Posted on 02/26/2016 8:10:18 AM PST by Kaslin
If Donald Trump ends up being our next president, I will pray that he will be the greatest president we have ever had and I will fervently hope that I'm absolutely wrong about all of my concerns. Until then (or at least until we decide on the Republican nominee), I will sound the alarm and raise my voice as loudly and clearly as I can.
Do not be duped by Donald Trump!
The issue is not whether he's a true Christian.
The issue is whether he can be trusted and whether we even know what his real positions are.
So I ask you, if you are a Trump supporter, with all respect for your zeal and with affirmation of your frustration with status-quo politics, how can you know what Trump really believes or what he will actually do if elected?
He changes his views from one day to the next - sometimes diametrically - and flatly contradicts his previous positions, then insults and mocks those who challenge him, often in the most puerile ways. No other candidate in memory - perhaps in our nation's history - has vacillated so wildly and dramatically in such a short period of time.
Trump truly is the vacillator-in-chief.
Let's remember that we're talking about who will be the next president of the United States, arguably the most powerful person in the world, so this is not the time for blind loyalty. The stakes are very high.
Please look at the facts honestly, and if you have the courage, look at them through the eyes of a critic or skeptic.
Last week on MSNBC, when pressed by Joe Scarborough, he pledged to stay neutral on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict until elected president, not only an ambiguous answer but a weak answer. Less than seven days later, speaking at Regent University, he pledged "100% support" for Israel.
Which position, if either is true? What will Trump do if elected? Who knows?
And is it at all curious that on the infamously liberal MSNBC, hardly a pro-Israel bastion, Trump would not openly stand with Israel, while at the famously pro-Israel Regent University, he promised to stand with Israel?
Trump is either lying or vacillating or both, but either way, he's untrustworthy.
Earlier this month, when asked by Chris Wallace on Fox News if he would nominate Supreme Court justices who supported overturning the Obergefell decision which redefined marriage, Trump said he would "strongly consider" it. Less than one week later, he assured a lesbian reporter that under his administration, there would be great progress for LGBT Americans.
When pressed by ABC's George Stephanopoulos as to how both of these positions could be true at the same time, he answered (to paraphrase), "Well, it's a long way off, George, but trust me. We're going to have great judges and everybody will love them."
This prompted the gay, PinkNews website to opine, "It's all very clear: if you're a lesbian voter he will support your marriage, but if you're an evangelical voter he'll oppose lesbian marriage. If you ask on Fox News then he will absolutely consider it, but if you ask on NBC then he hasn't decided whether he will decide to decide yet."
Trump also vacillated wildly when asked whether his sister (of pro-partial birth abortion fame) should be nominated as a Supreme Court justice including: yes; no; I was joking; I wasn't joking; I have no idea what she believes. (This is a partial, very rough summary.) Then add to the mix that, in 2000 he said there should be no abortion litmus test for federal judges.
And the list goes on and on, almost endlessly.
During Thursday night's debate, Leon Wolf tweeted this quote from Trump: "I have great respect for Justice Scalia," followed by, "Trump Less than 5 months ago . . . slammed Scalia for not supporting affirmative action."
Others called him out during the debating for reversing his position on Libya's Qaddafi, contrasting his remarks in the debate ("[Cruz is] saying I was in favor of Libya? I never discussed that subject. I was in favor of Libya? We would be so much better off if Gadhafi were in charge right now.") with his 2011 comments that, "Now we should go in, we should stop this guy which would be very easy and very quick. We could do it surgically, stop him from doing it, and save these lives."
So, not only did he deny ever discussing the subject - either an outright lie or an example of a terrible memory - but he also reversed his earlier position.
Then there are his contradictory statements on government funded health-care, Planned Parenthood, and a host of other important subjects.
As Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (@DunsScottus) tweeted during the debate, "Trump is actually just Sanders in a toupee. 'I'm gonna give you coverage for pre-existing conditions but no individual mandate.' Magic!â€
Not surprisingly, immediately after the debate, the Cruz campaign released a video from the debate, where, in answer to Cruz's "true or false" question, Trump said it was "false" that he ever said that the government should pay for everyone's health care. This was followed by a clip from Trump's September 27, 2015, 60 Minutes interview in which he stated emphatically that, "The government's gonna pay for it."
Speaking of Cruz, let's not forget Trump's vacillating comments on him, ranging from: he's "a little bit of a maniac" to "he has a wonderful temperament, he's just fine, don't worry about it," back to he's a "Very nasty guy," a "total hypocrite," a "liar," and "a very unstable guy" (all in the course of a month).
And we can't leave out his statements on Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, going from: "I think she really works hard and I think she does a good job. I like her" (2012), to: "worst Secretary of State in the history of the United States" (2016).
Shall we also mention Trump's completely absurd statements, such as his suggestion after the debate that "maybe" he's being audited because he's "a strong Christian"?
