AUTHOR’S UPDATE: Please note that the following article was written prior to the actual GOP primaries because I was concerned about people supporting Donald Trump as the Republican candidate. Since then the definition of “Trump Supporter” has obviously expanded to include a larger segment of the population, including people who readily agreed with my article. Thus my assumptions obviously do not apply to all “Trump Supporters.”
For my most recent thoughts on the election and support for President Trump, please see my latest article: A Trump Protester’s Insider Look Within the Evangelical Trump Supporting World.
Dear Trump Supporter,
Let me start by saying that I get it. I get the frustration.
I, too, am tired of all the PC language that has dominated our culture. I’m tired of having to be careful about everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) I say for fear of accidentally offending someone and dealing with hyped up repercussions.
I, too, am sickened with politics as usual – with a stagnant, do-nothing government. I’m tired of unmet promises and of wimpy politicians who won’t stand up for what is right and what needs to be done.
I, too, am concerned about our nation’s security, knowing there are people out there who absolutely hate us and will stop at nothing to destroy us – even to the point of trying to disguise themselves amongst us if they can.
I, too, worry about our world’s economy, with other countries engaging in unfair trade practices. I’m worried about our own nation’s economy, and I’m worried about my next paycheck.
I, too, am frustrated by an ever expanding federal government, continually imposing its rules upon us, forcing us to buy a product we may not want, and telling us what we are allowed to believe…or else.
I, too, am concerned about where our country is headed. I want to see our nation great again.
So I get it.
I get the allure of a charismatic person who speaks his mind, who appears above the fray, and seems to epitomize success.
Why wouldn’t we want an accomplished businessman to run the “business” of the states? Why wouldn’t we want a person who could not care less what people think to break through the barriers of our hypersensitive speech. Why wouldn’t we root for someone radically different than what we’ve seen before in Washington, who promises to get stuff done, while at the same time makes us laugh?
But this is not about Donald Trump. No, this is about you.
For the Donald has said and done a number of things that many analysts have stated should have knocked him out of the race. But rather than causing him to lose ground with you, you have stood faithful. In fact, with each successive event, you not only did not let it bother you, you applauded him all the more.
Therefore, I can assume that the things he has said and done are not only acceptable to you, but are the kinds of things you think will make America great.
So while I get the frustration, I just want you to be aware – if you are a Trump supporter, these are the things I assume about you:
1) You think a great America consists of disrespecting our nation’s veterans, particularly our POW’s.
On July 18, 2015, Trump said of former Navy pilot and POW John McCain, ““He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” McCain had spent 5 ½ years as a prisoner at the famous Hanoi Hilton in North Vietnam, where he was regularly tortured.
Trump later denied saying McCain wasn’t a war hero. He went on to claim that he was a better leader on veterans’ issues than McCain, stating that he had put on benefits for foundations like Wounded Warriors. In a recent analysis, Forbes magazine reported:
The Donald J. Trump Foundation has donated $5.5 million to 298 charities between 2009 and 2013 (the most recent year available), according to the non-profit’s 990 tax forms from those years. Of that, only $57,000 has been donated to seven organizations that directly benefit military veterans or their families.
In other words, “leading” on veterans’ issues means dedicating just a little over 1%. Forbes went on to state:
Wounded Warriors was not among the organizations Trump’s foundation gave to in that time period. Forbes also found that Trump, who we estimate is worth $4.5 billion, has not made personal contributions to his foundation during the same time period.
(UPDATE: After this article was posted Trump sponsored an event that raised $6 million for Wounded Warriors. The timing is interesting to me that just shortly before the primaries he decided to increase his giving suddenly from $57,000 to $6,057,000 and for Wounded Warriors which he previously claimed to have given to but as per above he had not – see point #5 below)
Also worth noting, around the time McCain was being held prisoner after voluntarily enlisting as a Navy pilot, Trump had received four student deferments from the draft and a medical deferment after school, though he’d been active in sports.
So I can only assume since, after all this, you are still very excited to place Trump as the leader of our nation’s military, that respect and support for our military personnel and veterans is not that important to you.
2) You believe that in a great America it’s okay to mock people with physical disabilities.
At a rally in South Carolina last year, Trump mocked Serge Kovaleski, a reporter known to have a condition called arthrogryposis which affects joint movements. Because Kovaleski denied that a 2001 article he’d written supported one of Trump’s claims, Trump publicly “imitated” Kovaleski, jerking his arms about in a manner reminiscent of the disability’s symptoms. Though Kovaleski had covered Trump extensively during the 80’s and early 90’s, meeting with him repeatedly and knowing each other on a first name basis, Trump denied he was mocking Kovaleski’s appearance, claiming that he didn’t even know him.
Not convinced? You decide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biopyTgPDpc
In other instances, Trump has been accused of mocking Charles Krauthammer, who is paralyzed from the waist down, and of making fun of a protestor for being overweight.
For any other public figure making such disparaging remarks it could be almost career ending. But since you not only seem to have given him a pass but applauded him along the way, perhaps it even says something about you. Could it be that you thought his mockery was quite funny, too?
3) You think a great America is where a woman’s purpose is to be a beautiful piece of a**.
Trump famously said in an interview with Esquire in 1991, “”You know, it doesn’t really matter what [the media] write as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of a**.” Granted, that was in 1991, but while his views of many different things have frequently changed throughout the years, there’s no evidence that his views on women have.
And while he doesn’t hesitate to compliment the physical appearance of women, he also just as easily degrades them as well: insulting the face of Carly Fiorina, saying a female columnist had “the Face of a Dog,” calling a lawyer “disgusting” for needing a break to pump breast milk, and implying debate moderator Megyn Kelly was asking tough questions because of menstruation.
This is not to mention disrespecting his own first wife Ivana by having an affair and marrying his mistress who was 17 years his junior. Ironically, Trump tweeted in April of last year, “If Hillary can’t satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America?” So if it’s Hillary Clinton’s fault that her husband had an affair, was it Ivana’s fault Trump had his? Should we assume that his 2nd marriage didn’t last because she didn’t satisfy him either? To his “credit” he seems satisfied for now with his 3rd wife whom he married when he was 58 and she was 34.
Any self-respecting man would not stand for allowing another man to say to his spouse or girlfriend some of the things Trump has said to other women. So why do we allow Trump to get away with what he says without recourse?
It is also difficult for me to understand why so many women support what he says. Could it be if you are female and support him you simply think less of yourself, and could it be if you’re male and support him you’re just less of a man?
4) You hope for a great America that strongly dislikes or refuses to accept entire people groups (and there’s a word for that).
Last year Trump made controversial comments that Mexico was sending us drug dealers and rapists as an argument for why we should round up and deport millions of illegals and build a wall. He also proposed that we put a ban on all Muslim immigrants.
Many, as a result, have accused him of being a “racist.” That’s a tough label to stick on those statements alone, however, because officially he is arguing for the segregation of illegal activities and ideologies rather than any specific race – though, it’s hard to deny that his proposals would end up affecting large groups of certain races or ethnicities.
But it’s the continued pattern of activities and statements over a period of time that has many designating the label. Perhaps it was because he tweeted out a graphic falsely claiming that the majority of white murders are perpetrated by blacks. Perhaps it was because he was his complicit in the beating of a “Black Lives Matter” protester at one of his rallies. Perhaps it’s not just his own actions but the fact that his own father was involved in a segregation scandal through his real estate business.
Yes, in our PC world sometime we get a little hypersensitive, but when the verbiage and actions of an individual keep adding up, there’s a point in which you simply have to call it what it is.
But if that label of “racism” won’t stick, there’s another word that should. Its definition is:
a person who strongly and unfairly dislikes other people, ideas, etc.: a person who hates or refuses to accept the members of a particular group (such as a racial or religious group)
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, that word is “bigot.”
Dictionary.com has the broader definition of “a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.” With his aggressive attack style, it’s hard to imagine a person more intolerant of other’s beliefs or opinions than Trump.
As Dana Milbank states in his Washington Post article, “It might be possible to explain away any one of Trump’s outrages as a mistake or a misunderstanding. But at some point you’re not merely saying things that could be construed as bigoted: You are a bigot.
As a Trump supporter you have not only failed to hold him accountable for any such statements or actions, you have often openly cheered him. Is it possible that one of these definitions also fits you?
