The similarity between the dumping of the Fine Gael Coalition in our Irish election and the sweeping victory in the super-Tuesday primaries for the republican candidate Donald Trump was the electorate’s disbelief in the much vaulted economic recovery. For a large section of the voters it hadn’t happened!
Here in Ireland politicians will spend their Easter holidays working out possible permutations of TD for a Government that will last perhaps a year or two. Their deliberations will be interrupted by the Patrick’s Day trips abroad and the 100th commemoration of the Rising.
In the US there are few, if any, obstacles in the path of ‘The Don’. With November 8th in his sights the small matter of Republican nomination scarcely merits a mention. It now is a foregone conclusion.
His popularity lies along three fronts. He is anti-establishment which taps into popular complaints and enables him to amuse his following by name-calling those in authority. Secondly he uses an insular form of nationalism to attack immigrant groups easily defined as Mexicans, Muslims and illegals (largely Irish) few of whom have the vote.
His other accomplishment is that of an entertainer! He can warm up an audience with his apparently off the cuff remarks whilst using up the time thereby requiring little of substance to be said in his speeches.
Endeavouring to establish his evangelical credentials he produced the Bible which his mother gave him and declared himself to be a Christian. Asked if he had ever had the need for forgiveness he said he had never asked God for forgiveness!

Then we have Trump as defender of the faith. “We are going to protect Christianity. If you look at what’s going on throughout the world, you look at Syria, where there if you are a Christian, they’re chopping off heads. You look at different places and Christianity, it’s under siege.”
Trump stressed how “very, very proud” he is to be a Protestant – “Presbyterian, to be exact” – and said the 70 to 75 percent of Americans who claim to be Christians must band together to push for change since “very bad things are happening.” He promised to “knock the hell out of ISIS” and that, “If I’m president, you’re going to see ‘Merry Christmas’ in department stores. Believe me.”
The ‘Trump Card’?
At this distance it would seem to be the Joker! While in politics it is possible for a comic to pull the wool over the eyes of the voters there comes a day of reckoning especially for those who play fast and loose with God’s word. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews chapter 4 verses 12-13).
Jesus said: “I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (St Matthew Chapter 12 verse 37).
Perhaps it’s not too late for Trump to reflect on the matter of forgiveness and turn from being the Joker to look for the King’s forgiveness by putting on the garment that Jesus supplies! (St Matthew chapter 22 verse 11-14).