I understand why so many voters are frustrated as we approach the midterm elections. A family can listen to so many promises before asking when they'll make a difference at the kitchen table.
People need a place to live. They need groceries, transportation, and medical care. They need enough left after payday to face an unexpected expense without wondering which bill will go unpaid.
When these necessities become difficult to afford, a campaign slogan offers little comfort.
I have been a Republican for much of my life, but that does not mean the Republican Party owns my vote. Every candidate asking for our support ought to answer a straightforward question: What have you done, and what will you do, to improve the lives of the people you represent?
If we are going to talk about putting America first, that surely includes Americans struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
Harvard’s 2026 housing report describes continuing affordability problems and growing financial burdens for renters and homeowners. Those concerns reach into communities like ours, where families wonder whether their children will ever afford a home of their own.
Medical bills bring another burden. A person should be able to focus on recovering from illness without constantly worrying about what the next bill will do to the family budget.
Then come groceries, gasoline, utilities, and insurance. Even when inflation slows, the prices families already struggle to pay do not automatically return to what they once were. A smaller increase is still an increase.
Some households are doing well. I recognize that. But their success does not erase their neighbors' hardship. National prosperity should be measured in part by whether working families can afford the necessities of life.
We Have Heard the Promises Before
For years, candidates have promised fiscal responsibility, affordable health care, better jobs, and relief for working people. Yet our national debt is now approximately $40 trillion, according to the Treasury’s current overview.
That debt did not accumulate under one president or one party. Republicans and Democrats have both participated in the decisions that brought us here. Each is quick to explain the other side’s failures. Neither should escape examination of its own record.
Out here in the country, a man’s word ought to mean something. If he repeatedly promises to fix the fence but the cattle keep getting out, someone will eventually ask why the fence remains broken.
Voters have every right to ask that question.
The Scripture says:
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
—1 Corinthians 4:2, KJV
Paul was speaking about stewardship in the service of Christ. Still, faithfulness is a reasonable quality to expect from anyone entrusted with responsibility. Public officials handle money taken from the labor of the people. They ought to explain how they have used that trust.
Fear Is a Poor Substitute for a Record
Some tell us that if we do not vote Republican, America is finished.
I struggle to accept that argument as a substitute for an honest account of performance. Tell me what your policies will accomplish. Explain what they will cost. Show me where your previous promises produced results.
Telling a struggling family that the other party would be worse doesn't explain why that family is still struggling.
For many Americans, the promise of economic security has felt out of reach for years. They work, pay their bills as best they can, and try to raise their children responsibly. Yet one illness, one repair, or one missed paycheck can put them on the edge of serious trouble.
They deserve to be heard without being accused of disloyalty.
Wanting better leadership does not mean a person hates America. Questioning a Republican does not make a person an enemy of the country. Questioning a Democrat does not make a person heartless. Citizens should be able to examine both parties without surrendering their conscience to either.
Anger Needs an Honest Direction
The frustration expressed through protests and civil disobedience deserves careful attention. Different protests have different causes, and we should not pretend that every grievance has the same explanation.
We also should not assume that unrest proves the country is beyond repair.
Peaceful protest, voting, public discussion, and holding officials accountable give people ways to seek change. Violence and contempt for our neighbors will only add to our troubles.
As a Christian, I must remember that the person who votes differently from me is still someone I am commanded to love. I can challenge a policy firmly without treating another human being as worthless.
My Allegiance Belongs to Christ
The older I get, the less confidence I place in political promises and the more seriously I take these words:
“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”
—Psalm 146:3, KJV
That does not excuse me from my responsibility as a citizen. It reminds me where my ultimate confidence belongs.
My allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ. No party has the right to demand the loyalty that belongs to Him. No candidate should be placed beyond correction because he uses religious language or promises to defend Christianity.
I want leaders whose conduct matches their words. I want honesty about our finances, concern for struggling families, and enough humility to admit when a policy has failed.
I do not expect any election to solve every problem. I do expect those asking for another term to explain why they have earned it.
A vote is a trust. After years of promises, it is reasonable to ask for evidence that the trust has been honored.
This country preacher believes the family sitting at the kitchen table, trying to make the money last until payday, deserves an answer.
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