5) You look forward to a great America that is politics as usual.
In the last two decades Trump has gone from being a Republican to an independent to a Democrat and back to Republican.
He previously supported universal healthcare but now opposes it. He once proposed a tax increase on the rich but now stands against it. In 2010 he praised President Obama as having done a good job but now describes him as “incompetent.” In 2008 he supported Hillary Clinton’s campaign and In 2012 he said she was a terrific woman; but now he states that she is “the worst Secretary of State in the history of our nation.”
He once said he was “very pro-choice” and now he says he is “very pro-life.” In 2000 he supported longer waiting periods on gun purchases and a ban on assault weapons but now is against those.
Up until 2011 he had made more financial contributions to Democrats than to Republicans.
Just on the recent campaign trail itself he has flip-flopped on issues such as ISIS, Syria, Afghanistan, Planned Parenthood, military spending and the flat tax.
Despite the overall impression he has of being a straight-talker there is no way anyone can know where he truly stands on any issue. Instead of being the outsider, he ultimately ends up saying what people want to hear rather than standing firm on anything.
Many Trump supporters will defend that politicians change their positions all the time. I rest my case.
Trump is politics as usual and you support it.
6) You fight for a great America where the ends justify the means and things like faith and character do not matter.
In your frustration and desperation for change you have compromised some of the very things that were once important to you.
There was a time where the particular faith of the President was of extreme importance to you. Right or wrong, many of you even questioned in the last campaign whether we could trust a Mormon president. You questioned the legitimacy of President Obama’s faith, arguing that he is really a Muslim. But now you strongly endorse a candidate who is clearly not Christian.
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Yes, I said it. I am almost always one who declares you cannot judge another person’s heart – that we will be surprised in the end who will actually make it to heaven. But in this case, aside from his recent misstatement of “Two Corinthians” instead of “Second Corinthians;” aside from the truth that in spite of his claim that the Bible is his favorite book, he can’t name a single favorite verse; aside from the fact that the church he claims to attend has said he is not an “active member” (not one of these alone would necessarily disqualify a person from being a “Christian”) he also has admitted that he never asks God for forgiveness – a central tenet to the Christian faith. Add in his questionable moral behaviors, his “love of money,” his ultimate lack of humility, and his complete disrespect for others (all indicators that he does not follow Christ nor represent his character) and I’ll say it again: Trump is not a Christian.
For many of you that has never been an important qualifier and at least you are being consistent (though I think it should still give pause to the fact he is trying to pass himself off as something he is not). But for others, it has always been important. Why is it not now?
Aside from this, there are other qualities you have also compromised on.
Many of you were the first to question President Clinton’s legitimacy to the office because of his extra-marital affairs and yet you still “stand by your man” when it comes to questions about Trump’s past love life.
You stand by him when he questions whether an American citizen born in Canada, the son of a grassroots activist for Reagan, can be president and yet you have zero reservations about that fact that Trump’s former Soviet Union born wife, the daughter of a card-carrying communist, would be joining him in the White House (For the record, I am not questioning the patriotism of Melania Trump. I have met several former Soviet born individuals who have a great passion for America. I am only pointing out the hypocrisy here).
In addition, 22 writers for National Review, considered the bastion of conservative thought, just came out to declare that Trump is not a true conservative and, in fact, is a “huckster” and a “menace to American conservatism.”
And as much opposition Trump has expressed toward so many leaders at home and abroad, the one person he has expressed admiration for is Russian president (some would say dictator) and communist Vladimir Putin.
In short, in your effort to try to make America great, you have compromised on all that you once believed…or maybe you never really did.
7) You believe in a great America in which the best way to win is to bully (and maybe you’re a bully, too).
We promote anti-bullying campaigns in our nation’s schools and put out statistic showing its links to teen suicide. Yet many of you are making a hero out of one of America’s most well-known bullies.
It’s no secret that when challenged, Trump’s modus operandi is to attack a person’s character rather than substantively address the issue. No one who has questioned him is free from his degrading wrath.
HIs decision to publically give out Lindsey Graham’s cell phone number and social media bashing brings to mind the maturity and scheming of a teenage Mean Girl who belittles everyone around her. Only this Mean Girl you want to make into the school Principal.
As writer Olivia Nuzzi puts it:
Bullying, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, “involves repeated exposure of one person to physical and/or relational aggression where the victim is hurt with teasing, name calling, mockery, threats, harassment, taunting, social exclusion or rumors”—or, to put it more concisely, the entire Trump doctrine.
Many mental health professionals have come out to say that Trump meets the classic symptoms of a Narcissist. They opened up about this out of great concern for what a Trump presidency could mean, in spite of a professional rule (as stated in this article) that you are not normally supposed to publicly comment on the mental state of an individual without directly examining them.
As clinical psychologist Ben Michaelis says in the article, “To degrade people is really part of a cluster-B personality disorder [which Narcissism is part of]: it’s antisocial and shows a lack of remorse for other people. The way to make it O.K. to attack someone verbally, psychologically, or physically is to lower them. That’s what he’s doing.”
Narcissists also have a tendency to be dishonest. Licensed clinical social worker Wendy Terrie Behary, states, “Narcissists are not necessarily liars, but they are notoriously uncomfortable with the truth.”
Michaelis adds, “He’s applying for the greatest job in the land, the greatest task of which is to serve, but there’s nothing about the man that is service-oriented. He’s only serving himself.”
So why support a narcissist and a bully? Is it, again, because the ends justify the means and you’re happy for him to do the dirty work? Or is it, like in all the movies, bullies have their sidekicks? If you’re a supporter, are you a bully, too?
Of course, bullying works, as long as the bully’s on your side. And as shown by his record of flip flopping and dishonesty, there’s no guarantee which side he’ll be. One day this bully might end up in the highest authoritative office in the land. A lot of what he says may be funny now, but if you ever disagree with him, some day he might be bullying you.
8) You dream of a great America with a strong central government that monitors and controls civil liberties such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press (and possibly even the right to bear arms).
Trump has already hinted he would use Executive Orders to the same degree President Obama did, for which Obama “led the way.”
He has also said that we should place surveillance on certain houses of worship and has been open to the idea of keeping a database on people in the U.S. who practice a particular faith. For many of you this idea of the Federal government monitoring and tracking these individuals and places doesn’t bother you because he was referring to Muslims and Muslims right now scare you.
But what happens when an extremist who claims your faith does something terrible and the Federal government decides it’s time to start monitoring you?
And in terms of speech, Trump has already demonstrated he’ll use whatever means necessary (giving out a person’s cell phone #, having protesters thrown out, verbally assaulting and social media bullying, and even boycotting debates) in order to silence his opponents.
Furthermore, there was his questionable statement about closing down the internet:
“We have to go see Bill Gates and a lot of different people that really understand what’s happening. We have to talk to them about, maybe in certain areas, closing that Internet up in some way… Somebody will say, ‘Oh, freedom of speech, freedom of speech.’ These are foolish people.”
In regards to the press, Trump has threatened to sue the Washington Post for reporting on one of his bankruptcies. His own lawyer once warned a newspaper that if they reported about rape allegations against Trump, he was going to mess up the reporters’ life. He stated, “Tread very f—ing lightly, because what I’m going to do to you is going to be f—ing disgusting.”
Now if he’s currently willing to use whatever weapons he has available to him to try to quell any opposing views or press reports, what happens when he has the chief lawyer of the land (the Attorney General), Homeland Security, the FBI, the Bureau of Land Management, the IRS, the ATF, and other Federal offices at his disposal to continue to do the same?
In terms of gun control, many fear that President Obama’s gun control measures are a secret conspiratorial means via which the government will eventually collect all guns and take over dictatorial powers of the states. However, when you think about it, it’s not a President who makes enemies of all the gun-owning individuals that has a chance of taking dictatorial control. It’s going to be the one who has pretended all along to be your friend (the one who continually changes positions, even on issues like this, in order to say what people want to hear) who ultimately will have you duped.
Recently, Trump claimed he was so much loved, he could stand in the middle of a street and shoot someone and not lose any votes.
First, does he think families of shooting victims really find that funny?
Second, why is he even thinking about shooting anybody?
Third, what does that mean he is saying about you? Does he really think you’re that blind of a follower that you just wouldn’t care?
