THE ELECTION COLLECTION 2012

THE
ELECTION COLLECTION
2012
On Leadership and Electing a President
Who will be riding Air Force One next year—Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?
B
Leadership:
“Tell ol’
Pharaoh,
‘Let My
People Go.’”
ack in the 1860s, during the
American Civil War, escaped
slaves from the South composed a now-famous spiritual called
“Go Down, Moses.” It recalls the
Lord’s command to Moses in Exodus, “Tell ol’ Pharaoh, ‘Let my
people go.’”
The song, of course, was written to address concerns of that time.
“Let my people go” meant “free the
slaves.”
The songwriters could not have
chosen a better source. Slavery in an-
by Norm Bomer
“Moses with the Ten
Commandments” by
Rembrandt (1659)
cient Egypt was as savage as any in
history—perhaps the worst. Art and
literature from ancient Egypt record
its awful brutality. So does the Bible.
Twice in Exodus 1, Pharaoh
commands his taskmasters to treat
the Israelites “ruthlessly.” The Bible
uses words like “groaning,” “misery,” and “suffering” to describe
their many years of bondage. They
needed a savior. And that was God’s
plan all along—to send one.
God had long before made a
covenant promise to Abraham to
make the children of Israel a great
nation, to give them a land of their
own, to save them.
That savior was Moses. God
sent him, God protected him, God
trained him, God used him. God
told him to go down and tell ol’
Pharaoh, “Let my people go.”
The Savior
The story of the Exodus is the
gospel story of salvation. It is really
about Jesus. Moses was the savior
of his people. But he was not the
Savior. He was only an example—
the best human example who has
ever lived.
God’s word makes it clear: “Jesus Christ,” says Jude 4, is “our
only Sovereign and Lord.” And he
is the same Lord who “delivered his
people out of Egypt” (vs. 5).
The Bible tells us that Moses
led God’s people “for the sake of
Christ” (Hebrews 11:26).
“Jesus has been found worthy of
greater honor than Moses,”
(Hebrews 3:3).
“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying
to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son
over God’s house. And we are his
house,” (Hebrews 3:5-6).
Leadership
Anyone desiring to be a great
leader must learn from Moses. And
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when he does, he is learning from
the Lord, the divine Savior who led
Moses, the human savior.
What does such great leadership
look like? Here are just a few important qualities:
Faith: a good leader, like Moses,
must follow God.
If both you and the king who
reigns over you follow the LORD
your God—good! — 1 Samuel 12:14
Humility: a good leader, like Moses,
must humble himself.
By faith Moses, when he had
grown up, refused to be known as
the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He
chose to be mistreated along with
the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short
time. He regarded disgrace for the
sake of Christ as of greater value
than the treasures of Egypt, because
he was looking ahead to his reward.
— Hebrews 11:24-26
Wisdom: Moses followed God’s
word in settling disputes.
Moses took his seat to serve as
judge for the people.
— Exodus 18:13
Moses said: I decide between the
parties and inform them of God’s
decrees and laws. — vs. 16
Moses followed his father-inlaw’s advice and delegated authority to others.
He chose capable men from all
Israel and made them leaders of the
people. — vs. 25
Care: Moses was a good shepherd.
You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
— Psalm 77:20
Courage: Moses feared God, not man.
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered
because he saw him who is invisible.
— Hebrews 11:27
The bottom line is this: A good
leader is like Moses. Why? Because
Moses was like Christ.
The Presidential Seal
The Seal of the President of the United States was created in 1880,
by authorization of President Rutherford B. Hayes. In October of
1945, it was modified at the direction of President Harry S. Truman.
The presidential seal is used in a number of places, including on the
lectern at presidential press conferences, on the side of the President’s
transportation (the Air Force One plane, Marine One helicopter, and
presidential limousines), and at the center of the Oval Office rug in
the White House. Many of the symbols in the seal are in quantities of
thirteen to represent the original thirteen colonies.
• At the center of the seal is the national
bird, the American bald eagle.
• The shield in front of the eagle includes
thirteen stripes in red and white under
a blue field which represents unity.
• The banner held in the eagle’s beak
states, E Pluribus Unum, Latin for “From
Many, One.” This signifies the unity of
the many states and of citizens from
many different backgrounds and places.
• Above and beside the eagle’s head
are thirteen stars with thirteen clouds
above them.
• In the eagle’s right talon is an olive
God’s World News
branch symbolizing peace, with thirteen leaves and thirteen olives.
• In the eagle’s left talon is a bundle of
thirteen arrows symbolizing military
might and the necessity of defense.
• In 1945, the eagle’s head was changed
so it faces to its right, the traditional
position of honor. By facing toward the
olive branch, this new position also
expresses the nation’s preference for
peace.
• Also in 1945, a surrounding circle of
stars was added to represent the current states in the Union.
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George Washington 1789-1797
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John Adams
1797-1801
Religion: Episcopalian
Careers: Soldier, surveyor, planter
• 2 children
• Elected unanimously
• Led the Continental Army to
victory against England in the
American Revolution.
Religion: Unitarian
Careers: Teacher, lawyer, surveyor
• 5 children
• First to live in the White House
• A founding father, leader during the
Revolution and signing of the Declaration of Independence
“Few men have virtue
to withstand the highest
bidder.”
“Our Constitution was made
only for a moral and religious
people. It is wholly inadequate
to the government of any other.”
Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809
Religion: Deism
Careers: Lawyer
• 5 children
• Sent Lewis and Clark to explore the
land of the Louisiana Purchase.
• U.S. population 5.5 million
• Leader in the creation of the Declaration of Independence
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James Madison
Religion: Episcopalian
Careers: Farmer
• Had no children.
• War of 1812 took place during
his presidency.
• 5’5”, 100 lbs., smallest
President
• A leader in the development
of the Constitution
“I tremble for my country
when I reflect that God is just,
and that His justice cannot
sleep forever.”
“Philosophy is common
sense with big words.”
The Presidents
5
Religion: Episcopalian
Careers: Soldier, lawyer
• 3 children
• Purchased Florida from Spain
in 1819.
• Nearly elected unanimously, one
electoral vote against him.
James Monroe
1817-1825
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Andrew Jackson
Religion: Presbyterian
Careers: Soldier
• 1 child
• First President nominated
by a political party
• Survived an assassination attempt.
• Captured at age 13, a British
officer struck him with a sword,
leaving his face scarred.
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John Quincy Adams
1825-1829
“Always vote for principle,
though you may vote alone.”
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Martin Van Buren
1837-1841
Religion: Dutch Reformed
Careers: Soldier
• 4 children
• First President born in the
new nation
“The less government
interferes with private
pursuits, the better for
general prosperity.”
“The Bible is the rock on
which this Republic rests.”
4
6
Religion: Unitarian
Careers: Lawyer
• 4 children
• Father was second President.
• Considered by some a sloppy
dresser; he wore the same hat for
10 years.
• Strong opponent of slavery and
supporter of free speech
“The public lands are a
public stock, which ought
to be disposed of to the
best advantage for the
nation.”
1829-1837
1809-1817
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William Harrison
March 1841-April 1841
“I contend that the strongest of all governments is that which is most free.”
James Polk
“Popularity—the more you woo
her, the more apt is she to elude
your embrace.”
