Religious Extremists Are Our Biggest Threat, and They’re Not Who You Think (5 of 5)

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This country faces a serious threat from religious zealots, and they are winning. Ask a Conservative who they think it is, and they will probably name the Islamists. The same question posed to the Radical Left will probably get the response of Christians. Both answers are wrong. To summarize the previous chapters in this “The Mind of the Leftist” (yes, it took me this long to come up with that name) series:

The Radical Left pretends to be pro-science while being fiercely anti-math.

…Because numbers create accountability, and with it responsibility.

And never being able to be held responsible means never having to say you’re sorry.

Because The Left hates you – yes, even YOU.

But lost in all of this is the burning question behind all of this – “Why?” I’m about to engage in a practice that I hate, and that is of making a broad generalization about a group. Usually, when sweeping statements are made trying to “prove” that one side is made up of stupid people, the author almost always comes out looking like the fool.

That said, while anecdotes are hardly research, I’ve debated the Radical Left over different mediums, and argued with opponents with varying intelligence from very bright but misguided to complete idiots (Note to my lefty Facebook friends who may be reading this – if you’ve read this far you’re probably not one of the idiots).  But one thing I’ve noticed that has consistently applied across the board is how almost every leftist reacts when faced with facts that contradict their beliefs: 1) Ignore them 2) Change the subject, often incorporating some straw man argument 3) name calling, or 4) some combination of 1-3.

My moment of clarity was actually a fairly recent FB debate over The Federalist’s Ben Domenech’s very good explanation of how President Obama’s manner of governing helped to contribute to the rise of Trump. Faithful readers know that I have no desire to see Donald Trump do for America what he helped to do for Atlantic City, but I understand the reasons why many support him. A few of my lefty pals took exception to this article and attributed the rise of Trump to… you guessed it, racism! Wondering how they could have gleaned that from the article I asked them which specific points they disagreed with and the response was… racism. For all of the years of beer infused debates, sparring in comments sections and lengthy FB food fights, this was the moment where the clouds parted and I finally gained insight into the leftist mind:

They do not understand our arguments because they are incapable of understanding our arguments.

Now there’s an incendiary statement that needs some clarification! Obviously that remark doesn’t speak to every Democrat, but in general you will see almost every argument with them fall under this umbrella. But why? Becuse for them, politics takes on far greater meaning in their lives than ours – via David Horowitz:

…think of progressives as a species of religious fundamentalists planning a redemption. Like fundamentalists they look at the world as fallen – a place corrupted by racism, sexism and class division. But the truly religious understand that we are the source of corruption and that redemption is only possible through the work of a Divinity. In contrast, progressives see themselves as the redeemers, which is why they are so dangerous. Because they regard those who oppose them as the eternally damned. Progressives are on a mission to create the kingdom of heaven on earth by redistributing income and using the state to enforce politically correct attitudes and practices in everyone’s life. They want to control what you do, and who you are, and even what you eat. For your own good, of course.

The fact that they see themselves as saving the world – or “saving the planet” as they would prefer — results in a fourth key characteristic of their politics, which is that they regard politics as a religious war. This explains why they are so rude and nasty when you disagree with them or resist their panaceas (and of course if they had the power, the punishments would be more severe); that is why the politics of personal destruction is their favorite variety, why they are verbal assassins and go directly for the jugular, and why they think nothing of destroying the reputations of their opponents and burying them permanently. And that is why they can perform their character assassinations without regrets – or did I miss Obama’s apology to Romney for accusing him of killing a woman with cancer during the campaign? Why apologize when you did it for the good of a world transforming cause?

To sum this up: Progressives see themselves as an army of the saints, and their opponents as the party of Satan; and that will justify almost anything you can get away with.

This also explains the vitriol with which  Leftists persecute non-believers, via NRO’s Mary Eberstadt:

You might say that the U.S. isn’t the U.K. But a few months ago, I met a young woman who spearheads Catholic Charities in one of the U.S. archdioceses now under legal and public-relations siege by progressive activists. Call her Jen. She was every inch a Pope Francis–style Catholic: earnest, self-sacrificing, and pulled closely into the Church’s orbit by the sheer gravity of her desire to help society’s castaways.

