Thought Quotient

Here are two level-headed editorials to check out when considering the issues in this year’s elections:

Joel Belz: Neither Iraq nor the economy are the main issue in this election

But if I had to limit my thinking to just one issue, it certainly wouldn’t be The Economy and probably not even The War. I’d think instead about The Judges. That’s the issue that will really matter for those who inherit the society we leave behind in 10, 20, or 30 years.

But some issues are more important than others—and no Christian need apologize for focusing on just three key questions to determine whether a particular judge might be good or bad for the society of the future. Abortion, marriage, and education transcend all other issues.

I know that electing George Bush is no guarantee that the judges he will appoint will take this short list seriously. I’m aware that a Democratic president gets the blame for only two of the nine justices now on the Supreme Court, and that two of Ronald Reagan’s three appointments have been profound disappointments on key issues. I know that all this is a little bit chancy.
…
I also know how little is uncertain about the appointments John Kerry would make. With him, my short list wouldn’t even have a chance.

Marvin Olasky: A born-again president vs. an always-perfect candidate

What’s relevant now is that George Bush did not receive his party’s nomination for what he did over three decades ago, but John Kerry did. That’s why we need to get to the bottom of what the Swift Boat vets are saying. The original exaggerations or lies are not the problem. The current cover-up attempt is, because that goes to the heart of what kind of president we could expect John Kerry to be.