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1845-1849
Religion: Presbyterian
Careers: Soldier, clerk, lawyer
• No children
• President during the Mexican-American War and
California gold rush
• Acquired the most land for the U.S. since the
Louisiana Purchase.
• U.S. population 20 million
Millard Fillmore
Zachary Taylor
1849-1850
Religion: Episcopalian
Careers: Soldier
• 6 children
• Died in office.
• Hero of the Mexican-American War
“I am ready to die. My only
regret is for the friends I leave
behind me.”
“There is more selfishness and less principle among members of Congress...
than I had any conception of.”
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Franklin Pierce
1850-1853
“The stars upon your banner have become
nearly threefold their original number; your
densely populated possessions skirt the shores
of the two great oceans.”
“God knows that I detest slavery,
but it is an existing evil, for
which we are not responsible,
and we must endure it, till we
can get rid of it without destroying the last hope of free
government in the world.”
James Buchanan
1857-1861
Religion: Presbyterian
Careers: Soldier, lawyer
• Confederate States
declared independence during his term.
“The ballot box
is the surest arbiter of disputes
among free men.”
1853-1857
Religion: Episcopalian
Careers: Soldier, lawyer
• 3 children
• Responsible for the purchase of land that
added New Mexico and part of Arizona to the U.S.
Religion: Unitarian
Careers: Cloth business, soldier, lawyer
• 2 children
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1841-1845
Religion: Episcopalian
Careers: Soldier
• 15 children
• As Vice President under Henry
Harrison, he took office when
Harrison died in office.
• Texas was annexed during his term.
Religion: Episcopalian
Careers: Soldier
• 10 children
• Died in office after only one month.
• Campaign slogan became famous—
“Tippecanoe and Tyler Too.”
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John Tyler
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Abraham Lincoln
1861-1865
Religion: No formal membership
Careers: Clerk, soldier, lawyer, store owner
• 4 children
• Signed the
Emancipation
Proclamation
leading to
end of
slavery.
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people
some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.”
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Andrew Johnson
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1865-1869
Ulysses S. Grant
1869-1877
Religion: No formal membership
Careers: Tailor, soldier
• 5 children
• Had no schooling, wife
taught him to read at age 17.
• First President to be
impeached
• His Secretary of State
purchased Alaska for the U.S.
Religion: Methodist
Careers: Soldier, farmer, businessman
• 4 children
• Was a Northern general in the Civil War.
• U.S. population 39 million
“I know only two tunes: one of
them is “Yankee Doodle,” and the
other isn’t.”
“It’s a poor mind that can
only think of one way to
spell a word.”
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Rutherford B. Hayes
1877-1881
James Garfield
March 1881-Sept. 1881
Religion: Disciples of Christ
Careers: Soldier, teacher, lawyer
• 7 children • Liked to show off his ability to write Latin
with one hand and Greek with
the other.
• Served only a few months
before being assassinated.
Religion: Methodist
Careers: Soldier,
lawyer
• 8 children
• Withdrew federal troops from the
South.
“He who controls the
money supply of a nation
controls the nation.”
“He serves his
party best who
serves his
country best.”
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Grover Cleveland
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1885-1889
“Though the people support the government; the
government should not
support the people.”
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Grover Cleveland
1893-1897
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Religion: Episcopalian
Careers: Soldier, teacher, principal, lawyer
• 3 children
• Nicknamed “Elegant
Arthur” for his fine dressing
• Dedicated Washington Monument.
“I may be President of the United States,
but my private life is nobody’s business.”
Benjamin Harrison
1889-1893
“We Americans have no
commission from God to
police the world.”
William McKinley
Religion: Methodist, Careers:
Soldier, lawyer
• 2 children
• During his term, the SpanishAmerican War was won.
• Third President to be assassinated
• At the end of his
first term, Mrs.
Cleveland told
the White House
staff to care for
the furnture—
they would soon
return.
6
Chester
Arthur
Religion: Presbyterian
Careers: Soldier, lawyer,
Supreme Court reporter
• 3 children
• Grandson of President
William Harrison
• North Dakota, South Dakota,
Montana, Indiana, Wyoming, and
Washington join as states.
Religion: Presbyterian
Careers: Clerk, teacher, lawyer
• 5 children
• Statue of Liberty is opened in
New York Harbor.
• Purchased a substitute soldier
to serve in his place during the
Civil War.
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“In the time of darkest
defeat, victory may be
nearest.”
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1897-1901
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Theodore Roosevelt
“The only man
who never makes
a mistake is the
man who never
does anything.”
1901-1909
Religion: Dutch Reformed
Careers: Soldier, writer
• 6 children
• Pushed forward plans for the Panama Canal.
• A stuffed bear given to him led to what we now call “teddy bears.”
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William Taft
1909-1913
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Religion: Unitarian
Careers: Lawyer, reporter, professor
• 3 children
• One of the heaviest Presidents,
yet known as a good dancer and
tennis player
1913-1921
Religion: Presbyterian
Careers: Professor, football coach, president
of Princeton University
• 3 children
• World War I was fought while he was in office even though Wilson had
opposed American involvement.
“I love judges, and I love
courts. They are my ideals,
that typify on earth what
we shall meet hereafter in
heaven under a just God.”
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Woodrow Wilson
“One cool judgment is worth a thousand hasty counsels.
The thing to do is to supply light and not heat.”
Warren Harding
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Calvin Coolidge
1923-1929
1921-1923
Religion: Congregationalist
Careers: Lawyer
• 2 children
• During his term, Charles
Lindbergh made his famous
flight across the Atlantic.
Religion: Baptist
Careers: Teacher, salesman, newspaper editor
• 1 child
• Campaigned on “a return to
normalcy.”
• Several scandals occurred during
his presidency. He died in office.
“It is only when men
begin to worship that
they begin to grow.”
“America’s present need is
not heroics but healing.”
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Herbert Hoover
1929-1933
Religion: Quaker
Careers: Mining engineer
• 2 children
• Stock Market Crash of 1929 leading
to the Great Depression
• A millionaire, he refused to be paid
as President.
“About the time we think we
can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends.”
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Franklin D. Roosevelt
1933-1945
Religion: Episcopalian
Careers: Lawyer
• 5 children
• President during World War II
• Elected four times
• Mostly wheelchair bound but
kept his handicap from public view
“ Let me assert my firm
belief that the only thing we
have to fear is fear itself.”
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Harry Truman
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1945-1953
Dwight Eisenhower
Religion: Baptist
Careers: Bank clerk, farmer, soldier
• 1 child
• Ordered the atomic bomb dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, leading
to the end of World War II.
1953-1961
Religion: Presbyterian
Careers: Soldier
• 2 children
• Commander of the D-Day
Invasion during World War II
“ It is amazing what you can
accomplish if you do not care
who gets the credit.”
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“A people that values its
privileges above its principles soon loses both.”
John F. Kennedy
1961-1963
Religion: Roman Catholic
Careers: Soldier, journalist
• 2 children
• Youngest President
• A hero during World War II
• Assassinated during a visit
to Dallas, Texas
“Ask not what your
country can do for
you—ask what you can
do for your country.”
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Richard Nixon
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Lyndon Johnson
Religion: Disciples of Christ
Careers: Soldier, teacher
• 2 children
• Vietnam War
• His presidency is known for “The
Great Society.”
