The Presidential Election will soon be upon us, and the American people must decide whom they will cast their ballots for when they go to the polls.  The news media has picked three main candidates left to choose from: Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama, and John McCain.  There are several other citizens running for President, including Bob Barr and Ron Paul (who has yet to concede the Republican nomination), but the news media wrote them off as not having a chance before the race even started.  So since American’s are left with Clinton, Obama, and McCain, which of these is worthy and qualified to lead our great nation and the Free World?  Sadly, the answer is none of the above.

            The President of the United States should not only be a capable leader, knowledgeable about republican government and international affairs, but should also be the first among citizens in virtue, prudence, and moral character, as well as understanding the history and principles that should guide the American people.  While the Founding Fathers realized that the position of the National Executive would not always be filled by a virtuous statesman, how long must America endure this deficiency in its leadership? 

            The freshman senator Barrack Obama has come under fire throughout his campaign not only for his inappropriate relationships, but for racists, demeaning, and contradictory remarks from his own mouth.  A man who surrounds himself with racist and/or anti-American supporters, including his own wife, does not have the integrity or judgment to lead the United States. 

One can hardly believe that Sen. Obama has no belief in the Black Liberation Theology preached to him for twenty years by his spiritual mentor Rev. Wright.  Such a theology “must reject any conception of God which stifles black self-determination by picturing God as a God of all peoples. Either God is identified with the oppressed to the point that their experience becomes God's experience, or God is a God of racism,” according to Wright’s mentor James Cone.  Besides the many disgraceful comments Wright has made publicly, he has also shown support for the terrorist group Hamas in the “Pastor’s Page” of his church’s newsletter.  Obama’s relationship with terrorist William Ayers has also been widely publicized.  And let’s not forget his wife’s comments about the “meanness” of America, or how she had never been proud of her country until it seemed her husband would become President.

Obama’s own remarks about his grandmother, a “typical white person” who was afraid of black people, and those made about Americans who cling to guns and religion, clearly show Obama’s lack of character.  In a letter to the “LGBT community” published in a campaign blog, Obama says he's "running for president to build an America that lives up to our founding promise of equality for all – a promise that extends to our gay brothers and sisters."  Obama’s lack of understanding of Founding Principles by this statement is uncanny.  The “founding promise of equality for all” certainly did not envision the creation of so called “gay rights.”  The equality of the Founders was also not one forced upon the people by the government, but an equality before God.  And while he told Advocate magazine that he wants to pass the “strongest possible bill” in support of gays, Obama was unresponsive at first to recent questions about the morality of homosexuality, but later did issue a statement saying he did not find homosexuality immoral.

The “Gaffe Machine,” as Michelle Malkin calls him, time and again has shown a severe lack of prudence and judgment when speaking to the American people.

Sen. Clinton was also questioned about the morality of homosexuality replying, "I am going to leave that to others to conclude," before later issuing a statement saying homosexuality is not immoral.  Her statement shows clear signs of relativist thinking, letting individuals decide their own right and wrong rather than adhering to our Natural Law tradition.  A President should elevate the morality of the people through his or her words and actions based on God’s law, not allow national morality to falter and decay.  

Hillary Clinton’s own moral character is questionable at best.  Her chief ally in the campaign, her husband Bill, is known for his greatly publicized iniquitous behavior and untrue remarks.  She herself has recently been attacked for lying to the American people about her trip to Bosnia as First Lady and landing under sniper fire, claiming she simply misspoke.

While John McCain is an American war hero, he does not fit the character of a President.  While the main issue of his campaign has been the national security of America against our terrorist enemies, he has repeatedly voted against securing our nation and our sovereign borders from illegal immigrants.  The Founding Fathers did not view immigration as a right, nor did they view the rights and liberties provided by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as applying to the entire world.  Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, not from those who invade our sovereign country and break our laws. 

McCain’s shaky past with the Christian Right over such issues as gay marriage further show his disconnect with traditional American values.  While he hides behind saying that the states should decide if gay marriage is legal, McCain has personally said, “I don't have any problem with that.” 

McCain’s reported problems with controlling his temper may also be cause for concern.  The virtuous statesman should be prudent both in making decisions, and in speech.