never-ending blame game, and my beliefs were;

1. Uncle Sam shouldn’t be in business of promoting homeownership, period!

2. Had we kept qualifying borrowers at prime, 5/10% down, credit score; above 640, we would have easily avoided a crisis, and a severe recession.

I remember back in the 60’s, my parents had to save money to buy a house, thus, save for the 10% down payment, and they had to prove they were financially responsible.

Fast forward 45years.......

“We’re giving you money to buy a house”.

Thus, what happened?

Simply put, we’ve buried several proven old money rules/principles our Great Depression Generation have taught us.

 

Beware, in your search for The Perfect, godlike candidate. You may find him.

You pursue a Messiah, or cult leader, not a 'citizen representative', that the constitution describes.

 

I'll take the evil on the right.

 

That's where I'm at today.

If I vote at all, I will vote 3rd party.

 

Here's your last third party hero, a buffoon that would have flooded us with illegals faster than the demoscum. Congrats on your status.



Yeah, vote for this kind of loser.

 

In an effort to discredit or glorify POTUS.....

The left/right wing media are playing the same games, examples;

Breitbart News;

1. NOTHING on Bannon’s arrest, however

2. Voter fraud; A man in LA was arrested.....

CNN

1. Trump’s Sister.....however,

2. NOTHING on July’s record home sales

Another stratagem;

An affirmation followed by a question mark, for example;

In 2007, Trump and Stormy stayed at the same motel?

 

I'll pick the side that's not burning and destroying cities.

I'm kooky like that.

 

It seems to me in my lifetime it's always the liberals who cause trouble while the conservatives are more reserved. Yep, easy choice.