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Vote Wisely: Demand Honesty and Integrity

By this point in an election year, you might find yourself overwhelmed by politics—the advertisements, the polls, the news coverage. With all that noise, it’s easy for folks to come up with excuses for not voting—“America is too divided,” or “I can’t get behind any of the candidates,” or “My vote doesn’t even matter.” 

Maybe those excuses are starting to sound pretty reasonable to you now. But as best-selling author and speaker Andy Andrews pointed out in an interview with Dave, if we are concerned at all about our country and its future, we must pay attention to the election and use our votes wisely.

We All Agree—Our Leaders Should Be Honest

We’ve all watched America get meaner and meaner. We’ve watched Republicans and Democrats yell at each other, and no one’s changed anyone’s mind. But ask anyone, rich or poor, black or white, old or young, “Do you think it’s okay for politicians to lie, or should they tell the truth?” Every single person you talk to will say our leaders should tell the truth.

“So the question in this election is not who is going to lead us, but what are our standards for being led?” Andrews asked in a recent visit to The Dave Ramsey Show. “Speaking the truth should be the least we require of our elected leaders,” he added. “It won’t solve all our problems, but it is a beginning.”

Demand Integrity With Your Vote

“America is a ship headed for an iceberg,” Andrews warned. “People everywhere, regardless of their political views, can sense it. We may not have candidates in this election who can turn the ship around. But right now, we better vote for somebody who is going to shift our direction and avoid the iceberg.”

This isn’t about Republican versus Democrat. It’s about demanding honesty and integrity from our leadership—and rewarding that integrity with our votes. That’s how we will elect leaders who will have the fortitude to make the hard decisions that must be made to change course.

Your Vote Can Change Our Direction

As our nation celebrated its 100th birthday, President James A. Garfield said, “Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. If [one hundred years from now] our next centennial does not find us a great nation… it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.”

In short, if you want leadership with integrity, then stop trusting people who lie “for our own good.” “We can change the direction of our country,” Andrews said. “But only if smart people will get involved in the election process and actually vote.”

Voting is one key way to help turn this country around. Another is for families and individuals to change their personal economies. And there’s no better way to do that than with America’s money class, Financial Peace University. Millions of families have taken control of their money and changed their futures forever. You can too.

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Ramsey Solutions

About the author

Ramsey Solutions

Ramsey Solutions has been committed to helping people regain control of their money, build wealth, grow their leadership skills, and enhance their lives through personal development since 1992. Millions of people have used our financial advice through 22 books (including 12 national bestsellers) published by Ramsey Press, as well as two syndicated radio shows and 10 podcasts, which have over 17 million weekly listeners. Learn More.

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