Maybe it’s the cynical journalist in me, but I have always been skeptical of the intelligence of the average American voter. Too many people vote for candidates, especially for president, for all the wrong reasons, but not because of his or her stand on the issues.

Never was this more apparent than in Tuesday’s election of Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. He is a highly intelligent man, who came up with a brilliant strategy to win election. Millions voted for an eloquent speaker who promised to bring “change” and “hope” to America, but most didn’t have a clue what that really meant. They just wanted someone other than George W. Bush.

The president of the United States is the defacto leader of the Free World. As a nation, we are in the midst of a worldwide battle against Islamic terrorists. Domestically, the unemployment rate is rising, while the financial crisis caused by irresponsible lending practices mandated by congressional Democrats wrecks havoc with the financial markets, including Wall Street.

At this critical moment in our nation’s history, what do the voters do? They elect the most liberal president ever, who has such long-time radical associates as to probably be a security risk himself, were he not elected president.

Obama is clearly the most arrogant man ever to be elected president, beating even Bill Clinton. Of course, you need to be arrogant to write two autobiographies before you actually accomplished anything.

I’m sure millions of Americans, especially young people, voted for Obama because of a sincere belief he would be the man needed to lead our country to a new era of peace and prosperity. I hope they do not become disillusioned with the political process once the “chosen one” becomes a colossal failure.

Obama is a socialist and a hard-core liberal. I do not wish failure on any president, but if Obama governs as a socialist and hard-core liberal, than failure will be inevitable. Socialism has never worked anywhere in the world, and it surely won’t start to work now.

The election of Barack Obama as president was certainly a historic moment in our history, which clearly shows how far this nation has come in race relations. I can understand the euphoria that many in the black community felt Tuesday night, especially older blacks who faced various forms of discrimination during their lives.

However, voting for someone solely because of their race should be viewed as being as morally repugnant as voting against someone solely on the basis of race.

Despite Obama’s campaign of class warfare, he received many votes from rich liberals. It will be funny to listen to them complain when their federal income taxes are drastically increased.

Make no mistake about it: A Barack Obama-Joe Biden administration means higher taxes for everyone, vastly increased wasteful government spending, defense budget cuts, an increase in terrorism, millions more unborn babies murdered and judicial activism run amok, which will threaten the liberties of every American.

The Bible states that God ordains the leaders of all nations, whether they be good or bad. As a Christian, I have an obligation to pray for the leaders of our country, including the president, Congress and the judiciary.

Not only will I pray for safety and good health for our national leaders, but also for a miracle in their hearts and minds. I will pray for a miracle in which they will turn away from socialism and liberalism and toward the conservative path of liberty and prosperity.

Now that would be a change I could believe in.

n Tim Pinkham is a correspondent for the Times-Herald. He is married to Peggy and they have two grown children, Joel and Rebekah.