There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
…The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
ISAIAH 53:5
Have you ever really considered what it meant for Isaiah to report that “the chastisement of our peace was upon him”?
A chastisement fell upon Jesus so that we as individual humans could experience peace with God if we so desired. How few there are who realize that it is this peace—the health and prosperity and welfare and safety of the individual—which restores us to God!
But the chastisement was upon Him. Rebuke, discipline and correction—these are found in chastisement. He was beaten and scourged in public by the decrees of the Romans. They whipped and punished Him in full view of the jeering public, and His bruised and bleeding and swollen person was the answer to the peace of the world and to the peace of the human heart.
We who are forgiven and justified sinners sensed in our own repentance only a token of the wounding and chastisement which fell upon Jesus Christ as He stood in our place and in our behalf. A truly penitent man does not feel that he can actually dare to ask God to let him off—but peace has been established! The blows fell on Him!
Isaiah sums up his message of a substitutionary atonement with the good news that “with his stripes we are healed.”1
No lips can tell the love of Christ to the heart till Jesus himself shall speak within. Descriptions all fall flat and tame unless the Holy Ghost fills them with life and power; till our Immanuel reveals himself within, the soul sees him not. If you would see the sun, would you gather together the common means of illumination, and seek in that way to behold the orb of day? No, the wise man knoweth that the sun must reveal itself, and only by its own blaze can that mighty lamp be seen. It is so with Christ. “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona:” said he to Peter, “for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee.” Purify flesh and blood by any educational process you may select, elevate mental faculties to the highest degree of intellectual power, yet none of these can reveal Christ. The Spirit of God must come with power, and overshadow the man with his wings, and then in that mystic holy of holies the Lord Jesus must display himself to the sanctified eye, as he doth not unto the purblind sons of men. Christ must be his own mirror. The great mass of this blear-eyed world can see nothing of the ineffable glories of Immanuel. He stands before them without form or comeliness, a root out of a dry ground, rejected by the vain and despised by the proud. Only where the Spirit has touched the eye with eye-salve, quickened the heart with divine life, and educated the soul to a heavenly taste, only there is he understood. “To you that believe he is precious”; to you he is the chief corner-stone, the Rock of your salvation, your all in all; but to others he is “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence.” Happy are those to whom our Lord manifests himself, for his promise to such is that he will make his abode with them. O Jesus, our Lord, our heart is open, come in, and go out no more for ever. Show thyself to us now! Favour us with a glimpse of thine all-conquering charms.1
AND on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
All sorts of places have been consecrated to prayer, the field, the sea shore, a prison, and even the belly of a fish, and a fiery furnace. Among praying people the gospel is sure of a hearty welcome. It is well worthy of note that the first gospel address delivered in Europe, was heard at a prayer meeting. We ought therefore to prize this institution very highly.
14 ¶ And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. (The apostle did not bring crowds to Jesus on this occasion, yet was he amply repaid by the conversion of this one woman, whom providence had brought there in the course of her business, on purpose that she might be saved. Observe that it was not Paul who converted her, but the Lord himself. Paul would have knocked at the door of her heart in vain, if he who has the key of all hearts had not opened it. Lord, open all our hearts to give attention to thy word.)
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. (Lydia showed her faith by her humility of speech and generosity of act. She was probably a merchant in easy circumstances, and she desired that her beloved teachers should share the comforts of her house. A hundred years before a bloody battle had been fought at Philippi: the bloodless victory of Paul was far more glorious, and its fruits far more useful to coming generations.)
16–18 ¶ And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. (This poor creature was regarded as a prophetess, even as some wicked gipsy women are regarded among the extremely ignorant in our own day. Satan used her as the means of deceiving the people. The unclean spirit pretended to praise Paul and his friends, either with the view of puffing them up with pride, or to disgust the better sort of people by leading them to identify the gospel with the ravings of the maniac girl. Much money was paid to this poor woman by superstitious persons for her soothsaying, just as at this day the ungodly will pay much for the telling of their fortunes, or admission to a spiritualist stance, and yet think believers extravagant if they subscribe largely for the spread of the gospel.)
19–22 ¶ And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. (The reward of these good physicians for the cure they wrought, was such as had been meted out to their Lord beforehand, yet we may be sure they would sooner be beaten than be praised by the devil.)
23, 24 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. (So ended a day which began with a miracle; but Satan’s brief victory was in a few hours turned into total defeat. Glory be to God, saints may be beaten, but they conquer still.)
Description:The Pharisees believed that salvation came by separation from sinners. Jesus declared that in their pride, the Pharisees were separated from God. In this sermon, R.C. Sproul continues his exposition of the gospel of Mark.
Ezekiel 14:14 — God would spare Sodom and Gomorrah for 10 righteous people (Genesis 18:32). Yet, now God says that if Noah (the one who roughly 2,000 years earlier had preached and worked for decades), Job (the one who roughly 2,000 years earlier had passed Satan’s tests), and Daniel (wait a minute … Daniel is a contemporary of Ezekiel … and Abraham didn’t even make the list!) were in Jerusalem, God wouldn’t even give them the opportunity He gave Lot to get his family out (Genesis 19:12). On a side note, notice that Daniel is the only one listed in 2,000 years as an example of a righteous man. When we get into Daniel soon, remember what God had to say about Daniel.
Ezekiel 16:4 — This is the longest chapter in Ezekiel. Some of the customs are foreign to us (salting a newborn), but were a common practice. From EnduringWord.com:
Cutting the cord, washing, rubbing down with salt, and clothing the newborn were also customary legal acts of legitimation. In the neglect and abandonment of the infant in the open field, the parent legally relinquished all rights to and responsibilities for the child.
Daniel Block
Ezekiel 16:15 — You could draw a comparison to America here. The Pilgrims who arrived in America had nothing. Half of them died the first winter. Now America is “decked with gold and silver” (Ezekiel 16:13). But like Israel, America is trusting in the blessings she has received as opposed to the One who gave the blessings to her!
