This past week, Barack Obama made the announcement that, in a turn from his previous stance, he's going to reject $80 million of public financing for his presidential bid, but also gain the freedom to spend an unlimited amount of money that is raised through individual contributions (these individual contributions are still bound to spending limits ... link here for an overview of US Campaign Finance). The question I have is whether honesty or ethics is more important in this situation.
As previously stated, in the past, Obama had agreed to take public financing so, with his June 19 announcement, Senator McCain, who will still accept public financing, immediately fired back, “He has completely reversed himself and gone back, not on his word to me, but the commitment he made to the American people.”
However, as a rational for this change of heart, Obama pointed to his ethical stance that, campaign financing, as it stands, is corrupt because, while money that is given directly to candidates is limited, there are virtually no restrictions on donations to other groups who, while not officially promoting or working in cooperation with a candidate, will conduct campaigns to smear their opponent.
In Obama's words, his decision creates, a "new kind of politics" that isn't dominated by the big dollar special interests. Rather, while he now has unlimited spending, his contributions are all limited and, therefore, his ability to spend is bound to the number of individuals who are willing to support him. As an example of this, he pointed out that, while he receives more large contributions than any other candidate, 93% of the contributions his campaign has received have been for $200 or less.
So, assuming that Obama's decision is ethically right in the big picture, and ignoring the fact that it's only his fundraising prowess that enables him to make this decision in the first place, which of the two is more important, Obama holding to his initial pledge of accepting public funding, or doing what's right in the big picture of campaign finance?
Is there more to it?
I wonder if there is more to this than ethics and honesty. Or, at least more than is being said. To quote from the article:
Is this an attempt to raise more money?
There is, also, a connection people have with something when they put their resources into it. If someone gives they become more connected and willing to fight/stand behind something. Is this an attempt to get more people to commit and stand behind him in that way?
I wonder if the ethics and honest approach that we see is really the angle they are approaching this from. Of course, these angles have their own honesty and ethics discussions.
Something More
Oh, I'm sure there's more to it, after all, would Obama have made this move if he wasn't capable or raising far more than the $80 million that he's giving up? Absolutely not.
Then, if you take into consideration that he's prepping adds for all 50 states and going after Republican strongholds, that's only something you can do if you're planning on spending insane amounts of cash which demands that you get rid of the spending caps that come with public financing.
So, without a doubt, this isn't purely an ethical decision on his part, at the same time, he has said in the past that he has issues with campaign financing and this is one way of fixing it ... get everyday people involved. This would imply that there is something ethical in his approach.
I just heard the news and began to wonder which matters more ... doing the right thing, or doing the thing you said you were going to do in the past, even if you now believe it to be wrong. Thoughts?
Do What Is Right
Maybe it's just me, but you do what is good.
We are all sinners, we screw up, and we say and do things we may later learn are not the best things. In many ways it's arrogant to think we know what is right unless it's one of those things God just says is. Is anyone really capable of knowing what is right on their own?
I think the best we can do is to always try to do what's the most good we can do in the eyes of God. Even if that means changing our position.
sin boldly
This actually reminds me of Luther's, "Sin boldly!" comment.
Most people hear that and think it's permission to boldly sin (do whatever you want because it's God's job to forgive), but in context, Luther was actually writing to a friend who was paralyzed with fear that he was going to make the wrong choice. Luther's advice was that his friend should do what he believed to be best, to sin boldly, and to trust in Christ more boldly.