• Civil rights, voting rights, and social welfare programs were passed
during his term.
“When I was young, poverty
was so common that we
didn’t know it had a name.”
1969-1974
1977-1981
Religion: Baptist
Careers: Soldier, farmer
• 4 children
• Gave the U.S.-owned
Panama Canal to Panama.
• Boycotted the Moscow Olympics in the Soviet Union.
• 50 Americans were taken hostage by terrorists in Iran.
“We should live our lives as though Christ
were coming this afternoon.”
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Gerald Ford
1974-1977
“Truth is the glue that holds
our government together.”
“A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.”
Jimmy Carter
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Religion: Episcopalian, Careers: Soldier, lawyer
• 4 children
• Became President after Richard Nixon resigned.
• Granted a full pardon to Richard Nixon.
Religion: Quaker
Careers: Soldier, lawyer
• 2 children
• Improved relations with the Soviet Union
(Russia) and China by traveling to those nations.
• His involvement in a scandal caused him to
be the only President ever to resign.
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Ronald Reagan
1981-1989
Religion: Presbyterian
Careers: Soldier, actor
• 4 children
• Responsible for the “Reagan Revolution,” energizing conservative ideas
for a generation
• Credited with policies that eventually brought down the communist
Soviet Union
“We are never defeated unless we give up on God.”
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George H.W. Bush
1989-1993
Religion: Episcopalian
Careers: Soldier, oil businessman
• 6 children
• Youngest pilot (18) to fight in World War II
• U.S. won Operation Desert Storm in Kuwait.
• President during the fall of communism
“I have opinions of my own, strong opinions,
but I don’t always agree with them.”
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Bill Clinton
1993-2001
43
George W. Bush
Religion: Baptist
Careers: Lawyer
• 1 child
• Second President to be
impeached
• His wife went on to become
a New York senator and run
for President in 2008.
Religion: Methodist
Careers: National Guard pilot, businessman
• 2 children
• Second son of a President to hold the
office
• Led the War on Terror
after the attacks of
September 11, 2001.
“There is nothing
wrong with America
that cannot be cured
with what is right in
America.”
“I believe that God has planted
in every heart the desire to live
in freedom.”
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Barack Obama
2008-
Religion: United Church of Christ
Careers: Lawyer
• 2 children
• Passed the Affordable Healthcare Act. Under his
leadership the nation’s debt soared to $15.8 billion.
“. . . if you’ve been successful, you didn’t
get there on your own.”
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2001-2008
Democrat
Whig
Republican
DemocraticRepublican
No Party
Federalist
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S T A RT
VOT
E
Your campaign bus is the last one allowed through before
the Interstate is closed by a dust storm. You leave your
competitors in the dust—literally. Move 3 spaces.
!
CONGRATUL
You have completed the campaign
game. But you’re not
quite finished. (Unless
you lost, then you are finished.) Now comes the hard
part—serving.
IONS!
AT
Your staff scheduled two appearances at
the same time in two different places!
You don’t have a clone, so you miss
one of the events. Go back 1 space.
You campaign at a local Asparagus
Festival, but can’t find anything nice to say
about asparagus. Attempt damage
control by complimenting
Your
cauliflower, to no avail.
security
Go back 1
team scrambles
space.
after your campaign
bus is pelted with eggs at a
campaign stop. You try hard
to keep your sunny side up.
Move 3 spaces.
by Matt Barker
art by Rich Bishop
You make an impolite comment
about your opponent’s toupée, not
realizing there is a
working microphone nearby.
Your poll
numbers
The Homeget a hairYou fit three
builders Assocut.
obscure but
ciation says they
Go back
impressive facts into
will endorse your can1
space.
a 90-second debate
didacy, but only if you do
answer. You sure are bright!
not accept the endorsement
Three minutes later, you
of the Firefighters Union.
look a bit dim. You can’t reStay and skip a turn.
call the name of the Federal
Reserve chairman. That’s
bad! Go back
Your sweet grandmother
3 spaces.
gives an inspiring talk
on your behalf at a retirement home in New
Hampshire. The senior
citizen vote in that
primary is in the bag.
Way to go, Grandma!
Move 6 spaces.
The editors of the Wiggly Hills
Chronicle in Wiggly Hills, Wyoming,
give you their endorsement! But
editors at The News Post
declare you “. . . the least
qualified candidate in a
generation, and perhaps
ever.” Stay put. Skip a turn.
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Video of an interview ten
years ago shows you took
positions opposite
the ones you’re running
on now. A cartoonist
portrays you wearing
oversized flip-flops.
Go back 2 spaces.
A national newsweekly
puts an unflattering
picture of you on its cover.
Ah, ah, ah . . .
Keep smiling.
No one who reads
that magazine was
going to vote for
you anyway.
You knew
Move 4 spaces.
you shouldn’t
have kissed that
baby with the runny
nose! Now you’ve lost
your voice just before a
major campaign speech.
Go back 1 space.
ACHOOOOO!
You’ve been upstaged!
Your kids made funny faces at the
camera during a campaign
photo shoot. Now they
are more popular
than you. Move
1 space.
Protestors occupy your campaign
bus. Seeing a captive audience,
you let them ride along to your
next stop. By the time you arrive,
most of them are ready
to vote for you.
Move 3
spaces.
Are your supporters fairweather voters? If so, that’s
bad news because the forcast
calls for rain on election day all
across the state.
Is this the way
Go back 3 spaces.
it’s supposed to work?
Your campaign manager keeps
a chart of your biggest campaign donors
and the jobs you can give them once you are
elected. Shame!
Go back 7 spaces.
Your campaign website
crashes and donations
slow to a trickle. Maybe it
wasn’t such a good idea
to put computer games
on the homepage.
Go back 4 spaces.
Your polls are climbing and you
are ahead of the other party’s
candidate! Just one
more opponent to
beat: Undecided. You
get to work on these
“fence-sitters.”
Move 2 spaces.
You made the most important
policy speech of your whole campaign, but there’s no TV
news coverage. Why not?
Your opponent cracked
a funny joke, so they
broadcast that instead. Go back 3
spaces.
You lose the text of your
campaign speech, so you
recite Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address instead.
The crowd goes wild!
Move
3 spaces.
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PUZZLING TIMES
Study each case. Who will win
the election in Polling, North
Dakota, if all of the statements
in each case are true?
Case 1
• The weather was beautiful on
election day. Everyone in Polling
went to the polls.
• All but 10 married women voted
for a man.
• Only 20 men voted for a woman.
• C. Howie Win made a bad joke
about Mrs. Chief’s hairdo. Only
15 unmarried women voted for C.
Howie Win.
In Polling there are
60 unmarried women.
Case 2
• Ten unmarried men had no one
to remind them it was Election
Day. They forgot to vote
• All but 10 of the unmarried
men who voted, voted for C.
Howie Win.
• Thirty married women voted
for May B. Chief.
• Six unmarried women were
ill; the rest voted for a woman.
• Only 15 married men did not
vote for a woman.
ELECT
C. HOWIE WIN
2012
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MAY B. CHIEF
Case 3
• One-third of the unmarried
men got lost and arrived after
the polls closed.
• Half of the rest of unmarried
men voted for a man.
• One-half of women voted for
May B. Chief.
• Three-fourths of married men
voted for C. Howie Win.
Case 4
• One-tenth of unmarried women
forgot to register to vote.