Ezekiel 16:21 — Jeremiah mentioned this sin once (Jeremiah 32:35), but this is the first of three references by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 20:26, Ezekiel 20:31). God made it clear in the Torah (Leviticus 18:21, Deuteronomy 18:10), and yet in the historical books it was done (2 Kings 16:3, 2 Kings 17:17, 2 Kings 21:6, 2 Kings 23:10, 2 Chronicles 33:6). As we talked about in Jeremiah, instead of the children being redeemed for the LORD (Exodus 13:2, Exodus 22:29, Exodus 34:20, Numbers 3:13), the children were sacrificed to Satan. Tragically in America we have said this is a right guaranteed by our highest governing document.
Ezekiel 16:41 — Breaking a sinful habit is tough. But God is willing to go to drastic measures to “cause thee to cease from playing the harlot.” In the New Testament we read about this in Hebrews 12:6.
Hebrews 7:22 — How was Jesus better?
Priests were many – Jesus is one (Hebrews 7:23-24)
Priests would die – Jesus “continueth ever” (Hebrews 7:23-24)
Priests’ sacrifices last maybe 24 hours – Jesus can save to the uttermost/eternally (Hebrews 7:25-27)
Priests offer sacrifices every day – Jesus offered a sacrifice once (Hebrews 7:27)
Priests have infirmities – Jesus is perfect (Hebrews 7:28)
Psalm 106:3 — Righteousness won’t get you to heaven (Psalm 14:3), but those who seek righteousness (Matthew 6:33) by obeying God (John 14:15) will find eternal life. The first step is repentance (Psalm 106:6), then belief (Psalm 106:12).
Yesterday’s promise secured us strength for what we have to do, but this guarantees us aid in cases where we cannot act alone. The Lord says, “I will help thee.” Strength within is supplemented by help without. God can raise us up allies in our warfare if so it seems good in His sight; and even if He does not send us human assistance, He Himself will be at our side, and this is better still. “Our August Ally” is better than legions of mortal helpers.
His help is timely: He is a very present help in time of trouble. His help is very wise: He knows how to give each man help meet and fit for him. His help is most effectual, though vain is the help of man. His help is more than help, for He bears all the burden and supplies all the need. “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do unto me.”
Because He has already been our help, we feel confidence in Him for the present and the future. Our prayer is, “Lord, be thou my helper”; our experience is, “The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities”; our expectation is, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, whence cometh my help”; and our song soon will be, “Thou, Lord, hast holden me.”
How are Christians kept by the power of God? When Jesus was about to go to the cross, He prayed to God the Father to keep His disciples in the Father’s name. Previously, Jesus says He kept them but with Calvary approaching, He knew that the Father must keep them until He is raised from the dead. We cannot save ourselves any more than Lazarus could raise himself from the dead. Jesus didn’t tell Lazarus, “Okay Lazarus, blink an eye or move a toe and I’ll do the rest.” No, dead men cannot do any works or cannot save themselves. Salvation is fully a work of God (Acts 4:12, 16:30-31). It is not we but God “who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 1:24). The Apostle Paul was so sure he’d be in the kingdom that he could clearly state that “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6). God will finish what He began. We begin stuff we don’t finish, but God, Who began a good work in us, will bring it to completion…all the way into the kingdom.
Sealed by the Spirit
The Book of Ephesians is one of the best books we have about our security in Christ. God says you were sealed and someday will be safely delivered into the kingdom. We were dead in our sins and could not possibly choose Christ, so He intervened by His Spirit to quicken us to new life (Eph 2:1-5). Dead men cannot choose Christ. Men made alive by the Spirit can. The Apostle Paul says God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love” (Eph 1:4). We did not choose Him but He chose us as the Lord said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16a). Dead men cannot choose anything but to decay. It was “when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Eph 1:13). What the Holy Spirit seals cannot be broken except by God Himself and of course He would not change His mind about us. He changes not (Mal 3:6).
Kept by God
If we could lose our salvation, we would, if it were up to us. We are no match for Satan and his minions but when God steps in, Satan must step out of the way. Jesus prayed to the Father, “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12). But somethings about to change: Jesus is going to the cross, so He says, “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:11). Before Calvary, Jesus kept them but now, at Calvary, Jesus passes this on to the Father to “keep them in your name.” So we are kept by God Himself and the very power of God.
Glory to God
The fact that God must intervene or we’d never be saved and stay saved gives God all the glory for our salvation. We cannot boast or brag that we saved ourselves or that we added to our salvation. That gives us credit so we must give God 100% of the glory for our salvation and that means He must receive 100% of the credit for our salvation. It’s not Jesus plus what we do equals salvation. It is faith alone in Christ alone and being saved by grace alone. Even we can’t mess that up. We were born of God from above (John 3:3-7). Can we take any credit for our own natural birth? Did we choose to be born or the time and place? No! In the same way, God causes us to be born again. The Apostle John writes, “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). We didn’t have that right. God did. It was not our will to be born physically…and similarly, it was not our will to be born again…but God’s and God’s alone! How incredibly comforting that is!
Facts Over Feelings
I cannot count the number of people who have contacted me that “feel” like they’ve lost their salvation, but if they could not gain their own salvation, how then can they lose it? How can they lose what they never gained in the first place? Feelings are vastly overrated. Feelings are the shallowest part of human understanding. We can feel like this or that will happen, but our feelings do not impact or negate what is true. We used to “feel” or believe that the earth was flat, but of course, their feelings were wrong. Feelings can deceive us and fool us very easily. That’s why we must stay in the Word of God. There you will find objective truth not based upon feelings. Our feelings are subjective and subject to error. Objective truth is always true, regardless of how we feel. Don’t trust your own feelings. Trust what the Bible says.
Conclusion
I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
1 John 3:19-24 In this week’s studies, the apostle John returns to the theme of assurance by dealing with the subject of doubt.
Theme
When Doubts Come
At first glance it is somewhat surprising to find that John interrupts his second presentation of the tests—righteousness, love, and truth—to deal with doubt, at least so late in the letter. But when we reflect on John’s pastoral concern for his readers and on the nature of normal Christian experience, it is not really so puzzling. To be sure, John has developed his argument concerning the basis for Christian assurance in a masterful way. But as a pastor he knows that in spite of all he has said there will still be some who feel condemned in their own eyes and who are therefore depressed by this and lack assurance. This self-condemnation can be due to a number of factors. It can be a matter of disposition; some people are just more introspective and melancholy than others. It may be a question of health; how a person feels inevitably affects how he thinks. It may be due to specific sin. It may be due to circumstances. But whatever the cause, the problem is a real one and is quite widespread. How is a believer to deal with such doubt? How can he overcome depression? John apparently recognized this problem as a real one in his time and therefore wisely interrupts his argument at this point to deal with it.