Fourth, what are the implications for putting a bully, so sure of himself he feels he has zero accountability, in charge of the highest office in the land?
Will he then feel he is able to order the shooting or removal of anyone he wants and never lose your unwavering support?
Trump’s rise in power has been very unpredictable. I honestly did not feel he would get this far; so it is hard for me to predict the final outcome of this year’s primaries and election. That said, if you are a Trump supporter I also assume of you one of the following two possibilities:
9a) You think a great America is one that looks like Hillary Clinton.
Early on, many speculated that Clinton hoped for Trump to be the GOP candidate because he is the one she could most easily defeat. Some conspiratorialists have even speculated that Trump is a Clinton “plant” designed to wreak havoc in the GOP.
Trump has indeed deeply divided the Republican party with many conservatives coming strongly against him. He has also alienated a large portion of the Hispanic vote. And neither he (nor any GOP candidate) ever really had the African American vote; but because of his bigotry and racism he’s quickly losing many of the white voters who care about them.
As to myself, many would describe me as an Evangelical Conservative (though that label is a lot wider than people think and it would be hard to nail me down on every issue). And while I feel that neither party has done a good job of representing my views, since 1986 I have always ended up siding with the Republican candidate. Though I have often been unsatisfied with the eventual Republican nominee, I ultimately each time ended up voting for that person (as a lesser of two evils choice) because they more closely represented my concerns.
If the eventual nominees, however, end up being Clinton and Trump, I will not in good conscience be able to vote for either one. The choices to me would be either a slow death (Clinton, by continuing in some of the same policies of her predecessors that are hurting this country) or potential disaster (Trump, because of the reasons outlined above). My vote, therefore, in good conscience would have to go to an independent or a write-in…and there are many just like me. Translation: the eventual winner would be Clinton; so I assume Trump supporters are comfortable with that.
Or…
9b) You think a great America is one that looks like Donald Trump.
Trump has promised to “make America great again,” invoking the idea of making it great like the past. Most discerning people now recognizes that there are things in our past that were good, such as things your “momma” or “daddy” taught you about honesty, hard work and respect, and there were things in our past that were bad, such as bigotry, misogyny, and abuse of power.
So far Trump’s demonstration of “great” seems to be a return to our past in what was bad, while ignoring the things that were good.
Many conservatives themselves, including “Tea Party” leaders, have said that Trump is actually dangerous for America.
And yet, you as a Trump supporter, so far have ignored this, along with all the other warning flags.
It’s like watching a girl in a bad relationship – the kind where the physical abuse actually starts once he puts on the marriage ring. She ignores everyone’s advisement that he is bad for her, even though all the warning signs (the verbal assaults, the dishonesty, the manipulation) were already there to see.
Remember, the Donald is playing “nice” right now in order to get elected. There’s no telling what he’ll do once he has the ring.
In 1 Samuel 8 (that’s pronounced “first Samuel eight”), the prophet Samuel warned the people of Israel that their demand for a king would result in the king’s abuse of power, but the people would not listen.
While he may not claim to be a prophet, Libertarian author David Boaz heeds a similar warning now for us when he wrote for the National Review:
Not since George Wallace has there been a presidential candidate who made racial and religious scapegoating so central to his campaign. Trump launched his campaign talking about Mexican rapists and has gone on to rant about mass deportation, bans on Muslim immigration, shutting down mosques, and building a wall around America. America is an exceptional nation in large part because we’ve aspired to rise above such prejudices and guarantee life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to everyone. Equally troubling is his idea of the presidency—his promise that he’s the guy, the man on a white horse, who can ride into Washington, fire the stupid people, hire the best people, and fix everything. He doesn’t talk about policy or working with Congress. He’s effectively vowing to be an American Mussolini, concentrating power in the Trump White House and governing by fiat. It’s a vision to make the last 16 years of executive abuse of power seem modest.
But it’s not so much Trump I am concerned about as the people. Are we really now the kind of people who want such a king? Does this person really represent our values? Does he really represent you?
Now if you are a Trump supporter, perhaps I’ve made some wrong assumptions. Perhaps you are a very kind and loving individual who has always honored our nation’s military and would never degrade a single person. Perhaps you love people from all walks of life and you get along well with even those you disagree. Perhaps you live to serve others rather than pushing to get your own way.
But when you idly sit by as he says the things he says and his berating of people’s lives causes you to raise your hands in further praise I just have to be honest about the assumptions I make of you.
And if I’m wrong, prove me so. Stand up to him now and then…hold him accountable. Tell him you think he has the skills that it takes and he can still make America great, but if he devalues another soul you won’t put up with it.
But if not then, well, I’ve already listed it.
The question to ask is: are the things I’ve listed what makes America great? If not, when is it great?
America is great when after some kind of trial people from all walks of life come together in prayer and support.
America is great when we see someone in need and groups band together to try and meet it.
America is great when a person in a uniform is eating out and someone pays their tab, thanking them for their service.
America is great when a person in a wheelchair needs to get through a door and a stranger rushes up to hold it open.
America is great when two individuals can disagree but can still have a friendly one on one discussion.
In some sense, America is already great as long as we make a habit and continue to do the things we get right.
But in this day and age when there are still things we get wrong, are you sure the answer is to introduce more vitriol and hate? Is that what will make America more great?
If Trump were to get the nomination and then go on to win the presidential election, that means one thing: that Trump (through his actions and his words) represents what the majority of Americans have become and want more of. That means Trump is America and America is Trump.
If that is the case, then America not only will not be great…I’m not even sure America is or will be even any good.
So the question is…America, are you great or are you Trump?
I guess we’ll start to get a picture soon, beginning Feb 1 (pronounced “first).
Your honest opinions are valuable to me. Please share with me your thoughts in the comments section below. Also, if you enjoyed this article and would like to receive future updates, please sign up for my newsletter below or like me on Facebook.
Hey Steve,
Just wanted to say this was a very well written and informed article . Blogger or not, you did a fabulous job of citing sources and being fair. The idea of Trump as president, to me is scary. He is so inconsistent with his views. No one knows what his true intentions are, however he has lied his way or said whatever is best for a situation to get anywhere . It’s sad that in today’s America, that we do not hold candidates for the highest position in the land to higher standards. Yes Cruz/Rubio may not be the greatest, but atleast you know where they stand on things . I don’t know if you have seen it yet, but John Oliver recently did a video concerning Trump and the pints he makes are just Trump being Trump. Any time I bring up facts to Trump supporters it’s I’m a liar or a liberal. No one comes back at me with proof. It’s just terrifying to think of the unknown that would happen with him in office or Hillary. I honestly don’t think trump can Hillary in the primary’s. I don’t believe he would get the minority votes like Mitt did . However to think that would could come to the point, where its a Hillary v Trump showdown. Just shows how far we have dropped. This was by far my favorite article of 2016. I spent 2 in a half hours, reading and taking in comments/points. Literature is not my strong attribute, but I enjoyed reading this. Look forward to any other articles you put out. Thanks for sharing.
-Matthew Gunter
P.S.- sorry if grammar or punctuation . Like I said literature is not my thing, however I am trying to do my best. Lit 1010/20 is teaching me a lot .
Thanks, Matthew. I appreciate that. And yes, John Oliver video is great.
Trump is a salesmen. He’ll tell you what you want to hear. As he has successfully gone after the low hanging fruit (Right Wing Christians, The less educated, and the patriotic egomaniac) demographic, he knew he could win the primaries as a Republican with the platform he is currently selling). However he also knows once he’s won the primary he can’t win the general on the same platform. So guess what folks? Mark my words (no pun intended) Trump will flip the script as they say, just watch he will pivot left and start talking about the outrage Liberals and Progressives care about. American’s will have amnesia about all the other crap he lied about and be manipulated to buy his new general election product. American’s are programmed consumers, they’ll buy anything which is well advertised and packaged nicely. Sad, but true………..
