The coordinated gang attack against Trump last Wednesday night at the second Republican debate was revealing.
Most of the Republican candidates reminded me of scared high-school kids who – fearful of taking on the class "bully" by themselves – get together to talk about the bully.
The CNN moderators reminded me of the really scared kids who – too afraid to even talk about the bully – get others to do the talking for them.
The GOP establishment joined the attack, filling the Reagan Library auditorium with an anti-Trump crowd, which was mostly silent as he spoke but cheered on party-approved candidates.
CNN changed its debate criteria and allowed Carly Fiorina in. Why? She's clearly its champion, with Trump the establishment's prey.
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Why the attack on one man? Because he is a reminder of what most of the media, other candidates, and GOP party leaders are not. For whatever faults he has, Donald Trump is honest and strong. He is shining the light on their false personas and weakness.
Most of these candidates are dishonest. Some are downright hypocritical. Fiorina, for instance, scored points when she said, "Women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said (about her face)." No Carly, his comments were only directed toward you. She didn't seem to have a problem going after her opponent's looks when she was caught on an open mike laughing at Barbara Boxer's hairstyle in 2010.
Marco Rubio is young, attractive and well-practiced. When he speaks, he works hard to project intelligence and earnestness. It is seductive. He sounded like a hawk on immigration Wednesday night, yet he has been a recent supporter of amnesty.
Chris Christie sounded tough as nails – yet who can forget the images of him strolling along the New Jersey shoreline with Obama after Hurricane Sandy, giving Obama the perfect photo-op just before the 2012 election?
Most of the candidates onstage mouthed lofty promises of what they would do as president, but what have they done in their current jobs to stop Obama's methodical destruction of America? Surely those running for Congress and Senate this past election cycle said all the right things to get elected – then disappeared once in office.
And, frankly, I'm getting tired of candidates comparing themselves to Ronald Reagan. Just because you knew a successful person doesn't mean you'll be successful. Look how many people walked with Jesus, and yet were nothing like him.
Rubio, Christie and others sure talked a lot Wednesday night. But how much talking is really necessary? A real man doesn't need to say much. Three hours? Hardly. Three minutes would be more than enough time. He doesn't need a lot of fancy words, either. His spirit speaks for itself.
A display of deception is not an indication of good character. Those who do possess character usually have had good fathers in their lives. There's no question that Donald Trump had a good relationship with his father. It shows in his self-assurance, in his simplicity. I can see that Ted Cruz did, too, even though for some reason he decided to present himself as a polished politician – instead of a real person – at the debate.
I don't know what happened to Jeb Bush. I don't see his father in him. Perhaps his mother ran the family. And God bless Ben Carson, a good and decent man. Unfortunately, he was raised without a father. As good a job as I'm sure his mother did with him, she just couldn't replace the presence of a good father.
I'm not fighting here for Trump. I'm fighting for you to see how politicians have used and deceived us for years. I'm not saying that Trump will do everything he's promised. I don't know. I do believe that he would build a wall, increase job opportunities for Americans of every race, cut taxes, increase gun rights and deal strongly with our enemies.
I know how it feels to be attacked the way Trump was in the two debates. For the last 25 years, I've been set up in the same manner. Many years ago, I was invited to be a panelist at the National Association of Black Journalists' Conference. The audience was stacked against me, as were all of my fellow panelists – Michael Eric Dyson and other extreme racist liberals. I was called a "white man's boy" and worse.
Thank God, I was able to blow them out of the water with simple truth. If you are on the side of truth, you can endure things you would not have imagined. Evil must bring a lot of little demons to the fight – but God only needs one on His side.
Seeing the way Donald Trump is handling the media, other candidates, and the Republican Party leadership is refreshing, and has already given Americans a shot in the arm. I don't know how far Trump will go. But in giving confidence to the American people and exposing establishment hypocrisy – much like a certain past president from California – he has already done a great service for our country.
Media wishing to interview Jesse Lee Peterson, please contact [email protected].
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