In this article I want to address questions and concerns some folks might have about the US elections, and the two main teams. Specifically, what might we think about Team Trump, including his new backer, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.? Polarisation is running hot as ever on this issue.
Let me first say that some of the folks making a stink about this I have no interest in engaging with. I get angry secular lefties and atheists coming to my site all the time with their typically bizarre, idiotic and hate-filled comments. As per my commenting rules, their comments go straight into the bin.
Over the years it is easy enough to pick out these zombie trolls who only want to come here to argue, attack me, and waste my time. And it is most humorous when they come pretending to lecture me about Christian beliefs and practices. Yeah right.
They think they know all about Christianity, all the while attacking real deal Christians. Sorry, but I am not about to take advice from nasty Christophobes and leftist loons. As we are instructed in Psalm 1:1: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.”
So it is the honest Christian that I am willing to spend some time with here. And yes, there are plenty of folks claiming to be Christians who are every bit as much trolls and haters and time-wasters as those pagans are. But for the believer with genuine concerns, and who is not just asking rhetorical questions, let me offer a few thoughts.
The usual line being pushed is that Trump – and now Kennedy – are immoral pagans who do not deserve the support of Christians. Let me break this down a bit. To vote for someone in an election does not mean one is “supporting” them in every sense of the word. It simply means with a duopoly of choices in an election, this person seems preferable to the other person. It does NOT mean we think the person is as good as he can possibly be, or that we worship him.
Nor does it mean we think the person we prefer is correct in every area and has no flaws in terms of policy and political views. With regard to both Trump and Kennedy, I would disagree with them on a number of issues. But the simple truth is, I would disagree far, far more with Kamala and Tim on so very many key issues.
Both Trump and Kennedy have tended to be all over the place on things like abortion and homosexuality – two key concerns of biblical Christians. On abortion neither Trump nor Kennedy are rabid pro-lifers of course. But the alternative is far worse.
Having Roe v Wade overturned and letting decisions go back to the 50 US states is certainly preferable to the calls to somehow bring back the results of the 1973 Supreme Court decision. And opposing many if not most abortions is far better that supporting ALL abortions up to full term for any reason.
So at this point Team Trump on this issue is clearly the preferred option for the Christian. And then there are all the other issues where there is a clear winner, be it the economy, inflation, the cost of living, crime, the border, international relations, and so on. In almost all departments, Team Trump is vastly superior to the other side.
Again, that does not mean that they are perfect and about to usher in the Kingdom. It does mean that in a fallen world we only have very flawed and imperfect candidates to choose from, and some happen to be better than others.
At this point the old canard about the lesser of two evils will be raised. Some foolish purists will recklessly insist that we can never go with either of two bad choices. Well guess what Jack? In this world that is ALL we have to choose from. There are no perfect candidates.
Jesus is not running in this election, and he will not be running in any earthly election. So we must make do with what is actually available in the real world, and not live in la la land. I would also much prefer a superior candidate to Trump, one that I also thought had a real chance of winning, if he were on offer. But he ain’t, so I will deal with reality here.
A few words about character and candidates. Generally speaking, character does matter. I have written about this before. The ideal is a good candidate with a good character. But since we are all fallen and finite, we will only get varying degrees of this.
And as anyone familiar with this site knows, back in 2015 and 2016 I opposed Trump, in part on character grounds. But perhaps most of my concerns about Trump at the time had to do with this important question: was he a real deal consistent, Constitutional conservative?
We had little reason to think that he was back then. So although I was never a never-Trumper back then, I did have real concerns about his conservative credentials, especially given that we had folks like Senator Ted Cruz from Texas who WAS a Christian and a consistent Constitutional conservative.
But Trump’s first term in office showed us that more often than not he DID run with genuine conservative policies and politics. So I became less opposed to him as the years went on. We can call him a populist, but many of his political instincts are where I and millions of other Christians are at.
Yes, character counts, but so too do policies. The idea of running with some flawless human being in terms of character but with wretched and ungodly policies does not do us any good. As Luther is reported to have said, “I would rather be ruled by a just Turk than by an unjust Christian.”
Whether or not he actually said this, the sentiment is correct. In this fallen world, I am happy to have a non-Christian in authority if he has solid and decent policies instead of some Christian who has lousy and unhelpful policies. That is about as good as we can get in this world.
But still folks drag up unsavoury aspects from the past about both Trump and Kennedy. But the question is, are they both still the same sort of persons? Kennedy was once a heroin addict. Trump on the other hand never drank or smoked tobacco or used drugs. But both had questionable and objectionable moral and sexual lifestyles in the past.
The issue is, can and do people change? Are these two men just as bad as they once were? Indeed, are either of these two men Christian? Kennedy claims to be a Catholic. In an interview with Sage Steele he speaks about faith, overcoming addiction, and Carl Jung: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=444508951537252
Of course as an evangelical Christian I would have many questions here. Trump in his first term in office surrounded himself with a number of evangelical Christians, including Ben Carson. But as I say so often, at the end of the day, only God knows those who are truly his. So I cannot tell you if either one is a genuine Christian or not.
