Christian Broadcasting Network politics reporter David Brody takes nearly any chance he can get to defend a Republican politician, and now he is offering his services to “explain” Donald Trump’s support among conservative evangelical voters.
You see, evangelical voters love how “Trump operates in a world of absolutes,” which Brody says is similar to how evangelicals operate, and will even excuse his claim that he never seeks forgiveness from God since his “honesty resonates with them.”
Of course, Trump’s “bold,” “absolutist” image is nothing but a myth.
As Christopher Massie and Andrew Kaczynski of BuzzFeed helpfully note in “A Guide To The Radical Left Wing Ideology And Flip-Flops Of Fake Conservative Donald J. Trump,” Trump has previously endorsed universal healthcare, the 2009 economic stimulus, abortion rights and stricter gun laws. While similar “sins” made Mitt Romney an unacceptable candidate to many on the far-right, at least until he won the GOP nomination, it seems that Trump gets a pass because of his new image as an outspoken shouter of the unvarnished truth.
The only thing that Brody gets right about Trump is that he has a “hefty ego,” but that is also the only aspect of his character that Brody wishes Trump will change.
Donald Trump operates in a world of absolutes. A world of right and wrong; a world of winners (him) and losers (McCain, Perry, etc); a world of put up or shut up (literally). Trump’s world is colored in black and white. Their ain’t much grey. And what does Trump get for speaking out so boldly without holding back? Public ridicule.
Now, think of conservative evangelicals. In their quest to champion biblical values, their mindset is much the same. It is a world of absolutes. They believe the Bible to be the inerrant word of God. Non-negotiable. They believe there is only one way to heaven and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Non-negotiable. They see the world through the lens of spiritual warfare (good vs. evil). And what do evangelicals get for speaking out so boldly without holding back? That’s right: public ridicule.
You see folks; Donald Trump and evangelicals are breaking bread together because there is this common bond that I just laid out above. They like his boldness. They relate to him because when they’ve been bold about their faith they get blasted too. It’s a kinship in a strange sort of way. Don’t ask me to go deeper than that folks. If you want that portion, go call Dr. Phil.
…
Here’s the point with evangelicals: they’d rather someone be honest about their views about God. The honesty resonates with them and you know what evangelicals will probably end up doing? Instead of hating Trump, they’ll put him on a church “prayer chain” and get on their knees themselves and pray that Donald Trump draws closer to God through this process. Liberals don’t snicker. It’s true.
One final point: when I talk to evangelicals about Donald Trump, as much as they like a lot of things he says, they don’t appreciate his name-calling and hefty ego. What they tell me is that if he can control those two aspects of his delivery and persona without losing who he is as a person, then that would help them get to an even more comfortable place.
