Tag: election 2016

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Mudslinging and the Golden Rule

A low in mudslinging

 

A contrast between a message on love and the political fracas

The Sunday message today was about expressing love in action.   In our small church, we sometimes have a Questions and Comments time following the message and one of the younger parishioners asked about the incongruity between the current campaign process and the golden rule.  What a great question.

Mudslinging is not new to American politics by any means. But, as news outlets have observed, this year’s level of slander and dirty tricks by Republicans may be setting new low standards.

http://time.com/4230200/south-carolina-republican-primary-trump-cruz-rubio-carson-bush/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rubio-cruz-intensify-political-mudslinging-in-lead-up-to-s-c-primary/

I observe that now Trump has officially dragged Rubio down to his level of verbal sadism.  At this point the rhetoric has reached a plane where one does not know whether the actors are really serious or actually intending to be stand-up comedians.  One thing is certain.  What is being said is in no way loving.  Nor is it in keeping with the Golden Rule.

 

The Golden Rule

Speaking of the Golden Rule, I have seen it misquoted in media sources twice in the past couple weeks, and misquoted in a way that totally perverts the intentions of Jesus.    Both tragic misquotes said something like “Do unto others as they have done to you.”   This completely defeats the high ethical guideline that Jesus was giving.  In fact, the Bible expressly forbids harboring that sentiment.

“Do not say, “I will do to others as they have done to me; I will pay them back for what they have done.”  Proverbs 24:29 NRSV

Here is the proper reading of the Golden Rule as Jesus taught it.

“In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” Matt 7:12 NIV 2011

That is a much higher loving challenge.

A churning question

The unspoken question in church and in many minds including mine is why the initiator of the mud, Donald Trump, is leading?    Why is he supported by many Christians when his lifestyle and language have been so far from a Christian norm?   Why are many believers either not discerning or willing to overlook so much?

 

An inadequate process

Many other Christians including myself are completely disgusted and disappointed with this year’s political process.  It shows that media debates made for Trump style TV theater have little or nothing to do with how to determine who would make a good President.   They are not a good way to show a candidate’s credentials.  The person is forced to brag about themselves.  Those who are best at bragging are not the best leaders according to Jim Collins in Good to Great.  The highest and best leaders are humble servants of others.   Among their highest characteristics are passion for their job and for the people who work with them.  They are confident and forward looking without being arrogant.   TV debates are not good at revealing those kind of leaders.    On screen, self-promoters look better.

 

Voters not practiced in discerning character

Another issue that is resulting in the results we are seeing is that many voters are ill-equipped to discern character.  Here are my suggestions as to some of the possible reasons for this phenomenon.

  1. Americans increasingly get their practice in character watching from screens.  They view personal character from the illusion of character given by reality TV, movies, and music video.    In that world, brash and arrogant and attitude works and even comes to be admired because the camera never has to show the emotional and relational wreckage produced by such pride.
  2. Character education has only recently been returning to education. It still has not made it back to most colleges. For years, schools at all levels taught only academic subjects.   Now it is being recognized that skilled people with poor character do not make good employees.  News flash—they don’t make good neighbors, spouses, carpenters, policepersons, or Presidents either.
  3. Much of the public is ignorant of Biblical values such as the Golden rule. The misquoting of it that I mentioned only underlines this fact.  Statistically, unfortunately, church attendance decreases yearly in America and that is only part of the story.  Not only does the number of people who attend church decline but the frequency of attendance by church people declines as well.   The other part is the decrease in Christian education in the church itself.   In some quarters, sermons use little Scripture.  In other parts of Christendom, graying congregations are closing Sunday Schools for lack of students.  The result is a populace with little knowledge of the Golden Rule.
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Republican Debate Fiasco

presidential debate image

Another painful Republican debate

I watched most of the debate last night.  It was painful.  Trump’s divisiveness and berating of others reached an all time high.  He baited both Bush and Cruz into less than civil exchanges with him.  You can’t blame them; Trump was mean.   The whole liar or not liar interplay  became so much a part of the night’s dialogue that it overshadowed the issues they were supposed to be discussing.   That’s the way Trump likes it.  The only issue he has anything helpful and substantive to speak about is the issue of  businesses moving overseas and holding money overseas.

