READER POLL: Will Trump’s fight with the Pope help or hurt Trump?
The reader poll you never expected
Asked about Donald Trump Thursday, Pope Francis responded to a reporter saying, ““A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.”
Pope Francis’ full remarks are here:
The news reached Trump shortly before a press conference. He responded by calling Pope Francis, “disgraceful.”
Trump’s full remarks can be viewed here:
We want to hear from you. Will Trump’s fight with Pope Francis help or hurt Trump? Poll closes at noon pacific tomorrow.
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Comments
Judging from the height & thickness of the Vatican’s walls, Frankie may have stepped into a small problem here.
Wrong.
Yes, Pope Commie I, who lives in an opulent, guarded palace in a nation with the strictest immigration and citizenship rules in the entire world, dares to lecture the U.S., a country which takes in more legal immigrants every year than every other country on the planet, combined, about how “un-Christian” it is to try and control immigration.
Hypocrite is not a strong enough word to describe this arrogant man.
And BTW, while we are on the topic of what is “un-Christian,” how about the practice of the Mexican government of dumping its unwanted indigenous population into the U.S.? Or how about its practice of teaching its poor how to evade U.S. laws and obtain benefits here to which they are not legally entitled? How about its practice of granting safe passage through Mexico to Hondurans, Guatemalans, El Salvadorans, etc., but only on the condition that they exit into the U.S., so that they won’t become a burden on Mexican taxpayers. And how about the illegal aliens themselves, deliberately violating U.S. immigration laws, tax laws, employment laws, fraud laws, etc. Doesn’t the gospel teach that Christians should not steal? That they should not bear false witness (such as, for example, claiming to be U.S. citizens or legal residents on welfare applications and voter registration forms?). Doesn’t the gospel also say that Christians should not covet their neighbors’ goods? And doesn’t it say that people should obey secular authorities and pay the taxes they owe (“render unto Caesar,” etc.)? There are millions of foreigners living illegally in the U.S., routinely breaking all sorts of laws — religious and secular — and ripping off U.S. taxpayers to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Why isn’t the pope offended by THAT behavior?
Francis still lives in the modest apartment he had as a Cardinal, uses the Papal Quarters only for official uses.
So he’s opened the empty Papal quarters for ‘refugees’ from Syria, Afghanistan, etc? He’s ordered the churches to open their basements, convents, etc to the ‘refugees’?
No he’s a socialist at heart. He’s telling others to pay the price.
I don’t dig this pope at all, but not because he’s pointed out what a jackass humpatrump is. The pope is a big lefty and I wish he’d shut up, but not nearly as much – not 1/100th as much – to my desire that humpatrump shut up. Just shut up.
Something to keep in mind is that the pope DID NOT build the walls around the Vatican. They’ve been there in various sizes and states of repair for 12 centuries.
Apples and oranges.
If people remember that T-rump has done EXACTLY the same thing vis Carson and Cruz, it will hurt Der Donald.
The Pope’s comments WERE disgraceful. So were Der Donald’s.
The only disgrace is that tRump isn’t digging ditches 168 hours per week somewhere for a penny a day.
Trump’s father made him do landscaping and plenty of other hands-on construction work when he was a kid, even after college.
Unlike Rubio, e.g. who when he was the same age was going to gay foam parties in Miami.
And unlike Cruz, who apparently has never held a job that would require him to work up a sweat.
How did you get your intimate knowledge of what work Cruz did in his youth? (Never mind — Trump fans don’t need facts.)
You also missed the fact that the Cruz family was not wealthy, and Cruz did not inherit millions, as Trump did. Cruz also didn’t lose many millions and leave other people holding his debts while he got off in bankruptcy.
Nor did Cruz ever try to kick people out of their homes and call them “dirty” losers because they didn’t want to make way for someone’s luxury project.
But the essence of Trumpism is to turn virtue and vice upside down.
Let Mexico and Latin America answer for their own low wages. People speak of immigration as though it were a volcano or the plague that they are running from- no it’s corruption.
Too much emphasis on our unchristian-like border enforcement and while being willfully blind to the real cause of the humanitarian crisis.