• Two-thirds of the rest of unmarried
women voted for a woman.
• Fifty percent of married men
voted for a man.
• C. Howie Win proposed raising
the price of admission for parents
to school basketball games. Only
One-eighth of married women
voted for him.
• Thirty percent of unmarried men
voted for a man.
In Polling there are
40 married men.
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VOTE
In Polling there are
90 unmarried men.
Character counts, no peeking!
Answers on page 30
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In Polling there are
40 married women.
PUZZLING TIMES
ELECT
VOTE
C. HOWIE WIN
MAY B. CHIEF
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8
In the town of Riverside the same two people run for mayor
each election year. And each time, they make promises to get
people to vote for them. Some promises are liked by some voters
and not by others.
Read each campaign story. Use math and reading skills to
figure out who won the election each year.
Hint: Use another paper and make columns to add up numbers.
Extra credit: Explain why certain people liked certain promises.
For example: Why didn’t businessmen like the idea of raising the
downtown parking fee?
business people college students
14
moms
6
tradesmen
8
grandparents
1998 Mr. Win promised to build a new library. College students and moms all voted for him.
Mrs. Chief was for lower taxes. Business people and tradesmen all voted for Mrs. Chief.
Half of the grandparents voted for one candidate and half voted for the other.
2002 May B. Chief promised new playgound equipment for the town park. Moms and grandparents all
voted for her. Some tradesmen, business people and college students liked the idea. Half of them voted
for Mr. Win and half of them voted for Mrs. Chief.
2006 May B. Chief promised to have the statue of the town’s founder repaired. Grandparents are old
enough to remember the town’s founder. All of them voted for Mrs. Chief.
C. Howie Win thought the town needed to raise the parking fee. Business people and tradesmen
didn’t like that. None of them voted for him. They all voted for Mrs. Chief.
Everyone else voted for C. Howie Win.
2010 Candidate Chief promised to hire a jazz band for the town’s Fourth of July celebration. Of
course, she won the votes of all the college students.
Mr. Win wanted to hire a polka band. All of the grandparents and tradesmen voted for him.
The candidates split all the other votes equally.
God’s World News
n
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13
A Chicken in Every Pot!
Campaign slogans have one main purpose: Get votes.
One of the most famous goes back to the U.S. Presidential election
of 1928.
Americans were enjoying a good economy. Republican candidate
Herbert Hoover promised to keep things that way and allow
prosperity even to increase.
The slogan? “A chicken in every pot.”
Problems: 1) Something similar did appear in some
Republican newspaper ads. But Herbert Hoover didn’t say it.
2) The Great Depression began during the Hoover presidency.
Prosperity disappeared for most Americans.
Campaign promises like “a chicken in every pot,”
however, never disappeared. Only their meaning has changed.
In 1928, the idea was that the government’s job was to protect
the economy so people could afford chicken. In 2012, the idea is that the
government will provide the chicken.
Trouble is, the government has no chicken. Whatever it “provides” is
taken from productive Americans in taxes. ★
A chicken in every
pot means one missing
from every henhouse.
Chicken Farm
The Republican “chicken” slogan of 1928
wasn’t the first to promise something from
the farm. In fact, Abraham Lincoln promised
the whole farm in the election of 1860.
“Vote yourself a farm” was the
Republican slogan that year. Abe Lincoln
promised to support the Homestead Act
offering free land to willing homesteaders.
He won. ★
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Do you rulers indeed
speak justly? Do
you judge uprightly
among men?
— Psalm 58:1
God’s World News
Out and In
Woodrow Wilson promised to
keep America out of World War I,
and he won the election of 1912.
He won again in 1916 with the same
promise. His campaign slogan: “He kept us
out of war.”
President Wilson took the nation to
war in 1917.
Campaign slogans are vote seekers.
After an election, they often fall to
necessity, failure, or just plain broken
promises. ★
I like ike . . .
. . . on a bike hike
along the dike
with a pike named
Mike.
A Tippy Canoe?
In 1811, General William Henry Harrison led the Battle
of Tippecanoe against the Indian forces of Chief Tecumseh in
Indiana Territory. Though his victory wasn’t grand (a rather tippy
canoe?), he became known as “Old Tippecanoe,” a hero. That
helped him win the presidency in 1840.
His running mate was John Tyler.
Their primary campaign slogan was
“Tippecanoe and Tyler Too.” ★
Catchy
Some U.S. presidential campaign slogans have been rather lighthearted. In 1924, Calvin Coolidge won re-election with “Keep cool and
keep Coolidge.” In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower (nickname “Ike”) won with
the simple rhyme “I like Ike.”
One of the slogans supporting Herbert Hoover in the 1928 election
was “Hoo but Hoover?” In 1964, Democrat Lyndon Baines Johnson was
elected with “All the Way with LBJ.” He beat Republican Barry Goldwater,
who had several slogans including simply “AuH2O”—the element
symbols for gold and water. ★
A Change to . . .
One of the biggest campaign promises
in history is “change.” Jimmy Carter used the
slogan “A leader, for a change.” It wasn’t just
a promise to make changes. It was a clever
slam against the previous president, Gerald
Ford, accusing him of not being a leader.
Barack Obama uses the slogan
“Change you can believe in,” although his
opponents say he seldom spells out what
changes he would actually make.
“It’s time to change America” was a
slogan used by Bill Clinton in the 1992
presidential campaign. And John McCain
used the slogan word “Reform,” which
means the same thing.
Mitt Romney and Barack Obama both
use similar terms in campaigning.
Promising “change” does win votes.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every voter
remembered that getting the flu is also a
big change from feeling fine? ★
Professor Wordbrain
Stump
I
A dictionary on every bookshelf!
n nearly a thousand years, the only things that’s
changed about the Middle English word stumpe is
the spelling. A “stump” is a stumpe is the
“stub” that’s left after a tree is cut down.
Since the early 1800s in America, “stump”
has also meant “go around giving campaign
speeches.” In those days, there were no
microphones. To be seen and heard, a speechgiver often stood atop a tree stump.
Campaigning became known as “stumping.”
To be stumped means to be stymied or
frustrated. That comes from trying to
clear a field but being frustrated by too
many stumps in the way.
Of course, listening to certain stump speeches
these days could also leave you frustrated. ★
God’s World News
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15
How Do Elections Work?
You Have Questons? Who Has Answers.
Who can be
President?
When
is Election
Day?
Who can vote?
How
do people
vote?
Who becomes
President if no one has
an absolute majority?
Where did all these
rules come from?
Kids are
too young to
vote. What can
they do?
When does
the President
take office?
What?
You have to be in
college to vote for
President?
Why are
there 538
electors?
Does a voter
vote for 538
electors on
Election Day?
How does
a state decide who its
electors will be?
When
does the Electoral
College vote?
Is that when the election
process is over?
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God’s World News
I’m confused. I thought we
learned who won on Election Day!
Turn the page
for answers.
God’s World News
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17
Who Has Answers
Who can be President?
I certainly can! The President
must be a natural-born citizen of
the United States and must be at
least 35 years old.
Who can vote?
I can indeed! And so can any
American citizen who is at least
18 years old and who has registered to vote . . .
When is Election Day?
Presidential elections are held
every four years on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in
November.
How do people vote?