This is one of the best commentaries I’ve read, re: Mr. Trump, possibly because I’ve been saying the same things for quite some time. I will also not be voting this year, as I believe the choice will he Hillary or “The Donald”. I think Mr. Trump is quite possibly the most dangerous person ever to appear in the American political circle. I look at him and his supporters and all I see is the masses cheering Hitler, no matter what he said, no matter what he had already laid out in Mein Kampf, they didn’t care, they wanted to make Germany great again, and nothing else mattered. At one of his rally’s, I saw his (Trumps) “brown shirts” pushing a woman to the ground and kicking at her, while Trump stood on the podium saying “throw them out, it’s cold out, don’t give them their coats”. Is this how a leader deals with his opponents? The thing I’m most confused about are the (and I know its a vague term) evangelical Christians supporting him, I simply don’t get it. I did ask one, a very strong, fundamentalist Christian, “how can you support this man” I rattled off some of the very things you’ve already mentioned, and her reply was, “I’m not voting for a preacher, I’m voting for a leader” I was so shocked I couldn’t think of a reply. Are our religious organizations going the way of the German Churches, to scared to stand for what they claimed to believe, and kept silent while the ones that did speak out ,went to the camps? I am truly afraid for our country, as you said, will we die slowly through the Democrats party of increased socialism, or we will die quickly through the rise of a “strong American” to lead us into the future. Why do so many not see the danger?
Thanks, Sally. I would encourage one thing, however – please do vote. Even if it’s an independent candidate or a write-in. Every vote is at the very least a statement. Also, stand by for a future past I will be putting out on a radical way for those of us who are unsatisfied with either party choice on how we can respond.
Excellent blog post! If you disagree with the points concerning Mr. Trump, then refute them one by one with facts. If facts are irrelevant to your argument, then recognize and admit it. If you cannot refute the facts, but still plan to support Trump, then you confirm the assumptions of this post.
I am and will continue to be a Trump supporter. You are full of manure. Yes, he is brutal, boorish, and sometimes downright obnoxious , but tells it like it is. He is THE ONLY candidate that tells it like it is. I will never again vote for an establishment politician. I am in my mid 70’s and have voted every year I have been eligible for. You insult my intelligence and I resent it. Why should I log in or give you any information. I don’t want anything you have, especially the stupid incorrect ,biased and twisted comments.
I’d really like to know just what Trump is saying when he “tells it like it is.” What exactly is the truth content of the garbage he spews? No, Muslims are not a threat to the US. No, there’s nothing about racism that’s ever right. No, immigrants aren’t runining the country and no, a wall across the Mexican border is not what we most need. Everything else besides his racist BS is too vague to count as a real political platform, so I’d really like to know just what it is that he’s telling like it is.
After reading most of these comments from drumpfites I am truly frightened for our country. I hope that this time when the effects of the Kool Aid kick in the end result isn’t an end for us all. I am really physically ill when I read your comments in support of this schill.
Let’s get one thing straight. If you are NOT a Trump supporter then you ARE a pussy.
Good thought provoking, substantive response. I just might change my vote now.
I agree with the first part of your article. Regarding all the concerns people have right now. My question is with these being very valid concerns, what candidate running for president now other than Trump will address these concerns. I don’t see any. Do you?
That is the problem. Trump is not perfect by any means but he is the only one that I believe will take on the problems we face today.
Democrats and republicans together have gotten us into where we are today.Both parties share the blame .
I agree that both parties are to blame but while Trump “might” (and I emphasize “might” because it is unpredictable what he will actually do) be able to address some of the problrms, I get concerned when the solution ends up introducing other problems that are every bit as damaging and dangerous.
Are the other candidates perfect? No. Might they ineffective in needed change? Possibly. But much of the electorate has loudly spoken so let’s start holding politicians to the fire while making sure we don’t simutaneously sacrifice human decency or trample human rights.
I really appreciate all the time and well thought out points you have placed into this blog! The only disappointing part is the lack of continued discussions. Maybe if you add some factless rhetoric you will get a few more second responses (politician playbook)…jk. I think this blog is another great example of how polarizing our two party system makes us. We want to know where you stand (what party you support) before we decide if we agree with your points or to what extent.
Having read through a good bit of the comments in this thread the main thing I’ve noticed is pretty much everyone is missing the point of the article which is “If You Are a Trump Supporter These Are The 9 Things I Assume About You.” The Trump supporters are so upset by the FACTS they’ve been presented here they fail to realize this article is about how they appear to someone form outside of their circle. Therefore, pretty much all of their comments serve to only validate the perceptions the author has.
*from
I read this editorial, and about 75% of the comments before posting, and there’s something I’ve observed: There is an assumption made by many commenters that you need to vote for the Democrat or the Republican, or else your vote doesn’t count.
This is something that my father tried to teach me, but that I have chosen to reject (and encourage as many people as I can to reject as well). Vote your conscience. Don’t vote down party lines. Give me a reason to vote FOR a candidate, not AGAINST another candidate.
You’re right that there are many people who have commented here who do not understand the fundamental premises of Logic (capital L). Many of them commit logical fallacies in their arguments, and ultimately are yet-another-uninformed-opinion. https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com
In America today, there are a few things I’ve noticed:
* Many people don’t understand that minimum wage is approximately the same now as it was in the 70’s, when adjusted for inflation. Yet cost of living expenses have risen by substantially more than that. (Source needed… my bad.)
* Many people (my personal observation is that this happens with Boomers more-so than Gen-X or Millennials) have the opinion that we should shut-off the borders because people from other countries are coming in. These people also tend to feel a large sense of Nationalism. (This is a personal observation and should not be taken as hard fact.)
* We talk about “diversity” as being a good thing, but we fail to explain WHY diversity is important or a good thing. Many people don’t understand the argument at a fundamental level because those who DO support diversity have failed to explain the benefits very well. We end up talking past each other. This is a matter or race, gender, disability, etc. (This is personal observation.)
* Older people tend to assume that younger people are less educated (which is sometimes true), or that the past couple of generations (e.g., Gen-X, Millennials) are wholesale unintelligent. Being born in 1979 (on the cusp of those two generations), I take issue with that. What I have observed instead are legions of Americans who don’t understand how to discuss as point/counter-point without insulting each other. They lean on logical fallacies, and don’t provide evidence to back-up their claims. One commenter even said “research that!”. No. That’s not how this works. YOU do the research to back-up your claims, and bring that evidence to the table with your argument.
* Congress passes laws, not the President. Pay attention to who you vote for as your Senator or Representative, because they impact the government more than the President does.
* Follow the money. Most people are tired of “The Establishment”, so we have two major candidates who are not taking Super PAC or special interest money: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. These are the ones to watch. Rubio, Cruz, and Clinton are all taking a very large amount of money from corporate/special interests. See http://sunlightfoundation.com, http://www.chamomileteaparty.com, https://represent.us, http://www.ted.com/talks/lawrence_lessig_we_the_people_and_the_republic_we_must_reclaim, and http://www.ted.com/talks/lawrence_lessig_the_unstoppable_walk_to_political_reform for more objective, non-partisan information.
* Many people complain about “illegals” taking our jobs. In my opinion, if your boss can grab an immigrant off the street and give them your job, your job doesn’t require much skill and it was ripe for the taking already. The better your education, the harder you work, the harder it is for them to give your job away to an unskilled worker. Computers and technology will continue to chew-up the bottom-end jobs. If you work as a cashier at McDonald’s, prepare to have your job replaced with a robot soon. By investing in education — including yourself, your kids, and your neighbor’s kids — everybody’s level of opportunity rises.
* The American citizenry has lost billions of dollars to banks, debtors, and bail-outs than they ever wil to people who cheat the welfare system. See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-quigley/ten-examples-of-welfare-for-the-rich-and-corporations_b_4589188.html, https://www.propublica.org/thetrade/item/in-u.s.-monetary-policy-a-boon-to-banks, and http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/07/wall-street-yep-they-still-own-place. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at Wall Street more-so than the welfare cheater. Don’t look down… look up.
* God gave us all free-will, and I will guard that gift with my votes (among other things). The first amendment to the Constitution grants its citizens the right to not be a Christian. It grants us the right to be muslims if we want to. The fourth amendment grants us the right to privacy, and against unlawful search and seizure. Government-endorsed monitoring of certain groups of people is fundamentally unconstitutional… for realsies. The NSA programs which spy on American citizens have not been able to be ruled-on by the Supreme Court because the government agencies keep preventing the court cases from reaching that level of the judiciary. But we all know they’re illegal.