Much of her own time and that of like-minded colleagues, Jen lamented, is now spent not where they want to be, in soup kitchens or hospitals, but in parrying constant maneuvers by activists intent on closing their foster-care and adoption services — for the sole reason that traditional Christian teachings about the family infuriate sexual progressives.

Jen fretted about the work they couldn’t accomplish — and most of all about the children waiting to be adopted or otherwise brought into a family. “I know the time is coming when we’ll either close our doors or decide to keep up our work regardless — in which case we’ll end up in jail,” she said matter-of-factly. “But who will take care of the children? Not the people who have sued us out of existence — they’ll move on. Who will take care of all those kids?”

It’s a fair question. And so is this: If today’s progressives really care so much about the poor, why not cease and desist in their enthusiastic efforts to obstruct such manifestly good works?

That perfectly sums up the Radical Left’s view on the world: For all of their favorite talking point of “For the Children!” it will never enter the thought process of any of these agitators to try to help the kids who are stuck and might otherwise be adopted into a loving home. Destroying someone who they don’t like is far more rewarding to them than actually constructively helping someone, not to mention easier. As Robert Stacy McCain neatly sums it up:

“What inspires the Left’s rage — the source of their constant accusations that ordinary Americans are racist, sexist homophobes — is simply that the Left expects the rest of us to accept their authority as Our Moral Superiors™ and they become angry when we refuse to do so.”

During the few years I spent living in the semi-Southern city of Tampa, one of the more annoying characters I would encounter was what my old roommate referred to as “Bible Thumpers.” You’ve probably met one at some point – the kinds who find a way to slip the words “my church” somewhere into nearly every conversation. And that will lead to the inevitable “How about if you come on down to one of our services some time?” Basically, they need to wear their faith on their sleeve and flaunt it wherever they go.

That’s not to disparage all people of faith – I have plenty of respect for people who use their religion as a source of strength and morality. In fact, one of my old bosses was a great guy to work for, fun person, and a devout Christian. But he was never in your face about it – At lunch time he was often in his office with his computer turned off and reading his Bible, and when invitations  to join us for a happy hour were declined with a “Can’t – have my Bible Study group tonight,” it wasn’t bragging – his tone was the same as if he was picking up a friend from the airport. Although we haven’t spoken in over a decade, we swap Christmas cards and the occasional e-mail. And despite how long we’ve been disconnected, he’s the kind of person who, if I were to get a call right now from him saying, “Hey Bob, I was planning on marching on the gates of Hell later today and was wondering if you’d come and stand behind me?” the first words out of my mouth would be “What time, and what do you need me to bring?”

That last story is an aside, but it’s important to mark my distinction between people of faith and Bible Thumpers. And I’d still rather spend a month locked in a cell with a Bible Thumper who also sells insurance and can sing the entire Dave Matthews song collection from memory than a Radical Leftist. Why? Because Bible Thumpers will eventually take “F*** off” for an answer and walk away. The Radical Leftist might walk away, but that will only because xe has decided to organize some online hate campaign against you, file some civil rights lawsuit against you, or otherwise find some way to ruin your life for the sin of being an infidel. And this takes us to how my assertion differs from their studies that they wish proved that Conservative disagreements with them stem from being mentally inferior.

The Leftist’s inability to understand conservative arguments comes not from the fact that they lack the mental capacity to do so, but because they lack the spiritual capacity to do so.

The Radical Left’s spiritual attachment to their beliefs is why they become so angry and viscous over disagreement – it not only insults their opinion, but it also insults their scripture and their gods. Think abut this, a Left Wing Extremeist can no more say “The New Deal really did cause more harm than good” and more than a Christian could say “The 10 Commandments just don’t work in today’s world”. Or a Leftist can no more acknowledge that President Obama or Hillary Clinton are the nasty, viscous, incompetent people that they are any more than a Christian could say that “You know, Jesus was really a jerk.” Granted, there is ample evidence to support my assertions about The New Deal and the Radical Left’s two leaders, but I think you get my point.

