The Presidency and Electoral Politics

Great study sources located at this site: Scholastic Library Publishing, Inc.

Historians rates U.S. Presidents

George Bush, for example, is already being penciled in as a failure and will undoubtedly join the list when his administration is distinguished.

Of 415 historians who expressed a view of President Bush’s administration to this point as a success or failure, 338 classified it as a failure and 77 as a success.

Historical rankings of United States Presidents

Pondering "Humor" when needed....................

PONDER: To weigh mentally; Think deeply about; Consider carefully Webster's New World Dictionary

Everyday, I ponder, contemplate, consider and thinking whatever that affects my daily moods, activities and life. Thinking back, I remember behaving childlike and actually enjoying life by being playfuln and enjoy the simplicity. I desire to have a day-by-day living of feeling carefree. This week, I am having struggles with my depression especially when my wife was asking me me if I was okay since we had not made love for a few weeks now and that she misses it. Last saturday, I was writing about Dealing with Disabilities and Depression because I was feeling it and today, I am still feeling it. I was reading somewhere that depressed mood in people with multiple sclerosis often changes more significantly over time than other stable depression symptoms. I am sure that is true. Sometimes, MS patients have every reason to be depressed when needed to.

I am taking prozac and it is working but what I need to do is to start having more "humor" in my life. I don't think I am doing it enough because experts says that humor is an excellent tool for combating depression. It is often known as a "Humor is a Natural Antidote for Depression". I might start having at least ONE post about "humor" and try to have a good laugh about "life".

I find this site very useful whenever I need humor. I have many bookmarks for humor. This is just one of them. You might like it too. Squiffy's House of Fun - Laughter for Multiple Sclerosis

Enjoy !!

I like this quote: Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them. Leo Tolstoy

Often, I am reminded by Christ's definition of Beatitudes (Matthew 5) which really contradicts the world’s definition of happiness. I have had a lifelong struggle with the question of being happy as a Christian.

A.W. Tozer is one of my favorite Christian authors who often reminds me of my relationahip with "life". "If there's anything necessary to your eternal happiness but God, you're not the kind of Christian that you ought to be. For only God is the true rest." Attributes of God,pg.30

First Political Thoughts Post and Links to Political Studies

I am having a major problem with people today using God for their own interests into man-made political issues. Jesus said "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36). Christ have not given us a political agenda, but a spiritual mandate to proclaim the Gospel and disciple the nations (Matthew 28:19-20). Politics and ideology have come in the form of the separation in our minds of "sacred vs. secular". I am what some of my relatives and friends called "Liberal Republican" or you can say "Conservative Democrat".

Politics are not the problem. Its PEOPLE. Christians, non-Christians, Extremists, Liberals, Conversatives and the list is so long. Politically eveyone is so divided. Christ has NO political agenda. There are Christians' views are so far "right" because they view differently while Christians' views are so far "left" because they view differently. Neither of them is right or wrong.

The Puritans and Democratic Principles Before America was born, Puritan devotion to democratic principles by having town meetings in their church that every church member had the right to speak, and decisions were made by majority rule. The Puritan devotion to democratic principles had an important effect on American life. Governments are God's ordained. Jesus taught that the government should work in harmony with the church and should recognize its sovereignty in spiritual matters (Matt. 22:21). Our second institution established by God family (Eph. 5:22–32, 1 Pet. 3:1–7).

The very first Republican President was Abraham Lincoln who is my favorite President of all times. Today's Republicans are in tune with the Republicans during Lincoln's days. The Republican Party was established in 1854 by a coalition of former Whigs, Northern Democrats, and Free-Soilers who opposed the expansion of slavery and held a vision for modernizing the United States. Today's Republican Party's views are different and many members are leaving the Republican Party.

I do believe very much in being a responsible Christian citizen. But that responsibility is defined for the Christian by the Bible, not by university professors or political scientists or campaign advertisements or any other humanism reasoning. As good testimony to outsiders, Christians can work with non-Christians (& government) in attempting to promote justice and civic peace because it is good for all people, not just Christians (Galatians 6:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:15). To love God is to treat people lovingly. (Leviticus 19:18, I John 3). Christ taught us to love our enemies, instructing us that war, both within and without, is sin and an expression of human failure. (Matthew 5, James 4). As Christians, we can commit ourselves to work more actively for public policies that reduce militarism, war, and political and economic inequities. We must work persistently and faithfully for a more peaceful and equitable world community. That means we if we do not like what the Government is doing, GET INVOLVED and make it change (if God is willing).

Getting involved means to me find an organzation that you agree with and then move on with your life.

Political Studies References:
Directory of United States Lobbyists
DIRECTORY OF U.S. POLITICAL PARTIES
List of political parties in the United States
What Does Politics Mean?
Encyclopedia Smithsonian: U.S. Government, Politics, and Reform
The Evolution of American Political Parties