* This is a very slippery slope, and we need to have the foresight to avoid problems in the future. Today the nation is afraid of Muslims. What happens when the nation becomes afraid of Christians? Are we willing to support the same actions against ourselves in the future that we claim to want for Muslims? How do we prevent that from back-firing spectacularly?
* And yes, Trump gives his opinion openly. But that doesn’t mean he’s not an asshole. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936976021
Blah……..blah……blah……….STFU TRUMP 2016!!!!!
Not sure if you are still paying attention to comments, but I appreciate your article more when I realize you are a conservative evangelist – and I am about opposite of you possible by definition. I see the responses by pro-Trump writers to be in the vein of Trump – attack, blame, insult, anger. Never a rational discourse. Proving your points. Especially about the person who is a Cluster-B personality type, including the near-Cluster-B type that we see often in business and workplaces, or wherever difference of opinion can erode into a power struggle: The High Conflict person. The best way to respond must be strategic and focused on stopping their rant: one must be brief, informative, factual, and friendly. Engaging in the struggle, name-calling, or other issues of contest (e.g., the last Republican debate!) will only motivate the High Conflict (narcissist, etc.) person to continue and escalate the unwanted behavior. (This concept of high conflict is extrapolated from the theories and work of Bill Eddy, psychologist and writer.)
In addition, I would like to share an explanation, in part, for what we are seeing: there is a theory that describes the underlying emotional and psychological differences between a conservative and liberal; it is used to help people understand the workplace and how to get along better with colleagues and clients. When buying (or approving, or agreeing to) a product or service, one type wants to hear the bottom line expressed in an emotional ‘what can I do for you now’ – “You will feel great when I’m done”, versus, the other wants to hear the rational cold details that support the solution – “I will explain to you the details of the plan and why they work”.
Hi, Scott. Yes, I am still paying attention to the comments. And thanks for the great insight!
So, is it conservative evangelical? or evangelical conservative?
How about evangelical and also conservative, to be more accurate. Of course both can be pretty wide spectrums – at least wider than is often portrayed.
Do you want to know what I can tell about you.. You are not a Christian, so you can write all the bad things you want, and it does not mean one thing. I feel very sorry for you and shall pray daily for you Steve. Bettie Anton Iowa,
My only issue with this article is the claim of executive order abuse by Obama. Bush has more than Obama. Evidence ~> http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/every-presidents-executive-actions-in-one-chart/
Good point, Kevin. That’s a fair comment and assessment. Main point is, if you are concerned about Executive order and executive branch over reach now, get ready.
If there was no other reason, I would support Trump because he wants to correct the free trade fiasco. We are losing our middle class at a rapid rate and free trade is the major cause. No other candidate, I do not consider a socialist as an option, is ready to fix this problem. If the establishment is this afraid of him, then that alone is a great indicator I should support him. Our current president has been the most divisive, anti american, and greatest disaster in our history. If america can support Obama and his prejudices, remember his pastor, then Trump is very electable. Also, while Trump has his flaws, he is also a victim of malicious attacks that use half truths, misinformation and lies.
Holy cow! What a piece! Bravo you very, very brave man. I’ve tried relentlessly to sway Trump supporters to see what’s right in front of them. Sadly, I’ve failed every time. I’ve come to the conclusion that they simply don’t care. They just want to win, and to have someone like Trump shoulder their burdens and just “take care of it” no matter what the cost. They will gladly trade statesmanship, high ideals, and moral turpitude just so they don’t have to do the hard work of reaching across the ailse, working with people different from them, to find common ground. That’s just too damn much work. It’s easier to befriend the big bully who will just trample whoever gets in the way. I was so hoping Kasich would rally…
Anyways, thank you for your courage and for being straight with all of us.
Thanks, Lauri.
Everyone always wants to point out things about Trump but know one wants to talk about the lying cheating candidates that are running against him. And the fact that they have been there in the Senate and could of made a difference but choose not to. Saying the opposite now of what they have been actually doing in there government jobs these past 8 years or longer. Some are Allowing illegals to come in and bearing them with gifts as they cross the border. Some Voting for amnesty and others not voting at all when their duty is called upon to do so for the American people! These people are not working for us, but only for themselves, but none of that is released in the media. People make me sick for not paying attention to what is actually happening. All the Trump supporters see this madness and are no longer excepting it. The government is pissed trying to devalue a man just because they know if president they will know longer be in control and will have to suffer the consequences for their disloyalty to the American people. Get your facts straight before you start analyzing a group of people you know nothing about!
I hear you, Jessica. If you will notice at the beginning of the article I list my frustrations with our current government as well and wish to see change. However, I am uncomfortable making the source of that change someone who is unpredictable in terms of where he really stands, is actually just as much a part of the system (just from the other side as a financier of the same establishment), and is a compromise to the moral character and values that I believe our country should be made of. I can only assume that those who support such a person either: A) Have the same character and values of the candidate or B) are willing to compromise their normally upstanding moral values and character just to see things changed. I want change, but not at the compromise of my character.
I want a million dollars and would love to be able to give a lot of it away to charity, but I’m not going to rob a bank to get it. I want to pay less taxes, but I’m not going to lie on my tax forms in order to pay less than whay I’m required by law. I want my kids to make straight A’s in school, but I’m not going to ask them to cheat on their tests in order to do that.
This is an excellently researched and written essay, and I commend your clarity of thought and your candor. I am bewildered and deeply disturbed by the popularity of this outrageously bigoted, divisive, horrible candidate, but even more deeply troubled by the blind obeisance of his deliberately, belligerently, and all too often violently ignorant supporters, who are so willing to embrace a man who campaigns on lies, hatred, and aggression against anyone who dares to oppose him or tell the truth about him.
You and I are very much polar opposites when it comes to political ideology and religion. I am so very glad that you have chosen to speak the truth to your audience, as I have continually done with my own.
It is comforting to me to know that people like you and I, though we support very different candidates, have wholeheartedly chosen together to reject the true madman in the nest of flawed, yet far more viable, campaigners striving to be elected to the highest office in our country, and assume the position of the most powerful leadership on the planet.
Donald Trump must not be permitted to win the presidency. He must be stopped at any cost. The implications on every conceivable level are too dire to allow his vile campaign to succeed.
Your a very very sick man in need of a relationship with reality!!
1) You think a great America consists of disrespecting our nation’s veterans, particularly our POW’s.
17 July 2011 – John Mccain Exposed By Vietnam Vets And Pow’s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hr37eE0nO8 – He was/is WORSE than Hanoi Jane!!
2) You believe that in a great America it’s okay to mock people with physical disabilities.
18 Mar 2016 – 12-Year-Old Rape Victim Hillary Made Fun of Reveals Brutal Truth About Clinton
http://conservativetribune.com/12-year-old-rape-victim/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=TheNewResistance&utm_content=2016-03-19&utm_campaign=manualpost
BUT you think it is acceptable for a lying, corrupt, psychotic, demonrat to let a pedophile rapist loose!!
3) You think a great America is where a woman’s purpose is to be a beautiful piece of a**.
YOU are a SICK individual!! THAT is a muslim belief!! why do YOU think they rape pretty much EVERY woman they see!!
and WHO wants to bring MORE of them into this country?? ALL the establishment puppets!! ONLY Trump wants to STOP it!!
4) You hope for a great America that strongly dislikes or refuses to accept entire people groups (and there’s a word for that).
an ENTIRE group of people?? you mean muslims – who WANT to take over the WORLD!! yes I adamantly OPPOSE these heathens that sodomize children, women, and goats – while chanting DEATH to the infidels!! they were BANNED from entering America in 1952 – with VERY good reason!!
5) You look forward to a great America that is politics as usual.
obama has put America in the toilet – ANY establishment puppet that gets in office will merely FLUSH!! IF you support the NWO, the North American Union and HATE America that much PLEASE move to another country!! oh right… THEY are ALSO being taken over my the muslim horde!!
6) You fight for a great America where the ends justify the means and things like faith and character do not matter.
faith and character don’t matter?? have you NOT been watching as the demonrats have PROVEN nobody matters?? have YOU NOT seen how the establishment has NO morals in committing TREASON over and over again?? WAKE UP!!
