Before I proceed allow me to draw your attention to these statements from scripture:
"The heart of man is desperately wicked and every imagination of his heart is evil continually."
"The way of man is not in him; it is not in man to direct his steps"
"Remember the poor, the widow and the orphan."
The political pundits
all agree that Mitt Romney won the debate last night.
A self-assured, glib Romney rattled off information from study after study as the rather subdued commander-in-chief failed to fire back at the inconsistencies he may have seen within the Romney plan.
Still, what I have gleaned is the big picture from last night's debate.
The central theme of Mitt Romney's campaign is a leaner, more efficient government, a strong military and a vibrant, lightly regulated industrial base. He would achieve this by not raising taxes, only by closing loopholes and receiving more revenue by creating 12 million taxpaying jobs. Healthcare should be left up to private insurers and individuals.
President Obama believes that prosperity begins with relief for the middle class; as you ask for more from the wealthy, you find ways to reduce the expense of government without hurting the most vulnerable amongst us. Government should be involved in health care to ensure that everyone has access to insurance and not only the fortunate.
The key, as Mr. Obama pointed out last night and, in my view, is the word balance.
The reason why American governance is founded on three bedrock principles- legislative, judicial and executive branches - is an attempt to find balance, knowing that men left unchecked cannot be trusted.
Republicans, like Mr. Romney, always lean towards business and private enterprise as the answer.
Democrats, Like Mr. Obama, are inclined towards big government as the answer.
They are both right and wrong.
Business will never answer all of your needs and neither will government. The best we can hope for is a reasonable balance between the two.
For those who those who yearn for an unhindered business sector, I remind you of:
Enron
Bernie Ebbers and World Com.
Bernie Madoff who made off with your investments
Dennis Kosloski of Tyco Int'l with his lavish parties and large interest free loans.
For those of you in love with government, I hasten to remind you of:
Internment camps
Broken Indian treaties
Tuskegee's Syphilis experiment
When it comes to dealing with complex human beings or institutions, there is no simple or easy answer. The answer, as Mr. Obama alluded to, is in the middle with a balanced approach. In that way, the rising tide of prosperity that Mr. Romney promises will lift all boats.