A time to celebrate the good news of a new King
The Republican National Committee is very very annoyed with all of you who thought it was calling Trump “the new King.” How very dare you. Just because that’s what they said, is no reason to think that’s what they said. Come on now. Have a little common sense, or faith, or paranoia – one of those. Have a little of it.
Look, here’s what message from RNC honcho Reince Priebus says, so that you can see how totally it did not call Trump the new King:
“Over two millennia ago, a new hope was born into the world, a Savior who would offer the promise of salvation to all mankind. Just as the three wise men did on that night, this Christmas heralds a time to celebrate the good news of a new King.”
See? See? See? They could not be any clearer. More than 2k years ago, baby Jesus was born, and now, we get to celebrate the good news of a new King. And that new King is…um…I’ve no idea, but it’s OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUMP. How could anyone think it was Trump? Other than the fact that this is the Republican National Committee, and he’s the new Republican president. And the fact that we don’t have any kings. And the fact that if it’s not Trump then who the fuck is it. Other than that, the statement is so clear and so clearly not about Trump.
That touched off a discussion on social media in which some claimed the “King” reference appeared to be about Trump, while others argued that was absurd and that it was clearly about Jesus Christ.
RNC spokesman and incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the reference had nothing to do with Trump. “Christ is the King in the Christian faith,” he told CNN.
Oh. Still on Jesus. But…it said new King. As opposed to old King. Or if not opposed to old King, still new King. Still new. Jesus isn’t new. Jesus has been around a long time – a good deal too long, if you ask me.
Also that claim that he’s “the King” isn’t a slam-dunk either. Usually that’s Elvis. Or in places that have a king then it’s the king. But Jesus? Jesus is supposed to be a man of the people – not like Trump, but for real. Carpenter, hung out with dudes who fished. Not upper class, much less royalty.
ANyway – they say they didn’t mean Trump so we say ok, but you should work on your writing skills a little.
Jewish socialist, worked as a carpenter for a while, gets big crowds to turn out for speeches where he talks about caring about your neighbors… but kind of a new guy, someone for our times…
… Wow! The RNC wants us to celebrate Bernie Sanders!
Just to remind everybody that back in 1921, at the end of his very great poem ‘Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen’ (the date appended to it – ‘1919’ is deliberately wrong), the poet William Yeats clearly prophesied the emergence or apparition of Donald Trump:
But now wind drops, dust settles; thereupon
There lurches past, his great eyes without thought
Under the shadow of stupid straw-pale locks,
That insolent fiend Robert Artisson
To whom the love-lorn Lady Kyteler brought
Bronzed peacock feathers, red combs of her cocks.
https://www.facebook.com/144310995587370/photos/a.271728576178944.71555.144310995587370/1393734107311713/?type=3&theater
Eh, it’s ambiguous. “New King” *could* just be a mis-fire on “new-born king”, which is Christmas boilerplate (from “Hark The Herald Angels Sing”, among no doubt other places). Or it could be a Freudian slip.
“Also that claim that he’s ‘the King’ isn’t a slam-dunk either. Usually that’s Elvis. Or in places that have a king then it’s the king. But Jesus?”
“King of Kings” has always been a sobriquet for Jesus. I suspect Priebus was genuinely caught up in some kind of religious fervor and was talking about Trump as King in a Messianic sense. Or, hey, maybe he meant Putin. Remember that Christian Republicans see politics as spiritual/supernatural warfare between the forces of God and Satan. They literally view Hillary and Democrats as Satanists. They may well be halfway (or more) to believing that Trump or Putin is the Second Coming of Christ.
I know that of course, if only via Handel. I was just pointing out, in the usual sarcastic way, that we don’t all think of it that way and Priebus shouldn’t be talking to us as if we do.