My Experience in the American South (A Follow Up To Why I Can't Support Trump)

Wow. I've been in 15 states over that past 45 days. I've spent so much time totally engrossed in political ground work that I've had little time to write. This post will distill what I've now seen as the greatest threat to my value system in my lifetime. Whether you agree or not is of no consequence to me. I have friends that will attest to the validity of my claims here.

Donald Trump has done something amazingly horrible. He has turned approximately 30% of the primary electorate on the GOP side into zombies(45% if you figure the white populist nationalist herd in the South). He was right when he said he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and he wouldn't lose his supporters. No amount of actual evidence will change the minds of his core group of supporters. What I experienced while working with the Cruz campaign in South Carolina and Georgia was both fascinating and terrifying, all at the same time.

Let me start with the people of the American South. There are some nice folks. There are some good Christian folks. This goes for the ones that aren't those two things. Now, I'm going to be blunt. I don't fit in in the South. I am plain spoken and quite open about why I believe what I believe. Ask anyone that knows me. I hate(strong word, I know) fake niceness. Being polite is great but when you don't mean it, I see right through you. I can normally talk to anyone that has more than a few brain cells to rub together. That wasn't the case in South Carolina and Georgia. Self deprecation is not a trait of most Southerners. Those of us in Iowa and around the Midwest laugh at ourselves all the time(after all, besides cow tipping, what else is there to do in central Nebraska). See what I did there.

While I did have a few doors slammed in my face in Iowa, I equaled the total from 4 months of campaigning in Iowa in my first day of door knocking in the Greenville, SC area. People in the South are incredibly suspicious of those that are different from them while at the same time being insufferably polite to your face while holding you in contempt as soon as you turn your back. It was very hard to gauge a person's actual mood or mindset with just a few minutes of contact. Contrast that to the Midwest. In Iowa, I could talk to almost anyone and gauge whether they were with us or against us in just a few minutes. People in Iowa and the Midwest, in general, are easy to talk to and open about their views. Even the ones that didn't like my choice of candidate would usually talk to you. Many would debate you. I love that. The caucus system in Iowa encourages neighbors to talk openly about their views and the issues that matter to them. I got the sense in South Carolina and Georgia that politics was a private issue and that no matter what, people weren't going to discuss things. And we wonder why the sense of community has died in many towns...

Frankly(there's an inside joke here), I think we should be discussing our political situations with everybody we know. Politics in the US invades every aspect of life, unless you are an off-the-grid mountain man who can make it by hunting and gathering,(not going to lie, that idea does sound appealing from time to time) politics has an impact on your life. If you can't discuss the state of politics in your town, state or country, you are being derelict in your duty as a citizen of these United States.

Another disturbing aspect of the South that I encountered was the still alive climate of racism and bigotry that has long dogged the American South. This doesn't appear as much in the more urban and suburban areas but in the loose communities that dot the countryside in the South, the racist climate is still alive and well. Certain towns are still almost entirely voluntarily(or not) segregated. My heart was broken by what I saw and heard. I was screamed at for supporting someone with a "Cuban" last name. I was called stupid for not supporting Donald Trump multiple times. Confederate flag flying homes, almost 100%, could be counted on as a home of a Combover devotee. His supporters speak like him. They use the same empty words and phrases(all with a southern drawl). "We're going to build a wall", "We'll be so great", "America doesn't win anymore", "He'll make good deals", etc. When pressed to provide more information on why they support the Combed Over One, they started screaming and used foul language.

The final home on the last walkbook I worked in Georgia was a glaring example of this. I was with Elizabeth(she's 12). Her brother was turning the van around, so we both jumped out and as soon as we approached the man in his front yard and introduced ourselves as Cruz supporters, he became visibly angry and told us to get the h*ll off his property. This was in a very well off neighborhood in Cobb County north of Atlanta. If I'd have been alone, I wouldn't have cared so much. I was seething inside because I knew Elizabeth didn't deserve that kind of treatment. Being rude to ladies, no matter the age, really chaps my hide.

What my experience with people in the South illustrated is that the lack of awareness of others has become a glaring hallmark of Trump supporters. They are only looking out for themselves and see no importance in principles that built this nation. Never once did they cite the Constitution as a reason to vote for their figurehead. Some openly said that the Constitution was old and that was Ted's problem. He held too tight to it(I'm not kidding). The support of this man, this demagogue, can only be described as a cult of personality. No amount of factual evidence was able to move the needle with them because they were projecting all of their problems onto one man thinking he was going to assuage their anger and vanquish their demons. A very small few were able to be reached when I started to quote the Bible and by the end of my time down there, the Bible has become my only real defense. Some folks still thought highly enough of the Good Book to listen. Some didn't. They will come crashing to the earth if they ever awake from the trance they are in.