Rags, unfortunately for us, T-rump the Mad, has a lucky streak going. The Papa as a Jesuit, is a very smart politician and not prone to make silly mistakes. So this must have been calculated,
but to what purpose.
If the calculation was to stop any wall being built, it was a bust, this can only help T-rump the Mad.
Just don’t understand how the stars can align for him.
God is tired of all the illegal immigration and wants the wall built. That plus god just doesn’t like a pretend evangelist like Cruz who doesn’t tithe like Cruz.
God will not be mocked.
You’re a disgusting SOS, and no different than any other bigot.
Oh oh I think I struck a nerve with little Ragsy.
Gee, you’ve got a direct line ?
Whay’s the numbers for the next big spin LOTTO, i got a couppla bucks to put down, I’ll even split the pot.
Yep. As I figured. You’re just delighted to smear another person, while pretending your own “Christianity”.
What a detestable SOS.
“From 2006 through 2010, records showed $44,000 in charitable giving, though the receiving organizations were not revealed in those documents.
The Cruz campaign has not yet responded to these reports and critiques, and it is unclear whether there might be tithing money that was not included in the 2006 through 2010 data. As is always the case, critics might not truly be presenting the full picture.”
Wouldn’t goldman sachs lend Cruz enough money to do his tithing.
Obviously, the T-rump loans had drained their reserves, you moron.
What is it…something like 500 million to several billion that T-rump has out to Wall Street banks…??? I mean, WTF knows, since he lies constantly.
So are you claiming to actually speak with the Almighty?
Yes and he told me he doesn’t look anything like Cruz no matter what Cruz’s wife says abiut his face.
Hate to break it to you, Britt, but that old female ally cat you “talk to” isn’t really god.
No matter what your madness counsels otherwise, Son Of Samantha…
God wants the wall built? Really?
Did he happen to give you the last powerball numbers as well?
I think if God actually wanted the wall built he would have given Gary or Trump the first brick.
Actually, this pope is neither scholarly or very political. He is pastoral. Like a priest or minister greeting parishioners after a service he tends not to think that other people might be listening to each answer he gives. Instead of always weighting his words for the consumption of the whole world, he says something he thinks will ease the mind of the person before him. This has gotten him in trouble in the past.
Both JP II and Benedict VI were each far more scholarly. Unlike Francis they had served in the Vatican for years and in positions that were more diplomatic and scholarly than pastoral in function. Each was far better at thinking about how any answer might sound in a variety of contexts and how it might be used by someone with an agenda. Each was also a great linguist, fluent in many languages. Frances is not a great linguist. .
Judging by reaction of crowd to whom he read his remarks this morning normal people find his remarks aapropriate, entertaining and more than a little funny when delivered by Trump.
Pretty sure we can’t count the Trumpet Cultist as “normal” people. Actually every day they get closer to the Obama zombies.
Well, I can’t stand this pope.
I did hear that he gave up communism for lent, but I don’t have any personal knowledge of that.
You can’t stand this Pope because he speaks the truth, that conservative worship of Mammon and “screw you, I got mine!” behavior is the road to Hell.
Yeah, right.
Can you confirm whether the pope gave up communism for lent?
Maybe the pope could start selling indulgences to raise money for the poor mexicans trapped in their own country by Trump’s big meanie wall.
The Vatican has quite a lot of money. The Catholic Church has lots and lots of land, too, all around the world.
How many “migrants” have they taken in on a permanent basis?
Given the Catholic Church’s track record, I shudder to think what those “indulgences” might be.
Back in the dark ages or there about the pope took to selling indulgences for csh money/gold coin. Depending on the size of the purchase one could buy one or more souls out of purgatory and into heaven or you could buy fogiveness of one or more sins.
Chem Geek, a piece of friendly advice: stop the chems, they’re killing you.
It’s a well known fact that conservatives give more their own personal time and money to help the less fortunate than do liberals, or progressives, or socialists, or whatever it is you people call yourselves these days.
There is nothing “moral” about confiscating one person’s earnings so that a bureaucrat can skim off the top and decide who to “give” the remainder to, no matter if that bureaucrat is a politician or a “religious leader.”
