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So You're Voting Your Conscience
Townhall.com ^ | July 25, 2016 | Katie Kieffer

Posted on 07/25/2016 7:10:10 AM PDT by Kaslin

Many people conflate “voting your conscience” with writing-in a third party candidate—a mistake caused by thinking you are personally responsible for the actions of your politicians.

Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz confused evangelical voters who hold his opinion in high regard. In his speech at the GOP National Convention in Ohio, he subtly advised them not to vote for the GOP nominee, Donald Trump. Despite being invited by the Trump campaign to command a primetime speaking slot, Cruz did not use the slot to unify the party and defeat Hillary Clinton. Instead, he preached vague marching orders:

“We deserve leaders who stand for principle. …to those listening, please, don’t stay home in November. Stand, and speak, and vote your conscience,” Cruz told thousands of GOP delegates and guests—and millions of American voters watching from home.

There’s a reason why the 10 Commandments don’t cover voting in governmental elections. God, being just, doesn’t hold humans accountable for the actions of other humans. He only holds us accountable for our own actions.

In a political election, you can maximize the limited power of your vote—in both a moral and pragmatic sense—by backing the best candidate who also has a chance of winning. You can acknowledge Trump’s abundant flaws—as I have done in previous columns—and still vote for him with a clear conscience. Because you’re doing the best you can do, and you’re not responsible for his shortcomings.

Yes, Trump is not as consistent or as reliable as Cruz, but Cruz is not even close to as consistent as Christ. The fact is, Christ didn’t and never will run for public office. In this life, we will always have to vote for flawed human beings.

Over time, if voters grow more corrupt in their personal lives, it is only natural that they will find themselves to in turn have increasingly corrupt options for public officials. As a people, we have caved to abortion. We have caved to wealth redistribution to support a plethora of pet projects. We can only blame ourselves for having to now choose between Clinton and Trump.

On Human Rights—Trump Gets Your Vote

Morally speaking, your best bet is to vote for the candidate who has shown the greatest dedication to preserving human rights. Human rights, for our purposes, are rights like life; property ownership; self-defense; and free speech that natural law—or reason—guarantees all human beings.

“Look, I know how hard this job can be. That’s why I know Hillary will be so good at it!” President Obama gushed in endorsing Clinton for president.

With Clinton, we’ll get Obama 2.0. We’ll get another president who will bypass Congress and allow tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to enter America—despite the fact that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warned earlier this year that ISIS terrorists are “skilled” and “taking advantage of the torrent of migrants to insert operatives into that flow.”

Obama is a great farmer, always finding ways to grow new Democratic voters—regardless of whether it’s good for the voters or the country. Hillary is the woman whom he handpicked to bequeath his voting farm.

In contrast, Trump has promised to halt immigration from known terrorism hotbeds. He also has plans to tighten our screening program at a time when Obama’s administration is proposing to allow visitors to the U.S. to voluntarily hand over potentially incriminating evidence, like social media handles. (Because everyone knows criminals love turning themselves in!)

In his speech last Thursday accepting the GOP nomination, Trump made a point of telling the tragic story of a 21-year-old millennial woman named Sarah Root.

Root lost her life on January 31 at the hand of a drunken illegal immigrant with a criminal record—who snapped her spine and fractured her skull when he rammed his Chevy pickup truck into her car while she was waiting at a traffic light. Her body was so mutilated by the horrific crash that her own parents could not recognize her face.

The NRA has endorsed Trump and he has committed to defending the Second Amendment as a way to safeguard American citizens during a time of increased terrorism and mass violence. Clinton, in contrast, is married to Bill Clinton who—during his time as president—practically invented gun free zones in America. She also chose as her running mate Sen. Tim Kaine who has fought hard for restrictions on the use of guns for self-defense as an “answer” to mass violence.

Should we lose the right to bear arms, we will lose the ability to defend our other human rights, like property ownership and free speech.

Clinton has made it clear that she thinks our property is hers. As Secretary of State, she kept our classified national intelligence on a non-secure server in a remote bathroom in Colorado and sent and received classified information via a non-secure personal e-mail address. She failed to secure the safety of our Ambassador to Libya as well as our CIA and State Department personnel in Benghazi and failed to come to their aid during an ambush by terrorists.

Cruz was right when he said: “vote your conscience.” He simply failed to specify that to vote your conscience—to do the moral thing; the pragmatic thing; and the best thing for your future—you should vote for Donald J. Trump.

Not because Trump is perfect. But because your vote for Trump is a vote against Clinton—who will not respect your human rights—whereas Trump has demonstrated a renewed commitment to defending human rights and has a real shot at winning the White House.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016issues; donaldtrump; tedcruz
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1 posted on 07/25/2016 7:10:10 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
“We deserve leaders who stand for principle. …

He was right, and we have one. What is wrong with the principles of making America great again, of America first, of law and order and national security?

2 posted on 07/25/2016 7:18:39 AM PDT by JimRed (Is it 1776 yet? TERM LIMITS, now and forever! Build the Wall, NOW!)
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To: Kaslin
Things I'm noticing this morning:

The press is still obeying the DNC: down Trump every chance you get...talk about the emails with Putin working with Trump...really media??? How can Putin influence our politics...another Clinton trick ‘blame others for what they did’...

Remember these wikileaks are about CLINTONS and the DNC, they are not about Trump, his business, his family, his friends, his campaign....they are ALL about CLINTONS...

Her thinking this move yesterday to take blabbermouth out of the DNC was just to keep her mouth shut, take her out and put her into the Clinton camp to keep an eye on her, you do realize that blabbermouth could bring down the whole of government right now...from Barky to the last blade of grass on the White House lawn...

