ALL HAT NO CATTLE-PEERLESS DEALMAKER and ARDENT PHILANTHROPIST
Is Donald J. Trump the Peerless Deal-maker and Ardent Philanthropist he professes to be? Many Trump supporters express admiration for a "self-made" billionaire" who's wealth resulted in a lavish lifestyle and selfless charity. Trump expertise in business is required to show he "knows the system better than anyone" by parlaying a small 1 million dollar loan from his father into a 10 Billion Dollar Empire.
Trump asks voters to choose between Competent Business Trump and "Liar" Hillary Clinton. But what if Trump is nothing like what he professes to be? Would they vote for incompetent Trump who escaped almost certain personal bankruptcy using some $40 million dollars from his family including a $30 million dollar inheritance and forced liquidation of yachts, mansions, Trump Shuttle, and casinos?. Would the deception alter their support? Would the Truth make a difference?
Truth is Donald Trump is perpetrating a serious con job on his supporters. He thinks YOU are too dumb to wade through the details to get to the Truth. He believes you will be unable to separate the lies from Truth because you will accept his version that any negative information about him is part of some conspiracy to eliminate or smear him and "rig" the election. How cool is that?
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This story is not a common one regarding pastors, presidents and Christian faith but if you identify as a Christian first and apply political party identity based substantially on Faith this discussion is for you as well as those who do not apply faith to politics. Combining Rock & Roll not associated with gospel or christian music with a pastor, president and politics is uncommon as are connections explained below. My parents raised me in Christian Faith my youth closely intertwined with the First Baptist Church of Knoxville TN. From Sunday morning Sunday school and services, to Sunday night meals and prayer meeting, add Wednesday afternoon choir practice, Royal Ambassadors, and Wednesday night meals and prayer meeting. Social life revolved around church activity. I dated girls from church not my high-school, played on the church basketball team, went to church retreats and camps and my teen year parties were with my friends from the church I attended from birth thru my 26th year. My brothers and I were Christians, Eagle Scouts, and sons of the Democrat who held Knox County's chief executive position for over 26 years in an area so Republican no Democrat has ever held the seat in Congress.
Johnathan Merritt editor of Faith and Culture for THE RELIGIOUS NEWS SERVICE lists President James Earl Carter first among "Presidents who were the most religious".
Jimmy Carter: Famous for being a baptist Sunday School teacher (even after his term), Jimmy Carter is recognized as the first “born again” president. Prior to serving, Carter took a missionary journey in which he knocked on strangers doors and said, “I’m Jimmy Carter, a peanut farmer. Do you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior?” He read his Bible and prayed daily throughout his time in office, yet Carter was ultimately rejected by the emerging evangelical right.
Mountain Sound Inc formed in Knoxville with Charlie Daniels and The Marshall Tucker Bands as our tour sound and lighting clients. The MTB was composed of ex-Marines from South Carolina and Charlie Daniels is a vocal right wing blogger. These bands became prominent fundraisers for Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign and Mountain Sound was a part of that effort
When Carter won the election in November he announced that he would pardon all draft resistors who did not desert or become a citizen of another country. That decision would not have helped my friend Jesse Winchester who had become a Canadian by 1973. I went to Washington and met with Charles Kirbo and Hamilton Jordan's people making the case that becoming a Canadian citizen was the honorable thing to do and that Jesse should be treated like any other Canadian citizen. That January I waited in the receiving line at the National Guard Armory where we were doing the sound and light production for Marshall Tucker and Charlie Daniels at the Inaugural Ball with one of Jesse's albums under my arm. Carter saw the album and told me not to worry. The next day he pardoned all draft resistors except those who had deserted making Jesse eligible to perform in the USA. A Christian act of forgiveness so typical of Jimmy Carter
Here is something we really need to think about my friends. We often differ over ideological issues or partisan positions. That is what politics and campaigns should be concerned with deciding. But this time it is very different. This time it is about
human beings and basic human decency.
Despite an overwhelming distaste for W and Cheney, being repulsed
by Nixon, knowing that things said and done by Ronald Reagan made my skin crawl
and a serious dislike for Bush the elder – none of these candidates induced fear for the future in the sense that we might not survive their
Presidencies because of their mental and emotional make up. All of them were reasonably sane people who
loved this country and all at least believed they put America before their own selfish
interests. Their statements and speeches were in the main based on what they believed was truth.
My differences with them were based on ideology and issues –
not their basic humanity, intelligence (even W), essential veracity, or their sanity. I felt all of them would react with some
caution and rationality confronted with a crisis, and they would not deliberately
put us at unnecessary risk or act out in a way that was totally embarrassing to
us as a country. All of them would suffer some sense of personal pain and emotional torment prior to putting
our troops in harms way. If Tony Blair could get along with W then W could not be completely abhorrent to world leaders. They were all presentable men with
hearts and feelings for their fellow human beings to some degree.
But now we are faced with a FIRST - an unprecedented unique situation in Presidential politics. Donald Trump lamented with dismay that Hillary did not call to congratulate him after he accomplished something "no one had ever done in the history of our nation". What could that be I wonder?
"He's just losing it. He started off his rally yesterday
morning pissed off at the fire marshal for refusing to let too many people into
the room because these people "don't know what the hell they're
doing" --- and they might be
Hillary people. The fire marshal.
