The election is tomorrow. I have been becoming more uneasy about it for weeks. Not many entrepreneurs are starting new businesses right now. In fact, the media says small businesses start ups are the lowest in decades. They tell us that businesses are sitting on a huge pile of cash unwilling to invest in today’s uncertainty. I and the other investors in Indiana Caverns have already paid that decision. Which candidate is going to pull American up out of the doldrums? It hard to start a business and have success in lousy economy.

Whatever the outcome of the presidential election in this increasingly polarized society, 50% of American’s are going to be unhappy. If O’Bama wins, will business owners and entrepreneurs just sit on their hands for the next four years? If the Republican’s retain the House, but lose the presidency; will America go over the edge of the fiscal cliff? Will either of the two political parties be able to stop the overall economic decline of our country? To say nothing of our obvious long term moral decline?

All these things make one uneasy. It makes me long for the “Leave it to Beaver” days in grew up in during the 50’s, although in a number of ways America is a better and more just society today than then. However there is no denying the American family is in big trouble these days. No thinking American can deny that single parent households are not good for most children. Children need both mommy’s and daddy’s to go up healthy and become productive members of society. Yet most of us otday don’t seem to be strong supporters of traditional marriage. Do we think what we are doing today is really working better? While America has made progress in some areas, it hard to believe that God is overall pleased with the direction things are going.

One party on the surface seems to stand for fairness and a more just society. Unfortunately, they seem to think the government is the best instrument to implement this. Call me a little jaded; but at 65 years old I haven’t seen the government do much well in my lifetime other than maintain our freedom. And it has done only at a horrific price. Anyone who has lived long enough to take off the rose-colored glasses knows government bureaucracy is probably one of the most inefficient mechanisms for doing anything.

On the other hand, the other party seems to fall short too. While they realize that capitalism is certainly the best economic system for maintaining freedom and creating economic wealth for a society, they often do the bidding of big business, the greedy and violate Biblical principles too. The Bible says leaders are to lead by example. Big business CEO’s certainly work very hard and long hours, but how can they lead by example when they pay themselves $10-20 million a year plus stock options?

While it may seem self-serving, everyone knows that small business is the main engine of job creation and innovation in the US and around the world. I am looking for a party that champions small business and self-reliance. Unfortunately, it seems America rejects the concept of a third party and taking over on of the two existing one’s against their establishment leaders is very difficult.

One party seems to be almost rejecting capitalism these days and yurning for a utopian society. But on a personal basis, that parties leaders don’t even contribute much to charity and a utopia has to be based on putting others first. That has been tried many times over the centuries and always fails miserably and often with terrible consequences. The other party professes to believe in small business; but doesn’t always govern like it does. Occasionally a candidate arises that is honest and trustworthy for the most part, but the same can never be said of party behind them.

All this leaves me uneasy as I write this at 3 AM Monday morning. In a few hours, we will be at it again busting our butt underground in the damp muddy darkness of the cave developing a new tourist attraction for southern Indiana, Hopefully we will provide some new jobs for our community and bring lots of new visitors to our area, who will also spend money in a large variety of other businesses while here. The question I have is which candidate for President will provide the moral leadership and economic climate necessary for Indiana Caverns to grow and prosper?

If you know the right answer, please vote for them tomorrow so we can have a chance to be successful and make a difference in our community.