7) You believe in a great America in which the best way to win is to bully (and maybe you’re a bully, too).
a bully?? and WHO is FORCING their beliefs on who?? the gender confused DEMANDING to use what ever rest room, locker room, dressing room THEY want without regard to how THOSE policies ALLOW convicted CRIMINALS a ‘safe’ place to commit their next CRIME!! WHO is the ‘bully’??
8) You dream of a great America with a strong central government that monitors and controls civil liberties such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press (and possibly even the right to bear arms).
Trump supporters DEMAND less government control NOT more – WAKE UP!! and smell what YOU shoveling!!
EVERY fee, tax, license paid is the GOVERNMENT selling rights back to the people!!
9a) You think a great America is one that looks like Hillary Clinton.
YOU are delusional!! do YOU really think we would be supporting Trump if we truly wanted Benghazi killary the muslim nazi!!
8 Jan 2016 – Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton says she would most like to emulate German Chancellor Angela Merkel if elected to the Presidency in November.
http://www.infowars.com/hillary-i-will-emulate-chancellor-merkel-as-president/
Chancellor Merkel is Hitlers DAUGHTER!! Look it UP!!
27 June 2013 Hillary Clinton Converts to Islam to Run for President
http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/hillary-clinton-converts-to-islam-to-run-for-president-t11287.html
– STOP drinking the MSM kool-aid bought and PAID for by the global elite!!
9b) You think a great America is one that looks like Donald Trump.
the ONLY candidate in American history to proclaim America FIRST and YOU have problems with THAT?? WOW!! YOU are a special kind of stupid!!
Oh dear, I seem to have managed to delete my own comment, Steve. Funnily enough, the gist of it was that your points ARE awesomely wonderful and that I had not expected that due to having read (and heard) so many people who bring Christianity into their statements in some fashion almost rabidly support him regardless of what he says or does and do so mostly with name calling and mean spirited jibes. I’ve never seen such a presidential election year. I’ve spent considerable time trying to engage people in thoughtful discussion about some of this but ended up watching whatever negative thing Trump does or says rewritten into something they want to believe to such an extent I’d begun to wonder just how many people care about any of those things that were about America being great any more. Thanks for giving me some hope. 🙂
Thanks!
Ah, well written. Ironically, just yesterday I wrote a FB post filled with quite a few like observations, but as luck would have it, mine anyway, it was accidentally deleted prior to posting (using my Kindle Fire) and I simply didn’t have the heart OR the nerve to rewrite to repost.
You see so clearly what so many fail to see or admit. My friends, many diehard Republicans who won’t vote against The Party, even if the presumptive candidate is everything they generally speak out against as Christians, are turning a blind eye simply because they despise Hillary Clinton and the entire Democratic Party. They refuse to peel off the layers of BS that Trump dresses in and SEE the man for what and who he is. He is not what he claims to be. He is not an Old School Republican but instead a deceiver who is practicing everything that Jesus taught us not to. Wealthy, greedy, a liar, a bigot, and more. Also, according to Dr. James Dobson,Trump is a very new Christian, likely timed with his run for office? (my words there, not Dr. Dobsons).
I agree with this blog post all the way to the last sentence and word. And no, I do not like Hillary, even though I used to. I now claim to be an Independent at this point in my life. I don’t know what I’m doing in November but my gut says Trump is trouble to his core.
I urge you to read this blog post once again and listen with both your heart and your brain. It makes total sense.
Thanks for your comments.
While I am sure that you would like to be admired for your comments and point of view, I have no intentions of doing so because I believe that you have missed the most important topic to the discussion that you so eloquently espoused. Donald Trump is not the problem, He is not even the discussion, he is merely the result of the decades long abuses put upon the citizens of this once great country by those who believe that they are Kings, Queens, Princes and Lords who are personally anointed to tell us how to live our lives.
Therefore, the politicians of the last 60 years are the reason for Donald J Trump and those politicians are why we are in the mess we are in! They have destroyed the desire of any good men and women who would step up and become servants to the people but cannot because the system is rigged in order to ensure that the elites stay in control.
The politicians who have allowed non elected bureaucrats the right to install rules for each department that they control and put upon the populace strict and infringing limitations to life, liberty and the pursuit of businesses that impose road blocks that are not only illegal but destroying this country.
So if you hate Donald Trump, you must explain to me how you will vote for any other politician when it is the politicians who are the problem and certainly not the solution. Donald Trump is a successful businessman who does not need to run but is losing business because of those infringements that I mentioned previously and that is why he is running today. The political class are the problem and the people are tired of the political class to the point of picking anyone who ain’t them!
Since you decided to attack the People who like Trump, I choose to tell you that your attempt, while well written, fails to encompass the entire picture and what brought us this man that irritates so many for doing absolutely nothing wrong but is not your ideologically driven monarchs!
I was flipping a coin the other day, and try as I might, I either got Heads or Tails. I was a #NeverTails person, and could not stand the thought of ever getting Tails when I flipped the coin. Tails are bad for a nation. Insulting, bad rhetoric, unpatriotic, etc. So with all my strength, I kept up the #NeverTails campaign. I was passionate about it. I criticized all other people that could possible like Tails as well. But, I also was a #NeverHeads person. Heads were Insulting, bad rhetoric, unpatriotic, etc…. just 10 times worse. Because I only campaigned against Tails though, I ended up with Heads. Oh well. At least I didn’t get Tails. So I just through the coin in the toilet.
Ok – stack up all of those naughty things Trump has said that have mostly been twisted into untruths and put them against the columns of Clinton offenses. Or even Obama offenses.
Trump is someone who truly loves this country and ALL citizens and like many of us who support him, he doesn’t want to see America get broken down and weaker. Hillary will be the final nail in the coffin of this country as she plays footsie with proclaimed enemies of this country as Obama has for 7+ years.
Idiots didn’t take what was right before their eyes with Obama long before even the 1st nomination with his “like family” America and white hating minister in a church he attended for 20+ years. THAT was the true character of the Obamas yet people still voted him in.
Now we have stacks of situations linked to the Clintons and their breaking of laws – Federal and otherwise. There is a list of 46+ deaths in the wake of the Clintons……a bit too coincidental. Impeachment of Billy. Hillary’s condemnation of the women Bill violated. Whitewater. And now the FBI lists substantial numbers of Top Secret emails on Hillary’s private server which by rights is a Federal offense, but he sees nothing to prosecute?? Clinton Foundation – heavily funded by Arab countries, etc. – the list is endless!!
But articles like this that make Trump into something he is clearly NOT when comparatively he’s a kitten and merely a devoted and concerned American citizen – is maddening!
Want Obama’s and Hillary’s new world with violence and uncertainty for your children and grandchildren? I feel very sorry for them as they were never given a chance.
Someone else wrote this but it’s true…..we are now in a world of trouble and violence and our “leaders” have not protected this country….
Jennifer Therese Williams “Try to keep this in mind, Donald Trump did not steal your money. Donald Trump did not raise your taxes. Donald Trump did not quadruple the price of food. Trump is not stirring a race war. Trump did not leave any US soldiers in Benghazzi to be slaughtered and desecrated by Muslims. Trump did not send the US Navy to fight for Syrian ,Al-Qaeda. Trump did not arm ISIS and systematically exterminate Christians throughout the Middle East. Trump did not betray Israel. Trump did not provide financing and technology to Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Trump did not give our military secrets to China. Trump did not remove our nuclear missile shield in Poland at the behest of Russia. Trump did not shrivel our military, and betray our veterans. Trump did not cripple our economy. Trump did not increase our debt to 20 trillion dollars. Trump did not ruin our credit, twice. Trump did not double African American unemployment. Trump did not increase welfare to a record level for eight years. Trump did not sign a law making it legal to execute, and imprison Americans. Trump did not set free all of terrorists in Guantanamo bay. Trump did not steal your rights!”
J’aime · Répondre · 8 · 39 min
As a legal immigrants to this country and some one who has proudly and horonably served in the United States Coast Guard I get extremely upset when you accuse me of being a bigot because I believe that all illegal immigrants should be deported back to were ever they came from. My parents spent their life savings to come here legally and play by the rule. Why should I accept the fact that because you lack the will or the spine to enforce the rules of because those that broke them feel that they are entitled to be here. If you are so worried about families being ripped apart then maybe they shouldn’t have brought them here in the first place. I pay my taxes and I am sick and tired of our government wasting our resources giving my money to people who have broken the law and then expect financial compensation for doing so. As it stand right now there probably won’t be any social security for me or my wife when we hit retirement age but I bet there will still be money for services to illegal aliens. Tell me that I am wrong I dare you too, you won’t because I speak the truth. Pull your head out of your collective behinds and wake up.
