What matters?

As I remember the 2000 election...the closest call, I believe, in US Presidential election history, I try and prepare my heart and mind for what may happen this November. Even if Obama wins the popular vote, there are huge electoral counts in several key battleground states which could give McCain victory. I have another phone banking session scheduled tonight at the Obama HQs in NE Portland. I am not convinced that what I am doing matters (it matters in the sense that it is contributing to more people getting involved in the political process, which is important, but not necessarily in helping Obama win this election). I believe that Oregon will vote for Obama. Obama will probably get the whopping 7 electoral college votes from this state to contribute to the necessary majority of 270 nationwide.

I'm a visual person, and these maps help illustrate what's happening. The picture on the left shows where our country is leaning right now. The one on the right shows how many electoral college votes each state will get.
As of right now, it seems the following are considered 'Battleground States' (Electoral College votes in parentheses). (I got this info from Wikipedia). This info more or less matches the results from the polls compiled on RealClearPolitics here: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/battleground.html.

• Colorado: (9) Recent polls show Colorado as a toss-up.
• Florida: (27) Polls show McCain with a sizeable lead in Florida.
• Indiana: (11) McCain with a moderate lead in Indiana.
• Michigan: (17) Current polls show Michigan with a slight Obama lead.
• Minnesota: (10) Recent polls show Minnesota as a pure toss up.
• Missouri: (11) Polls show McCain with a sizeable lead in Missouri.
• Nevada: (5) A current poll shows McCain with a slight lead in Nevada.
• New Hampshire: (4) Current polls show New Hampshire with a moderate Obama lead.
• New Jersey: (15) Current polls show Obama with a lead in the state.
• New Mexico: (5) Recent polls have been somewhat contradictory and have shown both McCain and Obama leading by slight margins.
• Ohio: (20) Current polls show McCain with a moderate lead in Ohio.
• Pennsylvania: (21) Current polls show Obama with a lead in Pennsylvania.
• Virginia: (13) Current polls show John McCain with a moderate lead in Virginia.
• Wisconsin: (10) Current polls show Obama with a sizeable lead in Wisconsin.

Friends, if you feel passionately about this election, I encourage you to get involved in whatever way you feel comfortable, especially if you are in a battleground state. Maybe this means researching the candidates more and knowing where they both stand on the issues...and trying to get your information from independent media sources (if that's possible). (This is something I myself feel particularly challenged to do.) Or maybe this means talking to friends and family. Or perhaps this means visiting your local campaign office and doing some phone calling, canvassing, or registering new voters. I've been tossing around the idea of doing phone calls to some of these states instead of mobilizing voters in Oregon - as I believe that's where we need the help the most. But, like my friend David commented on my last post, I, too, lose all eloquent or persuasive speaking ability when confronted with people who do not share my views. I've recently put out an invite on my facebook page to my more conservative-leaning friends, because I truly want to know why they are supporting McCain/Palin this election. From my standpoint, it is a no-brainer and obviously I'm very passionately pro-Obama. But I want to hear the other side. I want to know why half of this country is so fervently supporting a ticket I could not bring myself to support in virtually any circumstance I could possibly think of. To this point, I've come to believe that McCain and Palin's intentions are good, and that they truly and deeply want what is best for this country. I have to believe that they are inherently good people and are also human and therefore prone to serious error. I am not necessarily questioning their character (many of my liberal friends would strongly object to this!), but I am adamantly in opposition to their underlying philosophies which dictate the policies they support (for example, the philosophy of trickle-down economics).

It's getting close. We're six and a half weeks away from the election. I know from being in a long-distance relationship how fast this goes by (I mean that in all love, Ben :)

God is sovereign, yes. God is holy, too. And we are his creatures, who've been entrusted to take care of this flailing planet to the best of our ability and with our God-given wisdom, if we so desire it. May we all seek God's wisdom and Spirit through this process, and engage thoughtfully in the ways we feel led.