So please allow me to begin with the necessary disclaimer. I am about to encourage any Moscow residents who care what I think to vote in a particular way this coming Tuesday. That being the case, I need to say at the outset that in writing this I am not representing any particular institution with which I am associated. I am the pastor of Christ Church, but am not offering this exhortation on behalf of the church. I serve on various boards of local entities, and I am not speaking for them either. I own and operate Blog and Mablog, and am solely responsible for the contents thereof. All clear? 
That said, I think I can also safely say that the election matters a great deal to all the ministries I am associated with.
Broken down, the choice is between the incumbents, who basically favor a live-and-let-live approach to life in our small town, and the progressive alternative, who would, if they could, throw all kinds of obstacles in the way of growth. Not only are they opposed to the expansion and growth of entities like New St. Andrews, Logos School, or Christ Church, they are generally suspicious of any kind of economic growth at all. If you are interested in seeing the economic impact that the incumbents have had, I would refer you here. If you are too busy to click on links, the basic takeaway is this:
“Steve Peterson’s economic study documented a remarkable turnaround from the direction this city was headed just four years ago,” said GMA President Bob Hieronymus. “Moscow’s pro-business climate is paying dividends, so why change things? We’re for keeping our current Mayor and City Council in office.”
The incumbents I would like to see returned to office are Bill Lambert (mayor), John Weber (2-year council seat) and Gina Taruscio, Walter Steed, and Art Bettge (4-year council seats).
For a contrary example, one of the outsiders running for a council seat (Brandy Sullivan) was a (very) vocal opponent of New St. Andrews being allowed to restore and renovate a downtown bar. And Linda Pall played an obstructionist role in the preliminaries to the coming expansion of Logos School.
In short, we have had a good period of peace and quiet for the last few years, and if the election goes well, it can remain that way.
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:1–2).
Is no one going to come along and lecture you about electioneering from the pulpit? Express envy over the fact that you have such tiny local political problems? Well, allow me to be of service here! I jest, I remain completely baffled by the rules allegedly regulating politics and the church. We have letters to the editor constantly supporting liberal causes, signed, “we of the faith community.” The law seems to suggest something very one sided here, where faith, sharing the good news, is all about supporting the politically correct candidates and causes, while “electioneering” is all about the illegality… Read more »
“As to local politics, I do covet such problems. Where I live I am quite convinced the city counsel exists only to squash business, destroy the economy, tax the poor, and silence the opposition.”
My city last November passed a law to set racial quotas for all government jobs based on the overall city demographics. Most qualified for the desk job? Too bad. We have too many blacks, need some more asians. I swear, if I didn’t have so many personal concerns right now I’d sue over the Civil Rights act myself.
Wow. I doubt the Asians got any breaks, though.
Why are Christians so outspoken against things like civil rights, equality etc. It seems to be a biblical principal. And it should be black people suing over their civil liberties, not you. I’m so tired of the conservative tirade about white people being discriminated against. Please come to St. Louis if you don’t understand white privilege. This town is structured as it is because of white flight. And talk to the black dean of students of the seminary, the Christian seminary about how black people are still oppressed. I’ve experienced it first hand. I work in a mostly rich white… Read more »
My only objection is that you should say this from the pulpit too. Something of the form, “if you vote for a democrat, you should probably be under church discipline”.
I generally think it better to look at policy, and even better to look at principles. That way congregants do not feel that a party is worth aligning with, rather that they should vote for the party that most aligns with the relevant Christian principles.
The democrats and republicans both have their sins. I favor the republicans in a choice between the two, but if a person could be disciplined for voting democrat, I’m not so sure a person couldn’t be disciplined for voting republican.
I admit that one of the non-incumbent candidates is doing a decent job of electioneering, with the flyers and phone calls.
Her phone person made the mistake of mentioning that the candidate had been a leader in the College Democrats group.
When I said that I don’t vote for Democrats, she tried to salvage it by saying “Oh it’s a non-partisan position.”
I very politely refrained from saying that if a Democrat were capable of doing a “non-partisan” job, our national politics wouldn’t be imploding.
I literally LOL’d at “leader of the college Democrats is a non-partisan position.”
Yay! congratulations on Mayor Lambert’s win!
Brandy Sullivan won…The title in the Moscow-Pullman Daily news: “Moscow newcomers oust experienced councilors”
So screw “experienced councilors” for “newcomers”! It says in Ecclesiastes “nothing new under the sun”