Truth, not hype.

Candidates have to convince voters that they will represent them. That's the occasion for all of the political wizardry and campaign hype so visible today. The campaign marketing people have to sell their candidate over all the others. They will spend billions this year to influence our vote. My conservative Christian worldview resists most of the hype. Truth presses my hot buttons. Show me some truth rather than the spin.

So, give some thought to a little truth---

Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint

them as your heads.

Deuteronomy 1: 13, ESV

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his

heritage!

Psalm 33: 12, ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all

your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3: 5-6, ESV

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

Proverbs 14: 34, ESV

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people

groan.

Proverbs 29: 2, ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable

and perfect.

Romans 12: 2, ESV

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without

reproach, and it will be given him.

James 1: 5, ESV

No, there are no party or candidate specifics in these Bible verses. They are truth given to provide divine guidance in our decision making. The on-the-air assault by political foes merely give us popular spin about their candidates. In all honesty, they usually make me laugh. Two Democratic candidates for Washington office representing South Carolina gave me a real giggle last night. Both are political children of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the most vile and explosive Congress persons in history. They downplayed her influence and their party affiliation. They both say they will represent the people of South Carolina. Hype contested by the truth of their political identity.

Few of us deny the significance of election 2020. Many of us will be swayed by the marketing pizzazz the candidate handlers have created. This Christian worldview that so many of us share should be our path around all the hype to the truth of what is best for our nation. In this election, perhaps more than any other in history, our choices are sharply conflicted, the party candidates representing starkly opposite visions of America. Our votes will determine if we remain One Nation Under God, or if continue to declare In God We Trust as a national theme.

We must be guided by truth, and not hype.

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Ninety degrees left.

We used to say media tended to lean to the left in their political observations. Today pundits who study such things are more specific in their observations about media bias. Now, the media, as a whole, has moved past the tipping point in their liberal views. It's no longer slant or drift or tilt. No, today it's a firm ninety degree sweep. And, that's a thing in election 2020. The on-the-air influence of this election season is going to press every one of our hot buttons with a decidedly leftist agenda. Yes, to be fair, there are news outlets and media elites who favor more right-wing positions. I mean, tune in to Rush Limbaugh or Glen Beck or Sean Hannity. There are other more conservative commentators and analysts as well. And, usually, we seek out news media whose views reflect our own. In a larger sense, however, more Americans watch the network versions of news and reporting. And, kids, they are more liberal.

Honestly, practitioners have sought to be fair in their analysis of media bias. The people at Ad Fontes Media (see https://www.adfontesmedia.com/) have attempted to "make news consumers smarter and news media better", a worthy endeavor on both counts. Their Media Bias Chart ranks our many media outlets according to their political orientation and reliability. I am not a subscriber or contributor to their efforts and cannot, as a result, print their analytical data. They do, however, have a public Beta Version of the Media Bias Chart. You can access this information by clicking here. It is a very credible survey of the drift of each significant media course. It annotates the media drift left that is seeking to press al our hot buttons this year.

But, get real for a minute! Why in the world should media bias influence our personal voting decisions? People on both sides of the aisle admit the ninety degree leftest turn of the MSM, that is, main stream media. When you watch the news or most television programming, the political ideas or thoughts, even those that are hidden in drama or story-line, will press your hot buttons with liberal swing. And, so what? Your vote isn't decided by television ads, news narrators, or Hollywood personalities. You see, there is truth. And, truth doesn't have these human turns and twists.

A Christian worldview seeks truth and not popular opinion or partisan leanings. Truth directs us up, not left or right. Truth should be our companion when we're watching all the media stuff until November 3, and when we enter the voting booth on that day---

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your

name.

Psalm 86: 11, ESV

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when

you turn to the right or when you turn to the left".

Isaiah 30: 21, ESV

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to

be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2; 15, ESV

Yes, media has turned ninety degrees left. Their aim is to assault all of our hot buttons with liberal ideology and leftist political drivel. With the Apostle John, let us depend on truth "...that abides in us and will be with us forever" (2 John 1: 2, ESV) as that which guides us to the voting booth on November 3.

Not that which has turned ninety degrees left. Anyway, don't forget the wisdom of Solomon---A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fools heart to the left (Ecclesiastes 10:2, ESV).

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On the air influence.

Nielsen demographics indicate that there are an average of 2.5 televisions in every American household. They further affirm that 50% of American households have three or more televisions. The folks at Statista estimate that advertisers will spend in excess of $72 billion to sell their products and services on the air in 2020. The influence of television on the American public isn't lost on political campaign strategists. In the 2016 presidential election cycle candidates and political parties spent more than $4.4 billion to advertise their positions on the many campaign issues. The people at Forbes estimate that the amount will increase to $7.0 billion by the November 3 election. You see, political operatives believe that television advertising will press our political hot buttons. They want our votes. On air influence matters.

The television political advertising assault for the 2020 election began in September. Of course, it's been a headline topic on most talk and news media outlets throughout the year. By now, with twenty-two days remaining until November 3, the weight, pace, and frequency of campaign marketing has increased exponentially. Until election day we can expect this assault on our senses to ramp up to even higher levels. There's little doubt that these extravagant and often misleading slots will press many of the hot buttons that will influence our vote. We must be aware and alert as this assault escalates.

My Christian worldview affirms two basic backdrops in deciding my vote: the values and beliefs of personal faith, and the more pervasive contemporary secular view. What is shocking in this election cycle so far is the number of Christians planning to vote outside the tenets of faith. Many believers have turned aside from the elemental precepts of faith, the sanctity of life being a prime example, to join the political biases of those with clearly non-Christian positions. Today, I am reminded of Scripture, our final authority, that warn of these cross-overs---

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of

sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1: 1-2, ESV

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with

God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of

God.

James 4: 4, ESV

As in most instances, there are many other Scripture references that instruct us in the many layers of living life that is pleasing to God. Voting is certainly one of them.

So the assault continues and escalates. Will they push your hot buttons? Or will this on the air influence be wasted on you, because your gracious Father has already pressed them? You know, the conviction of voting your faith and values.

It's on the air influence right now. How will this expensive slant motivate you? Will on the air influence press your hot buttons in this election?

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