As Ted Cruz says, no one man can make the country great. God made us great by inspiring a people to be free to pursue greatness, all while giving thanks to Him for his divine providence. It is the people, under God and indivisible, that make the country great. We need to work on ourselves and get the government out of the way. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is the most manifest testament to this, directly from the word of God.

Don't get me wrong, I met some good people, as previously stated, but those good people must become more vocal and involved to help salvage what I saw down there. As it stands now, I don't really have a desire to visit the south ever again, unless I was to be called down there for a Christian mission of some sort. The "Bible Belt" is frayed and the buckle is highly tarnished and the people need true spiritual revival. The one saving grace I cling to is Ted Cruz has won the youth vote in every state he's competed in. Maybe the younger generations are turning away from the backwards thinking down South. One can only pray that is the case.

All of the hate and distrust emanating from the people in the South had one glaring effect on me. I turned toward God even more. I found myself praying between homes or between phone calls. My pastor was incredibly helpful in sending me Bible verses to help me get through the days. A friendly call from a friend or two also helped. Working along side of friends made the work fun, even if we did get yelled at a bunch. Knowing people back in Iowa were praying for me also gave me comfort.

I guess you could sum up my experience down South like this. I'm so glad I grew up in Nebraska, lived in Colorado and now live in Iowa. I'm also happy that my sister lives in Kansas. I guess you could say I'm a westerner Midwesterner(think that one through), and I'm glad to be one. #GBR for all of you Husker Twitter followers.

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Jeremiah 29:11   For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 

  Jeremiah 29:12   Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 

  Jeremiah 29:13   And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 

  Jeremiah 29:14   And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. 

The Ground Game

The Cruz ground game. It is talked about in terms that put it in a class by itself. The #CruzCrew in South Carolina had a good one started. Then, the Iowans showed up. So much so that I did an interview with NBC Nightly News yesterday regarding our ground game and the need to help Ted Cruz in any way that I can.

The Iowa staff and volunteers that are down here now are putting their vast knowledge and expertise to good use. In the past few days, we've been able to add to the team down in the Palmetto State. There are some cultural differences, to be sure, but we have a significant leg up. We know Ted Cruz and he knows us. Retail politics in Iowa is to Iowans like Friday night lights football is to Texans.

In the next week and a half, we will put the hammer down. The sprint to knock more doors and make more phone calls is in full swing. Because this is a primary state, the emphasis is on the Get Out The Vote effort. It is easier to ask someone to spend 5 minutes to vote for us but that also means that we have to talk to more people. Our advantage in Iowa was our network of amazing precinct speakers. We don't have the ability to have that final influence here. We must be done next Friday.

When I arrived down here, I was so pleased to see Lyndsey Blagrave and Daniel Bradshaw on the team. These two young folks are examples of what make the Cruz campaign great. Lyndsey is the best volunteer coordinator there is. She helps keep the office running. Her light shines to everyone she meets. Daniel is the best field  operative I've seen. He gets it. These people aren't political mercenaries. They are believers in God, in the cause and in Ted Cruz.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my dear friends too. I know I talk about these people all the time but they have helped so much. Yesterday, the Bontrager Family stopped by the office in Greenville and took care of the volunteers by making lunch(I'm not talking about a simple lunch either). We had grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, a black bean dip, vegetables (always) and Allison and Chelsy made hundreds of no bake cookies. They also made hundreds of phone calls and helped me get to over 100 doors in the area in a short amount of time. 

My greatest joy yesterday was seeing the littlest Bontragers go door knocking with their big brothers and me. Carson and Josh and Mitchell took their little sisters and brother and the absolute joy to be helping us was plain on the faces of Elizabeth, Rebecca and Hudson. When I asked Taylor if he wanted to knock on doors, his face lit up. Being homeschooled, these kids are getting a great education in being caring and involved Americans. This is something their government school counterparts just don't get to experience.

Right before the Bontragers left to go do their prison ministry concert, we heard the news that Chris Christie had dropped out of the race. 10 year old Hudson promptly opined, "I wish Christie would have stayed in and helped split the establishment vote." I looked at his two eldest sisters and laughed. I think he's heard one too many conversations with his siblings and me after church.

I also have received texts and had a phone conversation with my pastor in Washington, IA. It is such a blessing to have the members of Marion Avenue Baptist Church in our corner. Their prayers and phone call support from Iowa are so appreciated.

In short, those of us involved with the Cruz campaign are doing this for our country. Ted Cruz is an advocate for more freedom and liberty and his call has mobilized more people on the ground than any other Republican running. The difference in vision is quite obvious now. Ted has an aspirational vision for America. As the Bible says in Psalms:

Psalms 30:5   For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. 

