Politics Election 2016: January 2016 Archives
Breaking down Jethro's leadership advice to Moses in Exodus 18:21: "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, ruler of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens."
"These points are all well-taken and, obviously, Bible-based. And they all point in the direction of only one candidate: Ted Cruz. He's highly intelligent and healthy. He's also a man who fears God: he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior when he was eight years old and he has taken his faith seriously ever since. He is a staunch defender of the freedom of religion, has dedicated his life to the principles put forth in the Constitution, and always defends the free-enterprise system, even when doing so may result in him losing votes. See his criticism of ethanol subsidies for instance, which may very well cost him dearly in Iowa.
"Of course, that brings us to the third Biblical qualification for a leader: he (or she!) has to be a man (or woman) of truth. His critics can say that Cruz is stubborn, uncompromising and extremely conservative, but they can't accuse him of being dishonest. He promised Texas voters that he'd take a stand against the establishment and the Obama administration if they'd send him to Washington, and he's done so.
"With regards to coveting power, Cruz could quickly have become one of the most powerful politicians in D.C. by simply playing along with the establishment, like Marco Rubio did on amnesty. Instead, Cruz has always defended his principles, even when doing so meant he stood alone -- or only with one or two allies like Senators Mike Lee and Jeff Sessions."
Rush Limbaugh - Trump's not out there campaigning as a conservative
"Trump's not out there campaigning as a conservative. He's campaigning out there as a populist. He's campaigning out there as a guy who's fed up with whoever it is that's doing bad and making mistakes and ruining the country, whoever they happen to be and wherever they are. And his support base is made up of people who think, 'Damn right! That's exactly what's happening.'"
Thomas Sowell: What Are Elections For?
"Their anger may be justified, but anger is not a sufficient reason for choosing a candidate in a desperate time for the future of this nation. And there is such a thing as a point of no return.
"Voters need to consider what elections are for. Elections are not held to allow voters to vent their emotions. They are held to choose who shall hold in their hands the fate of hundreds of millions of Americans today and of generations yet unborn.
"Too many nations, in desperate times, especially after the established authorities have discredited themselves and forfeited the trust of the people, have turned to some new and charismatic leader, who ended up turning a dire situation into an utter catastrophe....
"Eric Hoffer's shrewd insight into the success of charismatic leaders was that the 'quality of ideas seems to play a minor role,' What matters, he pointed out, 'is the arrogant gesture, the complete disregard of the opinion of others, the singlehanded defiance of the world.'
"Is that the emotional release that Republican voters will be seeking when they begin voting in the primaries? If so, Donald Trump will be their man. But if the sobering realities of life and the need for mature and wise leadership in dangerous times is uppermost in their minds, they will have to look elsewhere."
Ted Cruz, Natural Born Citizen
Andrew C. McCarthy reviews the history and significance of the term: "But even if the more demanding 1790 law had remained in effect, Cruz would still be a natural born citizen. His mother, Eleanor Elizabeth Darragh Wilson, is an American citizen born in Delaware; his native-Cuban father, Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, was a legal resident of the U.S. for many years before Ted was born. (Rafael came to the U.S. on a student visa in 1957, attended the University of Texas, and received political asylum and obtained a green card once the visa expired. He ultimately became a naturalized American citizen in 2005.)"