On that day, voters all over the
United States go to polls. There
they mark their choices on a
ballot. That mark may be made
with pencil on paper, with holes
punched on special cards, or by pressing a button in a voting machine. The important thing to remember is that
voting is done IN SECRET. No one else is supposed to know how a person votes.
I’ve heard that U.S. Presidents are not directly elected by Election Day votes. Who chooses the president?
No, it’s not done by me. It’s done by a group of 538 men and women called the Electoral College.
What? You have to be in college to vote for President?
No, no. Let me explain. When Americans cast a vote for a presidential candidate, they are actually voting for a
group of people called electors. All the electors who are chosen on Election Day make up the Electoral College.
Why are there 538 electors?
Each state gets a number of electors equal to the number of its U.S. senators and representatives. The District of Columbia also gets electors—
three of them—even though it doesn’t have any senators or representatives. Add them all up, and you get 538!
So, a voter votes for 538 electors on Election Day?
No. Voters can only select electors for their state. The political parties
that have candidates running for President submit to the state a list of
individuals they want to be electors. These people have promised to vote
for their party’s candidate if they become electors.
How does a state decide who its electors will be?
Today, in 48 states and the District of Columbia the presidential candidate receiving the most votes on Election Day wins all the state’s electors.* The losers don’t get any.
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God’s World News
When does the Electoral College vote?
On the Monday following the second Wednesday in December, each
state’s electors meet in their state capitals and cast their electoral votes.
Is that when the election process is over?
No. The electors’ votes are sealed and sent to the President of the U.S.
Senate. On the following January 6, he opens the votes and reads them
before both houses of Congress. The candidate with an absolute majority
(one vote over half) is declared President.
Who becomes President if no one has an absolute majority?
No, I don’t. The U.S. House of Representatives selects the President
from among the top three candidates who had received the most electoral
votes. Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams have been the only two
Presidents ever elected in this way.
I’m confused. I thought we learned who won on Election
Day!
In most elections, you’re right. The television and newspaper
people can usually tell us on Election Day (or the day after) how
many electoral votes each candidate has won. But the election
results are not official until the electoral votes are counted.
God has established authorities (Romans 13:1) to “punish those
who do wrong and commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:14).
In this country, he has given us the privilege to help choose
those authorities.
Kids are too young to vote. What can they do?
Pray for and obey your leaders. Learn all you can about our
government and how it works. Prepare yourselves to become
wise voters. You may also have the opportunity to become an
elected leader one day—maybe even President!
Where did all these rules come from?
Article II of our Constitution sets out the basic rules. But certain amendments to the Constitution have modified the election process. For
example, the 15th Amendment said voting cannot be denied based on
color or race, the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in all
elections, and the 26th Amendment lowered the minimum voting age to
18 years of age.
When does the President take office?
The newly elected Chief Executive is sworn into office on January 20 at
noon, usually at the east portico of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. This
is known as Inauguration Day, and there are parades and parties all day
to celebrate.
* Maine and Nebraska are exceptions to this “winner-take-all” system.
In these states two electors are chosen by statewide popular vote and the
rest of the electors are chosen by the popular vote within each Congressional district. (The “popular vote” is the vote of the people on Election
Day.)
God’s World News
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19
• To be president, one must be a natural born citizen
of the U.S., at least 35 years old. A voter must be an
American citizen at least 18 years old who has registered to vote.
WASHINGTON
• People go to voting places near their homes. At the
polls they mark their choices on a ballot or press buttons on a voting machine.
• Voters may keep their choice secret if they wish.
• Presidential elections are every four years on the first
Tuesday following the first Monday in November.
• The popular vote—all the people’s votes—is cast
for “electors.” The 538 electors chosen are called the
electoral college.
• Each state gets the same number of electors as it
has U.S. senators and representatives (the District of
Columbia gets 3, though it has no senators or representatives). Ahead of time, political parties present a
list of electors. Those people have promised to vote for
their party’s candidate if they
become electors.
• Today, whoever wins
the popular vote gets
all of a state’s elec-
5,908,600
12
MONTANA
643,756
3
3
OREGON
3,428,543
IDAHO
1,297,274
7
10
SOUTH DAKOTA
5,371,210
3
493,782
10
6
9
11,374,540
ILLINOIS
20
4,311,882
KANSAS
MISSOURI
2,693,824
18
INDIANA
6,090,7822
5
KENTUCKY
4,049,431
10
8
OKLAHOMA
5,140,683
1,823,821
7
5
5,700,037
ARKANSAS
2,679,733
6
ALABAMA
MISSISSIPPI
2,852,927
6
TEXAS
20,903,994
38
ALASKA
628,933
11
TENNESSEE
3,458,819
NEW MEXICO
11
4,461,130
9
GEORGIA
8,206,975
16
LOUISIANA
4,480,271
8
3
HAWAII
1,216,642
4
n
God’s World News
WEST
VIRGINIA
Find Results. Ask your parents to check the
election results on a news Website such as:
www.worldmag.com, www.c-span.org,
www.foxnews.com, www.abcnews.com
3
VIRGINIA
7,100,702
10
13
NEW JERSEY
8,424,354
DELAWARE
785,068
District of Columbia
574,095
MARYLAND
5,307,886
• What if no one gets a majority? Then the U.S. House of
8,067,673
Representatives chooses the
president. Thomas Jefferson and
SOUTH CAROLINA
John
Quincy Adams were chosen
4,025,061
this way.
9
• News reports are usually correct about
who will win. But the results are not official
until the electoral votes are counted.
• Election rules are set out in Article II of the
Constitution. Amendments have adjusted the rules
over the years.
• The 15th Amendment says Americans of any
color may vote.
FLORIDA
16,028,890
• The 19th Amendment gives women the
right to vote.
29
• The 26th Amendment lowers the voting
age to 18.
•The new Chief Executive is sworn into
office on January 20. Parades and parties are
held to celebrate Inauguration Day.
NORTH CAROLINA
ARIZONA
ELECTION SPECIAL
3
1,813,077
11
5,606,260
6
14
20
OHIO
COLORADO
6
3,409,535
12,300,670
12,439,042
2,236,714
1,049,662
PENNSYLVANIA
6
5
RHODE ISLAND
CONNECTICUT
7
16
2,931,923
1,715,369
6,355,568
4
9,955,829
IOWA
NEBRASKA
MASSACHUSETTS
11
29
MICHIGAN
3
55
n
4
19,004,9736
WISCONSIN
756,874
WYOMING
2,002,032
2012
3
4
NEW YORK
UTAH
NEVADA
20
609,890
1,277,731
4,925,670
4
Map the 2012 presidential election results. As the vote comes in,
color the while circle on each state either red or blue. Use blue if
President Obama won the electoral votes in that state. Use red if
the state went for Mr. Romney. Add up the electoral votes.
33,930,798
MAINE
1,238,415
VERMONT
MINNESOTA
The Electoral Map
CALIFORNIA
NORTH DAKOTA
905,316
toral votes with the exceptions of Maine and Nebraska.
• Two weeks after election day, electors meet in their
state capitals to cast their votes.
• The election isn’t final until January 6, when the president of the U.S. Senate reads the electoral votes before
Congress. The winner is the candidate with an absolute
majority (at least one
more than half
the vote).
