February 12, 2016 6:22 AM

Jeb!: Blind squirrels and acorns...and the courage to repudiate Islamophobia

One jarring result out of Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary was an exit poll that found about two-thirds of the state’s Republican voters said they would support a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. as visitors or immigrants. That highlights an awkward situation for GOP candidates who condemned the idea that first-place New Hampshire finisher Donald Trump had proposed— it’s one thing to take jabs at a demagoguing politician, but another to seem critical of voters. Republican former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who came fourth in New Hampshire, has long said Trump’s proposal was a bad idea. And he stuck with that message on Wednesday, even after the exit polling showed many New Hampshire GOP voters disagreed…. “If I believe what I believe — in this case I think it would be horrific, it goes against American values to call for a ban of innocent Muslims and it also makes it impossible to build a coalition to destroy ISIS where it needs to be done, in the Caliphate — I’m not going to follow what the polls say,” he continued.

It’s not exactly breaking news to disclose that I despise virtually every political position Jeb Bush has ever taken. To call him a leader worthy of sitting behind the big desk in the Oval Office would be a gross misunderestimation of his incompetence. The younger brother of arguably the most incompetent President (and war criminal) in American history, Jeb! © is proof that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. All one need do is examine his record as Governor of Florida to understand that prescient, intellectually agile, and inspired leadership aren’t exactly Bush family traits passed between generations.

That something-significantly-less-than-a-lukewarm “endorsement” aside, I’d be remiss for not giving credit where credit is due. While I’d sooner vote for Anton LaVey for President than Jeb! ©, his standing up to Republican voices advocating for banning Muslims from visiting or emigrating to the U.S. should be commended. While running to be the Presidential nominee for a party seemingly bent on staking its claim as the party of hatred, exclusion, and hyper-religious zealotry, Jeb! © has made it clear that he thinks it’s a very bad idea that sends a message not reflective of American values.

He’s spot on.

“It sends this signal of divisiveness at a time when we need to find things that unite us,” he said. “Our country has fallen apart. And we don’t need presidents, candidates on the left or right, that continue to prey on that division. We need someone who can actually be president to create a set of purposes that unite us. And one of those is we need to protect the homeland from Islamic terrorism and you don’t do that by banning all Muslims.”

It’s not just New Hampshire where many Republican voters support a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country. A Washington Post-ABC News poll in December found that 59 percent of GOP voters nationwide supported a ban. But most Americans oppose one — 60 percent of voters total said it would be the wrong thing to do.

I get that this might just be another cynical maneuver by Jeb! © to differentiate himself from the madding crowd for those (apparently few) Republican voters not infected with Islamophobia and xenophobia. At this point, grasping at straws would seem an apt descriptor for the condition of his candidacy’s condition. Still, I can’t just ignore someone willing to stand up to those in the GOP willing to ban a class of people simply because they worship a Supreme Being they consider to be “less than” and inimical to the values and security of good, God-fearing ‘Murricans.

We’re Americans; we don’t cower in the face of religions or idea which differ from our own…except when we do. It seems increasing numbers of Americans are willing, perhaps even eager, to succumb to xenophobia and Islamophobia and live in mortal fear of what they refuse to understand.

We deserve better than this…even if only one Republican Presidential candidate (Jeb! ©) is willing to stand up for it.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on February 12, 2016 6:22 AM.

Why some "patriots" should be forcibly medicated and kept far from polling places was the previous entry in this blog.

Frank Underwood: Because America deserves a President who knows what "F.U." means is the next entry in this blog.

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