State of the Union and Mormon Connection

[moksha]

Did you know there was a State of the Union Address last night? I was surprised his staff let him try it. However, they acquiesced with the insistence that Trump read the speech written for him on the teleprompter and not go off on some wild incoherent rant.

I think Fox News has hailed that speech as the greatest ever given by a U.S. President, even surpassing the Gettysburg Address and delivered by the most handsome, most capable, and best-loved President ever. Upon hearing this praise the other networks were sorry they missed it because they were busy covering Trump.

The chief architect for the speech demonizing the immigrants and providing a love moment for Fox News was Mormon Rob Porter, who was Sen. Orrin Hatch’s chief of staff and is now the White House staff secretary. Elder Porter discussing the goals he was trying to weave in a speech; first of which was that Trump would be able to correctly identify and pronounce the words.

Elder Porter started out with a pep talk to Trump reassuring him that:

There must be over fifty thousand
Screaming love and more for you
Every one of the fifty thousand
Would do whatever you ask him to.

Keep them yelling their devotion
But add a touch of hate at immigrants
You will rise to a greater power
We will win ourselves a Wall.
You'll get the power and the glory
Forever and ever and ever.

Elder Porter kept the pep talk short and sweet to maximize Trump's attention span. That pleased Trump a lot, so he promised this new Mormon addition to the White House that he would stick to the script until tweeting time.

If Elder Porter keeps that extraordinary effort up, when he finally leaves govt service he will probably end up a top lobbyist like the other Hatch Chief of Staff, Mac Haddow, or perhaps be called to serve as the Dick Cheney Chair of Political Science at the Brigham Young University-Provo.

[crossmyheart]

I made every effort to avoid hearing even one word. Even drove to work with NPR turned off- which was difficult for me. I. Just. Can't.

It makes sense to me that Trump has a mormon speech writer, who better to write over-inflated, male chauvinistic, useless drivel.

[MoPag]

[slavereeno]

I find it interesting how black and white politics has become in the US. I personally am kind of ambivalent towards Trump. I am not a huge fan of him personally but I think he's done some things right too. I find so few who are like minded about him. I have relatives and co-workers on both sides of this and I am amazed. There seem to be two opinions:

1. First (and this seems more common to me) is the complete, unwavering, and sometimes uninformed, visceral hatred of Trump and everything associated with him. He can do absolutely nothing right and f**k the people who support him. I saw some of this with Obama but in reverse and to a lesser degree, its gotten far worse with Trump in my observation.

2. Second, The belief that Trump is a good man and can do no wrong. These people are lurkers in my circles mostly, only when a Trump hater is not around do the feel free to express their opinion, but they hold this opinion regardless.

I get why people don't like Trump, he is a bit of tool, to say the least, but have we lost the ability to agree sometimes and disagree sometimes and still have civil conversations? I am afraid to say anything for fear of one of these two sides. Does it feel like the pendulum is swinging wider to anybody else, or is it just because I have become an apathetic moderate?

I have become convinced that anyone who can make it through the process to become president in this day and age, isn't going to be my top pick no matter what. They are all going to be narcissistic, self-absorbed, a-holes, why hate one and love the other so much? I know there are lots of reasons for hating trump and I don't need everyone's list in reply. The question is, have we lost our objectivity in general and is there an actual connection to the Mormon church? I know we are just having fun with it here, but IRL I have a co-worker that is seriously mentally distraught over this president.

[Anon70]

I find it interesting how black and white politics has become in the US. I personally am kind of ambivalent towards Trump. I am not a huge fan of him personally but I think he's done some things right too. I find so few who are like minded about him. I have relatives and co-workers on both sides of this and I am amazed. There seem to be two opinions:

1. First (and this seems more common to me) is the complete, unwavering, and sometimes uninformed, visceral hatred of Trump and everything associated with him. He can do absolutely nothing right and f**k the people who support him. I saw some of this with Obama but in reverse and to a lesser degree, its gotten far worse with Trump in my observation.

2. Second, The belief that Trump is a good man and can do no wrong. These people are lurkers in my circles mostly, only when a Trump hater is not around do the feel free to express their opinion, but they hold this opinion regardless.

I get why people don't like Trump, he is a bit of tool, to say the least, but have we lost the ability to agree sometimes and disagree sometimes and still have civil conversations? I am afraid to say anything for fear of one of these two sides. Does it feel like the pendulum is swinging wider to anybody else, or is it just because I have become an apathetic moderate?

