The Jesus Vote

Campaign rhetoric appeals to the Jesus Vote. Lincoln requoted Jesus when he said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” during the Lincoln — Douglas Debates. Honest Abe lost that election (despite the Jesus Vote), but he did so with class. Abe became President two years later.

Marjorie Taylor Greene also brought Our Lord and Savior into politics (and courted the Jesus Vote) when she said, “The Fake News Media always refer to President Trump as a convicted felon. Well, you want to know something? The man that I worship is also a convicted felon, and he was murdered on a Roman cross.” That’s somewhat less class than Old Abe, but it may work for the Jesus Vote in 2024.

There aren’t a whole lot of Roman crosses out there anymore, but a recent Trump fundraising letter brought back the guillotine. “Haul out the Guillotine!”, it began. “Beheading me is the Sick Dream of every Trump-Deranged lunatic out there! THEY WANT TO SENTENCE ME TO DEATH! If we fail to have a MASSIVE outpouring of patriotic support, they’ll TAKE ME OUT and move on to their real target: YOU!!”

We can’t shout down the “Crucify Him!” crowd and convince Pilate to save Jesus’ life, but we can help to pay off Donnie’s lawyers which is practically the same thing. The Jesus Vote can be dollars as well as ballots.

After Pilate convicted Jesus, he was beaten to within an inch of his life (The movie “The Passion of the Christ” really showed this) and he was forced to “bear his cross” up to Golgotha. Jesus’ comment was “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

After a NY jury convicted Trump, he went back to his normal life, luxuriating at Mar-a-Lago and basking in the adulation of crowds. He did have to suffer in that chilly courtroom though which is a lot like being whipped by sadistic Roman soldiers. His repeated comment was, “This trial is a Witch Hunt!”

If Trump’s antics draw the Jesus Vote, it is a lot less sophisticated than it was for Honest Abe back in 1860.

By Ed Dufton