Republicans debate, again without Donald Trump
Former Republican Party Logo (Wikipedia)
Here is a report about the latest Republican presidential candidate debate from Voice of America:
Republican Presidential Hopefuls, Minus Trump, Spar Sharply at Debate
Updated September 28, 2023
Seven U.S. Republican presidential candidates sparred sharply at a debate Wednesday night, each trying to break from the pack to become the main challenger to former President Donald Trump, who holds a commanding lead for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination, even as he faces four criminal indictments.
Trump, as he did last month, snubbed the party-sponsored debate, which immediately drew a rebuke from two of his opponents.
“Donald Trump is missing in action,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump’s closest challenger, but still a distant second in national polling. “He should be on this stage to answer why he added $7.8 trillion” to the national debt.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie jibed that if the former president keeps avoiding the Republican presidential debates, “We’re not going to call you Donald Trump, we’re going to call you Donald Duck.”
While his opponents appeared at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, Trump staged a political rally in Michigan, a Midwestern political battleground state where autoworkers are striking against the country’s three biggest auto manufacturers.
To cheers from supporters, the former president mostly attacked Democratic President Joe Biden and ignored the Republicans debating to overtake him in the chase for the party’s nomination. He accused “crooked Joe of shipping millions of jobs to China” and said Biden was pushing Americans to buy electric vehicles that are too expensive for most U.S. households.
Back on the debate stage, the other Republicans fired verbal lasers at each other, hoping to land a knockout punch that might give them an edge and leave them standing to fight another day against Trump. The result at times was a lot of cross-talk as moderators attempted, often in vain, to regain control of the debate, hosted by Fox Business News and Univision.
Trump strategically figured he had nothing to gain by appearing on the same debate stage as his opponents when national polling compiled by RealClearPolitics shows him with 56% support among Republican voters for the nomination and a 42-point lead over DeSantis. The other Republicans are even further behind the former president.
At one point, DeSantis addressed his poor showing against Trump, saying, “Polls don’t elect presidents. Voters elect presidents.”
After business entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said he used the Chinese-owned TikTok social media site to reach a younger generation of Americans, Nikki Haley, Trump’s former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, rebuked Ramaswamy, saying, “Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say.”
Haley, a former South Carolina governor, also aggressively attacked her home-state senator, Tim Scott, assailing his performance in U.S. Senate, while he defended his service.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was Trump’s second-in-command, asserted his conservative credentials and said he was most qualified through years in Congress and as a former governor in Indiana to become president. A long-shot candidate, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, cited his business acumen.
After the first, indecisive debate among the Trump opponents, nationwide polling showed Trump actually widening his edge, even as he faces the prospect of spending weeks in courtrooms in the first half of 2024 on charges that he illegally tried to upend his 2020 reelection loss to President Joe Biden and illegally retained highly classified national security documents when he left office in early 2021.
With Trump’s majority support among the Republican base, his opponents have been hard-pressed to convince voters they are a better choice to run against Biden, a Democrat seeking reelection. https://www.voanews.com/a/republican-presidential-hopefuls-to-meet-for-2nd-debate/7286659.html
Well, seven people did debate, but they all currently have little chance of attaining their party’s nomination. I watched parts of the debate last night and heard probably all of them speak. Some had good things to say, some were in an attack mode.
Be that as it was, the latest polls I have seen before the debate pointed to Donald Trump having a massive preference among likely Republican voters as well as him decisively beating President Joe Biden in a direct contest. That suggests that unless something happens to Donald Trump, the other Republican candidates currently have no path to be that party’s nominee.
Unless something dramatic happens to or from Donald Trump, the other Republicans running against him currently do not stand a chance. Some are speculating that Joe Biden may be replaced, particularly if the polls are leaning towards Donald Trump beating him.
Yet, at this instant (and assuming that Joe Biden does not die, become totally incapacitated, or otherwise drop out), it is possible the 2024 election looks to be a rematch of the 2020 election.
The divide between the people and the parties in the USA is growing.
This is not good for the USA. As Jesus said:
25 Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. (Matthew 12:25)
17 Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. (Luke 11:17)
This divide is growing as many of its sins (including hypocrisy) become more blatant.
What is happening is a ‘recipe for disaster’ for the US no matter who wins (Republican or Democrat or ?) in 2024.
Isaiah had warnings for leaders which apply in the last days:
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil (Isaiah 5:20)
16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed (Isaiah 9:16).
We are seeing political leaders in many lands, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand erring by promoting sins that the Bible condemns.
Within a decade or so, the US will be taken over (cf. Daniel 11:39) and debt and sin will be factors (Habakkuk 2:6-8) (see USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses and Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).
Pray for the Kingdom of God to come (Matthew 6:10). Also pray as Jesus taught:
34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)
We can expect troubles and tribulation before Jesus returns (Mark 13:8-20).
And that will happen no matter which party, or which of the declared candidates, wins the 2024 US Presidential election.
The USA needs repentance and the Kingdom of God. None of the candidates (including Donald Trump) advocates that.
Some items of possibly related interest may include
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president/prime minister? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand. A video of related interest is available titled: Should Christians Vote? Another video is Biden, Trump, and the Bible.
Might the U.S.A. Be Gone by 2028? Could the USA be gone by the end of 2028 or earlier? There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. Here is a link to a related video: Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? In Spanish: Seran los Estados Unidos Destruidos en el 2028?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2031 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety,’ Zephaniah 2 to ‘gather together,’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on fleeing to a place–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of related interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here are two related items in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra? and Existe un Lugar de Seguridad.
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else? Here is a link to a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. There is also a video on the subject: Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons: The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
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