I’ve pointed out here MANY times I’m a Christian (a believer in Jesus Christ) and many times I’ve pointed out how it’s been difficult for me to watch the so-called “evangelical Christian” community as the base for the most disgusting “politician” I’ve witnessed in the MANY years I’ve been following politics – and, of course, I’m talking about Donald Trump. (I’ve been following politics since the days of Dwight Eisenhower v Adlai Stevenson back in the 1950’s – listening to my Mom and Dad arguing over the two people nominated to the presidency TWICE in those days) Well, today, Trump took his pathological LYING to a place I didn’t even expect from him.
I turned on the TV this morning as I was planning to check Yahoo Finance, the page I’ve been frequenting since the 1990’s – despite the fact I’m not much of a stock investor. There was Trump hawking the “God Bless America Bible.” I’m not kidding. And, I actually forced myself to listen to his pitch. It was beyond disgusting. First of all, he’s holding a bible in his hands as he continues his PATHOLOGICAL lying to – apparently- those he’s bee grifting for money over the past 8 years. But, that’s not all.
It was the nature of the LYING which really got to me. Now, I’m going on my feeble memory – about the best I can do these days is “Person, man, woman, camera, TV” but I’ll do the best I can as I try to share the jaw dropping response I had to Trump LYING about God. And, keep in mind, I’ve done a bit of “Google” research in an attempt – over the past eight years – to find how often Trump goes to church. Well, the answer is almost NEVER. Plus, there are reports he belittles the “Christians” who have ventured into the “White House” (while his reign continued) or Mar-a-Lago to place hands on him and pray – You can read about it HERE.
Today Trump actually said he has “many bibles” in his house – “It’s my favorite book.” Well, if you’ve been paying attention you know that Trump doesn’t read and, if there are “many bibles” at Mar-a-Lago (I seriously doubt this – unless he’s got copies of the one he’s hawking) it would be Gideion Bibles in the various rooms – because it’s kind of like a hotel. I can virtually guarantee you if there are ANY bibles in Trump’s actual residence it’s because Melania has decided to read one. Trump can’t name a “favorite verse” and the thinks 2nd Corinthians is “Two Corinthians.”
The second most DISGUSTING thing Trump has done with a bible in his hands was when he stood in front of the church across from the “White House” holding a bible upside down for a photo shoot. The man has NO shame when it comes to what he’ll do in order to “get what he wants.” If success requires LYING to a bunch of “Christians” then he’s willing to do it. And, sadly, the “Christians” are willfully STUPID (sorry – as I’ve said before, I can’t think of a better term) as they somehow “marry” their “Christian” beliefs with a man who comes across as an organized crime boss. To me, there’s no plausible excuse for this.
Trump has threatened the foundation of our government – via the coup d’etat attempt on January 6th, 2021 and the “slow moving coup” that has transpired over the following 3 plus years. It shouldn’t take someone “educated” to understand when a presidential candidate is threatening to end our constitution (the initial coup was live on TV) – which has governed this nation for nearly 250 years (granted it’s got it’s faults, but until we got Trump’s right wing Supreme Court, the document was clearly a “living document” which has evolved “forward” over time), he’s threatening to undermine one department of our government after another, he’s threatening to “defund our police” (IE, the FBI and Justice Department), he’s threatening (for about the fiftieth time) to throw out the Affordable Care Act, he’s threatening to pull the U.S. out of NATO and he’s been lobbying his “sheep” in the House to block additional aid to Ukraine. He idolizes Vladimir Putin – a murderous thug.
It is Trump who brags about being responsible for the overturning of Roe v Wade – although, now that he fully understands the backlash to that ruling he’s trying to figure a way to make “both sides” happy. I can guarantee you, he will be unable to make the women in America who believe they should have control over their own bodies happy. Does he really believe proposing a 15 week abortion ban will make women in America happy? They will continue to vote AGAINST him and the republicans who support him in record numbers. Does this mean he can’t possibly win? No, because, one thing we can be guaranteed is he will CHEAT. (And, his republican sycophants will cheat as well)
Another thing I’ve pointed out on this site many times is how republicans have ways of “winning” the “White House” despite LOSING the “popular vote” – meaning with MORE people voting for the democratic opponent than, well, voting for the “winner.” Our TWICE IMPEACHED two time popular vote LOSING four times indicted Civil Trial LOSING, alleged sexual abusing (ex) president is a prime example of that. He “lost” to Hillary Clinton by THREE MILLION votes and to Joe Biden by SEVEN MILLION votes. George W Bush lost to Al Gore by about 500 THOUSAND votes and needed the Supreme Court to install him and Dick Cheney into the “White House.”
The “trick” is always third party candidates. In 2000 Ralph Nader led to GW Bush, and, ultimately, the invasion of Iraq (possibly even 9/11 as Bush/Cheney IGNORED the warning signs). Jill Stein led to the first term of Trump (of course, along with the Russians, the Saudi’s, the Emerati’s, the Egyptions, and, of course, Bibi Netanyahu (via a couple Israeli intelligence operatives – working in concert with Cambridge Analytica). Now, we’ve got RFK Jr. bound and determined to help Trump gain a second term. And Trump’s major donors are also, get this, RFK’s major donors. Surprise, surprise. This really grieves me for sentimental reasons.