Then there was this when the lock her up chant started:
"I've been saying let's just beat her on November 8th.
But you know what, I'm starting to agree with you," Trump said.
The comments, which came in his first public appearance
since Clinton ripped him in her speech at the Democratic National Convention
Thursday night, marked an about-face for Trump, who in the last week has
resisted joining in on his supporters' chants and instead urged them to channel
their anger at the ballot box.
"You know it's
interesting. Every time I mention her, everyone screams 'lock her up, lock her
up.' They keep screaming. And you know what I do? I've been nice," Trump
explained to his supporters in this evangelical bastion of Colorado Springs. "But after watching
that performance last night -- such lies -- I don't have to be so nice anymore.
I'm taking the gloves off.
Needless to say he's lying. His Nuremburg rally speech at
the RNC was the first time he ever said "lets beat her in November."
He's been saying for months that she should be in jail: After months of insisting that Clinton
was "guilty as hell," Trump argued in June that Clinton should "go to jail" over
her email use, which Trump and Republicans allege may have compromised national
security. Meaningless, I know, to point such things out anymore. It's
actually more useful to point out the rare times when he isn't lying or
bragging or otherwise being a cretin
.
I WANT TO HIT HIM IN THE FACE SO HARD HIS HEAD WILL SPIN
Yes, he also said he wanted to hit someone (Bloomberg) for
saying mean things about him and he says he takes these insults personally.
But nothing, nothing comes close to this batshit crazy
comment:
“I was curious to see
whether she’d do a class act and not mention my name,” the Republican nominee
said at a rally with supporters in Colorado.
“Or mention it with respect, like, say, ‘I’d like to congratulate my Republican
opponent for having done something that nobody has ever done in the history of
politics in this nation.’”“See, I thought she
might do something like that. I thought she'd give me a big fat beautiful
congratulations. If she did that, would that have been cool? Would that have
been great?,”
Yes, he actually said that. And it wasn't a joke. That's the
weirdest projection I have ever seen. Twisted, bizarre, freakish. He thinks he's
the one who has "done something that nobody has ever done in the history
of politics in this nation." And he's angry that Clinton didn't congratulate him for it.
The mind boggles." Thank you for that Digby
The mind boggles indeed. Think about this for a minute or
two. Did Trump put in a call to Hillary to congratulate her on becoming the
first woman to ever achieve this historic position? Did he even consider it? NO
His reaction was to complain that somehow he was slighted
because she did not call him with congratulations because he had “done
something that no one had ever done in the history of our nation”. What was that we have to wonder. What does he think he has done that is a first in history? I think I've got it and you probably will not like it. I believe he is the first clinically diagnosed narcissist and pathological liar to get to the nomination for President of a major political party
Am I losing my mind? Have I possibly missed some similar incident or something in our past 60 years of Presidential campaigns that has it's analogue in this situation? Yes there is some element akin to narcissism in most who aspire to high office. It comes with the territory but has there ever been a Presidential candidate who displayed such utter contempt for his opponents, total disregard for truth, and such a complete narcissistic view of his own value? How do we identify narcissism that rises to the level of a clinical disorder? Well I find it helpful to recall these portrayals in film:
Mary Tyler Moore character in Ordinary People,
Zaphod Beeblebrox in Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Annette Benning in American Beauty
Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) in Anchorman
Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest
Michael Keaton in Pacific Heights
Meryl Streep in Osage County
Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) in American Psycho
Kathleen Turner in Body Heat
Nurse Ratched - Louise Fletcher One Flew Over the Coocoo's Nest
and Scarlette O'hara (Vivian Leigh) in Gone With the Wind
Surely one of these characters will resonate with you and bring the Trump personality into clear focus.
Symptoms - see if this doesn't describe Trump to a T
Narcissistic personality disorder is one of several types of personality disorders. Personality disorders are conditions in which people have traits that cause them to feel and behave in socially distressing ways, limiting their ability to function in relationships and other areas of their life, such as work or school.
If you have narcissistic personality disorder, you may come across as conceited, boastful or pretentious. You often monopolize conversations. You may belittle or look down on people you perceive as inferior. You may feel a sense of entitlement — and when you don't receive special treatment, you may become impatient or angry. You may insist on having "the best" of everything — for instance, the best car, athletic club or medical care.
At the same time, you have trouble handling anything that may be perceived as criticism. You may have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, vulnerability and humiliation. To feel better, you may react with rage or contempt and try to belittle the other person to make yourself appear superior.
Narcissism is a less extreme version of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Narcissism involves cockiness, manipulativeness, selfishness, power motives, and vanity-a love of mirrors. Related personality traits include: Psychopathy, Machiavellianism. Narcissists tend to have high self-esteem. Narcissistic rage is a reaction to narcissistic injury, which is a perceived threat to anarcissist's self-esteem or self-worth We are dealing with an insane person at the top of a political ticket this election. Knowing that should put all thoughts of ideology and partisan position aside. The danger of having a pathological liar and narcissist in control of the nuclear arsenal and our treasury should be evident to even the most rabid partisan.
By the way, here's what John McCain did when Obama won his
nomination in 2008. The same John McCain who was disrespected by Trump who called him "no hero" because he was captured.