  Psalms 32:11   Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. 

These values are not just a small part of the Cruz campaign. They run though all aspects. There is an honest care for our fellow volunteers and staff. There is a palpable joy in our mission. This is a trait I've not seen in other campaigns. It really all boils down to the verse that has become part of this campaign. Ted quotes this verse at every campaign stop now.

 2 Chronicles 7:14   If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

I urge all of you that love God, love our country and love your families to join us.

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Onward to South Carolina

Monday, February 1st, was the culmination of months of work in Iowa. The Cruz campaign did the hard, but rewarding work to win the Iowa Caucuses. Sitting around the TV at the Dutch Country Inn in Kalona, the sheer joy on the faces of my friends's faces was all the actual reward I needed.

Fast forward to Thursday, February 4th. I received a call that continued to reinforce my knowledge that this campaign, this cause for electing a Christian Constitutionalist, was blessed by God. I was notified that I would be able to go to South Carolina and continue my work for Ted Cruz. I will do my very best to make sure I don't waste this opportunity and let down those people that have put so much trust in my abilities to reach voters. I will talk to any and all voters of South Carolina. I will talk to them as someone who has had the chance to actually get to know Ted Cruz. 

I'm so glad that I will see so many friends too. Monday will be an Iowa reunion, so to speak. I can't wait to see Daniel Bradshaw, Lyndsey Blagrave, Bryan English and the Bontrager family. I've also counted my blessings as I'm writing this from my mom's place in Columbia, MD. I'll travel the rest of the way to South Carolina on Sunday.

My goal in South Carolina is to continue actually talking to voters. I'm not interested in just asking them to vote for Ted Cruz. I want to get to know them. God willing, I will be able to convey my knowledge from attending 24 Iowa campaign events with Ted to the voters in South Carolina. I ask for your prayers for all of us traveling from all over the country to the various campaign offices in South Carolina.

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http://bontragersingers.blogspot.com/2016/01/why-christians-should-vote-for-ted-cruz.html

http://daughterwithavision.blogspot.com/2016/01/a-call-to-actionyour-duty-to-vote.html

27 Days and Counting

The #CruzinToCaucus Bus

As I write this, there are only 27 days until the first presidential primary decisions take place in the United States. I've come to respect many of the people of Iowa. They take their duty to vet candidates seriously. In turn, I take my responsibility to my country seriously. Being in Iowa has shown me that candidates are just people, flesh, blood and bone like any other person. Knowing that, it makes it all the more important to practice discernment when choosing a candidate to support.

Ted Cruz and Dr. James Dobson in Winterset, IA

Dr. Dobson has endorsed Sen. Cruz for President

By now, unless you live in a cave or you just woke from a 5 month coma, you know that I support and campaign for Senator Ted Cruz. He is the only man out of the many people we have to choose from that I feel completely comfortable supporting. I've spent so much time talking to voters and traveling the state in support of Ted Cruz that I am now a polished advocate for freedom, liberty, family values, school choice, border security, a strong national defense, economic freedom, free markets and limited government that I can make the case to anyone I meet on any of these issues. I credit Ted Cruz, Bryan English, Bob Vander Plaats, Steve King, Louie Gohmert and my pastor, Joseph Brown, for showing me how to be an effective and strong advocate. I know I've always held these positions. Now, I can effectively advocate for them.

The Bontrager Family Singers performing in Winterset, IA (Pictured: Chelsy, Mitchell, Allison, Josh, Carson and Denver)

Our campaign has expanded as the Iowa Caucuses draws near. We have a strike force of volunteers from all over the country who have, on their own dime, showed up to Iowa to help Ted Cruz win and in doing so, launch this campaign toward the nomination. All they get is a place to stay, what we call Camp Cruz(its a furnished dorm) and a carpool, if needed, to make phone calls and knock on doors. The dedication is awesome. This campaign will be won by volunteers talking to their friends and neighbors. Ted Cruz will do his part. The #CruzCrew will do ours.

If you are not in Iowa but still want to help Ted Cruz win the Iowa Caucuses, you can do so with a smart phone and a pair of microphone equipped headphones. Get in touch with me and I'll get you signed up to make calls from home into Iowa. I'll handle all the questions from people that you can't answer or don't have enough experience to feel comfortable answering. I'll call or email anybody to win a vote for Ted Cruz in Iowa or anywhere in the country. Like Ted Cruz has told us on a nationwide conference call, we need to be prepared for all the flak being shot at us. He told us to strap on the armor of God and go forth with a message of hope and conservative reform.

If you want to see a truly great man elected President and want to help, email me below to volunteer or click on the donate link to help fund this nationwide grassroots campaign.

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