Will There Be Any Left Standing?

 During a recent GOP presidential debate a gay soldier, via the internet, asked a question to the participants and he was booed.  Whether the soldier was booed because he was gay or for other reasons is up for debate but is not important now.  President Obama, while campaigning and addressing the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization, said that he the Commander in Chief, whomever it may be, must support gay troops.He has yet decided to publicly support gay marriage but said that his views are "evolving" but for now he only supports civil unions.  Some applaud the decision others think he hasn't gone far enough.  One such democratic consultant said of the President's failure to support gay marriage, quote: ""If he doesn't, he could be missing an opportunity to mobilize voters who need to be inspired to vote for him." 

This is not about gay marriage, equal rights, or anything like that.  This highlights what is wrong in politics today.  This democratic consultants is saying that the President should change his ideas, opinions, and even principles and values to be in line with others in order to get their votes.  This is just wrong - it happens every election and it is wrong.
     What a shame when a candidate or anyone for that matter alters his values and principles for the purpose of getting gain, power, and status.  In my opinion this shows a lack of character and virtue.  It is said by many that "character is what makes the man".  Abraham Lincoln, perhaps the greatest of our presidents, spoke of character more than a century ago:

"Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing: I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside me."

  Boy, do we ever need one like him again!

      A candidate that goes against his core principles and values with the sole intention of gaining votes doesn't get my respect or vote.  This next year is a huge election.  There is much riding on our nation's decision.  The winner of next November's election will have a monstrous task on his or her hands.  When I look at the candidates and evaluate them in order to decide who to vote for I look at certain values and principles that I hold dear. 

I doubt there will be a candidate with whom I agree 100% but there are certain principles that I will not budge on and someone who espouses them will likely get my vote. 
Finally, I will conclude with some powerful words from another former president and great man. 
 
George Washington spoke almost prophetically when he said: "Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder."  Let us hope that one of the current candidates will be the one standing after next year's election.