Althouse: "I am a person of faith — and the Donald’s entry into this race can only be attributed to the fact that the good Lord is a Democrat with a sense of humor."

July 2, 2015

"I am a person of faith — and the Donald’s entry into this race can only be attributed to the fact that the good Lord is a Democrat with a sense of humor."

Burbled Begala.

46 comments:

tim maguire said...: If there were a Democrat with a sense of humor, he'd have to be God. Only God could pull that off.; 7/2/15, 7:19 AM
tim maguire said...: Well, God and Louis CK, but I've never seen both in the same room.; 7/2/15, 7:20 AM
Brando said...: Well, he's basically right--there's really no plus side for the GOP to have this joker in the race. It could offer any of the other candidates a "Sister Souljah" moment but we've seen in recent years that political bravery is a scarce resource among GOP nominees.; 7/2/15, 7:22 AM
tim maguire said...: Steve, predestination comes from the realization that God knows the future, he knew from the beginning of time what choice each of us would make. Each of us at our birth is already destined to go to heaven or hell.; 7/2/15, 7:23 AM
MadisonMan said...: Couldn't Trump just as easily be running as a Democrat? It's all a vanity run anyway.

I think he should run as an Independent. Now that would be interesting.; 7/2/15, 7:44 AM
RAS743 said...: Seriously? Has he not been listening to Joe Biden's wisdom for the last 30 years?; 7/2/15, 7:48 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: Spoiler alert: It's the old 1992 playbook, the giant sucking sound all over again, with Donald Trump cast as H. Ross Perot.; 7/2/15, 8:07 AM
n.n said...: The irony of Democrats defaming American men as rapists and supporting a "rape culture", while the majority of women and girls in mass emigration movements are raped during their travel. Univision has a public image in a minority-oriented market to exploit... uphold.; 7/2/15, 8:13 AM
David said...: Bernie Sanders.

God is bipartisan.; 7/2/15, 8:15 AM
jr565 said...: Let's stipulate that Trump overstated the case. He wasn't incorrect in his argument. He just used it more broadly. rather than respond as a dogmatist, he should simply get a chart and show the stats that back up his argument.; 7/2/15, 8:21 AM
stan said...: Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson running for president wasn't even funnier?

BTW -- if Trump's one time slander of Mexicans makes him unfit to be president, what of Obama's repeated slanders of million of Americans for years?; 7/2/15, 8:40 AM
stan said...: make that tens of millions; 7/2/15, 8:41 AM
damikesc said...: The term "Shit weasel" is measures too kind for Begala.; 7/2/15, 8:46 AM
Rocketeer said...: I'm gonna go there: I question the sincerity of Begala's faith, because a person of sincere faith wouldn't drag God into a political party. Even viewing it purely as a toss-off joke, a person of sincere faith would be uncomfortable making it.; 7/2/15, 8:48 AM
Scott said...: So the Democrat Begala had to preface his remarks by noting that he is a "man of faith." Is it self-aggrandizement, or is it simply that if you're a Democrat who believes in God, you have to apologize for it?; 7/2/15, 8:59 AM
Tank said...: After I die, if there is an afterlife, and if Paul Begala is there, I'll know I have not made it to heaven.; 7/2/15, 9:17 AM
MayBee said...: Saturday Night Live once had their Chris Matthews call Paul Begala a fetus. And that's all I see now when I see Begala.

Donald Trump is running because he would rather hurt Republicans than Hillary Clinton. What has he said to hurt Hillary? Nothing.; 7/2/15, 9:32 AM
MayBee said...: I'm going to repeat what I said in the Zinnea thread. How can the people who accuse American men of "Rape Culture" be so upset about what Trump said? Don't they pretty much think men are very rapey?; 7/2/15, 9:33 AM
MayBee said...: Oh, and this is the worst part of politics/news coverage.

The endless cycle of someone said something/everyone in his party must refute. It's a cheap way to fill airtime, I guess, but it is exhausting and non-illuminating. Especially this, because what puts Donald Trump in the party?; 7/2/15, 9:40 AM
William said...: Sanders is a character, but Trump is closer to a caricature. He's full of bluster and braggadocio that seems more a mark of insecurity than confidence. That said, the fact that 80% of the women from Latin America get raped on their journey Norte should inspire more outrage than Trump's description of their rapsts as rapists. Trump is being treated the way a woman would be treated should she have accused Cosby of rape before Cosby's fall from grace.; 7/2/15, 9:48 AM
Michael Fitzgerald said...: I always laugh when a democrat party member brags about how religious and God-fearing they are. Then I spit.; 7/2/15, 10:25 AM
Saint Croix said...: Well, he's basically right--there's really no plus side for the GOP to have this joker in the race.

