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Crowd in Pennsylvania Saturday Night
Tom Klingenstein on Trump 2020: A Man vs. A Movement
2020 may be the most important U.S. election since 1860.
By The Editors October 1, 2020
My name is Tom Klingenstein. I am the chair of the board of the Claremont Institute which is a conservative think tank, managing partner of a New York investment firm and playwright.
I wish to make three points. First, Trump is the perfect man for these times, not all times, perhaps not most times, but these times. Second, Republicans are not doing a good job explaining the stakes in this election. They must explain, and this is my third point, that the Democratic Party, which has been taken by its radical wing, is leading a revolution. This makes the coming election the most important one since the election of 1860. Let's begin there.
Unlike most elections, this one is much more than a contest over particular policies-like health care or taxes. Rather, like the election of 1860, this election is a contest between two competing regimes, or ways of life. Two ways of life that cannot exist peacefully together.
One way of life, I'll call it "the traditional American way of life," is based on individual rights, the rule of law, and a shared understanding of the common good. This way of life values hard work, self-reliance, volunteerism, patriotism, and so on.
In this way of life there are no hyphenated Americans. We are all just Americans. Colorblindness is our aspiration.
The other way of life I call multiculturalism. Others call it "identity politics" or "cultural Marxism" or "Intersectionality".
The multicultural movement, which has taken over the Democratic party, is a revolutionary movement. I do not mean a metaphorical revolution. It is not like a revolution; it is a revolution, an attempt to overthrow the American Founding as President Trump said in his excellent Mt. Rushmore speech. Republicans should say the same thing. Republicans everywhere, at every level, and at every opportunity.
Multiculturalism conceives of society, not as a community of individuals with equal rights but as a collection of cultural identity groups-defined by race, ethnicity, gender, and so forth. According to the multiculturalists, all these identity groups are oppressed by white males.
Their goal is to have each identity group proportionally represented in all institutions of American society. As should be immediately clear, achieving this proportional representation requires a never-ending redistribution of wealth and power from some groups-and not just from whites-to other groups. Such a massive redistribution can only be achieved by a tyrannical government and like in all tyrannies, one where dissenters are silenced.
Christians, Conscience, and the Looming 2020 Election
Dr. Albert Mohler OCT 26, 2020
Samuel Johnson once quipped that when a man knows he is going to face the gallows, "it concentrates his mind wonderfully." The same concentration of mind often comes with the final days of an election. This election cycle is no exception. The campaigns now move into their final strategies and the candidates make whatever closing pitches can be made. In this odd year, more than 50 million Americans have already voted.
President Donald J. Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are, by now, wearingly well-known to the American people. Donald Trump made himself known through decades of hyperactive self-promotion and business-and now almost four tumultuous years in the White House-while Joe Biden is known for working his way through more than four decades of holding public office. Having run for president in 1988 and 2008, Biden wanted to run for the Democratic Party's nomination in 2016, but lacked adequate support. He is back and, if elected, would be the oldest individual ever elected President of the United States. Both candidates are over age 70. That makes the vice presidency all the more important. I do not have to blink in deciding between the prospect of a President Mike Pence versus a President Kamala Harris.
We know who Donald Trump and Joe Biden are, how they behave, the manner of their self-presentation, and the substance of their policies. The act of voting is before us, and for many of us is already done. What do Christians make of all this?
I will try to summarize how I see the issues, trying my best to think and act consistent with my own Christian convictions and worldview.
There is the question of character. I have had to struggle with this question through about a half-century of political engagement. In the case of Donald Trump, the reality is that he is sadly deficient in many of the most crucial issues of character and moral virtue. He has bragged about many of his vices, written books promoting them, and given full vent to some of the baser instincts of the body politic. He appears to be driven by a narcissistic impulse that overrides nearly every opportunity to demonstrate moral virtues in public. He has been married to three women and has bragged about infidelity. He is divisive, arrogant, vitriolic, and sometimes cruel.
