Posted on 01/02/2016 7:30:04 AM PST by Isara
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This is precisely what Donald Trump, national GOP front-runner but second place in Iowa, told an Iowa crowd this week while stumping for votes.
Just remember this -- you gotta remember, in all fairness, to the best of my knowledge, not too many evangelicals come out of Cuba, okay? Just remember that ... just remember.
...We will not dedicate time, space or energy to parsing those words in ways that might offer some alternative meaning than the one most evident and likely, which would be this: Donald Trump thought it would advance his political aims if voters in Iowa were reminded that Ted Cruz is a Cuban (technically half-Cuban) and/or cast doubt on whether Cruz is a true evangelical.
This comes from the the ever-useful section of campaign play books that say tell voters why your competition is "not like us."
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First, Donald Trump's knowledge of the Cuban religious diaspora is, apparently, limited and outdated.
In Cuba right now, Protestant and Protestant Evangelical churches are experiencing rapid membership growth. In the United States, Latino-Americans with ancestral and direct links to many different Latin American countries, including Cuba, are driving some of the only growth in many Protestant denominations. Latino evangelicals represent the fastest-growing religious group in the United States. Some are Cuban-American evangelicals.
To be clear, the majority of American Latinos are Catholic. But the share who are Catholic slid from 67 percent in 2006 to 59 percent in 2013....
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Finally, Ted Cruz is a self-identified evangelical and the son of an evangelical -- and many would say extremely conservative -- Cuban-American pastor. We have no more reason or authority to doubt that than Donald Trump's declarations that he is a life-long practicing Christian, even if he cannot name a Bible verse. That is between Trump and his God.
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(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I don’t know any evangelicals or Christians of any kind who have never asked God for forgiveness.
This is possibly the nuttiest of the odd things Trump has said. But maybe he means no harm, just brash NYC talk.
Trump is correct...Rafael Cruz wasn't born again until years after he left Cuba.
Not too many constitutional conservatives come out of NY.
Many of Trump supporters on FR agree with Trump. Just get on any Cruz thread and you will see.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
By the same author...
How Black Lives Matter moved from a hashtag to a real political force
By Janell Ross
I don't think God meant YOU to know everyone who has asked him for forgiveness and to make judgments on people you perceive have not.
To the best of my knowledge, no evangelicals have ever come out of Mrs. Fred Trump, okay?
By the same Washington Post author:
Violence toward Black Lives Matter activists erases any doubt: We live in a time of racial strife
By Janell Ross
“Like the WashPo is really concerned about this.”
Trump supporters seem to be. Take a look at this thread if you don’t believe me:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3378909/posts
The Washington Poopsheet is just having a norml day, slamming Trump.
Lol. Or even true conservatives!
You’ll get a few dozen posts here from Trumpettes to the effect that “It’s a Donald thing. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Corinthians? They’re fine people, wonderful people, make a tremendous leather product. My home in Malibu is covered in it.” #TrumpBible
heh
Go Trump!
Last few polls have had Trump back in a tie or gaining ground back on Cruz from the DMR poll. Two of the last three have been tie, Cruz 9, Trump 3. So the trend is somewhat back in Trump's direction and obviously the DMR poll was quite an outlier, even if it had the general direction at the time right. But last polling sample was 11 days ago, and the Cruz lead was two weeks ago, and the DMR poll was 22 days ago. So these are all a little old.
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