The same type of “screw you, I got mine” behavior that hoards billions of dollars at the Vatican while poverty stricken Catholics are encouraged to give them more? The same Vatican that opened up a 30 bed homeless shelter…. OUTSIDE the walls of Vatican city? Can’t let the downtrodden interfere with a lucrative religious tourism trade, after all.
Yeah, the Vatican doesn’t need to lecture a single soul about greed.
Law of Unintended Consequences: Pope’s picking a fight means lots and lots more free media coverage for Donald Trump.
Yep plus this story will step all over discussion of any other story preferred by Trump or Rubio.
Oops should be preferred by Cruz or Rubio above.
Yep. And South Carolina is about 4% Catholic, so even if a GOP Trump-supporting Catholic might be turned off by this, he’s not going to take a big hit there.
As always with the Donald, it all makes sense if you assume that his sole objective in life is to have everyone talking about him at all times.
And apparently Trump is still leading (way) in the polls in Massachusetts, where there are lots of Catholics.
Your first paragraph made sense; your second was just loopy.
Do you believe the Pope jumps to do Donald Trump’s bidding?
Yes.
*YAWN*
Wow. Headline: T-rump gets big reax from sycophants.
In other news of shooting fish in barrels…
Both the Pope’s and Der Donald’s attacks on the religion of others is disgusting.
Cry me a river Rags. Trump should make a donation to the vatican for this gift.
I bet he did.
Why would anyone who’s not Catholic really give a flying fig what the pope says? We don’t believe he’s God’s representative on earth, so his pronouncements carry no weight whatsoever. It’s like worrying about what Howdy Doody said about you ~
Frankly I don’t care what the leader of one of the worlds fastest shrinking denominations actually says. What I do care about is the foreign influence by an avowed communist in our political process, regardless of whether he has a big pointy had or not.
The Dope’s comments were calculated to poison the Hispanic vote in the U.S.
After this latest and blatant delving into leftist politics, Dope Francis is about as credible a ‘Holy See’ as Obama is a defender of the Constitution.
After this, all Francis is now is a guy with a 500 dollar hat.
What a shame for one of the world’s great religions and its followers.
If the Pope is trying to manipulate the Hispanic vote, it won’t work:
Pope laments ‘Mexicanization’ of Argentina; Mexico decries drug comment.
He should stop pontificating on “global warming” and U.S. politics, etc.
Going against the Pope is satisfying for Evangelicals, so it will reinforce those who are for Trump. Many traditional Catholics do not like this progressive commie Pope, so it won’t deter their support of Trump. Who is he influential with? Progressives who would never support Trump anyway. It’ll help Trump (though just slightly I think).
Lots of progressives love Trump:
“The Surprisingly Strong Progressive Case For Donald Trump”
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/07/25/3684164/case-for-donald-trump/
“Progressives For Donald Trump”
https://www.facebook.com/Progressives-For-Donald-Trump-131741683834192/
“Why Liberals Should Support A Trump Nomination” Nomination”http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/02/why-liberals-should-support-a-trump-nomination.html
“Democrats For Trump”
https://www.facebook.com/Democratsfortrump/
“Donald Trump’s Strongest Supporters: A Certain Kind of Democrat”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/31/upshot/donald-trumps-strongest-supporters-a-certain-kind-of-democrat.html?_r=0
Short term. Considering the amount of evangelicals voting this Saturday, if it has any effect, it would be to help Trump.
Long term, I don’t think many Republican Catholics like this pope.
In fact they probably are hoping he goes the way of JP I. ( Sorry, Heavenly Father. ) I think among them it will help a bit, Others won’t make much of a difference.
My hubby is a TP conservative Catholic. He now truly detests this pope.
One thing I’ll say DOES distinguish the disgusting remarks of the Pope from those of Der Donald…
the Pope isn’t attacking others religion out of a lust for power. He has his office.
T=rump is a totally execrable man.
“the Pope isn’t attacking others religion out of a lust for power.”
You need to study history just a little bit.
And this is one of those answers that sounds like an argument, but really isn’t.
Which part of history? What event are you speaking of? How about even a time range less than all of recorded history?
Or should we be calling Mrs. Cleo?