Again, not to say that all Leftists are incapable of logic or reason, but when you see them falling back on one of their three defense mechanisms, like telling us that the reason people aren’t watching some smarmy Obama colon-licker on late night TV because we’re just not smart enough for him, don’t waste too much time trying to talk reason with them. When you’ve reached that stage it’s much more satisfying to just drop some remark that will annoy them and move on. So keep in mind when you the the many, many ways that the actions of the Radical Left seem to contradict their beliefs, this is why. If you wonder why they regurgitate White House press releases as facts when what they’re saying is so outrageous even the most basic questioning would show that it’s wrong, now you have insight as to why an otherwise intelligent Leftist mind immediately shuts down and becomes incapable of critical thinking as soon as it comes across something that it wants to hear.

To close this out I want to leave you with a reason to be very fearful for the future, and three reasons for hope.

The most disturbing thing I’ve noticed is the rise of the Leftist Fascists on campus and wonder what happens when we have an entire generation of these unshakeable religious fanatics start moving into positions of real power in a few years? I know that I’ve officially hit “cranky middle-aged man” stage when I start repeating the refrain that every generation does when it sees the next wave grow up. But I don’t remember any previous generations having this one’s love for tyranny. However…

Like most kids, I was given the standard indoctrination that FDR saved our economy via the New Deal. Then in my Senior year at Delaware I took Econ 419: The Economics of the Great Depression“, and what an eye opener that was. It’s not every day that you have something you had believed for years completely turned on its head. I like to think I’m not that much brighter than today’s students, and if I can grasp something where I’m going in with an opposing view there is hope that they can, too.

The second reason for hope is a great article that Glenn Reynolds had in USA Today, Socialism is not as Hot as its Spokesman:

Even though young Americans say they like socialism, they also say that they don’t like redistribution of wealth. Writes Silver: “It’s possible that Sanders will trigger a shift toward more support for economic redistribution in the future, but there hasn’t been one yet.” The percentage of young Americans who support redistributing wealth is almost the same as it was in 1996.

Read the whole thing.

And finally, I’m sure that everyone reading this knows the results of the Iowan and New Hampshire Democratic primaries. I virtual tie in Iowa became a victory for Hillary Clinton, while a landslide victory for Sanders in NH was transformed into a tie by Super Delegates loyal to Hillary. So basically voter inequality that was created by Sanders’ hard work in getting the citizens to vote for him was countered by delegate redistribution to someone else in greater need. If that is not the most perfect lesson for young supporters of Sanders how Socialism really works I don’t know what is!

And really, is there anything more delicious than watching Leftists be given good and hard exactly what they vote for?

That concludes the series, but before I wrap up I need to make a few acknowledgements:

Thank you to Stephen Green, The Vodkapundit, who posted the link to Part 2 on Instapundit, and by my rough estimates have gotten this series an extra 5,000 extra hits between BBB and FA – so far.

I need to thank Chris Wright of Liberato.us. He gave me a few ideas that you saw in these chapters (pointing me to Horowitz being the biggest), but most importantly, he lit the fire under me after I mentioned a few of the points from these chapters in a conversation and he asked me to write them down. These ideas had been kicking around in my head for a few years and without Chris they might still be.

Most of all, I want to thank everyone who’s read, and especially those who joined the conversation in the comments here. Yes, even you guys, Greg & Rich Wheeler – for as much as we disagree, these forums become boring echo chambers without opposing voices.

This was my most ambitious project since my Economics for Politicians that I wrote four years ago, with hopefully more to come when inspiration strikes.  Happy Presidents’ Day, everybody.

Follow Brother Bob on Twitter and Facebook

Cross posted at Brother Bob’s Blog

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Brother Bob is highly qualified to judge other humans he knows that he is far superior to most, if not all, leftists who are basically subhuman
Not content to merely showing his own views hie is in no way reluctant to tell us all about the views and opinions of others.