The moderators seemed to like the fireworks

John Kasich was prophetic when he spoke up with concern about the tone of the evening, warning that if the candidates kept on in their self-destructive ways, the Democrats would have an easy time in November.    John Kasich and Ben Carson tried their best to turn the debate into something positive.  But the moderators kept going back to Trump and Cruz, as if they wanted to keep the fight going.  Perhaps they were paid to promote fireworks?    No one has the courage to ask what is best for society.  They just go for more “clicks on their page” or viewers for their channel.

My Dislike for Trump and Cruz grows

Personally I cannot see how anyone can support Trump.  Character is the number one qualification for any job and he does not have enough of it to be President.    I also dislike Cruz more each time I hear him.   His “abolish the IRS’ idea is nonsense.  And his plan to undo everything his predecessor has done means he knows nothing of how leadership of a great organization works.   Those who want to progress build on what they are given, tweaking it as needed; they don’t start with wholesale destruction.

Kasich continues to be my favorite

I continue to like John Kasich.  Each debate he shows that he understands leadership.  He knows how to relate to a varied constituency and he is the type of person that can end the stalemate in Washington.   He is also the most compassionate toward immigrants and others who need a hand of some kind.   Yet he is very pro-life and has strong Christian values.    One of the most revealing questions was the one asked of Kasich about why some Democratic voters like him.  It was asked as if this were a crime against the party.   This insinuation shows how short-sighted the party has become.  What Kasich’s popularity among dis-enchanted Democrats means is that here is a candidate that will be able to appeal to many Americans and win in November.

 

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Like the New York Times, I like John Kasich as the GOP choice

The New York Times editorial endorsing John Kasich is well written, timely and to the point.  He is the best choice for the GOP nomination and the most positive and issue-oriented of the GOP candidates.   His record shows concern for the poor.  He has experience both in Washington and as a Governor.  My second choice is Jeb Bush.  While he does not seem to have what it takes as a campaigner, his positions and his record are good.   Trump and Cruz have two things in common, neither of them good.  1. They say whatever  they need to say to get their faithful to cheer; never mind what moderates and independents might think.  2.  By personality types, neither shows compassion or understanding for the poor, the immigrant, or the marginalized in America.    In addition, I cannot imagine either of them in charge of the foreign policy of  this great land.   Either of them would make Obama look like a foreign policy genius.

Here is the link to the New York Times editorial endorsing Kasich as the best option in the field for the GOP.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/opinion/sunday/a-chance-to-reset-the-republican-race.html?_r=0

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Democratic Debate

I must be a fan of underdogs.  As I watched parts of the Democratic Party Debate this evening, I again was most impressed with Governor O’Malley.   Part of it is his record of achievements as Governor of Maryland but part of it is also his leadership ability and the way his words are usually well measured.

Tonight Secretary Clinton seemed to tie herself to President Obama in a way I don’t think she would have done a few months ago.  The apparent success of Iran diplomacy and the current positive employment situation have probably led to that.   She is probably hoping that the old wisdom will hold true.   If the economy is good they say it bodes well for the party in power in the Presidential election and if it is not, they are in trouble.    Personally, I think it unwise for her to tie herself closely to Obama as she heads for the general election as there are many people in the middle who do not like Obama’s record.

Bernie Sanders reminds me of the angry right in the Republican Party.   He is the angry left in the Democratic party raging against Wall Street, the big banks, the 1% and the Super PACS.    His words make for good political rhetoric among the left even as the tirades of Trump and Cruz ignite the far right.

I observed unfortunately that the extreme positions of Republican candidates like Trump create an easy and effective target for the Democrats.   In addition, the tone set by the slanderous in-house bickering and disrespect for the President at the Republican debate compared very unfavorably with the comparatively friendly tone at the Democratic debate.

