At the top of my email this morning was the daily offering from Steve Brodner – a shocker: https://substack.com/home/post/p-147061422?source=queue
“Christians, get out and vote! Just this time! You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It will be fixed, it will be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you, Christians. You got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you don’t have to vote.” [trump speaking in Florida 7/26/2024]
I searched “Did trump actually say christians get out and vote…” – just to confirm he’d said it as Brodner quoted. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe Brodner, I was interested in finding out more about the context and whether any of the major news outlets would bother to report the comment.
I definitely found headlines, so trump’s rantings are garnering some attention. They need a lot more attention. Given the overall context of his “speeches” I’m taking the words at face value – vote him into office and that’s the end of meaningful presidential elections. I suppose he could be saying that he’ll have changed the political reality to such an extent that even if there were to be elections whether Christians vote or not won’t matter because any election would simply be pro forma.
I’m on the sidelines in this US election. I don’t have a vote. I’m Canadian. I’m fascinated with the way the election has changed since last Sunday when Biden announced he was passing the torch to Kamala Harris. Energy was palpable almost immediately. I am hoping she can maintain and grow support for her campaign because trump winning the election would be horrific. At least that’s how I see it from my vantage point in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Not only would a trump win be dreadful for the US, it would change lives in Canada in some expected and many unexpected ways. The economic impact would be felt here instantly. But more egregious would be the way in which our political conversation would change – becoming even more partisan, more vicious, more divisive on all sides. We don’t need that.
So I watch the campaign with more than a little concern. I read trump’s words as invoking a dictatorship – support me this time and that’ll be the end of it – I’ll make sure you’ll never need to vote again.
I’m hoping Harris can build and sustain momentum – the US needs her to win. The rest of the world needs her to win.
Go Kamala, go girl!
But I don’t have a vote….
[PS: If you don’t know much about it check out Project 2025 – it’s the GOP/Trump blueprint for a trump presidency – the document itself is 900 pages long, but this synopsis will fill you in.]
jmn 
I, too, get no vote. That said, as Trudeau the Elder once said, “Living next to the US is like sleeping with an elephant — no matter how friendly the beast, one is affected by its every move.”
I’ve seen the effect that Trump’s outlandish, rude and ignorant rhetoric, and lies has had around the world and, especially here in Canada. Civil discourse among political parties is suffering and the incredible emphasis on “my rights!” (as opposed to “my responsibilities”) is concerning. While Americans are pleased with their “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, I prefer the Canadian way, “Peace, Order and Good Government.”
Judith, I agree with you completely. Trump must not win this election. As Biden stated, “Democracy is at stake.”
Karen, you and I are going to have to get active in our own local politics in the very near future – it’s not enough to hope the “good guys” win – we’re going to have to be an active part of making it happen. A federal election is, what, maybe a year away. It’s coming upon us fast – it’s not going to be as dire a decision as the one happening right now in the US, but some of the same restrictions on “freedoms” are in play here in Canada.
These are dumbfounding times we are living in!