Thanks so much for sharing with us !!!!
But Brother Bob one question, these “leftists” in a majority rule democracy, with full civil rights for minorities, should their votes and opinions carry as much weight as yours? Should gerrymandering at the state and local levels be allowed ?
Take NC, a formerly red now dark purple state that seems to split 50/50 GOP/Dem. How is it that only 25% of their House Reps are Dems? Would you fight for fairer representation of them ?

I would fight against voter suppression, such as what the Clintonistas just did to the people of New Hampshire.

The religion of Leftism is factionating abd breaking up, thus losing power.

We saw a crack in the religion of the Left when both Madeleine Albright and Gloria Steinhem ordered feminists to ”support Hillary or go to Hell,” and to ”women only support Bernie to meet boys,” yet that demographic went for Bernie, big time.
When the high priests and priestesses call down such orders from on high but get ignored the religion of Leftism breaks up.

The result, however, was still a win for Hillary because of the super delegates.
Bernie’s reaction, pretty funny.

I wouldn’t be too pessimistic about college students just yet. It seems that the majority who are there to get an education might be getting a bit fed up with the attention junkies:
(The video is freakin’ hilarious!

Students SHUT DOWN BlackLivesMatter Activists Trying To Sabotage Class- By Doing THIS! [VIDEO]

“Only the #BlackLivesMatter protestors who thought they’d disrupt his speech didn’t have things work out the way they figured…”
Heh-heh…

@Petercat: Yes, Milo Yiannopoulosisn’t the ”right” kind of gay man for the Left, those homophobes!
He is an out-of-the-closet gay man who happens to be conservative.

@Nanny G: #5
I know it’s out of place, but this is the teeth-rattling funniest thing I’ve read in a long time!
http://speisa.com/modules/articles/index.php/item.2389/us-marines-brutally-ambushed-and-defeated-by-norwegian-kids.html

Nice to see pointless rabble rousers shut down.
The Marines didn’t have a snowballs chance.

It’s more efficient to turn the words Radical Left into one word – Radicaleft. This is especially true since the adverb is never missing.

When I hear a leftist say their latest agenda is;

“For the Children!”

My reply is “Oh? Like abortion?”

Think abut this, a Left Wing Extremeist can no more say “The New Deal really did cause more harm than good” and more than a Christian could say “The 10 Commandments just don’t work in today’s world”.

Well, I’m a Christian and I would say that, so long as I could add the caveat; “…because of those godless, indoctrination-pushing, celebrity-worshiping, Christian-hating, progressive-fascists.”

while a landslide victory for Sanders in NH was transformed into a tie by Super Delegates loyal to Hillary. So basically voter inequality that was created by Sanders’ hard work in getting the citizens to vote for him was countered by delegate redistribution to someone else in greater need. If that is not the most perfect lesson for young supporters of Sanders how Socialism really works I don’t know what is!

Agreed. It is following the typical socialist election stealing tradition. Of course the entrenched Washington establishment progressives of both parties will be using the elite’s superdelagate deck stacking to try to keep the rabble in their place.

When spoiled little basement-dwelling mamma’s boys protest, occupy, burn and destroy because they aren’t getting enough free stuff, the left supports them and makes excuses for their behavior. Any attempts to remove them by force is racist and fascist.

However, when ranchers are being systematically driven off of or denied access to THEIR OWN LAND and they decide that it is time to stand and fight, the left wants them massacred.

What twisted minds.

I think the religious extremists might be pretty much who some of us think they are. Ted Cruz, like his father Raphael, is a dominionist. They think the state should be an instrument of their own brand of Christian beliefs. Essentially, they believe the United States should be a Christian theocracy. Separation of church and state, one of the fundamental principles our nation was founded upon, isn’t at all to their liking.

That would be what most Americans consider an extreme position.

We can see the religious zealots right here how many times have the trolls who inhabit FA continued to defend Hillary’s classified email issues and not relevant since Fox news is the only media reporting? McClatchy DC is not a conservative network, but here they are!
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article61383137.html

They confirm everything that those who know what classified information is have been relating here. Yet, the religious zealots that Brother Bob describes continue to spout ignorant comments like “the emails were not marked”, the emails were classified after they were received” and “the emails would not have been made public if it wasn’t for the conservatives”.

