Tonight Donald Trump accepted the GOP nomination for president of the United States. He is no longer the presumptive nominee. He’s the man now. The party belongs to him, and the GOP as we have known it is officially dead.
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The Ruination of GOP Statesmen
Michael Gerson’s column in The Washington Post today is a burst of moral clarity. Gerson argues that Republican politicians endorsing Donald Trump have sullied themselves, and that includes Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who is the GOP vice-presidential nominee: Pence did his part at the convention. He displayed considerable political and rhetorical skill. And he brought great shame on himself and the Republican Party in the process… Every serious Republican who crosses the event horizon of endorsing Trump is sucked into a black hole of compromise and self-deception. And many of us — still loyal to a humane conservatism — will never be able to think about such leaders in the…
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Mary Kassian answers questions from an egalitarian about abuse
Mary Kassian has a fascinating Q&A with a leading egalitarian on the subject of abuse. The context of Kassian’s conversation is a review that Kassian wrote last May on the book “Black and White Bible, Black and Blue Wife.” I recommend reading the review first, then the Q&A.
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Ross Douthat’s Lament for the GOP…Twitterized
The unintentional comedy of this evening should not distract from how sickening it is. — Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) July 20, 2016 This is one of the two major political parties in the most powerful nation in the world. Don't laugh. It's not funny. — Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) July 20, 2016 Oh, Donald Jr. gave a good speech. Oh, Christie should have been VP. Be quiet. The party of Lincoln and Reagan has nominated Donald Trump. — Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) July 20, 2016 Paul Ryan's palpable discomfort with his nominee? Not funny. He chose to be part of this, to bless and accept it. He should feel disgrace. — Ross Douthat…
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Could plagiarism and a rick-roll in one speech be an accident?
.@Lawrence on the similarities between Michelle Obama’s and Melania Trump’s convention speeches: “pure plagiarism” https://t.co/KDThsAc1Qw — MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 19, 2016 The message coming out of the first night of the GOP convention can be summed up in one word: PLAGIARISM. Melania Trump’s speech was initially well-received by pundits. But the plaudits were short-lived as it became clear that her speech plagiarized a speech given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic Convention. Trump’s speech will be parsed and analyzed ad infinitum for the next day or so. I’m sure the Trump campaign will have some response (UPDATE: Here it is). Mrs. Trump is responsible for the words she delivered,…
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Bush and Obama Eulogize Fallen Dallas Officers
Earlier today, both President Obama and former President Bush offered eulogies at the memorial service for five Dallas police officers. You can watch President Bush’s remarks above and President Obama’s below. I think these words from President Bush stand out:
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Dallas Police Chief: “We’re asking cops to do too much”
Dallas police chief David Brown held a candid press conference yesterday. The video above is a remarkable excerpt in which he says: I’m a person of faith. I believe [the fact that] I’m able to stand here and discuss this with you is a testament to God’s grace and his sweet tender mercy. Just to be quite honest with you… We’re asking cops to do too much in this country. We are. We’re just asking us to do too much. Every societal failure, we put it off on the cops to solve. Not enough mental health funding? Let the cops handle it. Not enough drug addiction funding? Let’s give it…
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Senator Ben Sasse, a lone voice of moral clarity
Among congressional Republicans, Senator Ben Sasse is standing almost alone against his party’s presumptive nominee Donald Trump. Sasse has consistently been one of the few clear voices throughout the dumpster fire known as the 2016 presidential election. Earlier this evening, Senator Sasse posted an open-letter to American voters. He argues that it is wrong to vote simply for the lesser of two evils. Too much is at stake in this election. He writes: To be clear, I have a strong desire for a candidate who is a conservative. But this is more foundational than mere policy differences right now. More important are the virtue of the individual who would serve…
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Obama supporter has buyer’s remorse over gender policy
Justin Giboney has a remarkable opinion piece at Christianity Today that I missed at the end of May. Giboney is an ardent supporter of President Obama, but he says that it was a mistake not to oppose President Obama’s views on transgenderism. Here’s an excerpt: We happily manned the front lines as Obama fought for the poor and underserved. We held our noses when he championed policy contrary to our beliefs. The unspoken, but understood call was to stand down lest we undermine our brother and empower his enemies. And stand down we did, submitting to the Obama Effect. When Louie Giglio “withdrew” from events in Washington for having the…
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Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men
“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” -Ephesians 4:1-3 “Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.” -Philippians 4:5 Obviously, we are all rightly grieved and horrified by the events of the last three days. I know I am. It feels like our nation is coming apart at the seams, and there is much sorrow and bewilderment. Everyone is on edge. Emotions are frayed. And it is easy for our…