More thoughts on the upcoming election:
Yesterday I wrote an article offering ten general principles on how Christians might think about politics and elections in general, especially in light of what is happening in America on November 5. I now want to focus on more specific points about the US election, how the Republicans and Democrats differ, and how Trump and Harris differ.
However, after I posted my article yesterday, I came upon another piece, also offering ten points on the election. It is very good indeed, so I will reprint it in its entirety below. But first, a few specifics in bullet point form that offer a rough outline of some very real differences:
-The Democrats have had one key passion this entire campaign: hating on Trump. As they keep declining in the polls, they get ever more desperate.
-Kamala is all over the place on everything, changing her tune to keep the electorate happy. With Trump, we know exactly where he stands on everything, and his positions remain quite constant.
-Are you concerned about world peace? Vote wisely. Tyrants, terrorists and tyrannies around the world are dreading the thought of a Trump presidency, but are laughing and jubilant at the thought of a Kamala presidency. A weak America benefits China, Russia, North Korea and Iran – but not Americans. Our enemies want another four failed years of Kamala and Co.
-Biden and Kamala gave $1 billion for illegals to stay in luxury hotels, while giving hurricane Helena victims $750 each! In the meantime, Trump has so far raised over $5 mil for victims in a crowd funding page. Tells you all you need to know about who cares for America.
-Kamala is fully focused on Trump. Trump is fully focused on America and the American people.
-Kamala and the Dems have run a campaign of hate, since they have no achievements to run on. She and the Dems don’t have a record of success to focus on. So all they can do is attack Trump and pretend he is Hitler, Mussolini and Mao rolled into one.
– Kamala and the Dems have perfected Godwin’s law: ‘As a discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches.’
-They have been calling Trump Hitler and worse for years. So some folks take that to heart, and he has now faced two assassination attempts. You would think these Dems would now ease up a bit. Nope, they are doubling down in calling him a fascist, a threat to democracy, Hitler. And his supporters are simply “deplorables” and “garbage”.
-Kamala appeals to the political elites and the east coast/west coast liberals. She certainly does not represent the struggling working class. It used to be the Dems were said to be the party of the working class, and the Republicans the party of big business. This has now been almost fully reversed. Trump is now the man for the workers.
-The truth is, the swamp is so real, so bad, so deep, and so toxic, that it takes a non-politician with some nous and courage to dare to take it on. Some wimpy Mr Sunshine is just not gonna cut it. That is why so many realistic conservatives and Christians are willing to run with Trump, despite his various faults.
-The Repubs will make America strong – a strong border, a strong economy, and a strong standing in the international community.
-Kamala never got a single vote in the primaries. Yet she preaches to us about democracy!
-Kamala and Tim have never started a business nor worked in a business, and they will give us some of the highest tax rates in the world. They want America to look like California instead of Texas and Florida.
-Prices are up 20% under Biden and Harris. This inflation means wage cuts to every American worker.
– In sum, Kamala, Joe and the Dems have wrecked things – Trump and Co will try to fix them.
But still… Some will say they still cannot support either candidate. Then please consider carefully what I share just below from one Christian voter.
Guest piece
As mentioned, a Christian conservative just wrote a terrific piece, also offering ten reasons why a Trump vote is the preferred option, all things considered. It is written by Joseph Backholm, a Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at the Family Research Council. Here is what he wrote:
I’m not a big Trump fan. It’s not just that he has behaved in ways that are beneath the dignity of the office and what we should expect from adults, it’s also that I’m a conservative and he isn’t. He’s a big spending, social moderate/progressive. The 1992 version of Bill Clinton was more conservative than Trump 2024, and I wore all black to junior high to mourn the election of Clinton. So, while I don’t have the enthusiasm I wish I had for a presidential candidate, I’m voting for him and here’s why:
One. At least he doesn’t hate me. As a small government, Christian, social conservative, I wish Trump saw the world the way I do. He doesn’t. But at least he doesn’t have disdain for people who see the world as I do. Kamala has personally weaponized the legal system against people like me because of what we believe and cheered when others did the same. I’d prefer to have an ally in the White House, but I’ll take the person who isn’t actively trying to harm me if that’s the best option available.
Two. Trump is often right. For all the things I find objectionable about Trump, he’s not merely a broken clock, he’s right about many things. His anger is often channeled in the right direction. He likes America and believes America’s leaders should prioritize the interests of Americans. He doesn’t articulate it well, but he sees wokeness for the morally bankrupt, societally destructive force that it is. He also recognizes that evil exists and believes the priority should be to stop evil rather than explain it. He employs common sense and doesn’t require a focus group or a committee to recognize when something is stupid. He doesn’t have a good grasp of the big picture, but he’s decent at calling balls and strikes. Kamala Harris is wrong about almost everything that really matters.