NEW HAMPSHIRE
15
God’s World News
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21
Crocodile Justice
G
erald wasn’t really lost in
the jungle. He thought he
had been captured by crocodiles who walked and talked like
people. But it was only a dream.
Gerald had watched a nature
program about crocodiles and had
eaten too much caramel corn before
bedtime. Now he was tied to a post
beside a big fire, and he was fairly
certain he would be eaten for
dinner.
It was a scary feeling—even
if it was just a dream.
There seemed to be just
one hope for Gerald.
A young croc about
his age from the
crocodile village
brought him
some water
and a bag of
caramel corn.
The jungle
croc looked
worried and
went to ask
his father to
let Gerald
go.
The
boy’s
father was
the chief of the
crocodile village. With tiger
teeth on a string around his neck
and a chicken bone through his
nose he looked terribly mean. But
he dressed that way only because
it was the latest fashion. The boy’s
father was actually pretty fairminded—for a crocodile.
As Gerald watched in fear, the
jungle crocs gathered around and
listened to their leader. After talking
to his son, he had agreed to let the
villagers vote about Gerald. He
22
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people in our country have to obey
the laws and can’t do just anything
they wish by majority vote.
The majority can be dead wrong.
by Norm Bomer
The crocodiles in Gerald’s
wanted to be fair and do the right
jungle dream had decided what
thing. The majority would decide
to do with him for very selfish
just what that right thing was.
reasons. God knows that sinful
They would either cook Gerald
people don’t always love each
for dinner or let him go and have
other the way they should. So he
just a snack instead. Gerald waited
provided governments and laws to
for the vote. With their huge mouths keep them from doing things like
and sharp teeth the crocodiles all
eating each other.
looked very hungry.
Gerald was
They were.
thankful
for laws
that protect
people who
might be
outnumbered
sometimes.
After
breakfast,
Gerald’s dad
mentioned a
few things the
Bible says about
people. Because of
sin they naturally
act like crocodiles
sometimes.
Galatians
says that even
Christians can be
guilty of “biting
and devouring
each other.” That’s
why even if a
majority decides to do
something, it’s not always
R Bishop
right.
Majority rule is not the way
Only two
to govern a nation. Governments
crocs voted to let Gerald go. He
are meant to operate under laws
woke up just as he was being carried that protect what is right and forbid
to a huge croc pot.
what is wrong.
At breakfast, Gerald told his dad
Gerald understood that if we
and mom about his scary dream.
love God we will want to obey him.
He was surely glad that people in
Very often the majority doesn’t
real life don’t always decide things
love God at all. That’s why without
the way the crocodile “people” had
government by law, life would seem
done. He was thankful that the real
like a jungle.
God’s World News
Little Voices
D
id you know? When Americans vote for president on
election day, they will not
make the final choice. The official
presidential votes are not cast until
December.
Even then, they will be kept
secret. Not until January will they
be opened and counted in Congress.
On November 4, most voters
will probably think they are voting
directly for their favorite candidate.
They won’t be.
Yes, the ballots will list the
names of the major presidential
contenders. But voters will actually
be casting their ballots for folks
they’ve probably never heard of.
They will be electing a slate of
electors from their state.
For example, people in your
town voting for Barack Obama will
actually be voting for a group of
Obama electors from your state.
People voting for Mitt Romney will
actually be choosing a group of
Romney electors.
Only one group of electors will
be chosen in your state. The number
depends upon the state’s population.
The electors chosen from all 50
states total 538—the same number
as there are members of Congress
plus three for Washington, D.C.
Those 538 winning electors will
cast their votes in December. That
is the vote that will directly elect
the next president.
By What People?
There are two exceptions to the
“winner-take-all” electoral vote
system in each state. Nebraska and
Maine don’t do it that way. Those
states may select some electors for
each of the major candidates.
Some people think the “winnertake-all” system in the other 48
states is unfair. Only one presidential
candidate gets all the electoral votes
from a state. The other candidates
get none—even though millions of
people voted for them.
In fact, some people want to throw
out the electoral college system (the
official name of the electors system).
They say the president should be
elected directly by the people. Simply
add up the November votes from the
whole country, they say. The winner
becomes president.
But wait. There are very good
reasons for not doing it that way.
The first reason is this: People
are sinful. What does that have to
do with electing a president? Well,
it reminds us that having the most
votes does not make people right
(see page 12).
Remember, most of the world
“votes” for Satan instead of for
Jesus. So people don’t naturally
strive to be fair to “the little guy.”
Check out Matthew 27:22-23 for
one case where the “majority vote”
was completely wrong. Simply
adding up votes isn’t always the
best way to decide things.
The Big Little Guy
Here’s another very important
fact: The electoral college system
gives “the little guy” a voice.
You see, if we simply added up
all the nation’s November votes
in presidential elections, the small
states would get left out. They don’t
have lots of voters. So candidates
could—and probably would—just
ignore them.
The needs and wishes of the
people in those states could be
ignored. No candidate would
have to spend time and money
campaigning there.
Imagine if you were running
for president. You would be most
interested in the places with lots of
people. That’s where you could win
the most votes.
God’s World News
And another thing: Even in big
states people on farms and in small
towns could be ignored too. After
all, most votes are in big cities.
Which political party do you think
would benefit most if the electoral
college system were abolished?
Every Vote—Every Voter
In the electoral system even a
small state has a voice. It has the
right to cast a certain number of
electoral votes.
That’s very important. A
presidential candidate needs every
vote he can get in every state. That
makes every voter in every state
important—even people on farms
and in small towns.
If he loses—even by a few
votes—he loses all the electoral
votes from that state. In a close
race that could mean he loses the
election. That’s why a candidate
must listen to voters in every part
of the country.
That’s a good reminder to
America’s leaders. They must serve
everyone—even the little guy.
As Christians, we know it’s right
to be concerned about everyone—
not just those who have lots of
power or lots of votes. After all,
says Proverbs 16:8, “Better a little
with righteousness than much gain
with injustice.”
The Backup Plan
What happens in Congress if
the January electoral vote reveals
that no candidate gets a majority (at
least 270 out of 538 votes)? Perhaps
there is a 269-269 tie. Or perhaps
three candidates receive electoral
votes and no one reaches 270.
The Constitution’s 12th
Amendment has the answer: If no
candidate gets at least 270 electoral
votes, the House of Representatives
shall immediately vote and choose
one of them to be president.
— Norm Bomer
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God’s World News Biographies
In That Day
George H. Gallup Jr. 1930-2011
1930—Hostess Twinkies are
invented; 1942—A small
group of American B-25 planes
launch from an aircraft carrier and bomb Tokyo, Japan, in
the Doolittle Raid; 1963—ZIP
codes come into use in the U.S.;
1980—The U.S. hockey team
wins a huge upset against the
U.S.S.R. at the Winter Olympics
in Lake Placid, New York; 2000—
India reaches a population of
one billion.
A Penny for Your Thoughts, America
What do GWN readers wish they were doing right now?
K and below
Playing Outside
Reading A Book
Visiting the Zoo
Cleaning Their Rooms
A
1st
60%
10%
30%
0%
4th
50%
25%
25%
0%
ccording to the sample set
of data above, most of you
reading this would rather
be playing outside. Do you think
these numbers accurately reflect
what kids your age would rather be
doing right now? We don’t know
whether these numbers are true (we
just made them up). But there are
people who spend their entire lives
collecting real information about
what other people think. These
people are called pollsters. One
such man was George Gallup, Jr.