First of all my Sincere Admiration to the Moderator for his loving efforts at involving citizens in respectful discussion, which is more than I can say for news outlets at large..
Leonard Ogle: I think this is an valuable comment, ..
“The politicians who have allowed non elected bureaucrats the right to install rules for each department that they control”..
I don’t think that these committees should have the power to toss good ideas or impose unreasonable ones without the full vote of elected reps.
Heidi, Oh My..Your recent 7/5 comments ..
tirade,made above, seem to me to show, & I am sorry if I am wrong, that you have bought, hook,line & sinker, everything that Fox News has stated as FACTt It has been proven that over 60% of what they write is lies, designed to promote frazzled viewership in large numbers…like…put out an outrage and people will pay attention..Rating I mean I mean.$$$
I don’t like everything Hillary has done and was a Bernie Sanders Supporter (& no, do serious homework & U will know he is not a “Commie” by the way…so don’t even go there..please)
But please Hillary is not the only human responsible for the people dying in Benghazi..it is so much more complicated than that.gees woman,, Did U know 4 instance that Republican for over 2 year at that time had flat out refused to allow for additional monies to be sent to protect our outposts? I bet U did not know that. Hard Choices were made. And Yes, the Lybia intervention wa a bad choice.
And where did you get the idea that Obama is giving technical advise to the Iranians for their Nuke program??..that is really pretty dumb..
The only thing that will protect us against Nukes is to do what ever, wherever we can to make sure that no other countries develop them or use them.’ Obama & Clinton are trying to be careful and difuse a war.
Would you rather we hit they with Nukes after one of their religious Zealots gets carried away and ordes a 1st Strike? And both sides poison half the World in the process ??(just look at just the nuclear radiation leaks today from the Japanese plant on our own West Coast that are killing half our marine life!!, and that was an accident, gees !)
It s far better to keep a lid on their, Iran’s aspirations for Nukes as we Observe (have you read) that their younger geneartion is actually leaning toward democracy and away from the older crazies? Yes, I said, give their money back and let them develope a modern “thinking” state.
Come on Heidi, (& I am speaking to many of you Trump Zealots) start educating yourself and then your family and friends about the diplomatic, possibilities for peace.
Israel by contrast will not expose to the World what they even have in Nukes and lords it LL over everyone as if they are superior. It is simply not right and it will not promote World Peace. Or maybe you prefer war.?
Also many don’t seem to know that most illegal aliens cannot, I repeat can’t collect Soc Security. Their Children, if born here can yes. In fact Illegal Aliens do have to pay taxes if they work which they do in huge numbers and do in surprisingly huge numbers that far offset any social services you complain of. Your white accountant down the street likely cheats more on taxes then most of them do.
Again, do the research.
And yes I am a White Presbyterian, 8th generation American if you need to know. One of my relatives was one of the 1st 8th minutemen killed in the Revolutionary War on Lexington Green.
Just stop reacting about Trump everyone and start to Think what is best for everyone.
CRITICAL THINKING guys. It is a class available from most Junior College night schools really cheap people. It taught me how to evaluate information & people better 30 years ago.
Meditation & Prayer
Mary
Steve:
Very good article. I especially like where you “get” those who are frightened about the path the country is taking–and I’m a Democrat. But I’m a Democrat who understands that one can honestly believe differently than I do and NOT be crazy. In fact, the two parties need each other–it’s kind of like a marriage, where your spouse keeps you in line by disagreeing with your most far-out ideas. We need voices that disagree with us so that we can see where we, ourselves, are not viewing things from a useful perspective. But back to Trump and Clinton: I am fully trained in clinical psychology, and Trump appears to exhibit all the characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Having lived with a narcissist myself, I personally know the lies, chaos and self-serving orientation such persons bring with them. Trump spells disaster for the US–but, having lived with a narcissist, I can tell you that MANY people are manipulated and pulled in by their charming, forceful personalities–until it is too late, and they realize it was all a mask hiding complete disregard for the needs of others and total focus on the self alone. (By the way, Obama has a strong ego but is NOT a narcissist–the behaviors people point out to prove he is narcissistic are also typical of people who are defensive, and he’s had plenty of reason to be defensive; and his children are definite proof he’s not a narcissist, for they tease him unmercifully and no narcissist could ever take that kind of teasing from his kids; in fact, Trump’s own kids have admitted that it’s pretty much “all about Dad” (self-centeredness) when it comes to their father, further providing evidence for NPD in Trump. All in all, there are few psychologically valid indicators that Obama is a narcissist, but there are many valid psychological indicators that Trump is a narcissist. This is not to say that Obama was a good president–that is clearly arguable–but narcissism isn’t a factor in why he was or wasn’t a good president. But narcissism will be strong factor in why Trump will be a huge problem as president).
I’ve been urging Republicans who cannot ethically and morally vote for Trump to vote a third party candidate that upholds the values they see as important. I myself will vote for Clinton, as I’ve independently investigated the charges against her made by conservatives and find that many of them are mere innuendo–not fact based, but more conspiracy-theory-like. Granted, she does have verifiable issues–the email issue was a foolish choice on her part–but she is not nearly the scoundrel many conservatives have made her out to be. Yes, she’s a problematic and not ideal candidate, but she is far more stable psychologically than Trump will ever be–and since I agree with many of her policies, and don’t believe she is nearly as bad ethically as many conservatives believe–it makes sense for me to cast my own vote for her. However, if you don’t agree with her policies, I strongly uphold your right to vote against her. But in this case, I’d urge you and others who disagree with her policy positions to vote Johnson or Stein or some other third party candidate–or even write in a vote for someone else.
Believe me, there were a couple decent candidates for President in the Republican party (John Kasich comes to mind–I’m from Ohio, and my respect for him has grown quite a bit over the past few years, as he’s shown a deeply principaled manner of operating that, while I don’t agree with many of his positions, I’ve respected in him as Governor of Ohio) that I wish had won the nomination so that we could have a decent choice of candidates. And, although I wouldn’t agree with many of the decisions made by one of those decent candidates were they to have won the nomination and presidency, I would have no fear that their behaviors and personality would be anything less than productive and appropriate for filling the highest office in the land. I would have willingly and respectfully viewed them as appropriate and rightful holders of the Presidency; however, I doubt that, were he to get elected, I’ll ever be able to view Trump with the respect the office of President should garner. And I’d never, ever be able to trust his ability to negotiate in a world where the slightest gaffe made by a sitting US president can start an international conflict of massive proportions.
In the end, I highly respect you for your placing of country above party loyalty when it comes to Trump. I would do the same if it were the other way around (i.e., withdraw my vote from the Democratic party were Trump its candidate). I would even consider voting Republican in that instance. But at the very least I would vote a third-party candidate who best reflects both the policies and values that I adhere to.
My best to you. Let’s hope that Trump’s charisma and ability to manipulate don’t draw enough unknowing voters into his trap that he actually wins this thing.
Thanks for your kind words and for sharing your perspective.
So what would your solution be?
Not seeing any solution offered, just complaining. Typical liberalism.
As for a ban on Muslim immigrants…as a Christian minority raised in a predominantly Muslim country I know first hand how they treat minorities. They only demand acceptance and tolerance when it’s them who are a minority. I speak from a personal experience and nobody can tell me nothing, definitely not some “tolerant liberal” who never been outside Cali/NY. With Syrian Christians being massacred Obama admitting nothing but Muslims (all in the name of tolerance) who for all we know may have perpetrated that genocide, was dangerous and irresponsible. Our citizens’ interests should come first. Nothing wrong with what Trump proposed here. Europe admitted them in the name of tolerance and political correctness. Worked swell in Sweden didn’t it?