Three. I much prefer Trump’s team. When you elect a President, you get thousands of staffers, appointees, and advisors as part of the deal who run agencies that have huge impacts on people’s lives. I prefer a Trump team to a Harris team in the same way I’d rather spend a month on the beach in Maui than a month trapped underground in a collapsed mine. It’s not close.
Four. I don’t want anyone I care about ever appearing before a Kamala Harris judge. Decades from now, long after we’ve all moved on from Trump and Harris, there will be judges making decisions that greatly impact civil liberties, families, and the rule of law. If my kids or grandkids ever end up in one of those courts, I passionately do not want someone Kamala Harris appointed making important decisions that affect them. And then there’s the Supreme Court. We don’t need any more justices who don’t know what a woman is.
Five. Harris is an actual threat to democracy. Trump is insecure and emotionally handicapped, and we saw the liability that creates after the 2020 election. I don’t condone his behavior but our system is built to contain people like Trump and did. He wasn’t going to end democracy or elections because he couldn’t. Whatever the size of the temper tantrum, there is no mechanism for him to do that. Harris and her friends intend to change the rules so people like me will have no more influence in America. If given the opportunity, she would give illegals the ability to vote, add states to the union, change the rules of the Senate, and expand the Supreme Court to pack it with people who think like her. The intent and result would be a one-party Congress and a Supreme Court that rubber-stamped whatever that Congress did. This outcome would be orders of magnitude worse for democracy than Trump’s behavior after 2020.
Six. Trump believes in free speech, Harris doesn’t. Harris is part of the left that has made the transition from liberal to leftist. Their platform involves stopping “misinformation”, which is any speech they don’t like. If she had the chance, I am confident Harris would severely restrict free speech. I’d rather deal with someone who abuses the right to free speech than someone who wants to get rid of it.
Seven. Trump likes school choice, Harris doesn’t. This issue is a passion for me. I believe most of our country’s problems can be directly connected to two issues: fatherlessness and public education. Fatherlessness is mostly beyond the reach of government, but the catastrophic harm that has resulted from a government monopoly on education can be significantly remedied by giving parents the ability to direct their children’s education. Trump would support this reform, Harris supports the status quo.
Eight. Trump is much better on the border. Trump made border security a national concern. If the Biden/Harris team had any interest in having a secure border, we would have a secure border. She talks like a border hawk today simply because polling tells her she must, but I think past behavior, not current political desperation, is a better indicator of future behavior. I want the border to be secure and I think Trump would do something about it. I don’t think Harris would.
Nine. The world will be safer with Trump as President. Most of the world doesn’t share America’s obsession with feelings, especially not the bad guys. One of the reasons two wars have broken out in the last two years, in addition to policy decisions that made them much more likely, is that bad people don’t respect or fear progressives. During his first term, I was concerned Trump would launch missiles during one of his temper tantrums, but I was pleasantly surprised to see his judgment when it came to his most lethal powers. Since I’m not at all concerned about him having the nuclear codes, the benefits of someone who understands evil and leverage make Trump a far better option to deal with the world’s worst people. I also don’t want a military where people are concerned about preferred pronouns.
Ten. The elite hate him. This is a bit of “the enemy of your enemy is your friend” analysis. The swamp in America is real and swampier than most of us realize. There is a group of elites who believe they have the right to manage our lives and pay themselves well to do so. The disdain Trump feels and shows towards this group, especially in media, is generally justified. They are awful people who lie with impunity to protect themselves. They hate Trump because Trump is unimpressed by them and doesn’t agree that they deserve to rule the rest of us. They should be smoked out and sent to get real jobs where they can make someone’s life better. The idea that Elon Musk would end up leading an efficiency initiative where he just randomly fires 50% of all federal employees is a dream I’d never want to wake from.
So there you have it. I understand the position that both Trump and Harris have disqualified themselves for various reasons, but obviously, I don’t find it persuasive. I am concerned enough about the left’s vision for the world that I feel an obligation to do what I can to stop it from materializing, even if the medicine has some side effects. So, I’ll vote for Trump and then I will pray that God will give America mercy we certainly don’t deserve. https://ladylibertee.wordpress.com/2024/10/30/guest-post-why-im-voting-for-trump/
I have to go along with that.
[1981 words]