Maybe angry Christians should try chanting 'Pray for Biden' instead of 'Let's go Brandon'?

KD is correct when he suggests that I chose my words carefully when I used the term “progressive” rather than “democrat”.

Having said that, while “only 36% of democrats favor defunding the police” now, that’s down from 52% in June 2020 according to this Hill article.(link is external) This context is critical. Democrat support for defunding the police hasn’t been static at 36%. I’m not going to say that was, you know, “misin….” but this context, ignored by Joel above, is critical. Why would that be? Joel, you touched on it in your post. They saw the fruits of their dysfunctional policies firsthand. Did they change their minds because they actually care for their communities? Or did they pragmatically change their minds because they saw the writing on the wall and realized that they’re facing an electoral bloodbath in November 2022? According to this Hill article,(link is external) only 28% of a core Democrat constituency - black respondents, on behalf of whom white liberals claimed to act - favor defunding the police. If Democrats lose the black vote, it’s all over for them.

Wrong again! 64% of democrats against defunding the police is static because the study is from over 11 months ago, not now.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/07/usa-today-ipsos…

[Joel Shaffer]

Wrong again! 64% of democrats against defunding the police is static because the study is from over 11 months ago, not now.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/07/usa-today-ipsos-…

Joel, I quoted from the same study. But I also cited a study from 2020 that showed Democrats supporting the defunding of police by a 52%/48% margin.

Last September, Democrat support for defunding the police had dropped even further to 25% according to this Pew Research poll.

Are you really maintaining that support dropping from 52% to 36% to 25% is “static”? Why the zeal to obfuscate the truth? Why is it so important to you to support a false narrative?

[KD Merrill]

Mark_Smith wrote:

When it comes to illegal immigration, Republicans want the rules enforced one way. Democrats want another.

Here’s the crux of the issue. In a nutshell, when it comes to illegal immigration, conservatives (not necessarily Republicans) want the rules enforced. Period. Not “one way.” We want existing law enforced. Most Democrats don’t.

I can’t state it any more simply or unequivocally.

OK. But this article (and a lot of other actions) acts like NOT “following the laws” the way you want them is criminal, or worthy of intense insult and denigration. That is what all my writing here is about opposing. The criminalization of politics. The exaggeration of politics. That is where we are in America right now.

Mark, not following the laws is a criminal act. Kinda in the definition of the word “law”, no? And if the law doesn’t authorize flying illegal immigrants to the city of their (or Biden’s) choice, then that’s a criminal act by President Biden, plain and simple.

And if refusing to follow the law is impoverishing low skill workers, enabling the drug trade, killing thousands of innocents (and guilty people) on both side of the border from drug wars and overdoses, and the like, um…..tell me again why it’s wrong to be a little bit angry about the matter?

Reality is that with refusal to issue drilling permits (violation of the law), refusal to enforce immigration laws, and the like, Biden is more or less making life far more difficult for a lot of Americans. The anger is just a symptom of the problem. When all kinds of facets of life become subject to executive and bureaucratic whim, people get angry because their lives are being adversely affected. It’s that simple.

How many laws did Biden break during his time in office?

• Democrats: 0
• Republicans: Too numerous to count

How many laws did Trump break during his time in office?

• Democrats: Too numerous to count
• Republicans: 0

Nobody is perfectly consistent no matter how hard they try, but it seems that we’re able to focus like a laser on the faults of the other party while being blinded to the faults of our own party. And it’s this way on both sides. It’s appalling.

Ken, your fallacy is called “tu quoque,” or “you too.” Also quite a bit of “red herring” and “straw man”. Just because someone else has done something to a degree doesn’t mean it’s wrong to object when it’s done again, and it’s also worth noting that only the most hardened political operatives would phrase things as you do.The rest of us have enough well earned cynicism to note that they’re all rogues to a degree, but we’ve grown to learn that it matters to what degree things are done.

