Winston Elliott III

Winston Elliott III

I am a conservative. I desire to restore a republic rooted in faith, family, and local community. I respect the dignity of the human person and oppose political ideologies that promote an abstract liberty. I do not believe our primary enemy is government. Man’s primary enemy is found in original sin and its effects. Contrary to the argument that government is evil, I recognize that government is a tool. It is the persons wielding the tool who may do evil.

In my view the vote for president on November 6th is a choice between the two major party candidates. Sadly, neither of them represents my conservative principles. I will choose the candidate I believe will do the least damage to the Republic and (miracles do happen) will work to reduce the size and scope of the federal leviathan. The voting booth is where we make practical choices. To think it is the place to declare our principles is folly.

We don’t have to like either candidate. We aren’t picking a roommate. As in much of life we are not presented with an ideal choice but choose we must or others will do it for us.

The sad truth is that many Americans believe that we should have a nanny state that will take care of us. Is this the fault of the politicians? No, it is the failure of the citizens of the Republic. The fault is not in our stars but in ourselves.

I will vote for Governor Romney. I disagree with him on many issues and I am particularly concerned that he will be prone to involve us in new nation-building follies. Still, I think he will be significantly better than President Obama. And yet, not as good as Senator Rand Paul or Ted Cruz (the next senator from Texas) would be. But they are not on the presidential ballot. It is Romney vs. Obama. The lesser of two evils still involves some evil. Welcome to the human dilemma.

This was originally published in The American Conservative’s Conservative Vote symposium. The Imaginative Conservative does not endorse candidates. This is a personal statement only.

All comments are moderated and must be civil, concise, and constructive to the conversation. Comments that are critical of an essay may be approved, but comments containing ad hominem criticism of the author will not be published. Also, comments containing web links or block quotations are unlikely to be approved. Keep in mind that essays represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Imaginative Conservative or its editor or publisher.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email