Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

User:RobSmith

2017-09-30T00:41:28Z

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Salination

2017-09-30T00:40:47Z

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Political neutrality

2017-09-30T00:40:13Z

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North Louisiana History

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Alcoholic drink

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Nanchang Uprising

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Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain

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Revolutionary Communist Party (UK)

2017-09-30T00:37:43Z

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SALT II

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Patronage

2017-09-30T00:35:37Z

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Lucerne

2017-09-30T00:34:55Z

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The Fellowship of the Ring (2001 film)

2017-09-30T00:34:11Z

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Best of the public

2017-09-29T23:20:45Z

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Holy Spirit

2017-09-29T23:20:15Z

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User:BHathorn

2017-09-29T23:19:55Z

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Liberal claptrap

2017-09-29T23:19:29Z

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The Two Towers (2002 film)

2017-06-26T15:07:00Z

FDR:

{{Infobox Film
| name=The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
| image=
| caption=
| director=[[Peter Jackson]]
| producer=Peter Jackson Michael Lynne Mark Ordesky Barrie M. Osborne Robert Shaye Fran Walsh Bob Weinstein Harvey Weinstein
| writer=[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] (original) Fran Walsh Philippa Boyens Stephen Sinclair Peter Jackson
| narrator=
| starring=Elijah Wood [[Ian McKellen]] Sean Astin
| music=Howard Shore
| cinematography=Andrew Lesnie
| editing=Michael Horton
| distributor=New Line Cinema
| released=December 18, 2002
| runtime=179 min
| country=New Zealand
| language=English
| budget=
| gross=
| preceded_by=[[The Fellowship of the Ring (film, 2001)|The Fellowship of the Ring]]
| followed_by=[[The Return of the King (film, 2003)|The Return of the King]]
| website=
| amg_id=
| imdb_id=0167261
}}

'''''The Two Towers''''' is a film adapted from [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s classic book of the same name. It is the second in Peter Jackson's ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. The film made significant changes, including making the battle of Helm's Deep the climax of the film. Instead of ending the film with Frodo's capture by the orcs in Shelob's Lair, the character of Faramir attempts to take the ring to Gondor.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Two Towers (film, 2002), The}}
[[Category:Science Fiction Movies]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Movies]]
[[Category:Novels]]
[[Category:Dystopian Fiction]]
[[Category:Science Fiction]]

The Fellowship of the Ring (2001 film)

2017-06-26T15:04:44Z

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{{Infobox Film
| name=The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
| image=
| caption=
| director=[[Peter Jackson]]
| producer=Peter Jackson Michael Lynne Mark Ordesky Barrie M. Osborne Tim Sanders Robert Shaye Fran Walsh Bob Weinstein Harvey Weinstein
| writer=[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] (original) Fran Walsh Philippa Boyens Peter Jackson
| narrator=
| starring=Elijah Wood [[Ian McKellen]] Sean Astin
| music=Howard Shore
| cinematography=Andrew Lesnie
| editing=John Gilbert
| distributor=New Line Cinema
| released=December 19, 2001
| runtime=178 min
| country=New Zealand
| language=English
| budget=
| gross=
| preceded_by=
| followed_by=[[The Two Towers (film, 2002)|The Two Towers]]
| website=
| amg_id=
| imdb_id=0120737
}}

'''The Fellowship of the Ring''' is a film made by Peter Jackson adapting J.R.R. Tolkien's popular book. The film made significant departures from the book, most notably in the Fellowship of the Ring is the absence of Tom Bombadil. The film also expanded other portions, such as Saruman the White's treachery.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fellowship of the Ring (film, 2001), The}}
[[Category:Movies]]

Death toll of communism

2017-06-26T15:01:42Z

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The '''death toll within totalitarian Communist states''' such as the [[Soviet Union]], [[People's Republic of China]] and [[Cambodia]], resulting from the implementation of [[communist]] land reforms, political [[violence]] and repression, has been quite high. The commonly cited 100 million figure is false; this is an exaggeration.