FOX News reports details that cannot be confirmed and have most likely been invented. They do it often and they do it purposefully.

The topic of religious extremism has nothing to do with Clinton’s e-mail. It has everything to do with a belief that you have been chosen by God to close the gap between church and state and remake America as a Christian theocratic republic, because you’ve got some goofy idea that this is what the Founding Fathers actually had in mind.

Do you believe such thinking doesn’t have serious, real world implications? Here’s a direct quote from Rafael Cruz, Ted’s father, made during a sermon he delivered at an evangelical megachurch in August, 2012:

“The wealth of the wicked is stored for the righteous. And it is through the kings, anointed to take dominion, that that transfer of wealth is going to occur.”

That happens during the end times, which should be coming along any time now, assuming the right people do the right things. The wicked would be those who don’t happen to share evangelical Christian views. Maybe you can figure out who he imagines the phrase “anointed kings” refers to from this short video.

Yes, I have a big problem with these people. I have a big problem with anyone who thinks their own religion is correct to such a degree that their beliefs can be rightfully imposed on those who do not share them, and that the government is the instrument by which this should be done. It’s the same theory that’s behind Islamic extremism.

Greg is such a fanatic that in his ‘Fox derangement syndrome’ he must actually believe feverish drivel such as in his following statement:

FOX News reports details that cannot be confirmed and have most likely been invented. They do it often and they do it purposefully.

The fact that Fox is not the only news reporting the same details, is too much for his demented brain to handle, so he focuses all his ire on the subject of his derangement. Greg needs to seek professional psychiatric help. There is no point nor accomplishment to be had in feeding trolls or arguing with crazy people.

@Ditto: @Ditto: In defense of Greg, when he is on his meds, he often , Sometimes makes sense never posts.

@Greg:

FOX News reports details that cannot be confirmed and have most likely been invented. They do it often and they do it purposefully.

Perhaps you can provide examples. I know I have asked numerous times for this before, but I don’t see what it can hurt to ask again. Upon what, beside the fact you don’t like hearing what Hillary is guilty of, do you base your accusation?

The wicked would be those who don’t happen to share evangelical Christian views.

You sound nervous that you might find yourself on the opposite side of what liberals have been doling out for the past 7 years. Well, don’t say we did not warn you of the dangers of the precedents the left were establishing.

According to a fact-checking analysis done by Punditfact, 60 percent of the claims made by FOX News talking heads are not simply not true. MSNBC and CNN statements were also analysed. FOX is the must unreliable of the three.

@Bill, #17:

I frequently detail the bullshit cranked out by FOX News. FOX News constantly makes specific claims and accusations with source attributions that are impossible to check. I cite examples and often provide links. No one can overcome a person’s determination not to notice this.

@Greg:

I frequently detail the bullshit cranked out by FOX News.

No, actually you do not. Not that I have ever seen, anyway. Just like every other liberal I see blaming Fox for liberals getting caught in hypocrisy, crime or corruption; because the news is anti-liberal, it is assumed to be a lie. It should be added here that liberals regard everything they don’t like as a lie.

However, just like your link, you never cite a single instance. You simply claim, like all liberals, that information you do not like is a lie and, thus, it should just be accepted as such.

Pundifact is a liberal leftwing org, another snopes like site of highly questionable background and ownership.
http://townhall.com/columnists/larryelder/2014/10/30/punditfact-lies-again-
They all lie, very few just the facts and you decide.

We certainly steered quickly away from the topic of religious extremism the moment Ted Cruz and dominionism were mentioned. You might want to look into that. It’s certainly going to come up if Cruz turns out to be the republican nominee, and properly so. The idea that the nation should become a theocratic republic led by the anointed followers of Christ isn’t a sales pitch most Americans are going to be comfortable with. I don’t think most Christians would be comfortable with it.

Someone need to go read he article again it seems to be about the left making a religion about their views, not real peoples faith and trying to interject it into politics. Not about Fox news, not about Ted Cruz or his faith, or his Father.