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Disgusting Debate Dialogue

presidential debate image

Last night’s Republican debate was hard to watch.  It was a steady diet of slander and mudslinging.  If a dirty campaign for President is the goal, Republicans have only to nominate Trump, Cruz or Rubio.  If last night was any indication, they will operate mostly by slam, slander, innuendo and disrespect.  I hate that kind of politics myself.  I already could not stand Trump and he didn’t say anything to change my mind. But the negative argumentative and disrespectful verbiage of Cruz and Rubio directed both toward the President and other debate participants  lowered them both in my opinion.   If you can’t raise yourself by lifting up positive ideas and showing a character that can be admired, I will not respect you.

Governor Kasich continues as my favorite candidate, growing with each debate.  He did not stoop to the mudslinging.   He addressed issues specifically, something Trump has never thought of doing.  Trump can identify issues, which is his strength, but he has yet to propose any solutions.   Governor Christie, while not my favorite candidate, rose in my estimation in this debate.  I especially liked his comment regarding the relative worth of Governors’ records versus Senators’ hot air.   Dr. Carson continued to be a likable bulwark of high values.   I could support him though I don’t think he is sufficiently experienced in economic and national affairs to be President.  He does, however, appear to be able to summon good “experts” as he calls them, something that President Obama has not done well.   Making people choices is one of the chief and most important roles of any leader.

 

 

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Americana Journal News Commentary Who Am I

Migrating left without moving

Observing politics today is disconcerting

It is interesting and very disconcerting to me to observe what has happened in politics over the last ten years or so and what is happening this year.   I used to call myself a conservative Republican, and even voted on the Conservative line often to reflect that leaning.   But in this political cycle I find myself to the left of nearly all the Republican candidates.   I don’t think I have changed much, but in my perception, they have moved decidedly right, becoming more isolationist, out of touch with the poor and more libertarian.

Where am I

I’m still pro-life and pro-traditional family.  I distrust bigger government and prefer conservative constitutional interpretation, all of which are traditional Republican positions.

But I am also pro-immigrant, pro prison reform, pro traditional progressive income tax, pro-minimum wage increase, and concerned about racial justice.  I also supported increasing those included in health care but along with many feel that the result has been disappointing. Today these kind of positions are more often found among Democrats.

Currently, I believe I am somewhere in the middle of the American political spectrum and the current divide between very leftist Democrats and extreme right Republicans is leaving me and many others in the middle without a good political home.

To compound the matter, the poll-leading Republican candidates (Trump, Cruz, and Carson) are my least favorite candidates of the bunch.  Trump is so scary that I would vote for Hillary or Sanders before him.

What is needed

What is needed this year is a bridge-the-gap, common-sense party.  Neither Democrats nor Republicans seem qualified for that right now.

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Comments on Fox Business Republican debate

Fox journalists did much better keeping the debate on topic and they did not use the questions to attempt to make the candidates squirm as CNBC journalists did in the previous debate.

I may be in a minority, but I still like John Kasich the best by far.   Kasich shows that he knows what he is doing in government and as a leader.  He is the only one with experience in government to match Hillary.  He might be prone to an occasional gaff from a political point of view like tonight’s one about finding “those who could afford it.”    However, it is clear that Kasich, more than any other candidate knows the executive role of weighing competing options in a political and government situation.  One of his best lines was, “On the job training for President of the United States has not worked.”   I also like his appreciation for good values.

Rubio has some fresh ideas that sound wise.   He is very eloquent, but Rubio could be wiser in his words.  He attacks Democrats more than I like and disrespects Putin.  One should not call a man a “gangster” that you might be in a position to have to negotiate with someday.  I like Rubio’s appreciation for traditional values.   I like Rubio for VP.    He would appeal to the Hispanic vote and perhaps help the party have a strong unifying candidate in the future, something they need.

I don’t see Rand Paul as a viable candidate but I like him in the debate as he is not afraid to be politically incorrect.   He is very knowledgeable about money; it appears to be his focus.  His debating keeps the others more honest, and he does not back down.  But his libertarian views are too far off center to be electable.