How does a Christian deal with doubt? Although there are many causes for it, there is only one answer. It is by knowledge. The Christian must simply take himself in hand and confront himself with what he knows to be true concerning God and God’s work in his life. In other words, faith (which is the opposite of doubt), being based on knowledge, must be fed by it. This is the point that John develops at the close of this third chapter.
He does it in a broad way, however, as the outline indicates. First, he deals with the “condemning heart,” John’s own term for describing the problem. In these verses he offers two ways by which we may “assure our hearts before him.” Second, he deals with the results that flow from having thus dealt with our heart: confidence of access to God and confidence that our prayers will be answered. Finally, he deals for the first time in the letter with the witness of the Holy Spirit, treating it, however, not as some additional source of confirmation but rather as expressing itself in the three tests already elaborated.
This parenthesis in his argument (3:19-24) corresponds to a parenthesis on the Church and the world (2:12-17), occurring at a similar point in his first discussion of the tests in chapter two.
The meaning of verses 19 and 20 is clear enough in a general way, but the grammar of the verses is difficult. As a result there have been many slightly differing interpretations. The causes of the difficulty are two. First, the Greek verb peithein, which occurs in the phrase “and assure our hearts before him,” has more than one meaning. The most common meaning is “to convince” or “to persuade,” in which case the verb is usually followed by a phrase containing the content or truth of which one is to be persuaded. In this case, there is indeed such a phrase. In fact, there are two of them: “for if our heart condemn us” and “God is greater than our heart.” But neither of these gives a satisfactory sense to the passage. If they are the truth of which we are to be persuaded, the passage must mean that our love of the brethren (v. 18) convinces us of the sovereign greatness of God, which is just not true. In responding to this some have suggested that the content phrase must be supplied. That is, we are to insert something like “that we are of the truth” or “that we are of God.” But the objection here is that it is surely odd to have to supply mentally the very phrase which the verb leads one to expect to be expressed clearly.
Study Questions
What are some reasons why Christians can struggle with doubt and self-condemnation?
Describe the relationship between faith and knowledge.
Application
Reflection: Do you at times struggle with doubt, either in God’s forgiveness or in His desires for your best? What are the causes of doubt? What does Scripture tell you about your confidence before God as one of His children? What does Scripture teach about faith and our need to trust in the Lord?
A wizened elderly man sat on the bench in the shopping mall I frequent in Sydney. His head was bowed, his kippah neatly clipped to his short hair. As I sat down, I quietly said: “Shalom.” He was shocked.
A lively conversation ensued. He was a Jewish immigrant from South Africa; my greeting surprised him. He said, “Nobody likes Jews. We are used to being hated by everyone.”
It broke my heart. I told him I volunteered with a group supporting Israel, and as a Christian, it was my privilege to pray for him because I am grateful for all the Jews have done for us.
The never-ending cycle of hatred for the Jews
What is it about the Jews that cause them to be hated, maligned and misrepresented throughout history? Surely, it must be because, by their very nature, they remind the world of God. Their long and detailed history tells of encounters with their God, who chose them to be His vehicle of redemption for the whole world.
As Christians, many forget Jesus is a Jew. Although his immaculate conception, by the Holy Spirit, means He is fully God. He is also fully man, born into Jewish society, of Jewish descent, fulfilling all the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. He lived as a Jew. He died as a Jew, and He will return as a Jew to Jerusalem, His chosen city, whether we like it or not.
As Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us, every human heart is steeped in sin and rebels against God. It should, therefore, be no surprise that when God calls a people to carry His name, reflect His character, and, through them, to redeem the world from sin, they should become the target for extermination.
Has the world gone mad?
The way the world manifests its hatred of God is to wage war on Israel. Although the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were indiscriminately exterminated, is the most obvious example, the response from the world to the atrocities of October 7, 2023, and the constant assault from Iran’s proxies, has predominantly been blamed on Israel for responding.
October 7 has been dubbed Israel’s 9/11. In reality, there is no comparison. While 2,977 people died in the massive attack in America, most Americans did not know the victims. In tiny Israel, with a population of less than 10 million, everyone knew someone affected by the horrific personal, indiscriminate killing of men, women and children. Rape, dismemberment and barbarism, often filmed and disseminated, have left deep wounds.
For over a year, the fate of the hostages, so cruelly taken, should have elicited outrage and definitive action for their release. Instead, the world’s press has misrepresented Israel as the aggressor, inciting further Jew-hatred and unconscionable support for the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists.
You cannot sit on the fence
Each individual has a choice. Either we accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God, and Jesus as the Incarnate Word and our Messiah, or we make up our own story. Sadly, many Christian churches choose to claim the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan of redemption.
Jeremiah 31:35-36 states:
This is what the Lord says: He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and the stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar – The Lord Almighty is His Name. “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will Israel cease being a nation before me.”
You cannot sit on the fence. Is Israel perfect? No. Is Israel right in all she does? Clearly not. But she is God’s chosen instrument. Through Israel, all the nations will be blessed. This promise was made to Abraham and is a promise for us today.
But where there is a clear choice between a nation fighting to defend itself against evil, and aggressive terrorists who have clearly stated goals of extermination of their nation, what choice can there be?
It is indeed sad that many Christians have turned against Israel, even accusing her of genocide against the people of Gaza and Lebanon.
In reality, Israel is fighting an enemy which has the avowed aim of destroying her. I wonder how different the majority reaction would be if a similar attack was waged against Australia or New Zealand. Would we tell the people not to fight back and destroy their enemies? Would we expect our people to accept a ‘ceasefire’? Would we propose our enemies be given land they claim, so they can live alongside us – knowing their avowed intent to destroy us? Why are these absurd ideas expected of Israel?
