I GOT MY VOTE. Pt. 1

Pt. 1

The day has finally arrived!

Oh, you thought I was talking about Election Day, 2016?

Well, I was and I wasn’t.

To be sure it is Election Day.

But to be just as sure, today is the day on which I am preparing to complete (drum roll) 12,000 miles on a bike! (And another noteworthy accomplishment is less than two months away, as I will have peddled the equivalent of one half the distance around the world)!

I kid you not.

I began my echoic journey on October 20, 2012; on which day I peddled 10 miles.

Over the past four plus years, 5-6 days a week, I have hopped on my trusty, (but admittedly slow) ‘steed’ about 4am, and set out on the same course with which I began. And since at this writing I find myself twenty miles from the previously cited 5 digit number, I will ‘double my pleasure’ this morning, and ‘get ‘er done.’

Odd, that my individual mileage record should fall on the same day 300 million plus Americans will learn the identity of our next president.

Speaking of ‘individual’ I told someone I would reveal my personal selection for the prestigious office of President of the United States today.

I received my mail in ballot several weeks ago, and of course as I went to fill it out I noticed the Democratic and Republican nominees’ names, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, respectively, at the top left of the page. And as I recall a couple of 3^rd party candidates also graced the upper left hand corner of the ballot.

A few decades ago, I don’t know the exact year, my wife and I stood on Broadway Avenue in Bartow, Florida in the midst of a crowd of men, women and children; waiting for the guest of honor to pass by. At this juncture, I cannot begin to tell you whether it was a holiday parade of some sort, or merely political in nature. About the only thing I remember is one particular car, a convertible, and seated on the leading edge of the trunk and with his feet in the back seat was our U.S. Senator Bob Graham. Well, he was running for reelection, and of course as he passed by, he was busy smiling and waving at the crowd.

Just as the automobile bearing Senator Graham motored by us, my wife yelled out. “You got my vote!” As I recall, the politician made eye contact with my wife, and he flashed a broad grin.

Fast forward

The Presidential Election of 2016 has been like no other in the history of this great country.

From my perspective, on the one hand we have a flaming female liberal with a mindset I could never embrace nor give my vote to. She has been involved in what has been referred to as ‘Pay to Play,’ while under federal investigation destroyed thousands of emails, and ignored the pleas of four good men in Benghazi. She embraces a politically correct, though scripturally incorrect so-called ‘Pro-Choice,’ Pro-LGBT agenda which is, as I have already implied, intolerable to me. On the other hand, we have a professed billionaire who has never run for political office, much less President of the United States, who has been accused by multiple women of some pretty unseemly behavior, (and admitted it in a previous video segment), who has said some pretty ‘in your face’ things about women, minority groups, and the disabled, who has claimed he loves war, who seems to me to be a ‘loose cannon,’ who thinks he knows more than our generals, who admits he didn’t know he needed God’s forgiveness, and seems to be the least humble person on the planet.

Interestingly enough, at least to me, the Republican nominee has been hugely supported by the evangelical community in terms of their presence, prayers and prophecies. In regard to the Christian vote, I may be in the minority, but I’m not altogether convinced that God has declared His endorsement for DT. While there are any number of ‘prophets’ (some who have videos on social media), and who claim the Almighty has anointed the man for the highest office in the land, based on the current evidence, I tend to believe they may come up on the short end of ‘the 50/50 prophecy stick.’ (And to be sure, I’m no prophet).

Over the past 18 months any number of family, friends and acquaintances have provided me counsel concerning to whom I ought to give my vote, and almost without fail I have responded with, “I appreciate your input” (and/or) “I just don’t happen to agree with your consensus” (and/or/and usually) “I think we have to find our own way in this election.” 

(to be continued)

By William McDonald, PhD. From (Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Vol. 45. Copyright pending

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