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**Written by:** Dr. John Stead, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of History & Political Studies at The Master’s University

Who would have thought this time last year the race for the presidency would be between a politician of thirty years and a business speculator reality TV host? Republican elites were ecstatic over the “excellent” stable of Republican presidential hopefuls. Hillary Clinton, with all her baggage, would be an easy target for the Republican nominee. Republicans controlled the House of Representatives since the 2010 election and the Senate since 2014. Surely this would at least make it possible to slow down the progressive steamroller that is destroying the economy, undermining this country’s international integrity, and subverting the rule of law.

Today the power resides with the progressive elite 1%: the large financial institutions, the dot-com mafia, the national media, and the public employee unions, who are all joined at the hip to federal government handouts. Whether it is regulation, taxes, deficit spending, illegal immigration, climate change, or globalization, they all are in lock step. When it comes to the rule of law, all progressives believe in a “living Constitutional interpretation” rather than an interpretation which is by “original intent” or a “literal” interpretation.

What scares progressives the most is personal liberty and freedom. The idea that the average citizen can make his own decisions, run his own life, and care for his own family is anathema to progressives.

What will this nation look like after another four or eight years of progressive control? Slow economic growth, increased indebtedness, higher taxes borne on the backs of the middle class, increased regulation, and the continual decline in U.S. influence around the world doesn’t paint a very pretty picture for the future. How do we know this? Because this is what the nation has experienced over the last eight years.

Looking at this coming election, what are we to do? Both presidential candidates are severely flawed. For many, it is extremely difficult to vote for either. That, however, should not stop one from voting “down ticket.” Electing good people in both the national and state legislatures is critical.

As Christians, we can participate in the elective process no matter how depressing, knowing one thing for sure, “that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Daniel 4:25). Knowing this, we ultimately can trust in God rather than man.