War is terrible
Israel didn’t start this war. The loss of life, every single life, is not to be taken lightly. Every person, created in the image of God, is precious to Him. He wants all to be saved. Yes, we should pray for the enemies of Israel. Oh, that this terrible war would end!
As Christians, we have a divine calling. In Isaiah 62:6-7:
“I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”
Our prayers do make a difference. They rise as a sweet incense to the Lord, when we pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
We cannot see the tapestry He is weaving, or understand His purposes fully, but let’s not ever give up. His promises are true. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is faithful and His prophecies are being fulfilled.
A day will come when He will return, and all eyes will see Him. Our Jewish Messiah will come back to Jerusalem, as we are told in Acts 1:11:
“This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
Former President Donald Trump has distinguished himself as an entrepreneur, president, and McDonald’s fry cook. On Wednesday, he briefly added the role of garbage collector, in response to vitriolic comments from President Joe Biden calling Trump’s supporters “garbage” and apparently threatening to drown the 45th president.
President Biden’s Garbage Remark
During a Zoom call held the same time on Tuesday as Kamala Harris scheduled a pivotal campaign speech pitching herself as a unity candidate, Biden seemingly said the 74 million Americans who voted for the Republican presidential candidate in 2020 belong on the trash heap of history. “Donald Trump has no character. He doesn’t give a d*** about the Latino community. Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American,” said Biden, 81.
President Biden also apparently threatened to drown former President Trump during a seaside speech in Baltimore announcing aid for numerous localities, including Puerto Rico. “I’d like to take that guy for a swim out there”, said Biden, indicating the ocean.
Last week, Biden told an audience in New Hampshire, “We got to lock him up”.
Trump’s Garbage Stunt
President Trump denounced the rhetoric and defended his supporters that evening. “Kamala and Joe call us all garbage”, Trump told his cheering followers. “I call you the heart and soul of America.”
“You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans,” the 45th president added, targeting both Biden and incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, who has likened the Trump movement to Nazis and fascists. Harris subsequently offered a half-hearted demurral, saying she would not echo Biden’s “criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
On Wednesday, President Trump dressed as a trash collector and spoke to reporters out of the window as he rode inside a garbage truck in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
“This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden”, quipped Trump.
Political Coverup
Caught in a political storm, the Biden-Harris administration attempted to deny Biden had intended to denigrate half of all Americans. “Just to clarify, he was not calling Trump supporters garbage”, spun White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre. “That is why he wanted to make sure we put out a statement that clarified what he meant and what he was trying to say. And so, just wanted to make that very clear for folks who were watching.”
The official White House transcript of the comments initially recorded Biden smearing Trump’s “supporters” as “garbage”, but then added an apostrophe. The word “supporter’s,” which does not work grammatically nor in context, supposedly limited the insult to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who made a joke about Puerto Rico at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.
“Did Biden call Trump supporters ‘garbage’? It comes down to an apostrophe”, claimed a headline in The Washington Post, which recently endured resignations after it refused to formally endorse Kamala Harris for president.
Joe Biden’s social media account tried to deny the statement targeted half of the country, as well. “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage — which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation”, said a statement posted in Biden’s name.
Coverup Backlash
But few bought the Democrat/legacy media explanation. “The tape seems to tell a different story, Mr. President,” replied David Closson, director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council. You can watch the video of President Biden’s comments in context here.
“The White House is trying to cover it up, trying to lie about what the president said”, Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) told “Washington Watch” on Wednesday. “And the national media is trying to cover it up. They are complicit.”
“This just shows the hypocrisy of the Left and of the national news media”, said Ricketts. “Frankly, they’re desperate.”
“Sorry, Joe. That’s a bridge too far. It doesn’t even make sense”, agreed Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah). “Not one person believes that.”
CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell admitted Biden’s gaffe but faulted Trump and his followers’ response. On Wednesday, President Trump “pulled this campaign stunt, speaking to reporters from a garbage truck — proof that he and his supporters are giving no grace to a gaffe by President Biden where he, in his explanation, inadvertently called Trump supporters ‘garbage.’ This, of course, was in response to that racist joke about floating garbage told at a Trump rally just last weekend”, O’Donnell told her viewers. “Vice President Harris is distancing herself from the negativity and trying to drive home her unifying message that if elected, she will represent all Americans.”
But on Tuesday, President Trump invoked the words of Jesus on the Cross, telling his followers, “Please forgive him, for he not knoweth what he said.”
A Divided Nation
Not everyone backed away from the president’s noxious rhetoric. “Garbage is an understatement for MAGA extremists”, said Democratic donor Vinold Khosla.
“One of Kamala Harris’s biggest donors is doubling down on calling half the country ‘garbage.’ Will Kamala and her campaign return his contributions? Or will they continue to insult half of the country for the sin of thinking Kamala Harris isn’t good at her job?”, asked J.D. Vance.
“We started out as deplorables under Clinton. We went to Nazis under Kamala. CNN calls us Nazis and fascists. And now we’re down to garbage”, Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) told “Washington Watch” Wednesday. “They are descending into dystopia.”
Flanked by uniformed soldiers and standing in front of Constitution Hall bathed in black and red lights in September 2022, Joe Biden demeaned “MAGA Republicans” as a “threat to American democracy” and “a threat to this country”.
That echoed remarks candidate Hillary Clinton made at an “LGBT for Hillary” fundraiser in New York City in September 2016. “To just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? They’re racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic — you name it”, she said.
“They are irredeemable”, asserted Hillary Clinton. “But thankfully, they are not America.”
At the time, Clinton offered a non-apology that she overestimated the number of Trump supporters who are beyond redemption. “I regret saying ‘half’ — that was wrong”, said Clinton.
“While my opponent slanders you as deplorable and irredeemable, I call you hardworking American patriots who love your country”, responded then-candidate Trump.
Hillary Clinton doubled down on her comments this fall, saying her comments revealed “an important truth” about Trump supporters: “[I]f anything, ‘deplorable’ is too kind a word for the hate and violent extremism we’ve seen from some Trump supporters.”
