Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Launching of David Sander's Political Career Is Good for Us All

Recently I wrote about my friend David Sanders leaving his highly popular television and newspaper media positions to become the campaign manager for Stanley Reed in Reed's attempt to defeat incumbent Arkansas U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln. Unfortunately, due to a deteriorating prognosis from doctors regarding Stanley Reed's physical health, Mr. Reed had to pull out of the U.S. Senate race shortly after hiring David. But the turn of events has led David Sanders to run for office himself--the beginning of what I believe will lead this young, conservative Christian to the governor's mansion of Arkansas and beyond. He's that good.

My wife and I sent a contribution to David's campaign today. Though we live in Oklahoma, and David is running for a house position in Arkanas, we contributed to help David in his campaign. I'm a firm believer that Christians everywhere should support people who have similar moral and ethical values. Let me encourage those of you who either know David through his writings, or are interested in helping a wonderful Christian young man launch his political career, to visit David's campaign website at www.davidsanders2010.com and make a donation or sign up to help his campaign team.

David J. Sanders, 35, is a Republican candidate for the Arkansas House of Representatives in District 31, which covers portions of West Little Rock and Hot Springs Village as well as western Pulaski and Saline Counties. Sanders began working in politics in the early 1990s. While a college student pursuing a political science and communications degree at Ouachita Baptist University, he was a member of then-Lt. Gov. Mike Huckabee's 1996 gubernatorial transition team. After graduating from Ouachita, Gov. Huckabee selected Sanders to serve as a policy and communications aide on his staff. He left the governor’s office to serve as press secretary to the late-Dr. Fay Boozman on his 1998 U.S. Senate campaign. During 1999 Legislative Session, he worked with the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives and Paschall Strategic Communications.

From September 2000 until December of last year, David served as columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. During that time, his twice-weekly column appeared in more than 25 newspapers in Arkansas. In 2002, at the age of 27, Arkansas Business named Sanders to its annual "40 under 40" list. In addition to weighing in on Arkansas and national politics, as well as a myriad of policy debates, Sanders was a tireless advocate for lower taxes, limited government, protection of the unborn and property rights. A recognized conservative voice, his work has been featured nationally in The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online and World Magazine. Last year, he began writing a nationally syndicated, bi-monthly column for the Associated Baptist Press in Washington.

In addition to writing, Sanders created, produced and hosted "Unconventional Wisdom," an award- winning public affairs program carried by the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN). He served as an essayist for public radio in Little Rock, frequent contributor to AETN’s "Arkansas Week" and as a regular political commentator for Arkansas television stations. In 2005, he was awarded the prestigious Robert D. Novak Journalism Fellowship by the Washington-based Phillips Foundation to begin work on a project entitled: "The Reluctant Convert: Why Arkansas Has Not Joined the South's Republican Realignment."

David and his wife, Rebecca, have five children: Abigail, 10, Noah, 9, Isaac, 7, Elijah, 2.5 and Levi who was born last October. He is an ordained deacon at Little Rock’s First Baptist Church.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wade,

You make a good point that I haven't considered previously.

Supporting politicians who are likely to contribute to the strengthening of the moral fabric of America is a good investment even if they're not elected officials in the area in which I live.

I've never considered supporting a candidate running for governor or state representative in another state but maybe this is something worth considering. I can see how we all can be effected by a candidate's victory even when we're not considered to be a part of their constituency; i.e., Massachusetts.

Steven Stark said...

I looked into Ms. LIncoln's record and she seems a bit conservative - but I appreciate a centrist, in theory at least. Perhaps I will send her a donation to counterbalance some of the other possible donations encouraged here.....

;)

I appreciate the education on the state of the Arkansas race. I am sure Mr. Sanders is a fine man. Thank you.

Steve said...

I am sure Ms. Lincoln is a fine person who might even be above the average U.S. Senator in some important ways. I daresay she would almost certinly be a tremendous improvement over the current President.

However, she has shown in glaring detail how her judgement can be affected by forces outside of her state. If you put party above what's right, where do you stop?

Not saying for a moment that I could do any better or even as well, of course.

This David feller sounds like the real deal.

Anonymous said...

Only posting to milk this word verification:

imenitt

What is the last word of every Arkansas politician's stump speech.

:)

Jack Maddox said...

Keven

LOL!!!!!!

j

Blake said...

Wade,

Why do you think this is something Jesus would do?

Ron said...