The Gallup family spent over
half a century developing a very
successful method of polling the
public for their opinions. Most of the
information they gathered had to do
with what people thought about politicians and various cultural views of
the day. George Gallup, Sr. began
his organization in 1935, just five
years after his youngest son, George
Gallup, Jr. was born.
George Jr., his brother Alec, and
sister Julia watched as their father’s
organization grew from a public
novelty to a national necessity.
When Dr. Gallup used data he collected to predict Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential victory over
Alf Landon in 1936, he became a
household name.
24
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God’s World News
5th and up
40%
30%
30%
0%
George Gallup Jr.
George Jr. wasn’t planning to
go into his father’s business, at
least not at first. He made plans to
become an Episcopal priest. He
attended Princeton University and
graduated with a degree in religion
in 1953. Right away, he took a job
at a church in Galveston, Texas, but
soon felt the pull of the poll. After
reminiscing on his change from
pastor to pollster, he said, “I decided Dad’s field offered an opportunity to find truth, to see how people
respond to God and to explore their
religious lives.”
Two years later, he joined his
brother as an executive at The
Gallup Organization where he remained until his retirement in 2004.
Though George Jr. did spend
much of his time on traditional
political polls, his heart for ministry
steered his survey interests towards
questions of a religious nature.
He was interested in what people
thought about organized religion
and various religious teachings and
practice. In 1977, he co-founded the
Princeton Religion Research Center
along with sociologist and nun
Miriam Murphy. The purpose of
this center was to explore the nature
and depth of religious commitment
through polling.
Throughout his years of surveying the American public on their
views of spirituality, he drew some
discouraging conclusions. In a
letter he wrote to the Children’s
International Arts Festival in 2008,
he agreed to serve as an honorary
chairman. He supported the mission to provide biblical education
for kids. He said, “As you know,
The Gallup Organization has been
polling Americans on attitudes and
beliefs for more than 70 years. . .
After conducting numerous studies
on Americans’ knowledge of the
Bible, I’ve concluded that the majority of Americans are biblically
illiterate. They have a reverence
for the Bible but they don’t read
it.” He went on to say he supported
the mission of the organization
because he hoped it would increase
biblical literacy in children and
young adults.
George Jr. wasn’t just interested in reporting his findings.
He worked to bring awareness
and help in areas of greatest
need. He served on the boards of
many social organizations dealing with family and youth issues.
He received numerous honors and
awards throughout his lifetime for
his research and involvement. In
1980, he was recognized by President Jimmy Carter for his contributions to the White House Conference on Children and Families.
In 1988, the family business
was sold to another polling orga-
nization, Selection Research. After
that, George Jr. founded the George
H. Gallup International Institute
in honor of his father. Prior to his
death in 2011, he spent his remaining years offering seminars on
topics ranging from education to
environment. He addressed issues
and problems Gallup polling had
helped identify.
—Megan Dunham
Bible2Life
One of the biggest challenges facing pollsters is getting honest answers. But people often
don’t answer questions truthfully. In polls of likely voters, about one third of people say they
plan to cast a ballot, but they don’t actually follow through. Interestingly, a large number of people who tell pollsters that
they don’t plan to vote actually do after all.
Many people do not tell pollsters their true opinions because they are worried about what the person asking the
questions will think of them. And sometimes people respond to questions without even knowing what they themselves
truly believe.
Drilling down to the truth is challenging indeed. But God never has a problem with that. He reads the heart. He knows
the mind. He sees and desires truth.
“The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being.” — Proverbs 20:27
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God’s World News Biographies
Thomas Nast: 1840-1902
Political Pen Power
H
Thomas Nast self portrait
ave you heard a funny story
lately or seen a clever cartoon? When people want to
make a point about something, they
often use jokes—spoken, written, or
drawn.
Jokes are sometimes funny but
sometimes not. Often they promote
one group of people while hurting
another at the same time. Such is
the case with political cartooning.
Political cartoons are “the visual
portrayal of an idea, often using
symbols, caricature, and humor, to
make a point or argue a particular
point of view.” They have been part
of American politics only since the
19th century (the 1800s). That was
when Thomas Nast brought the po-
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litical cartoon to the United States.
Thomas Nast was born on
September 27, 1840, in Landau,
Germany, near Heidelberg in the
southern part of the country. When
Thomas was only six years old, his
mother immigrated to the United
States, taking him and his sister
with her. His father, a musician in
the German military band, joined
them four years later.
In New York Thomas and
his sister attended the local public school. School was hard for
Thomas and he struggled for many
years with the English language. He
began showing proficiency in drawing, however. When he was 12, his
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parents decided he would no longer
attend regular school but instead begin classes at the National Academy
of Design.
Thomas attended this school for
three years, but his family’s finances
dried up. He was now 15, could
neither read nor write, and was out of
school in search of a job. He found
employment doing what he knew
best—drawing.
The young artist began his
professional illustration work with
Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, where he boldly walked in
and requested a job. He was just as
boldly turned down. But Thomas
was so persistent, he was eventually
given an assignment that turned into
a job until 1858, when he was laid
off.
Then after working for a year in
an art studio, Thomas began drawing
political cartoons. He drew a cartoon
about scandal in the New York City
Police Department, and this drawing
led to a job with Harper’s Weekly
magazine. From there, he worked for
the New York Illustrated News, where
he was promised “double the pay
and twice the adventure” by way of
overseas travel.
While the travel part of the job
was fulfilled, the payment part
never was. As a result, Thomas got
stuck in England and had to find
In That Day
Anesthesia is used for the
first time in an operation (1842);
the Dominican Republic gains
independence from Haiti
(1844); 500 Mormons begin
their journey on foot pushing
handcarts from Iowa City, Iowa,
to Salt Lake City, Utah (1856);
Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis
get a patent on their blue jeans
with copper rivets (1874); the
first electric bus operates in
New York City (1900).
work with the London Illustrated
News to earn enough money to
return to New York, where he went
back to work for Harper’s Weekly.
It was now 1861 and the Civil
War was just beginning. Thomas
married Sarah Edwards, and they
eventually had five children.
At the time, Thomas sided politically with the Republicans and the
cause of the Union army; personally
he was a very conservative Protestant. He began drawing so many
cartoons in support of the Union that
President Abraham Lincoln himself
called him the Union’s “best recruiting sergeant . . . his emblematic cartoons
have never failed
to arouse enthusiasm and patriotism.”
Among the
many other
things Thomas
Nast is famous
for is the
creation of animal symbols
for the two
dominant political parties
(donkey for
Democrats,
elephant for Republicans). With his high
profile job, Thomas
held a significant
amount of political
influence. For instance, in 1872, his
cartoons helped
Ulysses S. Grant’s
presidential
campaign (Grant
won); in 1876, his
cartoons favored
Rutherford B.
Hayes, who won
his election as
well.
For seven
Thomas Nast came up with the donkey and elephant as symbols of
successive
the Democratic and Republican political parties. The elephant sits
bruised after a particularly tough political battle.
presidential elec-
Boss Tweed, a powerful politician, is pictured
as being comfortable in the company of corruption and crime.
tions, the man whom Thomas Nast
chose to support with his cartoons
won the election.