The first year I voted was in 1968 (you had to be 21 back then) and the candidate who got me really involved in the election was Robert F Kenedy – RFK’s father who very well may be “turning in his grave.” I was devastated when RFK Senior was murdered! His son has his sights set on the young Americans who Biden will be depending on if he is to win again this November. Talk about your “fool’s errand.” I hope America’s young voters have a clear enough view of recent American history to remember how we got to this place with the Supreme Court, the environment, the gun violence, the assault on health care, Climate denialism, attacks on voting rights, attacks on public education, and much more. Kennedy should be looked upon as the pariah he really has become.
As much as I was supporting his father back in 1968, you could say I’m much more focused in wanting RFK Jr.’s campaign to fizzle. Our republic may depend on it. There is NO chance for him to do anything but become the most egregious “spoiler” in this nation’s 250 year history. He has chosen a “former” democratic supporter from the Silicon Valley who was once married to one of the founders of Google (and has plenty of money to fund their campaign along with social media knowledge) as his “running mate” and, to me, they are the most significant “hurdle” which could “derail” Biden’s campaign. (She gave RFK Jr. $4 MILLION to help fund his Super Bowl ad – along with $7 MILLION from Timothy Mellon a prominent financial supporter of Trump)
I’ve been saying for a couple years now – since Biden convinced me he understands what legislation is required to move this nation “forward” – it’s America’s young people who SHOULD be supporting the OLDEST president in our history because he’s the one who – despite a Congress which has been virtually 50/50 – has managed to get historic legislation passed over his first few years in office – legislation no other president in recent American history has managed to get passed. The list of reasons young Americans SHOULD be supporting Biden is a long one. I’m just not convinced they fully understand what he’s accomplished. (Apparently they get their “news” on Tiktok)
I’ve become convinced there’s not much room to “convince” the MAGA faithful they’re being LIED to (today, another example of Trump with a bible in his hand – more on that later) over and over again – classic Nazi propaganda strategy and they willingly go along with it. I know people (I go to church almost every weekend and, when I don’t, I watch it on the computer) who actually refer to Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson as “Sean” and “Tucker” as if they are their long lost buddies. These are people who actually DO read the bible. You can’t talk to them about politics – I’ve tried. (Not even trying to convince them of my beliefs just wanting to understand theirs) They get angry and defensive – at least the ones I’ve tried to talk to. Stuff they say to me I’ve been unable to find in the bible.
That said, I believe young Americans can be reached – at least I hope they can. I’m also, as are they, upset about the “war” on GAZA and the suffering of the Palestinians. I wish President Biden could simply tell Bibi Netanyahu to stop and he would listen. But, that’s totally naive. Netanyahu and Trump are like a couple bullies at school who align with each other for “strategic” reasons. They’re BOTH under indictment and BOTH attempting to solve their legal issues via political power. I’ve been saying this since before Israel entered GAZA – “Netanyahu will keep this war going indefinitely because his survival depends on it.
I believe the Israeli’s will remove Netanyahu from his perch at the head of their country soon after this invasion ends. And, Netanyahu is, while most people have their attention elsewhere, further “cementing” his strategy to BLOCK any attempt at the so-called “two state solution” by encouraging MORE (illegal) settlements on the “West Bank” and arming the settlers there which encourages more violence against Palestinians. I hope the people of Israel understand what Netanyahu is doing to their image around the world with people who are Israeli supporters (like myself). This can’t be the reason why America’s young people allow Trump to return to the “Oval Office” and I hope the Biden administration is able to put “conditions” on any more aid to Israel. The U.S. can’t abide the further slaughter of Palestinians! Stay tuned……
Final Thought: In case you don’t know how to use Google (or you’re just tired from reading all of this – congrats, by the way, you read more than Trump) you can click HERE and HERE to get a couple quick views of what a great “Christian” Trump really is. As someone who golfs – but, not on Sundays – I thought the second article was very interesting. (Most of my close acquaintances – ie golfing buddies – ridicule my Christian beliefs because of “Christians” like Trump. I tell them, “I believe in Jesus, NOT Trump” – so far that hasn’t seemed like much of a witness)
I have to add: For those who study the history of the previous 100, or so, years in America – the parallels between Trump’s MAGA movement and that of the Third Reich in 1930’s Germany is, well, sobering. Read the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer if you want an interesting read which clearly memorializes the dangers of right wing movements like that of Hitler’s Nazi’s. The book I’m reading right now, “Prequel” by Rachel Maddow, really brings the 1930’s Nazi movement in America into a bright light. History “swept under the rug.”
For those who believe “It can’t happen here” – I would respectfully disagree. That would be true if our voting public was not so susceptible to a Con artist like Trump. But, the reality is there is a significant portion of America’s public who’ve “inherited” the racist, bigoted views of their parents and grand parents – who participated in the Jim Crow era of American history – and who are genuinely susceptible to Trump’s schtick. It’s almost as if America’s Southern states are hell bent on reliving the so-called “lost cause.” Yikes!