My quarrel with Clinton was his habitual unfaithfulness; if his wife couldn’t trust, how could the people? Gingrich has be relatively open, and his behavior appears not to be an unbroken habit. Obama seems to have virtually no respect for honesty. My choice will be based on integrity, such as can be found, a commitment to freedom, less government, and less spending.

I’ve believed for a long time that issues like abortion must be debated and won at the personal level, thought I believe that a government that countenances killing babies risks divine judgment; ours being a government of the people, that is a little scary. I think our attitudes about the life of the unborn have created a culture where life is cheap,, and it shows. However, it is not a problem that can be solved through elections, as over 35 years of trying makes abundantly clear.

Christian ideas were profoundly a part of our founding, but those ideas were closer to the broader worldview of ordinary people. Christians took for granted, in time, that our views were embraced by all and not likely to be displaced, even to yielding our charitable labors to the powers that be. Many retreated into distorted enclaves nearly withdrawing from the culture and civil government. Then, one day, they looked around and realized they were at the outskirts of the culture and on “the other side of the tracks,” in the view of many. A sign on city hall seemed to say, “Christians, Keep Out. You’re Not Needed/Allowed Here.”

As you say, the need is not to fix government, which we cannot do; the need is to influence culture. It will be interesting to see if the Church is ready to take on that challenge, beyond the simple economic fears we all have. (Sorry to be so lengthy)