Or what of Trump's righteous indignation over former Mexican president Vincente Fox that Mexico is "not going to pay" for that "f----ing wall?†He said to Wolf Blitzer during the debate, "This guy used a filthy, disgusting word on television, and he should be ashamed of himself, and he should apologize, OK?" And he said this with a straight face.
And in a post-debate interview with Chris Cuomo he actually said, "And I could tell you I would not use that word, but if I did use that word, uh, I probably wouldn't have even been allowed on the stage tonight."
This prompted Cuomo to laughingly respond, "You do understand there's a touch of irony in that . . . ." To say the least!
What's really sad, though, is the response from his supporters, even when he's exposed.
I posted this on my Facebook page after the debate: "Come on Trump supporters! Wake up and face reality. You cannot believe what this man says -- unless you really believe he's being audited because he's a strong Christian. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid!"
Trump supporters responded with gems like these:
"Ur a moron and as evil as Obama is."
"U DONT HAVE A CLUE... TRUMP 100 %... we need a strong man and he is all we have... Christian or not... that is not your call... lol...and who are U...or who do U think U R... an old joke..."
"Gooo TRUMP!!! Please stop the bashing thank u"
"And ur a Christian. U prove my point because ur not just a money hog or prob will burn in hell Ur a Christian. Hahaha. Maybe so is Obama Yep same cockroaches"
"You are a Christian leader on here attacking us on you're site??? Way uncool?? What other Christian leaders would do this??? Report this site and delete!! U don't need to be rude!! Not a Christian at all."
And there was this truly insightful comment: "I spoke to a Trump supporter today and he told me, 'it's part of life to flip flop on issues because your learning new things every day.'" Unreal.
One day earlier, I had conducted a poll on Twitter in which the vast majority of those who responded said that, of Trump, Cruz, Rubio, or Carson, it was Trump who was the least honest. In response to this, the "Trump Revolution" tweeted back, "Bad poll. Trump is the most honest!"
@DrMichaelLBrown @CaraKeith22 Bad poll. Trump is the most honest! ??????— Trump Revolution (@organic2016) February 26, 2016
As I said two weeks ago, Trump could say he's been lying all along and his supporters would commend him for his honesty.
And so, Trump can decisively lose a debate to Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz with headlines proclaiming, "Donald Trump Was Badly Exposed," yet his followers, who apparently dominate Drudge Report, can crown him the overwhelming victor. (When checked at 3:00 AM, EST, the Drudge voters gave Trump 60% of the vote with a combined 34% going to Cruz and Rubio.)
May I make one more appeal for sober reflection and sanity?
Happy Silly Friday ...moving on.
You can give us your take on the Trump University Fraud trial I'm about to post.
Post away. At some point you'll realize your efforts are wasted. The electorate is rejecting Cruz and Rubio. Your cheer leading will soon turn into spite as you will feel compelled to spend the next several months posting every negative story about Trump you can dig up from the far reaches of the Internet. As you type, the anger will boil within you as the white spittle will form at the corners of your mouth.
I feel for you really I do. It sucks to lose.
But that doesn't mean I'm drinking the Trump Kool-Aid.
There are serious issues I have with The Donald.
No anger/spite here, I don't let all this crap bother me.
Especially on Friday.
It's you Trump folks that are such sore winners.
We just have to let the campaign play out. We haven’t got to the bottom of Trump yet.
Every time TownWhore.com tries to spike Trump, I become more resolved to back him.
Listen to yourself! You are, in essence, saying that an inconsistency in position should be a disqualifier. Of all of the candidates, the one you favor has been the most inconsistent on positions of any of them. You’ve somehow divined Cruz’ position has changed on amnesty. You probably mocked him for standing on principle in Iowa when he stood up to ethanol mandates. (Because that’s what a sellout does. Not!) Which president Trump will we get? The one who favors a mandate or the one who doesn’t? The one who favors gun control or the one who doesn’t? The one who thinks Planned Parenthood “does great work” or the one that’s pro-life? The one who says establishment is good? Why does Trump say he no longer eats Oreos? Because Nabisco moved to Mexico. He later went on to say in justifying his clothing manufacturing being in Mexico that it’s smart business when HE does it! I don’t believe that men are infallible. You believe only Trump is infallible.
So all that talk about how evil the Gang of 8 were... that means nothing?
All that concern about amnesty... that means nothing?
Immigration just isnt that important to Cruz after all, when we come right down to it?
Cruz is opposed to Trump's latest immigration stance, which he has called "touchback" amnesty.
Maybe the future of the Supreme Court is more important to Cruz than which amnesty plan is worse.
The writer seems to think Trump's supporters are being "duped", the word I think he used. At least that's a lot better than being called "zombies" or "poorly educated", as some critics have described Trump supporters.