I have become convinced that anyone who can make it through the process to become president in this day and age, isn't going to be my top pick no matter what. They are all going to be narcissistic, self-absorbed, a-holes, why hate one and love the other so much? I know there are lots of reasons for hating trump and I don't need everyone's list in reply. The question is, have we lost our objectivity in general and is there an actual connection to the Mormon church? I think maybe we are just having fun with it here, but IRL I have a co-worker that is seriously mentally distraught over this president.

I agree that we are completely polarized as a nation politically and in many other ways! I don't count myself in 1 or 2. I do however think he is very different from other political figures we've had and I think that is why he, in particular, generates a 1 or 2 response. just my 2 cents.

[Wonderment]

I think Fox News has hailed that speech as the greatest ever given by a U.S. President, even surpassing the Gettysburg Address and delivered by the most handsome, most capable, and best-loved President ever. Upon hearing this praise the other networks were sorry they missed it because they were busy covering Trump.

Hahahaha ! Moksha. Love you. Seriously anyone can wrap themselves in the flag and go on about patriotism. We are all for appie pie, ( and funeral potatoes), motherhood, the flag, baseball, and lots of other wholesome things. I have no doubt that Trump considers himself patriotic. I do, however, have a concern when he starts pontificating about the sanctity of the family unit, while stories circulate about his payments to "actress" Stormy Daniels. Also, someone should point out to him that keeping immigrant families together is important also. If families matter, then so do all families. JMO. -- Wndr.

[moksha]

... is there an actual connection to the Mormon church?

The State of the Union Address prime speech writer was indeed LDS member Rob Porter.

[FoundMyOwnWay]

I find it interesting how black and white politics has become in the US. I personally am kind of ambivalent towards Trump. I am not a huge fan of him personally but I think he's done some things right too. I find so few who are like minded about him. I have relatives and co-workers on both sides of this and I am amazed. There seem to be two opinions:

1. First (and this seems more common to me) is the complete, unwavering, and sometimes uninformed, visceral hatred of Trump and everything associated with him. He can do absolutely nothing right and f**k the people who support him. I saw some of this with Obama but in reverse and to a lesser degree, its gotten far worse with Trump in my observation.

2. Second, The belief that Trump is a good man and can do no wrong. These people are lurkers in my circles mostly, only when a Trump hater is not around do the feel free to express their opinion, but they hold this opinion regardless.

I get why people don't like Trump, he is a bit of tool, to say the least, but have we lost the ability to agree sometimes and disagree sometimes and still have civil conversations? I am afraid to say anything for fear of one of these two sides. Does it feel like the pendulum is swinging wider to anybody else, or is it just because I have become an apathetic moderate?

I have become convinced that anyone who can make it through the process to become president in this day and age, isn't going to be my top pick no matter what. They are all going to be narcissistic, self-absorbed, a-holes, why hate one and love the other so much? I know there are lots of reasons for hating trump and I don't need everyone's list in reply. The question is, have we lost our objectivity in general and is there an actual connection to the Mormon church? I know we are just having fun with it here, but IRL I have a co-worker that is seriously mentally distraught over this president.

Thank you for your post. I also agree that people are pushing it to be a very black and white topic, which is not helpful. Just because I liked a some of President Trumps speech doesn't mean I loved everything he said, or everything he's ever done. And just because I disagreed with him on some of his speech points, doesn't mean I have to hate all his speech and everyone who agrees with it to some degree.

[crossmyheart]

And now Porter is out.

[Wonderment]

If Elder Porter keeps that extraordinary effort up, when he finally leaves govt service he will probably end up a top lobbyist like the other Hatch Chief of Staff, Mac Haddow, or perhaps be called to serve as the Dick Cheney Chair of Political Science at the Brigham Young University-Provo.

Thank you, Moksha. A week or so after writing "the greatest speech in Presidential history", and so forth, Elder Porter is apparently on his way back to Utah. Something about "unrighteous dominion." Hmmmm.....

[MoPag]

And now Porter is out.

WOW!!!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... 0a0728ce32

Also Kate Kelly has been contacted by reporters asking for stories about LDS bishops who didn't help DV victims, encouraged DV victims to stay married, anything like that. You can message her on FB or share your story on her comment asking for stories on her FB page.

If anyone knows Give It Time IRL can you tell her about this. Thanks!

[shadow]

The church definitely doesn't allow abuse, right?
https://www.sltrib.com/pb/news/politics ... ere-abused