Sending a message

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I
reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind
me" (1 Cor. 13:11). That was the first Bible passage I memorized as a
youngster.

I was reminded of it recently as I was thinking about one of my
favorite pastimes as a kid, messing around with my dad's ham radio
equipment. I'd sit at the console and tap out messages in Morse Code.
But of course the equipment was all turned off. So no matter what the
message was, no one ever received it.

Sure, it was fun. Pretending to save the world in a variety of
crises, I felt important, indispensable, powerful. But then I became a
man and I put my childish ways behind me ... or did I?

Like many of you, I've spent much of the last year puzzling over the
race for the White House. Wondering how I should cast my vote. Gore? Not
a chance for reasons too numerous to mention. Bush? He didn't excite me
much.

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The candidates I came to admire all were "second tier" or third
party. Alan Keyes, Pat Buchanan, Howard Phillips have all, in one way or
another, at one time or another, moved me deeply.

And so I decided some months ago I would use my vote on Nov. 7 to
"send a message."

Then recently I realized, just like when I was a child, the
"equipment" is all turned off -- not a soul would get the message.
Nothing would change. My vote would be wasted. It was a painful
realization to reach. If you know anything about my story or my music
you know I am, at my core, an idealist.

Yet sometimes you must make pragmatic decisions about how to focus
your idealism. I believe Nov. 7, 2000, is one of those times.

George W. Bush will get my vote, and I'd like to tell you why.

First, a few weeks ago I had a remarkable opportunity to spend a few
minutes with Gov. Bush one-on-one. I liked what I saw. He was genuine,
he was warm and he clearly cares deeply about America and about freedom.
You might say, "C'mon, what can you really tell about someone from a
five-minute chat?" I think you can tell a lot -- I often go by gut
instinct in sizing up people -- and my instincts have rarely let me
down.

Second, I believe he has an intuitive understanding of what America
needs now and what is right. I might not agree with him chapter and
verse on specific policies but I get the sense that we're at least
reading from the same book.

Third, his opponent is a serial liar whose positions on virtually
every issue would limit your freedoms. In Gore I see the personification
of evil. George W. Bush offers the best opportunity we have to rid
Washington of the most corrupt administration we have ever seen.

Since I reached this decision I have been volunteering every
available hour I have to help
elect George W. Bush as our next president. I've been contacting
everyone I know urging them to support Bush. I urge you to do the same.

It doesn't always go over well. Living in southern California and
working in the entertainment industry I run into a lot of Gore
supporters. But every now and again I stumble across an undecided voter
... one of my kids' teachers, a cable TV repairman, a sales clerk ...
someone willing to listen.

Then all of a sudden I'm a kid back at my dad's radio rig -- sending
a message -- but this time it's different. All of the equipment is
turned on -- and finally I do have a chance to be important, powerful,
indispensable -- and heard!

Steve Vaus is a singer-songwriter. His album, "American History," is available through his

website.