David is not running against Blanche Lincoln. He is running for a vacated house seat. Vic Snyder the democratic representative for central Arkansas is not running for reelection. There will be many democrats and republicans lining up for this slot.

I had not heard about Reed's health problems. Most thought he was not running because he had little chance of winning the republican nomination. He was a long time democrat who was switching to the republican side so he could run against Lincoln in the general election. The extreme right wing Republicans in NW Arkansas would probably not have supported him and that is where the money is.

The reason Arkansas has not joined the Republican alignment is that most Arkansas democrats are probably more conservative politically than republicans in other southern states. We try to vote for the person with the best character and integrity not the party. Unfortunately that is not easy to do.

Best wishes to David in his race. I am not in that district so I cannot vote for him.

Dr. Mike Kear said...

I'm convinced that mixing politics and Christianity doesn't Christianize politics but instead profanes Christianity.

Dr. Mike Kear said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Email the nasty emails to Wade.

"The only way to beat a bully is to _____ ___ __ ___ ____!"

Class?

Byroniac said...

I'm so cynical. A friend told me a joke, "if voting could change things, they'd make it illegal." I guess it's not THAT bad, but I can't help wondering how much you have to compromise to climb the political ladder or sometimes just to stay in office (I have no doubt though that we have a few fine Christians in office, however).

Alan Paul said...

I agree with you Dr. Mike... seems we Christians live by "In Politicians we trust - especially Christian Politicians and even those who aren't Christians, but do what we want them to do." I've never seen a politician Jesus would support.

Rex Ray said...

Off Topic for some; On Topic for others. :)

I hear this link won’t last long because it violates copyright laws, but I LOL when I watch it over and over.

www.timcartersfirepit.com/scott-brown-and-adolf-hitler.html#more

Ron said...

I didn't read the article carefully. David is running for state representative not the US house. Best wishes still.

Rex Ray said...

Wade,
You said, “Christianity and Politics are not only the same thing…”

The word “only” makes the sentence mean the opposite from what I believe you intended it to be.

Yea, just being picky – picky. :)

wadeburleson.org said...

Rex,

Thank you. That's what I get for typing on my blackberry early in the morning - typos. Smile.

I deleted the comment, and reissue it (corrected) below:

To All

"I agree, Christianity and Politics are not the same thing, they can never be the same thing. It is impossible.

But Jesus is interested in politicians. David Sanders and others like him are not Christian politicians, but are Christians who happen to be employed in politics."


Wade

Christiane said...

Wade's endorsement of David Sander's character is certainly to be respected.

I do agree with Dr. Kear that when politics and religion are mixed, both lose something.

But when a man of character commits himself to Christ in a way that honors the dignity of every human person, and applies that commitment to all of his endeavors, we all win.

I just wish that some of the prominent politicians in South Carolina felt the same.

Born children, whatever their circumstances, are innocent creatures of God. They depend on adults to care for them. The moral, ethical, and the Christian response to the needs of dependent children is to do what is right and just for their sake.
Labeling poor childrens in the same class as 'stray animals', whether it was to uphold a political position, or to reinforce a 'grass-roots' prejudice, is just plain wrong.

I hope God has mercy on the poor children of South Carolina. They will need it, I think.

David Sanders, if Wade stands up for you, I know that you will never, never see any child in the same light as 'a stray animal'.


My school faculty spent many a dollar on supplementing the lunches of our students who 'fell through the cracks'. I know that none of us EVER, EVER felt that we were feeding 'stray animals'. We loved them like our own and would not have seen them go hungry.

I just don't understand anymore.

Lydia said...

"Labeling poor childrens in the same class as 'stray animals', whether it was to uphold a political position, or to reinforce a 'grass-roots' prejudice, is just plain wrong."


Obama's half brother, George Obama, lives in a tin shack in a Nairobi slum in Kenya's poverty row like a stray animal.

Or how about his aunt who is an illegal alien, denied access to him during the campaign as she was living on welfare? There is even an AP press interview with her crying over being denied any access to him. She says she is a political liability to him. Nice guy. Real compassion.

Christiane said...

Perhaps, in the end, the Judeo-Christian teaching that the dignity of the human person must be upheld,
is not, for every 'denomination' a 'primary teaching'.

In the light of Pat Robertson's comments about the Haitian victims, and the recent comments of a well-known lieutenant-governor of South Carolina,
I wonder about the importance of this teaching among some who call themselves 'Christian'.