Joe Biden is generally cooler in temperament, and, like Trump, he is also known to Americans. Biden is the essence of a career politician. He has survived this long by being a part of the system, including years of Democratic Party service as senator and vice president. His principles have been . . . flexible . . . but he has served his party dutifully. His commitment to a liberal direction of the country has been clear, even if sometimes calculated. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he personally oversaw the destruction of Judge Robert Bork in confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court. He had to drop out of the 1988 race for the Democratic nomination when he was caught telling someone else's stories as his own. He seems repeatedly to have trouble telling the truth and he surrenders to the rising leftist wing of his own party while claiming to be a moderate. More importantly, he is an enthusiastic champion of many of the most wretched policies that threaten the moral survival of our nation.
If I am electing a neighbor, it would be Biden hands down. Biden would always be ready for a hamburger with friends, and he would always be ready to entertain with a story, whether or not the story is true. Biden seems to think they are true at the time. I would not choose Donald Trump for a neighbor. I am just not up to the tumult. I like a quiet neighborhood.
But I am not voting for who will be my neighbor, I am voting for who will be President of the United States.
Stories worth sharing
President Trump's accomplishments are unparalleled. But for the past four years, the leftwing media-with help from their allies in Big Tech-has refused to cover this Administration fairly. Recently, some companies are even censoring conservative voices.
Here are six stories that explain the historic work of President Trump's Administration. Please share them with anyone you think should hear them.
- The Blue-Collar Presidency: President Trump is fighting for the middle-class Americans once sidelined by our country's own politicians. Under his Administration, wages are growing faster for workers than for managers and fastest for those without a college degree.
- America's Seniors Will Pay for a Democrat-Socialist Agenda: Average Medicare health plan premiums have dropped by 34% under President Trump. The far left's "Medicare for All" socialist scheme threatens this progress.
- The Trump Doctrine-Terrorists Lose and Peace Wins: Five years ago, Americans watched in horror as ISIS gained power and terrorists killed on U.S. soil. Today, ISIS is destroyed, terrorist leaders Al-Baghdadi and Soleimani are dead, and instead of fighting endless wars, America is brokering peace deals.
- Put the American People First, Not China: For years, the left stood by as the Chinese Communist Party hurt American citizens. With COVID-19, they're doing it again. President Trump's strategy is clear: Don't punish Americans for the mistakes and failures of other countries and global organizations.
- The Fastest Recovery in History: America has added more than 11 million jobs since May-the quickest comeback on record. New GDP data also reveals the American economy is weathering the global pandemic better than Europe.
- Donald Trump Fought the Establishment-and Won: President Trump took on the far left, the Republican donor class, the corporate media, China, Big Pharma, and the failed ideology of globalization. The American people wanted change, and the political class didn't listen. Fortunately, President Trump did.
President Trump has fought tirelessly for the American people-and he's just getting started!
THERE IS SOME ENCOURAGING NEWS:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorses Trump for handling of economy; first GOP presidential endorsement since 1972 .
Trump edges out Biden in Iowa in gold-standard poll .
'He Will and Can Get it Done': Rapper Lil Wayne Comes Out in Support of President Trump .
Prayer at Tomb of the Patriarchs for Trump's Success .
Trump to Hold Ten Rallies in the Final Two Days Before the Election .
I don't know about you, but I find myself frequently having to just stop and take a deep breath right now. So much is on the line tomorrow. Tomorrow? Did I just type that? YES, tomorrow-- finally - election day is here. Will we know late tomorrow who has been elected President? Probably not. It may take a few days for all the ballots to be tabulated and reported.
If you haven't voted, I KNOW you plan to do that tomorrow. If you have family or friends who have NOT yet voted, please encourage them to do so.
And, pray!!
Blessings
Bobbie Patray
Pray for voting that honors God and is true to His Word.
Lord Jesus, we pray for all believers to honor Your Word through their voting. Remind us of Scriptures as we go to the polls so that we will uphold Your standard of righteousness in this election. May we vote for leaders who will honor the laws of this land put forth in the Constitution. May we vote for leaders who uphold biblical family values and the sanctity of life. May we elect leaders who believe in freedom of religion and speech so that none will be bound to a spirit of slavery. We pray for leaders who will make wise laws to help the poor, assist the weak, and encourage work. May we elect leaders who seek the peace of Jerusalem and just and compassionate immigration policies. Keep us mindful of Your Word so that we will come into agreement with Your kingdom values and righteous rule. (Is 11:3-4a; Heb 13:4; Gal 5:1, Ps 139:16; Eph 4:28; Ps 122:6-7; Acts 17:26-27) |
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