And the fight goes on...

Well, the shock has worn off, but not the utter, all-consuming disgust. I’ve spent the better part of the last 9 years writing about, warning about damnable Trumpism and the gilded toad that leads the cult.

I’ve endured insults and threats. I was one of the first to see the sobering turn of so-called “conservative media” from a legitimate, principled market for free thought and the defense of American exceptionalism, to some grotesque circle jerk of halfwits, con artists, and sycophants for the dumbest, most blatantly corrupt man to ever run for any public office. Ever.

In 2016, I was riding high, as one of the top trafficked writers for a Salem Media outlet, which shall remain nameless, at this time. Frankly, that simmering cesspool of Trumpanzees doesn’t deserve the publicity. I, along with several other very good and capable writers were unceremoniously bounced, not because of some failing in our duties. As I said, I was a top trafficked writer. I was making them money! No, we were let go because the powers on high had deemed that there would be no stepping out of line, no criticism of Donald Trump.

It was jarring, not because I lost my gig, but because up to that point, I thought punishment for failure to show fealty to a political figure was something that happened in other nations, with reputations for oppressive, despotic governments. It couldn’t happen here!

Oh, to return to those naïve years of youthful whimsy and hopeful, patriotic fervor!

Fast forward and it’s like a waking nightmare! We had him out! The lengthy list of his crimes against our nation would assure that he would never stain the carpets in the Oval Office again! I had more faith in our nation’s voting population than they deserved, however, and it’s not a comfortable place to be. He gave the voters every reason in the world to reject him, just as they had in 2020, but still they succumbed to the mountain of easily debunked lies and misinformation.

Certainly, no one expected him to win. Nearly every poll had him narrowly behind. His rallies had lost their 2016 luster. He was booking smaller venues. We’ve all seen the videos of people leaving early, apparently disinterested in hearing him give the same, reheated list of grievances from 2016 and 2020.

His obvious cognitive decline was another factor to consider. Anyone hearing him now and not picking up on the fact that he is fading is fooling themselves. His decline may look different than that of Joe Biden’s, but he is declining, nonetheless, both mentally and physically.

He’s old, folks. It happens.

So why are we here again? Why have voters brought this felon back from his political grave, risking our economy and our standing on the world stage, just to elevate a paid stooge of our geopolitical foes? And will he even make it to his inauguration, much less through an entire 4-year term?

I honestly don’t have the strength to do an in-depth postmortem. I will, however, make several observations for consideration.

First, can we stop looking for celebrity endorsements, at this point?

Kamala Harris had a veritable who’s who of high-profile celebrity endorsements. She had, arguably, the biggest pop star in the world right now, Taylor Swift, give her the nod. She had Sam Elliot, Jennifer Lawrence, nearly the entire Avengers cast – and she lost.

Does that mean Kevin Sorbo’s endorsement means more than that of Mark Hamill?

Not even close. I think what it means is that nobody cares that much what celebrities say, at least when it comes to our politics.

Sing, act, or whatever your gig is – and just let people enjoy that.

Secondly, my biggest objection to Trump has always been the damage to the American Church’s witness, by its association with a lying, adulterous, profane bully. We can’t say this is God’s will. He was taken out in 2020. Christians rushed to put him back in, even knowing all we now know about his crimes. How does that look to the lost, who need us to be the light in the dark?

Can God use this? God can absolutely use Trump to achieve what He needs to happen for this moment in history. That being said, it may not be a good thing. It may very well be God’s chastisement on a sinful nation and a church that has had its heart hardened and its conscience seared. American Christians tend to see Jesus Christ as an “American God,” rather than a God with no borders, no earthly kingdom. So lazy has the American church become, that they seek to have the government bring about righteousness, rather than being the hands and the feet, themselves.

American Christians can’t be bothered to be workers, reaping in a harvest from the world. They’ll turn a blind eye to a man who is all those things God hates, and they will put their witness in his hands, mainly to get cheap gas and pay 10 cents less for eggs. If he says he’s on their side, he doesn’t have to prove it, clearly. So they take him at his word, ignore his actions, and then go about their lives, ignoring the call to win souls for the Kingdom of God, rather than elections for the enrichment of Trump.

I would only ask those who claim a relationship with a holy God, while arguing that we must vote Republican to prove said relationship: Did Jesus use the Roman government to spread his message and change the world, or did he do it by spreading God’s holiness and love to the immigrants, the downtrodden, and the broken?

Last of all, I’m just tired. I long for a sane nation again. I’m sick of the extremes on both sides. It’s why I walked away from partisan politics. At some point, a lightbulb goes off and you see that the two major parties in this nation are both made up of the same kinds of people, using different avenues to gain power for themselves first, and you last. There are no true “servants of the people” in politics. If you want to find those, you have to go to your food banks, homeless shelters, schools and wherever there is community outreach. Maybe you are such a person. If so, I commend you. I have a feeling we’ll need more of you in the very near future.

We may also need true patriots on the ready, as we are in perilous times. Founding Father and member of the Continental Congress, Samuel Adams, spoke prophetically into these times:

“If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.”

Donald Trump will now begin to dismantle every support of law and order, because it benefits him, personally, to do so. Reams of American security secrets have gone missing under him, likely in the hands of our enemies. He will never answer for that. Those who attacked our republic, attacked Capitol police officers, threatened public officials, they will be released, as if they did nothing wrong. Justice will not be served. I fully expect Trump, should he survive the ravages of time and clogged arteries, to unleash his ugliest, most vile impulses against those he perceives as “enemies” within our nation.

I have no hope that there is anyone within the incoming administration who will restrain him, and worse yet, fellow American will cheer him on, no matter how un-American his actions may be.

Or I could be wrong, and I pray I am.