Yes, in your case, probably best to call Ms Cleo. Study of history as it relates to the catholic church and the “infallible” popes is probably too much for you.
This will help The Trumpster – give him more opportunities to yap about his beautiful fence and how he is the best Christian God ever created with his mothers bible and the 2 Corinthians.
It should be a subtle reminder to all voters about the dangers of selecting a Socialist leader, (if the need a reminder after BHO) like Bernie or Hillary. This Pope was weaned on Liberation Theology in Argentina – someone should get his views on Sanctuary Cities, the big and beautiful Vatican Wall and its restrictive policies on immigration.
Maybe iL Papa should take a bunch of the military age male Syrian refugees into his bosom.
It will help Trump. His supporters are emotionally driven. No fact or controversy will sway them. Like pouty children, any attention is good, even bad attention.
actually its you critics of Trump that are emotionally driven … pouty children ? nice rational critique … oh wait … no, an emotional attack driven by some deep seat fear of inadequacy I’d guess …
They really are. Trump is deranging his haters.
Trump isn’t starting a fight with the Pope, he’s just responding to a slur by a communist POS …
A few thoughts about the Pope from a conservative republican Catholic. The Pope is a great voice and has great insights on moral/religious subjects. He has the same failings as the rest of us when it comes to secular items. He has his personal prejudices and I have mine. Often times they don’t align. At that time I review the subject and make the choice I am comfortable with. The MAIN thing to remember is that the Pope is the highest Catholic MORAL authority. He has NO secular authority other than his influence. Why waste time worrying that he disagrees with you UNLESS it is about morals.
Are his intemperate remarks today an example of his “great voice and has great insights on moral/religious subjects”?
I’m sorry, as someone who grew up as a Catholic, taught school in a Title I school run by the only Black Catholic Order of Nuns (the Oblate Sisters of Providence), my best advice to this Pope is to concentrate on the lack of freedoms experienced by Catholics in Communist and Moslim countries; concentrate on the economic advantages of Catholics who are lucky enough to live in capitalist countries; concentrate on the beheadings of Christians by ISIS, the discrimination against Catholics and other Christians throughout the Muslim world, and the war against Christians waged by the left-wing Democrat party here instead of worrying about how the United States protects its sovereignty like his own city-state.
I think iL Papa could find more problems to occupy his time rather than the candidate of another country, who mirrors the views of other candidates, about protecting national sovereignty.
I took the Popes remarks today as his views on a secular subject. The Pope’s always try to turn every item into a moral item. In some countries that has held a lot of sway over the years. America is not that country unless we allow it.
Then he should keep his trap shut.
The problem with your faulty logic is that the Pope is trying to MAKE things ‘moral’ issues so that he has authority on them.
He’s trying to MAKE bullshit like Climate Change and Immigration ‘moral’ issues by vocalizing bullshit like ‘not being Christian’ to enforce borders or his DIRECT QUOTE that it is ‘selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity’ that is causing it.
So no, he’s not a ‘great voice’. He’s descended into petty politics by taking sides on secular issues and trying to force his so-called ‘morality’ of those issues on other people.
So, how many Syrian refugees have been resettled in the Vatican?
Just asking.
I read somewhere that the Vatican took two.
To show solidarity or something.
Two.
Once again I have to wonder how smart Trump supporters are, for it has not seemed to dawn on them that walls and bridges can be mental,spiritual and verbal as well as physical.
No Christian can erect a wall against other people in his or her mind and remain a Christian.
Trump walls off more people each time he spews forth an insult to the cheap applause of his followers. That’s pretty pathetic since the art of politics is to build bridges to 50% plus one of the people.
I’ve read some really dumb defenses of Trump in which the line “We’re not stupid” appears. (Oh really?)
If anything starkly illustrates the mass dumbing-down of the culture, it’s the boatloads of inanity and glaring contradictions of fact that have been deployed in order to paint an obnoxious egomaniac with no firm principles as the most honest, honorable, consistent, reliable, self-sacrificing, pure-hearted servant of the people.
It’s worse than dumbing-down, though. It’s the uncanny ability to look at Trump and regard him as the opposite of what the evidence says.
A more factually-inclined author would have entitled this, “…the Pope’s fight with Trump…”
But I know better than to expect that here.
