Why I have endorsed Mitt Romney

I urge all my fellow Christians to go to the polls tomorrow and caste a vote for Mitt Romney...particularly those in the all-important Buckeye State. I am saddened and concerned when I hear my fellow believers say they refuse to vote for a Mormon, opting instead to vote for a third party candidate, a write-in candidate, or refusing to vote at all. Remember, we are not voting for a Pastor-in-Chief but rather a Commander-in-Chief. For my part I would much rather vote for a non-Christian who is capable of leading our nation forward in a positive way than a Christian who is incapable of doing so [or, as is currently the case of Romney's opponent, a non-Christian who is incapable].

Over the last several months I have spent much time studying Mitt Romney and the positions he holds. Without any reservation, I believe he is the candidate who can best lead our country forward.

1. He is the most qualified to lead our country economically. The radical social engineering that has occurred over the last four years has broken the back of our economy. Instead of bringing relief to job creators, and thus ushering in a wave of job creation and economic growth, the current administration has used the weakened economy to take the country down a decidedly socialist path. Regulation and taxation have ruled the day and decimated the middle class. Mitt Romney understands business and the global market in a way that no prior presidential candidate ever has.

2. He has proven himself loyal and respectful of our allies. Our current president has shown open disdain to some of our countries closest allies, including Israel and Great Britain. Mitt Romney has close ties to Israel, has openly championed our mutual friendship, and has pledged commitment to their right to defend themselves from terrorist attack or foreign aggression. 

3. He is committed to biblical values regarding abortion and marriage. Though Mitt Romney is accused of 'flip-flopping' on this issue, in reality for the last 15-20 years he has been on a clear and consistent trajectory towards a more conservative position. While running for Senate (unsuccessfully) and Governor (successfully) of Massachusetts he did endorse a limited pro-choice position. However, while serving as Governor he was faced with signing a bill into law that would have expanded abortion services and, upon much soul-searching, he decided he could not. I am deeply concerned by my fellow believers who accuse Romney of being double-minded on this issue. Instead, we should rejoice that someone has seen the horribly truth about abortion and become an advocate for life. Romney passionately believes that abortion should be banned, the only exception being rape, incest, and the life of the mother. While many conservatives (including myself) would not want some of those exceptions, in reality this has been the standard Republican position for many decades. Regarding marriage, he has consistently and vocally opposed same-sex marriage even during his time as Governor.

5. He honors and respects our military, and is passionate about national defense. The current administration is aggressively cutting our military's budget (in order to drastically increase spending for his new social programs). Such recklessness not only puts our soldiers at risk, it seriously undermines our ability to protect ourselves and our allies. Mitt Romney supports strengthening our military.

6. He has a balanced approach to environmental issues. One of the weaknesses of the current conservative/republican movement is their failure to recognize the seriousness of the environmental crisis. Mitt Romney understands we must protect the environment, and as Governor he issued a "Climate Protection Plan" that sought to reduce environmental pollution. However, Romney also understands that radical and sweeping regulations can also negatively impact business and employment, thus hurting families (both in term of lost employment and increased energy costs). I am confident that Romney will strive to protect our environment while not sacrificing families at the altar of 'mother earth'.

7. The next president will influence the Supreme Court for decades. By all accounts, the next president will most likely appoint anywhere between 1 to 3 Supreme Court justices. We have already seen the type of justices Barack Obama will appoint. I would much rather Mitt Romney be in the position to make this decision than the current occupant of the White House.

Tomorrow, vote for Mitt Romney

Pastor Josh Gelatt