To draw a picture, all Presidents since Eisenhower have failed to adequately enforce the laws Congress has set regarding immigration. Only one, Biden, has chartered planes to fly illegals north from the border. All Presidents have to a degree broken their campaign promises. However,Obama and Biden are fairly unique in saying something would be illegal during their campaigns, and then issuing those same executive orders they said were illegal. In the same way, all Presidents have played games with the issuing of permits for resource exploitation, but only one has flat out refused to sell drilling permits at all—and in clear violation of at least one court order.

The level of brazenness has increased a LOT in the past year, to put it mildly, and arguably if Biden had admitted exactly what he had in mind during his campaign, he would have lost badly.

[Bert Perry]

Ken, your fallacy is called “tu quoque,” or “you too.” Also quite a bit of “red herring” and “straw man”. Just because someone else has done something to a degree doesn’t mean it’s wrong to object when it’s done again, and it’s also worth noting that only the most hardened political operatives would phrase things as you do.The rest of us have enough well earned cynicism to note that they’re all rogues to a degree, but we’ve grown to learn that it matters to what degree things are done.

Bert, I’m not defending Biden or suggesting that you shouldn’t think he’s done things that are wrong. I think he’s a terrible president. But I’m very weary of hearing my circle of friends attack every jot and tittle of his life and presidency, and even attack him on a personal level. It doesn’t matter what he does, they will find a way to say how wrong it is. There’s probably something illegal or at least evil about how he brushes his teeth before going to bed at night. And they did the same thing with President Obama. The left also does this….President Trump could do no right in their eyes.

You could call it a fallacy. Nevertheless, I think that each party should cast the beam out of their own eye so they can see clearly when they criticize the other party. I’ve been a registered Republican for my entire adult life, so I want to be open to seeing the faults on my own side. I see Republicans furious with Democrats for doing the very same things they themselves have done. I believe that Republicans need to judge themselves with the same scrutiny that they judge Democrats if they want their arguments to have traction. The way it stands now, each side views themselves as morally superior and the other side as hypocritical, and thus dismiss the other side. There used to be some level of common ground and compromise between the two parties in order that things could move ahead, but it seems that both sides have been pushed to the extremes.

I’m also not sure why I sound like a “hardened political operative” more than anyone else here. And is there maybe a bit of “ad hominem” in that accusation? :)

Crossing the border without permission is illegal. But US law allows people in the US to file for legal status.

Do you send $150 to the city police every time you drive over the speed limit? Change a lane without signaling? These are all violations of the law… as you know, there is no grace here. The law is cold and hard. You broke the ordinance you pay, brother. Step up.

Ken has articulated the obvious. The question in my mind is what to do about it? Pointing it out, as Ken has done, is helpful, but only mildly so. Seriously minded Christians will attempt to address their own errors, but that’s only a small sliver of the electorate. Some seem to think that if those on the Right would stop such lopsided behavior, the Left would follow. Sorry, but decades of experience says No. In my view, the Right tried this higher ground approach for years with no change from the Left. Ronald Reagan and both the Bush’s come to mind. Real gentlemen who were polite, principled, and restrained in what they said. The Left brutalized them unmercifully. Those on the Right became weary of this lopsided treatment, which is probably the main reason Donald Trump became the champion of so many. He retaliated when the Left mistreated him, and in doing so, gave many on the Right the courage to come out swinging instead of standing still and taking whatever was thrown their way.

Is this righteous behavior? Clearly not. Can we expect it to change in a fallen world? Doubtful. Herein lies a divide on the Right. Some call for restraint. Others believe the only way to deal with the misinformation and propaganda from the Left is to “give as good as they take.” Clearly the ultimate answer is a true God-sent revival. Until that happens, I expect things will only get worse. The “awakened Right” is not about to shut up and take it any more. It’s verbal mud wrestling, but it may be the only way to expose the lies from the Left until a national return to Biblical morality occurs.