“As a Christian, I aspire to this kind of radical empathy but often fall short. Talking about the ‘deplorables’ in 2016, I said, ‘Some of those folks, they are irredeemable.’ Part of me would still say this is objectively true”, wrote Clinton in her latest book, “Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty.”
Conservative members of Congress said these comments shed light on the way the Left views America more broadly. “They don’t respect us [and] don’t want unity”, said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). “But we do. We want to Make America Great Again. Our coalition is for ALL AMERICANS. And in 7 days, we will UNITE AMERICA.” (Emphasis in original.)
The film retraces the footsteps of the would-be assassin who fired shots at Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania in July
RT has retraced the footsteps of the would-be assassin who fired shots at former US president and Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, during a rally this summer, in a new investigative documentary called “Bullet for the President.”
Trump survived the attempt on his life at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July. A bullet passed just millimeters away from the 78-year-old’s head and a projectile grazed his ear. The attack, in which several shots were fired, left one person dead and two others severely wounded. The gunman, who turned out to be a 20-year-old local man, was killed on the spot by US Secret Service snipers.
What was behind the assassination attempt? How likely is it that there was a conspiracy? Why does the US system seem afraid of outsider presidents like Trump? Could next Tuesday’s election lead to unpredictable consequences? Journalist Vladimir Soloviev investigates the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, one of the most high-profile events of its kind in US history.
During his “My Take,” Monday, “Varney & Co.” host Stuart Varney forecasted what will happen to the U.S. stock market the day after the 2024 election if a Trump red wave sweeps the White House, or if there’s a Harris blue wave, and everything in between.
STUART VARNEY: What happens to the stock market on Wednesday assuming we get a clear election result.
Remember back in 2016 when Trump pulled off a surprise win? The market quickly rallied.
What about this time around? I’m going to stick my neck out and make some predictions.
If there’s a giant red wave, and Trump sweeps the White House and Congress, the market should rally sharply.
Investors will be worried about tariffs, but tax cuts and deregulation are music to Wall Street’s ears.
If there’s a blue wave and Harris sweeps, forget about it. Expect a selloff. Tax hikes on individuals and businesses are absolutely not music to Wall Street’s ears.
Then it gets complicated. If Trump wins the White House, but Democrats take the Senate and the House, divided government, there may still be a stock rally.
Trump would get at least some of his programs through.
If he gets the White House and the Senate, the rally stands because he could squash anything radical coming from the House.
Now let’s turn it around. Harris takes the White House, but the Republicans take Congress. Not good for stocks.
Modest selloff. She would probably be able to negotiate some of her tax and spend programs. If she took the White House and the Senate, much worse. Look out below.
Let’s boil this down. The more power Trump accumulates, the better the stock markets’ performance.
(Steven Richards – Just the News) Democrats were confronted earlier this year with a terrifying reality: a cap on out-of-pocket costs for patients to limit Medicare drug spending passed as part of Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act was set to spike premiums for millions of senior citizens just weeks before the 2024 presidential election.
To avoid the political catastrophe of presiding over major premium increases in the middle of a closely contested election, the Biden-Harris administration used its authority to reroute appropriated funding to subsidize the premiums for seniors until after the election.
The administration’s $5 billion budget gimmick kicked the proverbial can down the road, but only adds to the estimated possible $20 billion in additional spending over three years to cover up the unintended consequences of one of the Biden-Harris administration’s signature laws. View article →
Pro-Trump business tycoon Elon Musk is predicting a Democratic drubbing in the 2024 presidential election.
“Last election, I didn’t know a single independent/swing voter who was voting for Trump. This time, I don’t know anyone who isn’t. And one person after another has confided in me that they’re voting for Trump, but they’re afraid to say so publicly, because it will affect their friends/job/customers,” Musk noted in a post on X.
“Crushing defeat is coming for the oppressive, big government machine represented by the Kamala puppet,” he added.
Musk, who endorsed Trump earlier this year, has suggested that celebrity endorsements will not enable Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, to win the White House contest.
“Even if everyone in music & entertainment endorses the Kamala puppet, it won’t matter. The public sees through it,” he opined in a social media post.
Trump has said that as president he would establish a “government efficiency commission” to audit the federal government and recommend “drastic reforms.” He said that Musk has agreed to helm the task force.
Former Rep. Ron Paul, who is the father of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., indicated during an interview with David Gornoski that he would be willing to help if asked to do so, but noted that he would not want an official position.
Musk suggested in a post on X that he would like to have former Rep. Ron Paul involved in the effort.
“Would be great to have Ron Paul as part of the Department of Government Efficiency!” Musk tweeted.
“I’d be happy to talk with you about it, Elon,” Paul responded.
Musk has advocated for increased government transparency, suggesting that Freedom of Information requests should not be necessary.
“There should be no need for FOIA requests. All government data should be default public for maximum transparency,” he wrote in a post on X.
Musk made the post while retweeting a post that contains a clip of him discussing the issue. In the clip, Musk suggested that all government information should be publicly available, unless making it public would pose a real risk to the nation.
For the first time in memory, President Donald Trump leads Democrat radical Kamala Harris in the Real Clear Politics polling averages leading into Election Day.
Trump wins if the polls are right.
With the latest polling added to help Kamala Harris and Tampon Tim, Trump still leads by 0.1 percent. This is an average from several polls including the fraudulent polls that oversample for Democrats.
By Tuesday evening, millions of Americans across the nation will have voted on a wide variety of races and issues. Many voters have referendums on their ballots that could result in new election methods, raised minimum wages, and drug legalizations. 10 states will vote on abortion-related legislation, 11 states will elect a governor, 33 states will elect at least one US Senator, and every state will contribute to electing the next President of the United States.
Without mentioning the host of other state and local positions on every American’s ballot, it is evident that Tuesday’s election will have consequences that shape the nation’s future. For many voters, their decision in the ballot box is shaped by issues closer to home like how their access to medication might be affected, if crime rates in their neighborhood will change, and if they can expect to spend more or less at the grocery store.
The numbers show that Americans are feeling the weight of this election, with 7 in 10 Americans experiencing election anxiety. Dr. Jim Denison recently highlighted a few of the primary stressors, including a broad distrust in the media, concern for the future of the nation, and the lengthy, constant flow of political advertisements and information.