No, I like it. It gives Marco Rubio a great opportunity! And Ted Cruz, too. Trump is a racist, they can smack him, and the GOP faithful can vote for the smacker and eject the idiot.

It could offer any of the other candidates a "Sister Souljah" moment

Bingo! "Racism has no place in the GOP, Mr. Trump. And you will not be able to buy this election, sir!" Are you kidding? Smack the shit out of him, in public. It's a golden opportunity to appear tough, and (for once) nobody can complain about the "mean" or "angry" Republican. Because it's righteous anger.

but we've seen in recent years that political bravery is a scarce resource among GOP nominees.

Fortune favors the bold!; 7/2/15, 10:29 AM
Saint Croix said...: And I hope the GOP realizes that they should never shake his hand. If he puts his hand out for a shake, stare him down and refuse to shake. No fist bumps for Chavez, no handshakes with Trump. He's a bad guy, recognize that he's a bad guy and deal with it.; 7/2/15, 10:38 AM
cubanbob said...: If Hillary Clinton isn't a joke there is no god.; 7/2/15, 11:30 AM
damikesc said...: That said, the fact that 80% of the women from Latin America get raped on their journey Norte should inspire more outrage than Trump's description of their rapsts as rapists.

If feminists were serious about women, you'd see that. But they just want to bitch at the West and don't care if the darker-skinned womenfolk get tossed in the trash.; 7/2/15, 11:48 AM
Brando said...: "And I hope the GOP realizes that they should never shake his hand. If he puts his hand out for a shake, stare him down and refuse to shake. No fist bumps for Chavez, no handshakes with Trump. He's a bad guy, recognize that he's a bad guy and deal with it."

It's absolutely what they should do. When Romney had his "Trump summit" back in 2012, it was a pretty clear signal that he would never stand up to the odious clown fringe of his party.

What the GOP needs is not just someone who can fight the Left and speak effectively for certain principles, but who can also call out the more damaging, unsavory parts of his own "side"--by which I mean make it clear that his "side" has no place for it.

I still think Trump is just doing an elaborate Colbert routine, and his non-ironic supporters will feel foolish when he reveals it.; 7/2/15, 11:49 AM
Scott said...: In an earlier post, I misquoted Begala. He did not say he was a man of faith, he said he was a "person of faith," which is the twee gender neutral way of saying the same thing.; 7/2/15, 11:49 AM
Saint Croix said...: "I am a person of faith — and the Donald’s entry into this race can only be attributed to the fact that the good Lord is a Democrat with a sense of humor."

I think Begala actually believes that God is a Democrat, and the Republicans are minions of Satan. For instance, Begala identifies prominent Republicans (Paul Ryan, Clarence Thomas) as anti-Christian because they have read Ayn Rand. You get a sense of Begala's religious dogma here.

I think attacking Republicans as the anti-Christian party is a silly idea. But it's nice to know there are Democrats who sincerely identify as Christian, and who are trying to follow Christ.

(Here is Jim Wallis' book).; 7/2/15, 11:59 AM
Scott said...: I think shooting Christians in the head and posting the videos on the internet is a silly idea. But it's nice to know that the killers sincerely identify as Muslims, and are trying to follow the Koran.; 7/2/15, 12:16 PM
Scott said...: They are persons of faith too, after all.; 7/2/15, 12:17 PM
Anonymous said...: A clown like Paul Begala has no room to criticize anyone, or even claim to be a man of faith.

As for the Donald, I hope he goes far. I'm tired of lame Republicans always on the retreat. Maybe the Donald will give Republicans some spine.

If nothing else, all the Republicans who go on national TV to denounce the Donald and try and score cool points with all the right people will be clarifying.; 7/2/15, 12:37 PM
Brando said...: "Donald Trump is running because he would rather hurt Republicans than Hillary Clinton. What has he said to hurt Hillary? Nothing."

That's a bingo! Because ask yourself this--if Trump were secretly trying to wreck the GOP's chances and help Hillary get elected, what exactly would he have done differently than he's done now?; 7/2/15, 1:05 PM
narciso said...: it's all astroturf:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2015/07/01/e-mails-show-whats-behind-cnn-political-analysis-talking-points/?dg; 7/2/15, 1:06 PM
Saint Croix said...: I think shooting Christians in the head and posting the videos on the internet is a silly idea. But it's nice to know that the killers sincerely identify as Muslims, and are trying to follow the Koran.

