A Question for Trump Supporters. Does Character Still Count?
I have a question for folks who think Trump is a great candidate. In the 90s when Bill Clinton, another serial cheater, was caught with Monica Lewinsky, there was an argument. Most on the left said, it doesn’t matter how he conducts his personal life as long as he is a good president. Those on the right, including me, said, “Character Counts”. Remember? That was our mantra. We believed that:
Tolerating such behavior would have a trickle down negative moral effect on the nation. (And it did—we now have gay marriage and men in the women’s bathroom!)
If someone cheats on their wife, they will cheat on the country (and look how the Clinton’s have gotten crazy wealthy off America, making $28 million in 2014—as the corrupt Clinton Foundation continues to sell favors to criminals and corrupt nations).
So, if character does count and you were tough on Bill in the 90s, how can you enthusiastically support a man who brags about cheating? Some may say that this behavior was in his past, but he has never expressed regret or asked for forgiveness (his words, not mine). Here are some of his quotes:
“If I told the real stories of my experiences with women, often seemingly very happily married and important women, this book would be a guaranteed best-seller,” —The Art of the Deal “I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world [of sleeping around]. It is a dangerous world out there—it’s scary, like Vietnam. Sort of like the Vietnam era. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier.”— on sleeping with women who could have STDs, “The Howard Stern Show”
He criticized a real Vietnam hero for “getting caught” while he compares sleeping around and not getting an STD as his “personal Vietnam”.
“You know, it doesn’t really matter what [the media] write as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass.” —Esquire, 1991 “She’s really cute, I have to tell you, she’s really bouncy, really cute, She’s about 5-foot-1. Do you like girls that are 5-foot-1? They come up to you know where.” —Trump on Eva Longoria, “The Howard Stern Show”, 2005
And lastly from a 62-year-old Donald Trump, looking back on his ‘amazing’ life…
“Oftentimes when I was sleeping with one of the top women in the world I would say to myself, thinking about me as a boy from Queens, ‘Can you believe what I am getting?’” — Think Big: Make it Happen in Business and Life, 2008.
Now, if you say, “I am voting for him because the other option is Hillary. I will pull the lever and hold my nose.” Okay. I can respect that. But what troubles me is the religious leaders—some who crushed Bill Clinton for his cheating—that are now enthusiastically supporting Trump such as Jerry Falwell, Jr., Robert Jeffress, Pat Robertson and two of America’s leading moral voices, James Dobson and Gary Bauer.
So, my question is this: If you were a “character counts” guy or gal, like I was, in the 90s with Bill Clinton, how can you justify unreservedly supporting Trump as if he a role model? I am honestly eager to hear your answer either below or on Facebook—because I am genuinely dumbfounded.
My position? I love the USA. I think both of our candidates are horribly flawed. I am praying and pleading with God that somehow, someway I will not have to choose between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Obviously I can’t vote for Hillary. But as a father to three girls how can I vote for a sexual predator like Trump?
You say, “to not vote is a vote for Hillary,” Technically it is a half of a vote. If I voted for Hillary, that would be a vote for Hillary. Or maybe, just maybe, there are times when not voting is an act of intercession, asking God to intervene. As a lifetime voter; someone who believes strongly in going to the ballot box, I am not willing to say that the God’s destiny for America depends on electing Donald Trump. God is bigger than that. And maybe for this one time, a non-vote is plea to heaven for God to pour out revival on our country.
But if I do decide to vote Trump, I will need to send Bill Clinton an apology for criticizing his character in the 90s.
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Footnote: Often people respond to critics of Trump by quoting Jesus saying “Do not Judge.” First, that it taken out of context. Jesus is referring to hypocritically looking down at people when you have worse sin in your life. Secondly, when you run for President, you are asking people to judge you. That is what an election is. Third, why is no one saying “Don’t judge Hillary?” Is it okay to judge her, but not him?
Another comment I read a lot is “Nobody’s perfect.” It is not about being flawless, but about choosing someone who brags about breaking the 10 commandments.
Some have pointed to the woman caught in adultery to say that we should not be so tough on Trump. First, she was told to “go and sin no more”. Second, she was grateful for Yeshua’s forgiveness. Third, she was no asking me to vote for her to be president.
photo credit http://www.denysalmaral.com