Does the Pope think Vienna should have had no walls?
Even that Nazi pope wasn’t this goofy.
Clearly we got the first SJW pope.
In the immortal words of Kanye West, he’s the worst Pope of all time… of ALL TIME!
This is the first response I have seen Donald read, he had a scripted reply. That was a smart thing, and I really believe he had some other input. A much different approach than his normal and sometimes over the top campaign debates or arguments. Maybe he is the Christian man he claims, where a soft answer turned away wrath. Yes, this is Proverbs, the Old Testiment, so Hat tip to Solomon. I think that local poll daddy poll shows that it helped him perhaps because he didn’t go completely chicken tickie after Pope Francis’s comments.
That the question would even be framed in terms of “helping or hurting Trump” is one more sign of how far we’ve sunk.
For Trump, of course, EVERYTHING is about whether he wins and his gargantuan ego is further inflated. Always has been. He didn’t suddenly turn into Jesus or even Saint Francis when he started running for president — but his fans evidently think so.
Franklin Graham chimes in.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/franklin-graham-pope-build-bridge/2016/02/18/id/715063/
Graham is right on.
Nothing will hurt Trump with his besotted supporters. But those who were oh so verbal about how Obama divided this country might want to think about how this is dividing people by religion. Wait, did I say think? And some of the ire might be directed at the reporter who got a visibly tired Pope to say something that gave the media, especially the secular media, the kind of cage match they love. And it got Trump what he loves – more free media and more attention. Everything is always about him. How Obamaesque is that?
The Pope should shift his attention to addressing the causes of mass exodus from second and third-world nations. As well as the “final solution”, class diversity policies, and other civil and human rights violations advocated by anti-native factions, including human, civil, and minority rights leaders.
Not only does it help Trump for very obvious reasons, but Rubio jumped to Trump’s defense. Of course we cynical types know why HE did that, but whatever. Siding with the pope is a no-win. FYI, my hubby is a practicing Catholic and is so disgusted with this pope I don’t dare bring the subject up. A LOT of Catholics are.
Francis is pandering to the Latino countries south of our border which are almost exclusively socialist or worse. He is also the new posterboy for hypocrisy, given the walls and literal cloister and sovereignty of the Vatican.
I’ve yet to hear anyone explain why…
1. Pope slamming T-rump religion BAD
2. T-rump sliming OPPONENTS’ (two of them) religion OK
I guess it’s just the Obama-factor with the people who support T-rump. “It’s different when we do it”.
“I’ve yet to hear anyone explain why…
1. Pope slamming T-rump religion BAD”
You can’t get anything right. Th pope “slammed” the right of this country to have a border and enforce the border, and to build a wall if needed. That Trump has said he would build the wall, and the pope believes it, led the pope to call out trump in particular.
Your TDS blinds you to everything.
Yeah, no.
I hate it when erstwhile people make themselves stupid and dishonest, like you just did.
Der Donald expressly addressed the religion crap. Show me where he mentioned a wall.
BTW, the whole Vatican wall thing is a straw man. Pope Francis didn’t build it, or endorse it. It’s been there a while. You might want to learn some history. Heh…!!!
You TDS is rotting your brain.
As far as I’m concerned, Rabbi Aryeh Spero now has written the last word on this issue: Trump, the pope, and the Bible.
But, dude, nobody had to write a thing for you, since it was never an open question.
You’re just a T-rump acolyte, a total faith-based cultist.
And against ALL objective evidence!
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2016/02/fox-news-poll-has-sanders-ahead-of-clinton-nationally-and-both-ahead-of-trump.php
Trump: “I like the mandate”.
Pay attention, T-rump suckers. Rush can’t believe Der Donald said this. Why he can’t, I don’t understand.
Simple. Trump wasn’t talking about a mandate to buy insurance he was talking about a mandate that insurance policies cover pre-existing conditions.
Which changes nothing. The problem with the mandate is the mandate itself, not whatever justification for the mandate somebody can come up with. So his I like the mandate because it helps people with preexisting conditions is just another of his bald faced lies to try to get himself into office.