Surely these critics don't intend to include my wife and I in those descriptions. We both have college degrees. As ex-Air Force officers, we are patriotic veterans. We've had successful business careers and raised a family and retired to raise Angus beef cattle. We're debt free and live comfortably. The point being, we've done something right in our lives. We're responsible people who have made our share of right decisions. But we are not dupes. We're not zombies, whatever they are. And we're not poorly-educated. Trump doesn't have us under his celebrity spell. Neither one of us ever watched his reality TV show anyway. We are not stary-eyed and oblivions about who we voted for in early mail-in balloting. We voted for Trump with our eyes and ears wide-open, knowing all of his warts and foibles and hidden skeletons.
But some people forget what our options really are. Critics complain about how bad it's going to be if Trump is elected and what they have to do to stop him. They forget to look at this election through my eyes. My choices in the primary were for a successful, outsider businessman who exudes leadership and winning. Two junior senators, who both sound good speaking and on paper but notoriously make bad presidents because they are not experienced management and executive decision makers. Their biggest negatives are that they are part of the Washington political class. One really nice, quiet ex-brain surgeon who lost this race when Paris got attacked and folks realized he didn't know squat about foreign policy. And finally a sitting governor and establishment politician, who blows his own horn, but can't scrap enough votes together in the primaries to win. It kind of makes it easy to pick Trump from this list.
And then there's the factor of who can win in November against what looks like will be Hillary on the democRAT side. Sanders will drop out or fail against the experienced Clinton machine. This country is in dire straits but we're not ready to elect a loser-most-of-his-adult-life Marxist in Bernie. Wait a minute. I take that back. We've got Barack Obama right now. I see Trump as the only one who can go up against the liberal crap Hillary and her hanger-oner husband BJ, will be slinging and still leave some marks. People think he's going to be nice against Hillary? No way. She won't know what hit her after he's done with his attacks.
The decision for us to vote for Trump was really quite easy. Who can win both the primary and general handily? Trump. I don't have confidence in electing the same old, same old political candidates, and then expecting any different result. We're tired of backing GOP losers.
We may be mistaken by what we think Trump will do as president, but we're not fooled. We have not been duped into thinking he is one thing versus another. We know exactly who he is. A winner.
My point is you’re putting finality to the primaries based on those three states. You as well as I know what I mean.
Of course you Trump bots have been duped, and that you can’t see it proves it.
And the fact that ONLY YOU CAN SEE that Trump supporters are being duped without any facts whatsoever, is in and of itself more than adequate proof that you’re making this sh*t up as you go along.
I don’t make anything up. I have my eyes and ears open unlike you, and I am not the only one. There a thousands is not millions of us.
That is, indeed, the issue. In fact, I think it would be reasonable to question whether he actually has "real positions" on many important issues.
You still haven't presented any evidence of that this Trump Judgement Delirium I am susceptible to, is real. You know, the one where I am duped?
“”I don’t make anything up. I have my eyes and ears open unlike you, and I am not the only one. There are thousands if not millions of us.””
Hope you don’t mind my correction of your wording...I already mailed in my absentee ballot with a vote for Trump and have been asking myself ever since if I would stay in a friendship with anyone whose word I cannot trust from one day to the next. Would anyone? I would even keep my distance from any relative who said one thing on Monday and denied saying it on Tuesday.
We may be electing someone as president whose word cannot be trusted longer than a news cycle which is exactly WHAT we have in the oval office now. My vote was for who I think can take Hillary out and if that succeeds, I think it will be “Katy bar the door..” Will we like what we get? Only time will tell.
Not a comfortable position to be in after decades of voting and to be experiencing this discomfort but we’re playing the hand we’re dealt! Come ci, come sa! Will our grandchildren have a better roster to choose from? We can sincerely hope so.
If OBAMA stepped behind one side of the OZ CURTAIN and came out the opposite side he would be TRUMP.
If you read the tRump advocates postings you will see the similarities, HOPE & CHANGE without substance. They all shout Hallelujah I BELEIVE, I BELEIVE!!!
Obama’s Press would not talk about Obama’s Rev Wright, saying that was not THE OBAMA they know; and Trumps Advocates’ will not talk about TRUMP’S hypocrisies.... they say he is EVOLVING or that he didn’t, or could not have , meant what HE SAID.
His rationalizations on PLANNED PARENTHOOD stands out like an abortion in Philadelphia.
But everyone is entitled to opinion, except those who are perceived to disagree with Trump, they are accused of all sorts of calumnies and personal insults, even the women.
Thanks for the Peggy Noonan article. She kinda gets it.
Guessing Pastor Jeffers open support for Trump in Texas today really hurts.
Hoping Pastor Jeffers will be a constant under the radar spiritual confidant for President Trump if he wins.
Paster Jeffers is very humble and would give very good counsel to hopeful future President Trump.
So if we are being “duped” if we think Trump best represents the path to the 1st part of fixing the disaster that has become our country. Consider me gladly “duped”.
Go Trump!
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