But we can ask whether both are engaging in the same sorts of behaviours that they once were. And we can ask if both would justify that sort of behaviour any longer. Are Kennedy and Trump fully identical today with who they were 20, 30 and 40 years ago? Those are legitimate questions to be asking.
And then of course we can look at the other side. Don’t get me started about how Harris slept her way to the top of her political career, while Tampon Tim has pushed all sorts of sordid and immoral agenda items over the years, and keeps getting caught out with lies. But the critics will never speak to THEIR crimes and misdemeanours. It is only Team Trump that gets this moral censure.
The way ahead for American politics
The old two-party system in places like America and Australia is giving way. New political realignments are happening. Part of this involves building coalitions and working with others. Much of it has to do with a repudiation of politics as usual and pursuing a new populist version of things. Who woulda thought a Kennedy would endorse a Republican Trump?
Both Trump and Kennedy are intent on draining the swamp. Trump has certainly radically shaken up the Republican Party. And Kennedy has certainly radically shaken up the Democratic Party. Many voters are saying a pox on both those old and derelict houses.
This is a bipartisan unity ticket. As one person put it: “It’s no longer Republicans vs. Democrats. It’s now the Trump-RFK Freedom Alliance vs. the Dark Side of Authoritarianism.” You got folks like ex-Dem Tulsi Gabbard, X’s Elon Musk, RFK Jr., and others combining with Trump and Vance to stand up for values, versus the corrupt Democrat machine that knifed Biden in the back and has totally controlled who is running for office.
As Kennedy said: “The DNC and its media organs engineered a surge of popularity for Vice President Harris based upon nothing. No policies, no interviews, no debates, only smoke and mirrors and balloons in a highly produced Chicago circus.” Yep – so much for democracy.
No wonder so many folks are turning to those who are not just part of the party machines. They do not want people who are just into politics to further their egos and bank balances. They want conviction politicians who care about what matters. They want those who seem willing to risk everything, including approval and endorsements from the party machines, the establishment, and the lamestream media.
To conclude, Christians understand that a Team Trump win on Nov. 5 will NOT bring the Kingdom of God to earth. But it will stop the rot to some extent. It will stem the downward spiral. A win for them will see the economy rebuilt, the crime problem seriously tackled, the border situation readdressed, and a stronger America to face its global enemies.
So keep praying. As I have mentioned more than once, I pray daily for Trump – and for Biden and Harris and Vance and Walz. And now of course I am praying every day for Kennedy. Perhaps you should do the same. Critical assessments of the pair have their place, but regular prayer for Trump and Kennedy will do even more good in the long run.
5 Replies to “Candidates, Character, and Christianity”
Well said, Bill.
Thanks RD.
Good points Bill.
Unfortunately there is a third camp that is as important as the other two. In Australia it’s a donkey vote and in the USA it’s a no vote which is a wasted opportunity for a lesser evil to be elected. But a lot of people don’t understand that just because you don’t like the candidate, you gonna waste your vote And waste the opportunity.
Quite so Bogdan.
Gary North:
All talk of national political reform is smoke and mirrors.
There is only one way to reduce this corruption: shrink the FedGov. There is only one way to do this: wait for its bankruptcy. You don’t have to do anything. Worse: anything you do to reform the system at the top is wasted time and money.
Politics is the manifestation of worldviews. It begins at the local level. It begins with the day-to-day affairs of the voters. It begins in local institutions. If voters do not pay attention to these local institutions, or if there is no systematic plan to capture these institutions, then politics is simply going to be a Punch and Judy show, and the establishment will control the outcome. The acceptable limits of political debate will be established by establishment institutions. That means they’re going to win, no matter who the candidates are.
National Presidential elections are rigged. They invariably are a race between Council on Foreign Relations Team A vs. Council on Foreign Relations Team B. Susan Huck pointed this out thirty years ago.
Well said, Bill.
Thanks RD.
Good points Bill.
Unfortunately there is a third camp that is as important as the other two. In Australia it’s a donkey vote and in the USA it’s a no vote which is a wasted opportunity for a lesser evil to be elected. But a lot of people don’t understand that just because you don’t like the candidate, you gonna waste your vote And waste the opportunity.
Quite so Bogdan.
Gary North:
All talk of national political reform is smoke and mirrors.
There is only one way to reduce this corruption: shrink the FedGov. There is only one way to do this: wait for its bankruptcy. You don’t have to do anything. Worse: anything you do to reform the system at the top is wasted time and money.
Politics is the manifestation of worldviews. It begins at the local level. It begins with the day-to-day affairs of the voters. It begins in local institutions. If voters do not pay attention to these local institutions, or if there is no systematic plan to capture these institutions, then politics is simply going to be a Punch and Judy show, and the establishment will control the outcome. The acceptable limits of political debate will be established by establishment institutions. That means they’re going to win, no matter who the candidates are.
National Presidential elections are rigged. They invariably are a race between Council on Foreign Relations Team A vs. Council on Foreign Relations Team B. Susan Huck pointed this out thirty years ago.