I especially liked his over the top; “I don’t want people dying in the streets”. Which is almost an exact quote of the lefts talking points. Of course there aren’t any more or less people dying in the streets thanks to Obumblescare, since it was a damn lie to begin with. If you want to see people dying while waiting for care you will have to go to the countries that have fully socialized medicine systems.
Oh and to cut off any “your making that up” or “your misquoting him” here is the link with the video.
http://dailycaller.com/2016/02/19/trump-on-obamacare-i-like-the-mandate-video/
Im afraid you don’t understand. There is a Yuuuge differencevbetween a requirement tgat any company choosing to sell health insurance plans be required to offer pre-existing condition coverage in some manner and requiring that every individual in country buy a health insurance plan. Trump was talking about the former.
No, you lying phuc. The BOTH MANDATE distortions of the market, like the ethanol programs or other Collectivist fascist economics programs.
You should not soil yourself when people are given choices, fascist. We’re actually morally allowed to decide for ourselves. And assholes like you are not morally justified in trying to prevent those choices.
Don’t bother with health insurance, but get a cancer Dx in the morning, and buy a health insurance policy that afternoon. Ain’t America Great!!
More of that COMMAND economy bullshit you and Der Donald LOVE!
Funny thing, though Bierhall Britt, NOBODY EVER NEEDED to “mandate” insurance companies sell insurance to people with pre-existing conditions.
I did a search back a few years ago, during the early daze of ObamaDoggle, and found several dozen (at least) insurance companies who were DELIGHTED to sell insurance for pre-existing conditions. AND at competitive rates. Just as one who understood MARKETS would predict.
This would leave you and T-rump out, since you are both economics dolts who love the Collective.
Coverage requirements for sellers of insurance policies have been common in this country for over 100 years and yet our capitalist system survives.
You are just a Cruz liar and shill making stuff up as you go along. Certainly you are no conservative with your uber liberal hate america first position about Apple’s failure to comply with court I rder.
Moron
I note you simply cite BIG GOVERNMENT intrusions into markets…approvingly.
You can’t deal with my points, so you just blather.
You and your man-crush don’t like market econmics, and you don’t understand them or approve of the choices they give people.
You’re just a Collectivist puke. And that fascist you suck.
One thinks he is infallible, has millions of blind followers and talks for hours on end. The other is the Pope!
http://twitchy.com/2016/02/19/trump-clarifies-comments-on-obamacare-mandate/
Yeah. Sure.
Der Donald is a lying sack of…excrement (just for Harriet and her doilies.)
Donald Ducks is a lying Collectivist who LOVES command economics. His brand is called fascist economics.
Everything at the link you gave supports exactly what I’ve said.
So you are just talking bullshit as usual.
People can…and should…read T-rumps lies for themselves, liar.
It is on a daily basis now that humpatrump walks back something that he said, no matter the subject matter. He’s a lying liar who can’t keep his BS straight and is constantly writing checks with his YYUUGGGEEEE, blabbering, blowhard mouth that his ass can’t cash.
Under scrutiny, his claims fall like lines of dominoes. Each domino represents yet another humpatrump lie or gross exaggeration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgtekdw1eyo
Janitor, thank you for that link to Rabbi Spero’s piece over at American Thinker. That was the most concise, clear article I have ever read on Liberty vs globalism/multiculturalism/socialism and the top-down-controlled utopia coming our way.
Rags, your venom is wasted. Rather than insult and name-call, how bout some clear arguments against Trump that might actually influence his current supporters? I’m still on the fence, but people like you push me toward him, not away from him. So thanks, I guess.
@Tired Mom
I don’t have room or time here to go into the many contradictions that make up Mr. Donald Trump. I myself am a Cruz supporter, but I will not try to sway you to another candidate, that choice is yours.
What I can do is point you to places and people that have done lions work to bring to light many of the problems with Trump. My first recommendation would be to watch the video attached to the article, it is fairly devastating.
http://www.redstate.com/absentee/2016/02/19/real-donald-trump/
It is a long video but worth the watch.
The only other thing I would say is to look at what Trump has come out with today. Now he is going birther on Marco Rubio, instead of Cruz because Rubio came in second in SC, sort of. Either way, I hope this helps and have a great primary season.