The corruption and crime of Hillary Clinton surpasses anything ever seen in a nominee. Her supporters ignore all of it and blame Trump for the very things Clinton has been doing her entire professional life. Then they show how much they hate that type of character that Clinton displays when they see a fraction of a percent of it in Trump. They both have their faults. Clinton’s are hands down beyond repair. Her supporters make it clear that they despise the very things that Clinton is made of only if Trump is wearing it, and so if you hate Trump and you disqualify him, you are disqualifying your own nominee ten fold. There doesn’t seem to be any desire to weigh the facts and see who is less criminal. It is not an objective decision at all. It has turned into a personality battle when we are talking about the handling of a very fragile nation full of people who couldn’t care less who you “love” and who you “hate,” but what is going to help our country. Clinton makes it crystal clear that she is not trying to restore our country but to hand it over to a new world order which is a disaster meant only to make a few evil people rich. Hillary Clinton is not going to stand in the bowels of our broken country and coddle us all and sing us to sleep at night. She will ditch all of us because she dislikes the average person because they don’t have anything she wants except their money and their silence. You have to pay to play with her, and she still won’t like you. As soon as a Clinton supporter can explain why the same accusations they put on Trump to disqualify him are acceptable when Clinton is guilty of them, 10 fold, and do so in a diplomatic fashion that lays out their reasoning in clear, objective terms instead of resorting to name calling using blank unfounded premises to bad mouth anyone who doesn’t buy into their deceptive agenda, they might have a chance at selling their nonsense, but so far no one has made an intelligent case against Trump and his determination to lead the country and protect our constitution whether you like his personality or not. Clinton does not want to protect our constitution and she openly hates half of us. The other half she thinks are fools for supporting her because she knows she has no intention of helping them and that they will believe her when she says it’s the Republicans’ fault when she fails. If she can’t do anything because someone else is preventing it, then what power does she have at all? Obama did nothing for our country as a whole and he doesn’t even deny that. He blames the past Republican presidents, which means he is admitting failure because he names a culprit, which means he is powerless to do anything. Why would you want to elect a career failure endorsed by a career failure? I still don’t have any good reason given as to what Trump can possibly be guilty of that the Clinton’s and Obama’s haven’t topped by a landslide. He doesn’t even hate the lot of citizens who are nothing but a giant wall of hate. That is the biggest clue there is to make a rational decision. He is encouraging everyone to let him help them. His proposals include everyone. He doesn’t sling obscene name-calling schemes and attack our very core of our existence, yet try to have one intelligent conversation with a Clinton supporter and the arrows and foul-mouthed, non-cognitive, primitive shout fest begins. Their only weapon is their foul mouths, calling anyone who doesn’t like scandal a racist, but no show of integrity or rationale comes out of their angry minds. I know that the average comments on both sides come from the least equipped to discuss an issue, but beyond this forum, there is still very little usable information coming from strong Clinton supporters. On the contrary, there is plenty of opportunity to calmly and respectfully sit down and discuss the core reasoning behind Trump supporters’ decisions. It is just wrong. If you know that you don’t know everything and that your sources are not proven to be reliable and that your accusations are not personally, by you, investigated and critiqued objectively, and if you know that you don’t understand the principles behind your own decision as opposed to the principles offered by your opposing side, which you have also researched personally and objectively, then you know you could be wrong. Maybe it’s better for everyone to step back and imagine what will happen to them if they find out they are wrong and then try to predict what your future might look like. I guarantee you that Hillary Clinton will be nowhere in sight when she gets the keys to our Kingdom. Prove me wrong, and don’t call me names. What I am asking is fair and pertinent. What you want to suppose about me personally is hardly relevant. Stick to the topic and resist diving into emotional anxiety attacks. Cognitive thinking can’t live in such an environment. The topic is clear. Stick to it and convince me.
One more point. He brags he hasn’t paid taxes in years. So who is filling in that gap? Guess what it’s citizens like you & me!
“The choices to me would be either a slow death (Clinton, by continuing in some of the same policies of her predecessors that are hurting this country) ”
I wonder if you have a blog post on that subject, and, if so, I wonder if you would want to provide a link from some part of that quoted text to the blog post. I’m curious as to what you think the top ten Democratic polices are that are destroying America.
I skimmed ahead to your #1, your numero uno. Being a prisoner of war is not courageous, it’s unfortunate. Courage isn’t defined by the circumstance you are in, but how you act after being placed in a given circumstance.
That is like saying saying all liberals are stupid.
Wait, that might be true. Nevermind.
Thanks for commenting. If courage is how you act after being placed in circumstances (which I agree with) then I encourage you to read up on how McCain handled himself while a POW including his refusal of early release.
But I disagree on your point that being a POW is not courageous. Anyone who puts himself in the potential position of becoming a POW is courageous. For that matter anyone who enlists to serve in our military is.
You have a rule of no personal attacks in the comments. But your whole article contains personal attacks towards Trump voters. You really need to get your facts straight about Mr. Trump. I think you’ve been reading too much fake news, and not listening to his own explanations. You had your own agenda for this.
Thing is Hillary and Trump have done terrible things and they aren’t the best people. But they will never be held accountable for their actions… Because they have money coming out of their a***s. All they have to do is throw a couple thousand bills the way of anyone that would arrest them and they are good.
I only voted for him because I was fairly sure that doing so was thumbing my nose at the establishment. I also knew I could have been wrong about that but I am sure of one thing. As long as I live in this world, I will never know the truth about hardly anything at all. You obviously care a lot. Thanks.
Who are you? Progressives faslify news. The Liberal media has absolutely no credibility as a result of prior decisions and perceived dishonesty. Russia didn’t sway the outcome. Hillary is horrible and people in the US are sick of it.
You are soo hypocritical. Prigressives will openly accept every race, religion, gender, sexual preference, etc.. But……if you have a different political view” look out!”
Funny how Republicans are labeled as bullies. Couldn’t be further from the truth. If you pay attention you will see who the TRUE bully is? Which party posts an open boycott of any business that contributes to the RNC? Boycott Amazon, Macy’s, Walmart? Dont shop at LLBean besause one of the 20 ececutives contributed to his or her preferred political party. Wow. If you mention your political views in public or have someone else find out how you voted and you may be publicly harassed and ousted from a career. This was done in California by a group of LGBTI?? who preach the most about equal rights.
I Googledon’t ” why do democrats bully Republicans.” The result I get was ridiculous. I get a myriad of articles related to Trump and previous racial prejudice from Republicans. Such a media bias.
I may have a different political view but your perception of “me” as a Republican couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m a human. I have moral fiber. I am a husband and father of 2. I have a Masters degree and have worked professionally in the Healthcare field for almost 20 years. I treat all my patients the same regardless. I am a moderate conservative married to a moderate liberal. Both of us are good people and want what is best for our children.
Democrats are in an awkward position but the fact is Trump is our President. As Americans we need to stand toget her and work to make our country the best it can be.
Thank You,
Matt
This is Allot of crazy left wing SPIN
This dude/author is so ignorant and offensive, I stopped reading after scanning his first 3 criteria.
I can only hope that not all Democrats are as pathetic and full of hate as he is. Unfortunately, the most aggressive ones I have met also were the most brainwashed. (That is, if there ever was a brain to wash , in the first place?).
So, while I am not going to pretend I know all about the Democrats (as that would make me equally worthless to the author of this sad excuse for a text), I will say the ones I met, despite pretending to want a dialogue were nothing more than bullies trying to coerce me to give in to their views, by whatever means necessary: intimidation, shaming, calling me names, raising their voices, putting up a tantrum. In other words, the ones I know don’t even show maturity to enter a voting booth, let alone vote.
And the fact that they voted TWICE for Obama, well that speaks for itself.
That being said, thanks to everyone who reads this and please, don’t try to convince me otherwise.
Just next time you try to argue your political views try and be more considerate of the ones who don’t share yours. After all, we are all Americans, and we have more in common than the ones who develop the Democratic rhetoric would like to admit. I will not try to prove it, but it is self-evident that the ones trying to antagonize/polarize American people to such an extent have lots to gain while the general American public too much to lose.
In conclusion, to put it simply, if someone called on you in many ways to hate your brother (that you love), would you do it? I have faith in you, I think not.
So, American person, Democrat, Republican or other, just keep it simple: Love your country and your fellow Americans with it. It’s really THAT easy.
Thank you. We AREAll in this together. If we practice tolerance of opinions we can begin to truly seek resolutions to the many issues in front of all of us. Try and see why someone feels the way he/she does and we just may learn something Or be able to share something different. Just saying…