Solutions to the anxiousness and division that is felt across the nation vary according to the politician or media outlet that you listen to. Depending on the outcome on Tuesday, you may be told to “fight” or to live in fear, but you likely will not hear anyone tout the biblical solution: contentment.
Five key characteristics of biblical contentment
For believers, contentment is the quality of being satisfied because of a continual trust in the Lord and his sovereignty. Here are five key characteristics of biblical contentment and how understanding them can help us find peace and joy, regardless of Tuesday’s election results.
Contentment is not apathy. Christians should still vote and seek the welfare of their community in their behavior (Jeremiah 29:7), and Christians should still care about the outcome of elections. But contentment makes a way for peace when the outcome might not be desirable. We can take our anger and frustrations to the Lord, who is sovereign over the nations and their rulers (2 Chronicles 20:6; Colossians 1:16-17).
Contentment does not override biblical convictions. Rather, contentment allows us to be fully satisfied in Christ, even when our convictions are ignored by politicians or the majority of the voting body. We do not have to be joyful about ungodly policies being enacted, but we shouldn’t allow them to rob us of our joy either.
Contentment transcends circumstances. In Philippians 4:11, Paul writes, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” He goes on in verse 12 to say that contentment is the “secret” to facing any and every circumstance. With Godly contentment, we can have joy even when we start to feel the effects of legislation we disagree with, or when a political argument is sparked between family members.
Contentment, for believers, derives from the supernatural peace of God, which surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). When guaranteed frustrations come our way, we have to choose between being driven by our human emotions or relying on the contentment that originates with the God of the universe. These next few days present an incredible opportunity to pray for peace and contentment for ourselves, those around us, and our nation as a whole.
Contentment can be contagious. As ambassadors of God’s kingdom, Christians have a responsibility to be peacemakers and joy-givers in their daily lives (Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14). There will almost certainly be coworkers, neighbors, and family members invested in the election to the point of emotional distress. How can we be a source of contentment and hope to those who might need it?
Choose to be content
With doubt swirling and division abounding, our nation could use a solid dose of peace and contentment. As a supernaturally content people, Christians can choose daily to contribute to the healing of the nation rather than its fracturing. We can submit ourselves to God with joy and satisfaction since he already knows Tuesday’s outcome and the down-road effects.
This week, replace stress and anxiety with peace and contentment, and find rest in the arms of our loving and sovereign Father. If you’d like some help with this, check out the following resources:
“The great desideratum in Government is, so to modify the sovereignty as that it may be sufficiently neutral between different parts of the Society to controul one part from invading the rights of another, and at the same time sufficiently controuled itself, from setting up an interest adverse to that of the entire Society.” —James Madison (1787)
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
Politics
Dems reserve the right to riot if they don’t think Trump won fairly: Remember how the Democrats impeached Donald Trump for “peacefully and patriotically” fomenting that January 6 insurrection? So do we. So it seems a bit rich right now that one of those House Democrat impeachment managers, Maryland’s Jamie Raskin, couldn’t commit to Bill Maher that he and his fellow leftists would accept the election results if Trump wins on Tuesday. “When I say we will support a free and fair election,” said Raskin to Maher, “no, we we’re not going to allow them to steal it in the states, or steal it in the Department of Justice, or steal it with any other election official in the country. If it’s a free and fair election, we will do what we’ve always done. We will honor it.” Setting aside the difficulty of Trump being able to “steal it in the [Biden-Harris] Department of Justice,” Raskin’s position is precisely Trump’s position on free and fair elections. But somehow, the latter is an “insurrectionist” and an “existential threat to our democracy.” It’s a republic, of course. If we can keep it.
NY Gov. Hochul bewails “anti-American” GOP voters: First, the bitterly clinging Joe Biden stepped on Kamala Harris’s closing message with his deplorable “garbage” comment, and now New York Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul is getting into the act. “If you’re voting for these Republicans in New York,” she ranted on MSNBC, “you are voting for someone who supports Donald Trump, and you’re anti-women, you’re anti-abortion, and basically, you’re anti-American.” Got that? If you disagree with Democrats, you’re “anti-American.” These comments didn’t sit well with New York Republican Congressman Mike Lawler, among others. “Governor Hochul has once again disgraced herself and the state of New York by calling supporters of some of the most bipartisan members of Congress ‘anti-American,’” he said. “It’s shameful and wrong and shows exactly how much of a partisan hack Kathy Hochul really is. She must be voted out in November of 2026, but only after Republicans hold the House thanks to our New York GOP delegation.”
New York man allegedly beats up stranger for wearing pro-Trump hat in supermarket (Fox News)
Harris’s last-second SNL cameo violates FCC’s equal-time rule: Kamala Harris doesn’t have the guts to do a three-hour free-form interview with Joe Rogan, but a quick, tightly scripted appearance with the not-so-funny friendlies on “Saturday Night Live” is apparently just her speed. Too bad it was illegal. Not that anything will come of it, but FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr notes that it violates the Federal Communication Commission’s decades-old “equal time” rule. “The purpose of the rule,” Carr said, “is to avoid exactly this type of biased and partisan conduct — a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to exert its influence for one candidate on the eve of an election. Unless the broadcaster offered Equal Time to other qualifying campaigns.” Apparently, it wasn’t enough that Kamala Harris has outspent Donald Trump by an astounding four-to-one in advertising over the course of the campaign. Apparently, she also needed an in-kind contribution from one of the major television networks.
Almost $1B spent on political ads in the last week: Elections are big money for ad agencies, as nearly $1 billion was spent on ads over this last week of the 2024 election. Unsurprisingly, the presidential election campaigns and PACs led the way in spending, forking out a combined $272 million on ads. Donald Trump narrowly outspent Kamala Harris $43.4 million to $40.7 million, with super PACs for both parties spending a combined $187.5 million. Meanwhile, spending on Senate contests totaled $227 million, and House campaigns totaled $208 million. In terms of ballot measures, Florida saw $19 million spent on ads for the abortion referendum, and an additional $18.5 million was spent on a referendum to legalize marijuana. Gubernatorial races across the country totaled $18 million in ad spending.
