After the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump, there was at least one brief moment where members of both major political parties gave a unifying message, decrying such a heinous act. Oh, if only that agreement on something would carry over to other areas!
I’m no fan of Donald Trump. He lies as easily as he breathes and has an ego that overwhelms any good qualities. I understand why he won in 2016 and why he has a chance to win again this year. He’s a bit like Jesse Ventura was when he won the seat of governor in Minnesota. Trump says whatever he wants and doesn’t worry about being politically correct. That’s refreshing to people, no matter what the message.
I voted for Jesse Ventura because of that. I will not vote for Donald Trump.
But I also don’t want to see him killed. He may be morally bankrupt, but Christian values should lead us to pray for saving grace, not extermination.
The hatred in this country has led us to this point. People on the left attack Trump and make fun of his hair, skin tone, and criminal activities. People on the right mock and ridicule Joe Biden because of his stutter, his age, and his increasing confusion. And this ever-growing rhetoric has gotten us to a point where some 20-year old takes potshots at the Republican nominee for the highest office in the land.
Some of this can be placed at Trump’s feet. He has slyly encouraged violence as an answer to some problems. He has sloughed off some people being hurt if they were not in his corner. Instead of condemning violence of any kind, Trump has even laughed at others who were hurt, and now the fox has gotten in the henhouse. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. (If you think that’s a lot of farmyard metaphors, it’s probably because there’s so much manure floating around.)
Who would want the job of president anyway? The answer is in front of us this year:
People who crave power and can’t get out of the way of their own ego. Trump is for sure an egoist. He’s out for himself and loves to show off. How many times did he, falsely, claim that everything that happened in his term was the best ever? Come on, even many of his supporters had to squirm a bit on the 15th time he said that.
On the other hand, you have the current president, who should probably not have even entered this election cycle as a candidate. He has not polled well over his four years. There has been some progress under Mr. Biden, but it would have been nip and tuck to win again. Many in the Democratic party knew this, but you don’t get to tell the champ that he shouldn’t take a rematch with the former champion.
Even after his disastrous debate performance, Biden had been stubborn about staying in the election. He claimed it was not about him but about finishing the job he had started. If that was really true, someone else could finish the job. Should one bad showing make you drop out? No, but history has not been kind to candidates who underwhelm in those settings (See: Richard Nixon). And now he has finally stepped back, perhaps realizing, or being told sternly, that he would not win.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have two candidates for the most powerful job in the world that were really nice people? Two candidates who would focus on issues and not on tearing each other down? Two people who could shake hands without grimacing and then sit down for a beer after the election was over and be genuine in their congratulations instead of looking for ways to usurp election results that are proven accurate time and time again?
But it’s all about ego. If someone shot at me, I’d really be having my doubts about whether that job was worth it or not. After all, our country has a long history of political assassinations and failed attempts. And with the water boiling in our current state (maybe fueled by climate change?), being a candidate who is disliked by half the country might lead to more pictures of Secret Service smothering old men.
Can we move on and get to a fresh perspective? Maybe we will now from the Democrats’ side of things, but whoever wins in November will probably preside over four more years of dissent. Maybe that will give both parties time to examine where we want to be as a country. I’d suggest sitting down for that beer. Add some peanuts or popcorn and have some amiable discussions. Don’t make a public spectacle of it. But give us two likable people in 2028. I’d like to have to make that tough decision.
In the meantime, pray for peace and the removal of violence from politics. God bless America. Please.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is ripstaver, which means someone or something remarkable, as in, “The candidates for president in 2028 were both unbelievable ripstavers, leading to a pleasantly difficult choice for voters.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!