What happens when a loose cannon runs for president, wins, and decides he can do whatever he wants? What happens when emotion replaces common sense and reason? What happens when distracted people forget their values and fall into the religion of opinions and vices?

When I sat down to write Cavernous in 2013, I never dreamed it would approach reality. But now, with the circus of the 2016 election campaigns, I’m not so sure antagonist Adrian Lamb wouldn’t fit right in to the mix.

The political disarray of Cavernous starts with a small Facebook group that goes viral and grows into over a million followers. Dissatisfied Americans throw their fits on social media, leading to the assassination of the president and vice president, which throws the country into a tailspin. One man rises up to set things back in order, convincing several US states to secede and form their own nation.

Far-fetched? At first, I worried that this plot might be. However, the character of Adrian Lamb was crafted from traits observed in several notorious extremist leaders throughout history. Anything is possible, and we must all take caution to choose candidates who reflect our values not only in their stated promises, but also in speech, policies, character, and personal lives.

Here are five traits Adrian Lamb possessed that should make a voter shy away from any candidate:

1. Adrian focused his attention on attacking others rather than championing them. Remember that the president must lead ALL his or her constituents, whether they agree with them or not. It’s impossible to lead someone and vehemently oppose them at the same time. A good president will engage in civil disagreement, and realize that it’s policy or action they hate, and not the person.
2. Adrian’s campaign was focused on problems rather than solutions. America is obese,  we’re addicted to too many things, our schools are in crisis, morals are declining, and unemployment is too high. So, he took over the schools, banned the vices, implemented a forced religion (with his own version of the Bible), restricted food, and gave people assigned jobs. Maybe some of those things are true, but a person who does nothing but complain in the campaign will likely do nothing but complain in office. A solutions-oriented president will brainstorm, test out ideas, seek advice from wise counsel, and implement good practices.
3. Adrian rewrote the rules to suit his whim. Lack of consistency makes it near-impossible to lead, and whims change. With Adrian, the more frustrated he became with opposition, the more rules he wrote to protect what he envisioned his perfect world. Before long, those disobeying his wavering rules faced terrible punishment, including death. It’s happened over and over in history. Think King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel, for example. How far is any society ever from the point of punishment in a lion’s den or fiery furnace?
4. Adrian sowed seeds of discord rather than unity. He pitted different groups against each other to draw attention away from his own misdeeds. This will come back to haunt him, because once they all realize what he’s done, they will unify against him. Good leaders bring people together to reach common goals rather than trying to consolidate their own power.
5. Adrian revised history to distort modern truth. He relied on the disengagement and lack of knowledge of Americans, both regarding Scripture and historical fact. For so long, schools have struggled with students who have not seen the value in learning about the political mistakes of the past. He tapped into the frustration of overzealous folks who want to use religion to create a utopian world. They were blind and ignorant to the consequences of Adrian’s policies because they weren’t informed about historical tragedies and focused on their own selfish desires.

One of the scariest things about a leader like Adrian Lamb is how easily he convinced people to buy into his extremism. He catapulted himself into celebrity status with little, seemingly inconsequential requests. Then, voters were willing to give into his outlandish requests, like asking to be called lord rather than president. Finally, his constituents were easily tricked into giving up their free will.

Some may read this post and believe I’m assigning these traits to a current candidate. I merely believe these are issues to consider with all candidates. My support wholeheartedly goes to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’ve lovingly disabled comments because I have no intention of engaging in a political debate about one candidate over another 🙂 Thanks for understanding!

Cavernous is available on Amazon, for both Kindle and print. Book two in the series releases in Fall 2016.