Cheney pleads with Bush: Former congresswoman and Republican turncoat Liz Cheney has vociferously embraced and endorsed Kamala Harris for president, despite the fact that just four years ago she correctly identified Harris as a “radical liberal who would raise taxes, take away guns & health insurance, and explode the size and power” of the government and pledged to not “give her the chance.” Cheney, milking the phony “firing squad” controversy for all it’s worth, is now pleading with former President George W. Bush to join her in turning on her own. “I can’t explain why George W. Bush hasn’t spoken out,” she stated, “but I think it’s time, and I wish that he would.” For his part, Bush said that he does not plan to endorse any candidate, which itself is a stab in the back to Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s current standard-bearer.
White supremacist leader endorses Harris: Will Kamala Harris welcome the endorsement of white supremacist leader Richard Spencer, who threw his weight behind her election campaign over the weekend? The great irony is that Spencer, an avowed white supremacist and anti-Semite, took part in the infamous Charlottesville rally in 2017, after which Joe Biden and Harris repeatedly and falsely claimed that Donald Trump called neo-Nazis “very fine people.” Spencer said that he plans to vote for Harris and for Democrats down-ballot, explaining, “For better or for worse, [Harris] goes with the flow. And in my mind, that flow is going towards centrism, towards rational government, towards a sort of democratic hegemony … something that I can responsibly support. So, I’m happily voting for Kamala Harris.” Well, chalk up another “White Dude for Harris.”
“A pure toss up”: Nate Silver says race now a coin flip (Mediaite)
Kamala refuses to say how she voted on crime-fighting measure in California (Daily Wire)
Biden spent billions to delay Medicare premiums spike, protect Harris campaign before election (Just the News)
Arizona high court rules secretary of state must turn over list of noncitizens on voter roll (Fox News)
Policy
Trump’s homeschooling tax credit: Donald Trump has rolled out his latest policy proposal, an annual tax write-off of upwards of $10,000 per child for families that homeschool their children. In a video posted on X, Trump announced his proposal, stating, “I will also work to ensure that every homeschool family is entitled to full access to the benefits available to non-homeschool students, including participating in athletic programs, clubs, after-school activities, educational trips, and more.” With homeschooling numbers booming since the COVID pandemic shut down schools and served to expose to parents much of what their children were being taught, this overture from Trump could be a cultural game changer. It would certainly help families by making it easier for one parent to spend more time at home educating their children. This is yet another policy idea that puts the needs of working-class Americans front and center.
Nanny State
Peanut the Squirrel, RIP: Memes and messages regarding a pet squirrel named Peanut went viral this weekend as a rallying cry against totalitarian government after officials in New York confiscated and euthanized a man’s pet rescue squirrel. State wildlife officers raided Mark Longo’s home and seized Peanut after receiving complaints of “unsafe squirrel housing” and “wildlife gone wild.” Longo loves animals, and his nonprofit has rescued more than 300 animals, including Peanut and a raccoon he named Fred. Longo explained, “They treated me like I was a terrorist. They treated this raid as if I was a drug dealer. They ransacked my house for five hours. They asked my wife, who is of German descent, what her immigration status was. … They wouldn’t allow me to go to the bathroom without a police escort, who then checked the back of the toilet to see if I was hiding anything there.” People all over social media rallied for Democrats to be voted out of power, not just in New York but across the country. As one post reads, “‘How did you get radicalized, Billy?’ Billy: ‘I watched the state murder an adorable pet squirrel because of psychotic bureaucrats having too much power.’”
Humor: Radicalized squirrels in MAGA hats begin uprising (Babylon Bee)
Humor: Trump projected to win in 50-state landslide after appearing in squirrel costume (Babylon Bee)
Misc.
Ex-officer Brett Hankison violated Breonna Taylor’s civil rights in deadly raid, jury finds (NBC News)
Democrats are about to make California gas even more expensive (Washington Examiner)
Texas sees 51% drop in border apprehensions after Operation Lone Star expands (Center Square)
Jerry Seinfeld rips woke NYC private school for allowing “distressed” students to skip class day after election (NY Post)
Taliban bans women from hearing voices of other women (Christian Post)
Numerous issues matter a great deal in this election, but one has consistently been the chief focus of voters: the economy.
Yes, we’ve all been talking a lot about garbage and “fascists” and Donald Trump’s comments about Liz Cheney and the state-sanctioned murder of Peanut the Squirrel. But when the rubber meets the road, the majority of Americans care most about our economic well-being.
This election is not a contest between two unknowns, either. We can look back at Trump’s record as president for four years. Outside of the response to the coronavirus, much of which was outside of his control, Trump’s term was marked by outstanding economic performance.
We can also look back at Kamala Harris’s record as vice president for the last four years. That’s why Trump sometimes echoes Ronald Reagan’s famous 1980 formulation: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” The answer is no (unless you’re a Leftmedia opinion columnist or a Nobel-winning economist with a track record of being wrong).
Joe Biden kicked off inflation in the spring of 2021 with a massive spending bill — and his trusty sidekick, VP Harris, provided the tiebreaking vote for it in the Senate. Throwing far too much taxpayer money into an economy already struggling to meet demand sent inflation soaring to an annual high of 9.1% by June 2022. The cumulative number since the Biden-Harris inflation bomb is over 20%, and many goods and services are 40%, 50%, or 60% more expensive than they were when Trump left office.
Home prices have soared nearly 30%, which helps sellers but crushes buyers, who are paying higher prices and interest rates. Many renters now think they’ll never be able to afford a home.
Compare the candidates’ records, and the economy alone ought to determine the election outcome. Remember Democrat strategist James Carville’s famous statement in 1992: “It’s the economy, stupid.”
(Just to be clear, I also think that other deciding factors include but are not limited to the Supreme Court, the military’s commander-in-chief, and the Democrats’ cultish push for evil things like unlimited abortion and gender mutilation, even for kids.)
With that setup, let’s look back at Friday’s jobs report and other economic barometers ahead of tomorrow’s Election Day.
Just 12,000 jobs were created in October instead of the expected 100,000. Without 40,000 government jobs added, the report would have been negative. It also came with revisions to previous months’ numbers — August and September were revised down by a combined 112,000 jobs, and that’s after August’s eye-popping revision removing 818,000 jobs from the period of April 2023 to March 2024.
