I’ve Made My Decision for Election 2016

By Ron Boehme | January 4, 2016 |

A number of months ago I likened the 2016 presidential election to the National Football League.

I said that there were many good teams (sixteen Republican candidates) and I wanted to see them compete in the regular season (early debates and campaigning).

Then they would fight it out in the playoffs (early voting states) and then I would decide who I was going to support.

That was then and this is now.

I’ve already made my decision for 2016.

I’ve also made my football pick as the NFL playoffs begin. A number of good teams that will compete in the wild-card round, then the division playoffs, and the conference championships to earn a spot in the Super Bowl. I believe it’s possible that New England, Denver, Carolina, and Arizona could go all the way.

But you heard it here first: The Seattle Seahawks will win the 50th Superbowl on February 7, 2016.

Now back to the more important contest.

Leaders don’t ultimately determine the fate of nations, but they can influence either their revival and prosperity or their decline and malaise. Many examples stand out of how godly kings were instruments of renewal in early Israel and Judah (e.g. David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah). There are also examples of bad leadership that led to national demise (e.g. Rehoboam, Jereboam, Ahab and Manasseh).

However, it is the people that ultimately determine the fate of nations and civilizations. And since we don’t have many kings in our day (though some might disagree with me on that), but rather vote for whom we want to represent us in leadership positions, it’s even clearer that the folks are in the driver’s seat.

We elect bad leaders when we ourselves are uninformed and apathetic. We elect good leaders when we are wise and engaged. Modern-day elections are a “mirror” on the righteousness or immorality of the majority (or influential minority) of a nation.

In 2016, We, the People of the United States have a big decision to make for president of the United States.

I’ve voted for a number of Democrats in my lifetime and I wish I would have voted against Richard Nixon in 1972 when I first voted in a presidential election.

But this year that won’t be a consideration.

Hillary Clinton is the clear front-runner on the Democratic side, but I couldn’t vote for her due to reasons I will soon share. Bernie Sanders is a very passionate man, but he is energetic about the wrong things (getting Big Government to control more of our lives). His brand of socialism is usually the second-to-the-last-stop on the train wreck of national destruction–just above either communism or dictatorship.

America doesn’t need an increased bloating of statism.

Martin O’Malley is a decent former governor, but doesn’t have any traction. I predict that Clinton and Sanders will duke it out for a number of months and Clinton will emerge as the nominee–if she’s not indicted by the Justice Department for her personal e-mail charade.

Then, all bets are off on the Dems side.

So, I’m going to support and vote for a Republican. I don’t like some aspects of the Republican Party which, in many ways, has become “Progressive-Lite” in Washington D.C.

But this year there is no alternative. Historically, the Rs have stood for faith, family, God, life, freedom, smaller government, and fighting evil more than the other party.

George Washington was Republican in “heart”and our greatest president (“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”–Henry Lee). Abraham Lincoln was second, and the very first Republican president who saved the Union and abolished slavery.

Another admirable Republican was Ronald Reagan whose economic and military policies ultimately brought down the Evil Empire (USSR) which enslaved half the world in the 20th century.

What made these men good presidents and what is my criteria for choosing our next leader?

The measuring stick has three clear lines on it:

1. Character–usually influenced by their faith in God. Are they men or women of faith, integrity, justice, compassion, fairness, humility and other godly characteristics? That’s my number one citeria because, in the end, right makes might as Lincoln famously said. Since righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34) then righteous leaders are needed to renew it and guide it.

2. Competence. Does the prospective leader have a strong leadership resume and experience? Do they know how to lead and inspire people? Have they served admirably in either the private or public sector and do they have the skills to guide one of the largest nations on earth?

3. Policies are the final leg to the “Good Leadership Stool.” Will the new president’s ideas strengthen and encourage faith in God, promote strong marriages and families, ignite economic growth and opportunity, stand for life and justice, and protect the American people and bring blessings to other nations?

I also take into account factors which include campaign organization, elect ability, diversity, the need of the hour, and other considerations.

With that in mind, I’m enthusiastically supporting Ted Cruz in 2016.

Ted is a man of strong evangelical faith and consistent character. He has a tremendous resume as an attorney, Solicitor General of Texas, and US Senator who has uniquely fought the Washington establishment. He is a skilled orator and debater–maybe the best in the field as seen in the debates. And his policies are right down the line in favor of faith, family and freedom.

He is young, vibrant, would be our first Hispanic president, and has the best grassroots organization to win in the entire country.

Showing breadth of support, his campaign raised $47 million in 2015 which included nearly 700,000 small donors (we are one of them). Those donors cover 66% of all US zip codes.

Ted Cruz has state leadership teams–1,400 strong in membership–in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Mississippi, Minnesota, Florida, Arizona, Michigan, and Washington. They’ve also announced state chairs in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Idaho, and California.

In the first four primary and caucus states–Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada–the Cruz team has county chairmen in place in all 171 counties. And after the first four states, they have congressional district coordinators in place in each of the 163 congressional districts that comprise the 24 states that hold their primary or caucus before March 15th.

Additionally, the state teams have access to over 175,000 volunteers across the nation who have signed up to help make Ted Cruz the next president. That’s why Politico says: “Cruz has Trump and the rest of the field beat on organization.”

For that and the big three reasons, I’m voting for Ted Cruz.

If he’s able to become our next president, I’d like to see him put together a “Dream Team” of other leaders (such as Ronald Reagan did in 1980) to help bring a needed jolt of reformation to our government. How about these, or like appointments?

Marco Rubio as his running mate–fellow Senator, Latino with a Catholic background and great vision and speaking skills.
Donald Trump as Secretary of State (how would you like him negotiating with the ayatollahs?).
Lindsey Graham as Secretary of Defense.
Ben Carson as Surgeon General.
Chris Christy as Attorney General.
Rudy Guliani as head of Homeland Security.
Carly Fiorina as Commerce Secretary or Technology Czar.
Jeb Bush as Secretary of Energy.
John Kasich as head of Health and Human Services.
Mike Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel.
John Bolton as UN Ambassador.
Dana Perrino as Press Secretary.
Franklin Graham as Counselor to the President.
Paul Ryan continuing as Speaker of the House.
Ron Paul serving as Federal Reserve Chairman.
and Rand Paul taking over from his fellow Kentuckian as Senate Majority Leader.