Scott, not sure what analogy you are trying to make here.

Democrats = terrorists?
Christians = Muslims?

They are persons of faith too, after all.

So what? Since when did I say, "follow any faith, they're all good"?; 7/2/15, 2:33 PM
Douglas B. Levene said...: Alas, Begala is correctomundo. Trump will only benefit the Democrats, just as Perot handed the 92 election to Bill Clinton. That's the plain truth, for all you Donald-fans out there. Love him or hate him, Trump's participation only helps Mrs. Clinton.; 7/2/15, 2:38 PM
grackle said...: As for the Donald, I hope he goes far. I'm tired of lame Republicans always on the retreat. Maybe the Donald will give Republicans some spine.

Yeah, I hereby christen this issue ‘the spine problem.’

In fairness to conservative candidates, they have been treated badly by the MSM in every race since the Eisenhauer era. This means they have to parse everything they say through a certain political correctness filter while progressives get a pass on their public utterances. But conservative candidates have to be aware that the MSM is poised with their bias and ready to pounce on anything they say. This fosters a colorless, almost constipated type of campaign ‘language’ that lacks vitality.

But The Donald blows all that to hell. He doesn’t suffer their PC crap lying down; he fights back effectively and I like him for it.

Other reasons I like Trump:

He’s a fighter but is also known for his negotiating skills. These two skills complement each other. Obama can’t negotiate his way out of a paper bag - or doesn’t want to, which is even worse.

He’s rich and doesn’t need to worry about campaign funding. Special interest groups will find a dry tit to suck on. He doesn’t owe anything to any faction.

He’s a successful capitalist and an unabashed patriot.

He is a highly successful organizer.

He has a practical knowledge of the economy.

I believe that perhaps part of Trump’s appeal is that America is yearning for a candidate that offers what has been absent from the Whitehouse during Obama’s reign. The Donald is Obama’s exact opposite.; 7/2/15, 3:41 PM
Evinx said...: If the Lord was good, he would never have created Begala.
Proof positive there cannot be a God.; 7/2/15, 4:20 PM
Goju said...: Trump is dangerous because he can set goals and achieve them. That hurts both parties as the other candidates all look weak.; 7/2/15, 4:32 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: On the other hand, Sanders is wed to a political faith whose believers have been responsible for the worst mass murders since time began -- and they took place within living memory.
There is no substitute for having the press on your side.; 7/2/15, 4:35 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: "Trump is dangerous because he can set goals and achieve them."
Trump went bankrupt trying to run a casino.
Gambling is a business where people literally give you a $1.00 so they can get a return of $0.97.; 7/2/15, 4:39 PM
Ctmom4 said...: @ Tim Maguire "
If there were a Democrat with a sense of humor, he'd have to be God. Only God could pull that off.

7/2/15, 7:19 AM"

Oh, I love that! Winning!!; 7/2/15, 5:08 PM
Ctmom4 said...: Of all the sleazy slimy Democrats, in the media and government, I think Begala may be the sleaziest slimiest. A person of faith, my a$$.; 7/2/15, 5:10 PM
Anonymous said...: Terry, how many successes has the Donald had as opposed to that one failure that everyone seems to know about?

Also, wasn't that a long time ago?; 7/2/15, 8:53 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: eric, Trump owned or managed properties declared bankruptcy 4 times, 1991, 1992, 2004, and 2009.
Trump says he did not personally declare bankruptcy so they don't count. I suppose Obama can similarly say that he's not responsible for the deficit spending of the federal government under his watch.
I think that the way Trump makes money is to leverage the Hell out of everything he owns, pocket the profits when his holdings work out, and declare bankruptcy when they don't work out.

Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
Stop saying I went bankrupt. I never went bankrupt but like many great business people have used the laws to corporate advantage—smart!
6:30 AM - 19 Jun 2015; 7/2/15, 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Four properties out of how many?

What kind of bankruptcy did he declare?

Often times bankruptcy is a solid course of action, there are other ways that are worse.; 7/3/15, 12:32 AM
Lewis Wetzel said...: Eric, Trump is a joke. He puts up a building with borrowed money. As his fee he takes a small amount of retail space -- plus the right to plaster the name "Trump" on the outside, so people think that he actually owns it.
I'm from Minnesota. Trump and Ventura. Same thing.; 7/3/15, 1:03 AM