11 March 2016

Not reading... therefore... US primaries?


This article "don't read" from 9 March is scary. The clarity of the diminishing of the reading, not the capacity to read, but actual reading itself, brings to light so much about the Republican race for the White House and other locations in the US elections. I've been wondering, since I have not met a single Trump supporter, not one, and yet I've been in many places in the US since September last year. Why are there so many people voting for the Donald, people who should know better. He's not a "very good Christian' as he said in the papal criticism. In fact, I've never met a very good Christian who alleges that of themselves as Donald did. On top of that he's a misogynist in speaking about any of his wives, or Megan Kelly or so many women not only in politics, but just about anyone female.

Honestly I don't get it.

I am embarrassed that he demeans people relentlessly, like Marco Rubio whom the Donald calls "Little Marco." Who cares about Rubio's size? All short people should fight against Trump if that's the way he feels about all short people. Then he patronises people. On the CNN debate with the Telemundo woman (Maria Celeste Arraras), he said some ridiculous things about those he opposed, then said in a moment of pandering, "I love those people". His use of 'love' reminds me of something else out of Las Vegan and Atlantic City. Please.
That night last month, he told Arraras " First of all, I don't believe anything Telemundo says." It goes on:
ARRASAS: For the record, you have said publicly that you loved Telemundo in the past. But it is not just a Telemundo poll. We have...
TRUMP: I love them. I love them.
ARRASAS: All right. Well, it's not the only poll.
TRUMP: They're fine. Do you know what? They're fine."

How about just saying, "Please vote for me. I'll do or say anything to get elected." That makes it very clear, doesn't it? And if someone doesn't read the fine print, or any print for that matter, but gets caught up in the emotion, in the applause-o-meters and the polls and the media hype, it's just terrible. Not that I'm a Republican. But if I were, I'd never vote for Trump. Oh, unless I wanted to have him run against my candidate, then he would get in, and ours would win easily.

But in this season of un-intelligent conversation and debating, of emoticons and 140 character thinking, that this allegation about the Supreme Court by Ted Cruz of Mr Trump went almost unnoticed, "interesting now that Donald promises that he will appoint justices who -- who will defend religious liberty, but this is a man who, for 40 years, has given money to Jimmy Carter, to Joe Biden, to Hillary Clinton, to Chuck Schumer, to Harry Reid. Nobody who supports far-left liberal Democrats who are fighting for judicial activists can possibly care about having principled constitutionalists on the court."

Rubio had issues with the Donald in previous contests, but seemed to relax those tonight in the CNN Republican debate in Florida. What (didn't) get into him? Remember this from that same debate about the removal of Obamacare and alternate plans during the debate in Texas?

"BASH: ... Can you be a little specific...
TRUMP: ... competition...
RUBIO: ... He's done it again.
TRUMP: There is going to be competition among all of the states, and the insurance companies. They're going to have many, many different plans.
BASH: Is there anything else you would like to add to that...
TRUMP: No, there's nothing to add.
TRUMP: What is to add?

See, a reader would understand. An emotionalist would be cheering and thumping and waving his banner. A reader would say, "Wait a minute, mister, what's your plan?" And the silence would be deafening.

So what's it like in your world? I'm not really asking your political preferences. Although if you want to share those, fine. For me the issue is-- "Who are those people who are raising their hands to the Donald and casting their votes for him?" I may have found the answer to those real questions.

And it's not a pretty answer.

2 comments:

Black Angus said...

Hi Bob
I have to be careful not to treat US Presidential elections like the Olympics: completely oblivious to them for three years then suddenly an armchair expert when they're on.
I was going going to say I was baffled by this but to me it seems Republican chickens have come home to roost. Their barely disguised racism towards President Obama, pandering to Tea Party extremists, obstructionism, etc. has reaped this catastrophe. While I tend towards the conservative side of things I believe the GOP has forfeited its opportunity to govern until this mess is cleaned up. I would like the party's leaders to step up and say 'Even though this might cost us the election we refuse to endorse Trump as the candidate of the party of Lincoln.'

I am bamboozled by his supposed popularity among Evangelicals. Scary if what you say about reading is true. People certainly aren't reading their Bibles if they support him. And I don't want to hear rubbish about Trump saying things other politicians are too scared to say. He is saying things no Presidential candidate or any other person concerned for the common good should be saying. Nor any Christian, regardless of their politics.

Black Angus said...

Hi Bob
I have to be careful not to treat US Presidential elections like the Olympics: completely oblivious to them for three years then suddenly an armchair expert when they're on.
I was going going to say I was baffled by this but to me it seems Republican chickens have come home to roost. Their barely disguised racism towards President Obama, pandering to Tea Party extremists, obstructionism, etc. has reaped this catastrophe. While I tend towards the conservative side of things I believe the GOP has forfeited its opportunity to govern until this mess is cleaned up. I would like the party's leaders to step up and say 'Even though this might cost us the election we refuse to endorse Trump as the candidate of the party of Lincoln.'

I am bamboozled by his supposed popularity among Evangelicals. Scary if what you say about reading is true. People certainly aren't reading their Bibles if they support him. And I don't want to hear rubbish about Trump saying things other politicians are too scared to say. He is saying things no Presidential candidate or any other person concerned for the common good should be saying. Nor any Christian, regardless of their politics.

Lessons in Discipleship

 A talk given in Sydney's south on a Sunday morning The talk was part of a church service at a Filipino church named Word of Hope.   To ...