In his debate with Harris, when the subject came up, Trump claimed he wasn't sure how he would vote on Florida's referendum to make abortion legal, up to a point, in the state. He made it very clear that he appointed three judges to the Supreme Court committed to overturning the Roe v. Wade decision, though all three lied to Congress about their position that it was "the settled law of the land." But now he is saying that he never meant for that to cause a national abortion ban, only that he "and everybody" wanted it in the states. And he clearly stated that six weeks was too short a period of time to cut off the ability to get an abortion.
"That's not long enough," he said, when Harris made mention of the fact that most women don't even know they're pregnant at six weeks.
Clearly, this is not what conservative Evangelicals have in mind, given their support for a man they claim was "sent by God" specifically to end abortion rights in the United States. They've taken a beating, been labelled as hypocrites for supporting a man who is an incessant liar, who gropes women and brags about it, who has had five children with three different wives, to whom he has been unfaithful, who pays for sex with porn stars, and who incites violence, and who has denied their own faith by claiming he has done nothing requiring God's forgiveness. That's a big sacrifice to make for a single political issue, and now, both Trump, and his VP running mate J.D. Vance, have acknowledged that they are fine with each state deciding whether abortion can be legal or not, and for how long during a pregnancy an abortion can be performed.
Last night, when pressed, Vance denied he had previously called for a national abortion ban and went back to the "states have the right to determine this issue" argument. Of course, that was a lie. It was a central theme of his campaign for Senate in Ohio. But then, this is the guy who once compared Trump to Hitler, and who declared him to be the worst President in American history. It's been easy to see that he is a slimy, lying opportunist, which is how he made his fortune and why he is attracted to Trump. But during last night's debate, Vance went out of his way, using the example of California, who, he said, is a state that "thinks differently" on the issue and should have the ability to determine what it will do. And he covered it all up with a lot of evasive language to change the subject.
The pro-life position is the centerpiece for conservative, Evangelical support for Republican candidates for the Presidency, the overturning of the Roe decision being their aim ever since the Reagan administration. It's the decisive single issue for a majority of conservative Evangelicals, and is the cornerstone for the fact that a clear majority of their number join the Republican party and sometimes accept positions on other issues that run contrary to the convictions and principles of their faith, particularly economic policy, to show their Republican solidarity.
And the national ban on all abortions, with no window of opportunity for a choice to be made, is their goal, and always has been. It's a political goal that they idolize, and that's a correct description of their attitude toward it.
If I had invested the kind of time, effort, money, support, into the Trump candidacy that most of his conservative, Evangelical supporters have done, and made sacrifices of the reputation and integrity of my faith to continue to support this adulterous, lying, woman-groping reprobate who pays porn stars to sleep with him, incites violence and is a pathological liar, I'd be mighty damned upset this morning, after hearing Vance echo Trump's support for states being allowed to determine whether abortion is a woman's healthcare right. That's not what they've believed this former President would say, or support.
So here's the question I want to ask today. Will they continue to sell their soul to the devil, now that they are not getting anything at all in return? Not only have they had this issue walked back on them, after they thought they'd won when the courts ruled on Dobbs, but both Trump and Vance, in debate responses to questions, have completely abandoned any reference to, or support for Project 2025, something that has their fingerprints all over it. So the one thing that I believe is the real attraction for far right extremist Evangelicals, Project 2025 and a white supremacist, Christian nationalist regime brought into reality by Trump, also appears to be off the table, at least for now.
Do they have the integrity to stand up for what they claim to believe, and walk away from their support for Trump because he has thrown them under the bus when he realized how much this issue motivates voters to support his opponent? Or will they have the integrity to do the right thing, and not give him their votes in November?
The eight years of unqualified support given by political conservative Evangelicals for a worldly man who holds none of their values or beliefs, uses them only for their votes, and whose lifestyle violates every principle and commandment of their faith has left their reputation in a shambles. It's made it impossible for people to trust them on anything, especially the Christian gospel they claim to preach. How many of them will simply ignore this, or attempt to justify it by twisting even more of the Bible out of its intended meaning than they already have? Who, among their self-appointed "leaders" will stand up to Trump and tell him that they're not voting for him unless he tells the truth and supports their position?
How many of them really have sold their soul, and find themselves in a place where it's too late to get it back? And if that's the case, and they have sold their soul, is this just more lying, duplicitous rhetoric from Trump and Vance aimed at reclaiming their lost moderate Republican and independent voter constituency?
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