Eventually, Thomas began his
own publication, the Nast Illustrated
Almanac, and later his own newspaper, Nast’s Weekly. In addition,
he provided illustrations for over 70
other books and did a variety of other
art and painting.
In 1902, he agreed to take the
position of American Consul-General in Ecuador. Six months later,
he died of yellow fever. He was 62
years old.
— Megan Dunham
Bible2Life
Political cartoonists point out foolishness, corruption, pride, and a host of other things—
basically they make fun of what they believe to be sin. In many cases the ink-stained arrow
of a political cartoonist will hit the bulls-eye. But not always. Remember we said “what they believe to be sin.”
Only when someone has the mind of Christ will they truly be able to discern and laugh righteously at sin.
It’s not hard for cartoonists on both sides of an issue to use humor effectively. But pause before you crack a
smile. Realize that in many cases one side will stand with evil and one side will stand with God. Can you think of
one or two political or social issues that are examples of that?
“. . . the Lord laughs at the wicked” — Psalm 37:13
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Republican cadidates Paul Ryan (left) and Mitt Romney Democrats Joe Biden (left) and Barack Obama
Misplaced
Hope
by Norm Bomer
T
he choice of a President is
always critical. And the votes
of Christians have great impact on the outcome.
Christians, however, have differing opinions. They don’t automatically choose the same candidates.
Most Christians, for example,
send their children to government
schools. Many others believe this
is unwise. They homeschool their
children under God’s word or send
them to Christian schools.
Both major political parties support government schools. The Democrat Party wants higher taxes to
support only them. The Republican
Party wants parents to have a choice
of schools.
On other issues the difference
between the two parties is much
greater.
The Democratic Party, for
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example, supports abortion of all
types. President Obama and Vice
President Biden favor government
funding for abortion as well.
The Republican Party opposes
abortion. Candidates Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan both oppose
abortion.
Both parties have members who
disagree with their party’s position.
Because of big differences like
the example of abortion, the upcoming election is extremely important.
A nation’s leadership has great impact on justice and freedom.
Wise voting makes a huge
difference.
But be careful. Voters do not
rule the world. And they should not.
The Right to Vote
In America’s early years, voters did not include all adults. They
included only men who owned land
and paid taxes.
These days, people consider
that unfair. On the other hand, be
fair to our nation’s founders. Consider their reasoning for restricting
voting.
The government got the very
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money to function from people who
pay taxes. Why should non-payers
have the right to vote on spending
it?
Imagine what could happen.
People paying no taxes could vote
to raise taxes. It wouldn’t cost them
anything. They could also vote for
the government to spend money on
them.
Sinful people, you know, are
naturally the gimme-gimme type.
Imagine something else. Leaders
could pretty easily get re-elected.
Just make gimme-gimme voters
happy with other people’s money.
Get them registered to vote.
They would easily outnumber
the people actually paying taxes.
The Gimme-Gimme Vote
Could anything like we just
imagined actually happen? Yes.
In modern America a voter no
longer has to own property or pay
taxes. He doesn’t even have to
work.
He (or she) only has to be 18.
So, how many U.S. voters are
gimme-gimmes trying to get goodies from government? I don’t know.
People who own propety can be like
that too.
Remember, sinful people are
naturally selfish.
Am I saying only Christians
should be allowed to vote? No. I’m
saying we must not put our hope in
people.
Voters are not the foundation of
justice and freedom.
Foundations
Most school kids in America
have been taught that democracy
is the world’s best form of government. That idea comes from people
who believe voters are the foundation of justice and freedom.
You see, “democracy” means the
rule of the people—the majority.
Voters decide everything.
That’s a dangerous idea.
What if the majority is wrong?
Or cruel? That’s bad news for the
minority—and the nation.
Democracy is the wrong word.
The United States is not a democracy—even though some peple
want it to be. It is a republic under
law.
Everyone, even the majority of
voters, must obey the Constitution.
In a republic, law, not people, is the
foundation of justice and freedom.
Hope
The idea of democrary often
goes with the idea that man alone
rules the world. Just let people decide everything.
Whoa! See the problem? Without God, people can vote themselves to ruin. People must be under
law.
But apart from God’s law,
human laws can lead to ruin too.
Even a republic is not automatically
holy.
Government “by the people”
implies that man is sovereign. He is
not. God is.
“Blessed is the nation whose
God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).
Our hope lies in God. Why should
his blessing be upon our nation?
Read and consider:
Proverbs 21:1, Psalm 147:4-7,
Proverbs 16:9, Revelation 1:4-6,
Daniel 2:19-21
DEMOCRACY . . . “rule by the people.”
D
emocracy holds that a nation is ruled directly by the will of
the majority. The United States is usually referred to as a democracy. It
isn’t, really (see Republic). U.S. voters do have the right to choose representatives and decide certain issues by majority vote. But the majority does not
rule the nation.
REPUBLIC . . . means “public interest.”
R
epublic does not mean “public rule.” In a republic the
people do have a voice in their own interest. But they
do not rule directly.
A republic is a representative government. People
choose representatives whom they trust to make wise
decisions for the nation.
The United States is a constitutional republic. That means it has a representative government
ruled by law—not by majority opinion or dictators. Everyone, even the president of the
United States, must obey the law.
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation,
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all” not just for a majority.
Living under
just laws can
bring prosperity
and security.
By me kings reign and rulers make laws
that are just. — Proverbs 8:15
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Puzzle Key for Puzzling Times
Page 12:
Case 1
• Everyone in Polling. (230)
• All but 10 married women voted for a man. (30 = Win 10 = Chief)
• Only 20 men voted for a woman. (110 = Win 20 = Chief)
• Only 15 unmarried women voted for C. Howie Win. (15 = Win 45 = Chief)
C. Howie Win = 155, May B. Chief = 75
Case 2
• Ten unmarried men had no one to remind them. (90 -10 = 80 voted)
• All but 10 of the unmarried men voted for C. Howie Win. (70 = Win 10 = Chief)
• Thirty married women voted for May B. Chief. (10 = Win 30 = Chief)
• Six unmarried women ill; rest for woman. (60 – 6 = 54 voted; 0 = Win 54 = Chief)
• Only 15 married men did not vote for a woman. (15 = Win 25 = Chief)
C. Howie Win = 95, May B. Chief = 119
Case 3:
• One-third unmarried men got lost. (90 – 30 = 60 unmarried men voted)
• Half of the rest of the unmarried men voted for a man. (30 = Win 30 = Chief)
• One-half of women voted for May B. Chief. (50 = Win 50 = C)
• Three-fourths of married men voted for C. Howie Win. (30 = Win 10 = Chief)
C. Howie Win = 110, May B. Chief = 90
Case 4:
• Two-thirds of unmarried women voted for a woman. (18 = Win 36 = Chief)
• One-tenth of unmarried women forgot to register to vote. (60 – 6 = 54)
• Fifty percent of married men voted for a man. (20 = Win 20 = C)
• One-eighth of married women voted for C. Howie Win. (5 = Win 35 = Chief)
• Thirty percent of unmarried men voted for a man. (30 = Win 60 = Chief)
C. Howie Win = 73, May B. Chief = 151
Page 13:
1998
Win: 26, Chief: 22
2002
Chief: 35, Win: 13
2006
Chief 26, Win: 22,
2010
Win: 27, Chief 21
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God’s World News