Carson is a great guy but is trading on being a great guy and very likeable. Personally, I do not like flat tax ideas.   I believe they are a way to put a greater burden on the middle class.  His ideas do not seem to be specific enough in many areas and on foreign policy he is naïve.    I admire his Christian faith.  However, I continue to feel that he does not have the right experience to be President and to me it shows.

Trump says all the things that appeal to the most reactive part of the Republican base.  But some of his positions are not doable – sending all illegal immigrants back for one.    He plays on all our fears.     He also has a huge ego, which is not a good thing in a leader. Some of what he says on economics is correct such as the imbalance of trade being a problem and the need to bring jobs and money back to our country.    But he would be a terror to foreign policy.   Other world leaders would distrust him and hate him.  He would be the worst foreign policy president in history.  Trump would also be offensive to Hispanic voters at election time.  Trump is just not the most electable candidate.   Trump could not get along with Congress either.  Government is not like business; you have to work through people with independent agendas whose salaries you do not control.  You can’t just fire them and put in a more cooperate puppet.

Cruz is very well-spoken but I think abolishing the IRS is a ridiculous idea.  Such a wild tax overhaul as he suggests has no chance of success in Congress.  However, he is one of the best debaters every time.  He is another one who wastes no opportunity to attack Democrats.   I do not like Cruz’s position on immigration.   Brandishing the “amnesty” word is meaningless political posturing.  He would be offensive to Hispanic voters.  Cruz is the one who seems to least understand the concept that the next leader of an organization must seek to build on what has been done before.   Planning to step in and make a clean sweep of everything your predecessor has done is usually stupid.  In most organizations, there is too much inertia to do such a thing anyway.  This is especially true in the US government.

Jeb Bush’s economics, unfortunately, sounded like traditional Republican friendliness to the wealthy.   Bush does well on immigration and on foreign policy.  He and Carson come across as the gentle ones in a field of aggressive types.   Carson seems to be liked for it, Bush does not.

Forina is a good debater but has no government experience.   In politics and foreign policy, she is naïve, for sure.  She also spends way too much energy attacking Democrats rather than enunciating her positions.   However, she could be right that if she were on the ticket, say in the VP spot, she might help the ticket run well against Hillary.

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Debate impressions

I watched the last 90 minutes or more of the Republican debate tonight.  Who impressed me as I watched?   It was not exactly the ones I thought would impress me.   My top three were John Kasich of Ohio,  Jeb Bush of Florida and Scott Walker of Wisconsin.    They were running on solid records as governors.  They measured their words well, a trait I believe speaks for the wisdom, maturity and self-awareness of a candidate.  Each handled a challenging question very well.  My least favorite was Trump.  He is full of himself and of empty rhetoric.  He has no experience in government and said nothing of substance that I heard.  Frankly, he could not be trusted.   I could not give Rand Paul a chance because I have been familiar with his positions and he is way too libertarian for me, even though I thought he debated well.  Ben Carson is a delightful person who seemed out of his element, he should be running for Surgeon General.  He’s probably running for VP, but he would make a weak campaigner.   Huckabee is probably the best public speaker in the bunch but his rhetoric is divisive.   Both he and Cruz seem to harbor plenty of political rancor.   Rubio said some divisive things too.  He is still young.   One wonders if he is running for a VP spot.  Christie I dismissed because of the news out of New Jersey while he has been governor.

The danger in this campaign is that the conservative base is very angry at the state of the country.  Candidates like Trump, Huckabee and Cruz are great at tapping into that ground swell of anger in the Republican conservative base.   Voters in general vote their impressions and their feelings rather than looking for a strong leadership record.  Today we tend to like brash, flash and attitude.  But none of these make a good president.  I pray that voters will have enough maturity this time to look past impressions and rhetoric and look for solid positions and elect people with wisdom, steadiness, and good character, people like John Kasich, Jeb Bush and Scott Walker.