Hearts & Nuts: A Call for Unity

I've been thinking about this post for a few days, and I hope I can manage to communicate what I'm thinking. I've had the opportunity (blessing?) to be around both ends of the political spectrum in the last few days. I've heard the impassioned words of both right wing nut jobs and bleeding heart liberals. I find myself in between--a moderate, even a bit of a libertarian/strict Constitutionalist. I can get annoyed by both sides, yet understand both points of view.

On Sunday, Mr. Cool and I saw Swing Vote, in which two desperate presidential candidates find themselves pandering to one voter. This leads to a Democratic candidate coming out as pro-life, and a Republican candidate declaring he will lead the charge for gay marriage. It's funny, because it rings a little true. These are issues in which each candidate has a clear stance, one connected to his party platform, but to win votes he changes his stance completely. As I've watched both McCain and Obama flip-flop around certain issues, I've wanted to yell at each one, "Pick something and stand for it!" Yes, the immortal words of Aaron Tippin have sounded in my head, "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything."

The other aspect of my political thoughts recently has involved my latest book, The Preacher and the Presidents, which covers Billy Graham's involvement with each president since Truman. I'm only up to the start of the Kennedy administration, but I've really been struck by the book so far. Billy Graham cared about and loved and prayed for each president, even though he typically found himself closer to the Republican presidents. He is currently (in the book) very close to Richard Nixon, but we know that's not going to end well. What has really struck me, is that before each election, he would pray that God's will would be done, and after the new president was elected, he would believe and honor that man's election as God's will, and do what he could to serve and pray for the president.

I like that idea--if every person in America could accept that on some level, I believe we would see the end of so much of the bitter partisanship. After all, a good president needs both the heart to care for the people of America, and the nuts to stand up for what is right around the world.