@Bill, #17:

Here’s a recent example of typical FOX b.s., from the February 18th edition of their political and current events discussion program, Outnumbered:

HARRIS FAULKNER (CO-HOST): Well that was an opportunity, maybe. President Obama will become the first president to skip the funeral of a sitting Supreme Court justice since 1954. And I say”opportunity” — Josh Earnest could have said anything other than, well, we’ll have to take a look at the schedule, basically.

A flat out lie. Four of the seven most recent funerals of Supreme Court Justices who died while still serving were not attended by the sitting President. It’s been the usual thing over the past 50 years or so for the current President not to be there.

The official reason given for Obama’s absence, by the way, was the effect presidential security would have had on Judge Scalia’s funeral services. The necessary precautions can be distracting and disruptive.

PunditFact has presented 9 pages of statements made on FOX News, each linked to an in-depth assessment concerning the factual accuracy of each. Most of the statements are categorized as false, even after cutting them slack by throwing out those that are arguably half-truths. It’s not just carelessness or random inaccuracy. False statements are made with a purpose.

@Greg: Oh. People on the opinion shows. Really. How about what is presented as news? We are talking about the reports, for example, of Hillary’s lies about her emails, which you say Fox lies about. We aren’t talking about people offering opinions or talking off the top of their heads.

Nice try, but silly and weak.

@Bill: He will be quoting the ladies on the view for news next.

I’m not the supporter of a political party that’s getting ready to nominate a reality TV show host for president—though he does make more sense than a Canadian-born evangelical dominionist.

I cannot believe it there is a statement made by Hillary in 2005 to Dick Morris for rewriting history, she said “The average Democrat is STUPID, easy to manipulate” I could not agree with her more, finding anything she has to say, that is not not a lie, I just cannot fathom it, but there it is!

@kitt, #28:

That’s a made-up quote that was attached to a photograph of Clinton and posted to a Tumbler page titled “Shocking Hillary Clinton Quotes,” which consists entirely of made up Clinton quotes. It appeared late last year. It was claimed that the quote was taken from “Rewriting History,” a book written by Dick Morris, but that’s also made up. The book actually exists, but no such quote appears anywhere in it, nor does it appear in anything else Dick Morris has written.

The thing about the Internet is that anyone can claim pretty much whatever they want. It’s up to each individual to discern what is truth and is a lie. Anyone who can’t figure out how to do this is going to be taken for a ride.

Ok if its a fraud then I guess she has never ever told the truth and there is nothing I agree with her on …no loss

@Greg: Nah. Just the party that promotes the most dishonest, corrupt, incompetent liar ever foisted on the American people. Your candidates are more “unreality stars”.

@Bill, #31:

Are you talking about the guy who inherited two overseas wars run on a credit card, a seriously stressed military, a VA system inadequate to the needs of thousands of newly returning vets, national and global economies that were circling the drain, a national unemployment rate that was rising like a skyrocket, and numerous state, county, and municipal governments that were suddenly lacking the funds to provide many essential services?

All of those things were reality. They were there when Obama walked in the door. So, how does then compare with now? And how did an “incompetent” administration manage such a recovery, when it was fought tooth and nail every inch of the way by the opposition party?

@kitt: The left never will address he issues in the articles. They either change the subject, blame Bush, blame Fox, blame unreliable data even though others have provided links or misquote laws/regulations. Proves Bobs point.

@Randy:
Happy national toast day and happy birthday to tootsie rolls.
No they do their best to drag you down the rabbit hole into their wonderland. It will never be their fault, they always have a handy boogeyman to blame failure on.

@Greg:

Are you talking about the guy who inherited two overseas wars run on a credit card, a seriously stressed military,

Nah, I’m talking about Hillary. Obama wasn’t overtly corrupt until AFTER he was elected.