No, we as a new party of Trump are fine, we are going to protect America and the American people, we are going to have jobs, healthcare, happiness, peace once again...this is in God's time...not ours...

T.V.; online media articles on here and elsewhere will try to change your mind, just remember things are about the ruining of America and us by the Democrats, it's all of what they have done, not us that support Trump!!!

3 posted on 07/25/2016 7:19:30 AM PDT by HarleyLady27 ('THE FORCE AWAKENS!!!' Trump/Pence; Trump/Pence; Trump/Pence 100%)
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To: Kaslin

Yes I am voting my conscience, that is why I am voting for Trump.


4 posted on 07/25/2016 7:19:53 AM PDT by DaiHuy (May God save the country, for it is evident the people will not! Millard Fillmore)
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To: Kaslin

Yes I am voting my conscience, that is why I am voting for Trump.

FORMER Ted Cruz supporter


5 posted on 07/25/2016 7:20:49 AM PDT by DaiHuy (May God save the country, for it is evident the people will not! Millard Fillmore)
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To: Kaslin

mistake caused by thinking you are personally responsible for the actions

The political parties are personally responsible for not putting up responsible candidates for “We The People”. They are more interested in power and greed for themselves as they have no morality so why would they serve the Constitution an “We The People”


6 posted on 07/25/2016 7:25:41 AM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: Kaslin

“Trump is not as consistent or as reliable as Cruz...”

Cruz’s speech shows that he is reliable as a snake in the grass.


7 posted on 07/25/2016 7:25:58 AM PDT by odawg
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To: Kaslin

Anyone here that still supports the Cuban after the betrayal at the convention?


8 posted on 07/25/2016 7:26:10 AM PDT by Farmer Dean (Never be more than two steps away from your weapon.)
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To: Kaslin
In his speech at the GOP National Convention in Ohio, he subtly advised them not to vote for the GOP nominee, Donald Trump.

Later on he was seen outside carry this placard:

And for the grammatically correct:


9 posted on 07/25/2016 7:26:49 AM PDT by Road Warrior ‘04 (Molon Labe! (Oathkeeper))
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To: HarleyLady27

“...talk about the emails with Putin working with Trump...”

I first heard about that on this site. I thought someone was making a joke.


10 posted on 07/25/2016 7:28:14 AM PDT by odawg
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To: odawg

This was on the news...this is their way that the DNC and Clintons are telling them to put this out...my question is this:

Why would Putin help America in this way? If he had the emails he would be using them to hold Clinton hostage, thus he would want Clinton as President...think about this...

Trump doesn’t have them, and I really don’t think Putin has them...but I hope another batch drops within the next couple of days...


11 posted on 07/25/2016 7:33:27 AM PDT by HarleyLady27 ('THE FORCE AWAKENS!!!' Trump/Pence; Trump/Pence; Trump/Pence 100%)
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To: Kaslin

Yes, voting my conscience:
Trump was not my first choice. I liked what Ted said.
It’s now down to Trump or HRC.
My conscience tells me HRC is evil personified.
Trump while bombastic, is successful, has great kids and gets sh!t done.
It’s a no-brainer.


12 posted on 07/25/2016 7:33:39 AM PDT by No_More_Harkin
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To: Kaslin

Many people advocate voting based EXCLUSIVELY on the basis of the “good ideas” that reside between a candidate’s ears. This is called “voting your conscience.”

The correct technical term for this is “MASTURBATION”


13 posted on 07/25/2016 7:34:35 AM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: Kaslin

Not voting for Hillary is voting my conscience.


14 posted on 07/25/2016 7:35:08 AM PDT by JenB987 (I'm still an American and 'til they take that away from me there's no day ruined. - El Rushbo)
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To: Farmer Dean
He's not a Cuban, you ignorant birther.

# one: He was not born in Cuba!

# two: His mother was born and raised in Delaware, which is the first State that joined the Union, and which made her a natural born citizen and made Ted Cruz a natural born citizen.

15 posted on 07/25/2016 7:35:37 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
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To: DaiHuy
I will also vote for Trump.

I did not vote for Ted Cruz in the TN primaries, though I defended him here in the forum against the ignorant birthers, and I did also not vote for Jeb Bush.

16 posted on 07/25/2016 7:40:46 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
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To: Kaslin
He's not a Cuban, you ignorant birther.

But, he is the "king of voterless states!"™

17 posted on 07/25/2016 7:41:12 AM PDT by Road Warrior ‘04 (Molon Labe! (Oathkeeper))
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To: Kaslin

he’s still your boy I see.


18 posted on 07/25/2016 7:41:31 AM PDT by Farmer Dean (Never be more than two steps away from your weapon.)
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To: HarleyLady27

Typical Marxist tactics right out of Rules for Radicals. Robby Mook is crapping in his BVD’s.


19 posted on 07/25/2016 8:02:54 AM PDT by orchestra ((And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.))
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To: Kaslin

Trump has promised to enforce the laws of the land. I, and most honest people, believe him.

He’s promised - and this is underreported but HUGE - to repeal the Johnson Ammendment - let churches speak their moral mind about candidates!

This and other things that are VERY clear distinctions between Trump and Hillary. She is corrupt as corrupt can be.

When I listen to her speak (only can stand 30 seconds), I think of what Jesus called the Pharisees - Whitewashed Sepluchres - fits her perfectly. All smiley but on the inside is Wickedness and Death.


20 posted on 07/25/2016 8:11:32 AM PDT by time4good
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