Posted on 01/26/2016 11:39:16 AM PST by GodGunsGuts
As an influential evangelical Iowan, Bob Vander Plaats experienced what it was like to be friends with Donald Trump. The New York billionaire invited Vander Plaats and his family to visit New York several times, refusing to allow them to pay to stay at one of his hotels and lavishing kindness.
Then Vander Plaats - president of the Family Leader, which is opposed to abortion and gay marriage - decided to endorse Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) for president instead of Trump. On Tuesday, Trump skewered Vander Plaats on Twitter, calling him "phony" and "a bad guy." The attacks came as Trump announced that Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. had endorsed him...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
A lesson that someone his age should know. Never accept gifts from people looking for something in return, never. It looks bad and feels bad, no matter how you decide.
In fact, never accept gifts from people who do not consider you their equal, and Trump considers no one his equal.
In this case, the cost of hotel rooms, etc. were inconsequential to Trump, but something he could lord over the recipient if he didn’t get his way.
Is is wrong to campaign for someone out of state? I think the point is NO ONE wants a cheater, if Trump stoops that low (which I have seen no evidence of, but if he does it will be Clintonesque territory).
I don’t think that either Trump or Cruz are perfect. In fact, I think both are considerably flawed in a number of ways.
I personally do not think that the election of either of them is going to result in the saving of America. We are so far off course, it boggles the mind.
I’m willing to vote for either of these guys, despite not liking things about both.
My preference would have been to be able to support them both on the same ticket, I think such a ticket would have served very well to unite people.
That isn’t looking very likely now. Things have gotten too bitter.
But I would still like to see it happen, but I expect it’s just a fantasy.
Iowa Conservative Leader Mired in Controversy After Rick Santorum Endorsement - ABC News - December 23, 2011
"The allegation by an unnamed source that Bob Vander Plaats asked any campaigns for money in exchange for his endorsement is absolutely false," according to a statement issued by the organization on Thursday. The Family Leader said Vander Plaats was unavailable for an interview Thursday. ...Not defending Trump's outburst, just noting that the story is likely more complex than the taunts and denials.ABC News has learned that Vander Plaats tried to solicit money for his endorsement during the last presidential cycle too. A former staffer for Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential bid who is currently unaffiliated with a campaign said Vander Plaats came to them seeking money for his backing if he supported the former Massachusetts governor.
"He wanted to be paid," the former staffer said. "He was clearly looking for a paycheck. There was a conversation about him getting a title, but being a paid consultant was much more important."
The aide said they offered him a title, but never seriously considered paying Vander Plaats. He ended up endorsing Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee over Romney.
I graduated from LU with my Bachelor’s several years ago. If I were you I wouldn’t insult Cruz supporters so easily.
Am I disappointed in Falwell Jr’s endorsement: sure, but he has a right. That said, knowing the University student body, and staff I don’t think many of them will follow suit..
POLITCIAN Bob Vander Plaats is national co-chair for Cruz and is doing a ton of tv interviews attacking Trump. He’s fair game. Trump counterpunches as expected. I’m way past any of these confrontations raising my BP. What an election we are having! Fascinating.
Yeah, I heard that; I believe Trump said it a time or two. But then, Trump also said that Ted Cruz is a “good guy” and “a friend of mine” - before he said Cruz is a liar, a nasty person and “can’t get along with anybody.”
I knew none of that. Thanks for posting. Sorry it isn’t up as a thread of its own, as it’s informative.
I especially like posts like yours that do inform us.
Concur with everything you said, except the last part.
No one would be wise to be Trump’s VP, if they ever have any desire to be in politics again. Trump is a one man show. And it goes without saying that Trump isn’t going to be anyone’s VP.
I would much, much rather see Cruz on the Supreme Court, we need young conservative justices.
I’m curious how either would be able to fill the bureaucracy with enough faithful people to make any difference at all. Trump probably knows more capable people, but I doubt they are loyal to him (NYC values really are a factor) and I doubt more whether they would take government positions. Cruz is just young and hasn’t been a governor, so he doesn’t have that network.
There is no separation of church and state, not in the Constitution. If the IRS wants to punish preachers for practicing their 1st Amendment rights, then so be it..
Which law is that? Can you find me that separation clause in the Constitution, my copy seems to be missing it.
Trump, a septuagenarian who acts like a toddler.
I was big Trump supporter. Bought the hat. Listened to his campaign speeches on Youtube. I liked, and still like, his no-holds-barred position on some very important issues: immigration/wall, trade, and I thought a business man might bring a little common sense to the spending and deficits. I will support him if he’s the nominee. I want to see the GOPe, MSM, liberals heads explode!
But, I have to say, the personal insults seem small-minded, as if he cannot tolerate disagreement or criticism. My enthusiasm has tempered.
Iowa evangelicals must be different than the Mississippi evangelicals I was raised around.
If a Southern Baptist preacher in Mississippi tried to tell his congregation who to vote for, he'd be knocked out of the pulpit within a week.
Especially if he referred to half the congregation's preferred candidate as a "wicked man." LOL
Must be lingering resentment over Reconstruction. Those feisty Southerners don't take direction from anyone except their boss and their wife.
I got no responses to that, so my questions remain. Do Iowans actually go to church and tolerate the preacher telling them who to vote for?
How long can you Trump people keep excusing this kind of stuff?
What was your reaction to the Dallas SBC megachurch preacher unofficially endorsing Trump from the pulpit???
No, he is a lawyer, not a preacher.
It is a good strategy; blow up the faux clergy political class along with the media; so tired of them.
"@bobvanderplaats begged me to do an event while asking organizers for $100,000 for himself—a bad guy!
Why doesn’t phony @bobvanderplaats tell his followers all the times he asked for him and his family to stay at my hotels-didn’t like paying"
No, don't you understand, Malkin is not conservative because The Donald (peace upon his name) says so.
Thanks.
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