Oh, and those two wars? Both being won until Obama took over. On a credit card? Is Obama paying cash? Plus, for 4 years, Bush was reducing his deficits and he didn’t have to run them up to $1.4 trillion per year to do it.

a VA system inadequate to the needs of thousands of newly returning vets,

WHY is the VA system inadequate? It is the model of what you socialists want government health care to be and the VA has to burn cash every year, purchasing new furniture and artwork, so as to keep their budgets from being reduced. Please explain why it is “inadequate”, especially after Obama campaigned on fixing it?

national and global economies that were circling the drain, a national unemployment rate that was rising like a skyrocket, and numerous state, county, and municipal governments that were suddenly lacking the funds to provide many essential services?

And how are things today? The Dow just lost ANOTHER 200 points today, the economy has been propped up by loaning out freshly printed money at 0% interest. Unemployment is, realistically, more like 12%. Yeah, we’ve seen a real economic miracle under Obama.

Now, ISIS runs rampant across the Middle East, Russia makes Obama dance like a marionette, Iran pokes him in the eye every chance they get and makes him like it and he worries about how to sell the phony “global warming” threat to pad his retirement fund. He is the very definition of the term “incompetent” unless destroying this country was his goal.

For some reason, I just can’t accept the assertion that the nation is on far shakier footing now, in the final year of the Obama administration, than it was during the final year of the George W. Bush administration. People act as if the 2008 banking crisis, the global financial crisis, the U.S. stock market crash, and the worst and most prolonged recession since the great depression never happened. They’re also determined to believe that the invasion of Iraq was fully justified, and a good idea, and has only had some very negative consequences because Obama somehow screwed things up after the Status of Forces Agreement was finalized by his predecessor.

And a suggestion that liberal political views represent the real religious extremism in this country, when one of the GOP’s front runners for presidential nomination is a Christian evangelical with undeniable dominionist leanings? Sure, we can stick to that topic. I’d like to hear someone’s theory about how advocacy of a Christian theocratic republic is an expression of Constitutional principle. Please feel free. Of course, first you’d have to find out what dominionism is, and then you’d have to realize how that relates to Ted Cruz’s candidacy. It’ll be far easier to dismiss the entire argument as some generalized leftist attack on Christianity—you know, like they did with Romney—so I won’t hold my breath.

@Greg: Can you provide a specific example of this theocratic government that is suppose to suddenly flourish if Cruz is elected, and how in your deepest delusions this would destroy the country. They tried to say the Pope would be running the country if Kennedy was elected.
Dont worry about accepting reality you haven’t shown such a capacity yet, we dont expect much from you.

@Greg:

Greg
For some reason, I just can’t accept the assertion that the nation is on far shakier footing now, in the final year of the Obama administration, than it was during the final year of the George W. Bush administration.

Who says it’s in worse shape than the liberal social engineering Community Reinvestment Act massive failure put it in? I’m not saying that. I am saying, however, that after an addition of $10 trillion in debt, 0.2% growth is a failure by any measure. The lowest labor participation in a half century is a failure.

Do you recall Obama saying he would have the economy turned around in 3 years? Do you remember him saying unemployment would never exceed 7.9%? It spiked at 10.2% and, taking into account the people who have given up ever having a job again, it is around 12% now. Not only has Obamacare been a huge failure, but it is killing jobs and turning full time jobs into part time jobs.

And his foreign policy… sheesh.

You aren’t a very reliable source of candidate recommendation, Greg. Forgive us if we ignore your opinions on Cruz or any other non-Hillary candidate.

The calculated unemployment rate is currently 4.9 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Is that accurate? All that can be said is that the methodology used to calculate the rate is the same as has been used for years. I see no reason to think the calculation is any more or less accurate than it has been in past years.

The unemployment rate has never been more than a useful indicator suggesting approximate values that can be used to plot trends. It doesn’t provide an exact, real time measurement, like you might get from a thermometer hanging on a tree outside your window. Politicians all like to suggest that’s what it is when the number looks good, and point out that it isn’t when it looks bad. The current administration is no different. Still, it’s fair to say that the current rate is much better than the 10 percent that was calculated at the height of the last recession.

@Greg: But in the past, you didn’t have the highest level of “I’ll never find a job as long as this idiot is President” ever. These people are not counted in the statistics and their numbers are higher than practically ever.