As for October, Leftmedia experts blame hurricanes and the Boeing strike, as if the Biden-Harris administration is run by innocent bystanders. Then again, Biden isn’t really running the country anymore, so there’s that. Yet FEMA blew it, and instead of helping in any way with hurricane recovery, Harris was busy picking a fight with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Moreover, as National Review’s Noah Rothman notes, the administration also “all but encouraged the [Boeing] strike and managed only to postpone it until after the election.”
As for the jobs report, I’m certainly not hitting the “panic” button, but I am saying that the economy could use new leadership. Harris may or may not have worked at McDonald’s (60% of Americans doubt it), but we do know that Trump is a businessman with a track record of successfully stewarding the American economy.
He has some, er, unorthodox ideas about taxes, and his tariffs are arguably a 19th-century solution to 21st-century problems. In short, his policy proposals for a second term could be better.
Yet the Biden-Harris administration kept most of his tariffs in place, meaning there’s little difference between their policies on that front. And Harris would be demonstrably worse on taxes because Democrats view them as punitive equalizers in their class war rather than the tread-carefully economic burden they really are. Her socialist price controls would likewise be terrible.
Amidst all of that, however, Harris is actually improving her standing with voters on the economy. She’s gained on Trump in the polls over the last two months on an issue that should clearly be his strength. Conservatives rightly mock her bromides about “growing up a middle-class kid,” but when you have the entire mainstream media campaigning for you, those sorts of things sink in with voters who don’t rely on other news sources.
Roughly 75 million ballots have already been cast, so Friday’s jobs report wouldn’t have factored into any of those votes. There’s also the fact that the stock market, in which 162 million Americans (62% of adults) are invested, is actually doing pretty well, gaining about 75% since just before the 2020 election. That’s mainly because the market has adjusted to bad fiscal policy. Third-quarter GDP was up a relatively healthy 2.8%, too.
It’s not all doom and gloom, to be sure. But if you’re a regular American living paycheck to paycheck, the Biden-Harris economy has not been good. You’re right to be frustrated and even angry about that every time you buy groceries. It’s also no wonder Kamala Harris would rather talk about Liz Cheney and the “fascist” bogeyman.
This has been an incredibly contentious election cycle, but as our staff continually remind each other, the hard reality is that for all times Liberty has been threatened by its antithesis, tyranny.
The future of Liberty will, as always, depend on those who steadfastly defend it.
For more than 28 years, The Patriot Post has remained front and center in the battle for Liberty solely because of the support of readers like you.
In addition to the vote you are casting tomorrow, please consider a second vote in support of your Patriot team, which will pay dividends far beyond this election cycle.
Douglas Andrews: Dems Smear Trump for Cheney ‘Warhawk’ Comments — All Donald Trump said was that Liz Cheney should put herself in the shoes of a warrior before beating the drum for war.
Thomas Gallatin: The Left’s Illegal Immigrant Crime Lie — Democrats and their cohorts in the mainstream media have repeatedly denied the connection between rising crime and mass illegal immigration.
Roger Helle: Desperate Times, Desperate Measures — Let’s do our due diligence and determine (correctly) who will do the best job for our country. Vote your values!
She’s Not Very Nice — Her staff hates her; the turnover rate is astronomical. The country doesn’t much like her, either; she’s the first presidential candidate in history to not win a single primary vote.
‘They Can Make Those Polls Sing’ — Donald Trump responded to a surprising Iowa poll showing him three points down to Kamala Harris.
How to Steal an Election: Mail-in Ballots — What’s the difference between absentee balloting and universal mail-in balloting? The latter might sound like a great idea, but is it really?
The Amish Could Save America — These folks may just have the power to sway the swing states they reside in and transform the future of this country.
“Donald Trump … is talking about sending a prominent Republican to the firing squad.” —Harris senior adviser Ian Sams
“Donald Trump [is] calling for Liz Cheney being shot in the face.” —MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough
Dumb & Dumber
“While we are excited about who’s showing up, we have to understand that turnout does not mean there’s not voter suppression activity.” —failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams
“Here in the state of Georgia, despite the government making it harder to cast your ballot, people are willing to fight to make it happen anyway.” —Stacey Abrams
Non Compos Mentis
“I think JD Vance has mommy issues. … And because of those issues, he has subjected women across this country to all his bad ideas and all his bad policies.” —CNN commentator Tavis Smiley
Freudian Slip
“I have fought for many who have harmed other human beings.” —Kamala Harris
Political Futures
“Harris is now confirming to voters that she really can neither think nor speak well and has no consistent agenda that appeals to the middle class. So, in final desperation, Harris is smearing Trump as a fascist, even though ironically, he has been the target of fascist machinations from her own party and supporters for nearly a decade.” —Victor Davis Hanson
“If Trump risks revealing too much of himself, Harris risks revealing too little.” —Michael Barone
“The race is too close to call. Republicans hope the results will look like 2016, when Trump outperformed his polls. Democrats hope the results will look like 2022, when an anticipated red wave crashed against an anti-MAGA electorate.” —Matthew Continetti
“If Harris wins, it will be because Trump’s confidence led him to downplay or dismiss two groups that could seal his fate: women worried about abortion rights and suburban independents and Republicans alarmed at Trump’s personality and the MAGA movement.” —Matthew Continetti
“If Harris loses, an impaired Biden stepping down from pursuing a second term at 81 years old and then clearing the way for a largely unvetted and unpracticed Harris to replace him might seem an obvious mistake. If Trump loses, it might appear obvious that it was a mistake for Trump to insist he really won in 2020 and elbow aside all primary competition this year at 78 years old.” —Michael Barone
And Last…
“It sure seems like Democrats are hoping to win this election by insulting voters in as many ways as possible.” —Nate Jackson
(Steven Richards – Just the News) Democrats were confronted earlier this year with a terrifying reality: a cap on out-of-pocket costs for patients to limit Medicare drug spending passed as part of Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act was set to spike premiums for millions of senior citizens just weeks before the 2024 presidential election.
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