== Soviet Union ==
'''[[Stalin]] (1924-1953):''' The number of [[Soviet]] [[citizen]]s killed by the Stalin regime will never be known with accuracy. Believable counts indicate that between 8.5 million and 50 million people died of [[starvation]], politically-motivated [[murder]] and in forced [[labor camp]]s. The most reliable estimate today is somewhere around 20 million. See also [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]]

== China ==
'''[[Mao]] (1949-1975):''' About 50 million people died in [[Communist China]] as a result of ill-planned land reforms, implementation of communist agriculture policies, repression of minorities and political violence under [[Mao Zedong]]. See also [[Communist Party of China]]

: Early Political Purges and Land Reform: 2 million
: "[[Great Leap Forward]]": 31-33 million
: "[[Cultural Revolution]]": 1 million (some estimates go up to 20 million)
: Ethnic Minorities, including the occupation of [[Tibet]]: 750,000-900,000
: Forced Labor Camps: 20 million

== Cambodia ==
Fair estimates say that about 1.6 million people were killed during the short but incredibly brutal reign of [[Cambodia]]n communist [[Pol Pot]], between 1975 and 1978. Out of a beginning population of 8 million, this means that about 20% of all Cambodians died from political violence, mass [[execution]]s ([[genocide]]) and state-endorsed starvation during Pol Pot's rule. See [[The Killing Fields]]

==External links==
*[http://necrometrics.com/warstats.htm Source List and Detailed Death Tolls for the Man-made Megadeaths of the Twentieth Century]

==See also==
* [[Communism]]
* [[Police state]]
* [[Communist Party of the United States of America]]
* [[List of Communist States]]
* [[List of Socialist States]]
* [[Cold War]]
* [[Iron Curtain]]
* [[Socialism]]-[[Marxism]]
* [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] for the connection of the shootdown by the Soviets of KAL 007, with 269 people aboard, on Sept. 1, 1983 with the heightened U.S./Soviet confrontations of 1983-4.
* [[The Soviet/ U.S naval confrontation]] over KAL 007
* [[KAL 007 and the Soviet Top Secret Memos]]
* [[Liberalism]]: [[Similarities between Communism, Nazism and liberalism]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Liberalism]]
[[Category:Gun Control]]
[[Category:Communism]]
[[Category:Statistics]]

Socialism

2017-06-26T15:00:20Z

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'''Socialism''' has its roots in visions of imaginary ideal societies, from thinkers who drew up elaborated designs and concepts for creating what they considered a more equal society, along collectivist lines or abolished private property; the primarily ideas came from British and French thinkers like [[Henri de Saint-Simon|Saint-Simon]], [[Charles Fourier]], Louis Blanc, and [[Robert Owen]] preceded by [[Thomas More]], Tommaso Campanella, and Jean Meslier.

One of the [[Atheism|atheist]] [[Karl Marx]]'s titles is the father of socialism. Currently it is considered a [[leftist]] [[economics|economic]] system which advocates state ownership or direct control of the major means of production and distribution of goods and services.<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism Meriam-Webster]</ref>

Socialism is the economic system imposed by [[Communism]], but another one of the most well known political parties of the 20th century that was socialistic was the [[Nazi Party|National Socialist German Workers' Party]] (Nazi Party), headed by the [[fascist]], but anti-communist<ref>http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/adolf_hitler.htm</ref> [[Adolf Hitler]]. Often socialism is a matter of degree and numerous economies in the world are very socialistic such as [[Europe]]an countries (many of which are facing financial difficulties due to over taxation and excessive spending).<ref>http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/05/european_socialism_is_bleeding.html</ref>
__TOC__
[[Image:Ur8756.jpg|right|thumb|[[Ludwig von Mises]] ]]
The [[Ludwig von Mises Institute]] declares:
{{cquote|The identification of [[Nazi]] [[Germany]] as a socialist state was one of the many great contributions of [[Ludwig von Mises]]...

The basis of the claim that Nazi Germany was capitalist was the fact that most industries in Nazi Germany appeared to be left in private hands.

What Mises identified was that private ownership of the means of production existed in name only under the Nazis and that the actual substance of ownership of the means of production resided in the German government. For it was the German government and not the nominal private owners that exercised all of the substantive powers of ownership: it, not the nominal private owners, decided what was to be produced, in what quantity, by what methods, and to whom it was to be distributed, as well as what prices would be charged and what wages would be paid, and what dividends or other income the nominal private owners would be permitted to receive. The position of the alleged private owners, Mises showed, was reduced essentially to that of government pensioners.

De facto government ownership of the means of production, as Mises termed it, was logically implied by such fundamental collectivist principles embraced by the Nazis as that the common good comes before the private good and the individual exists as a means to the ends of the State. If the individual is a means to the ends of the State, so too, of course, is his property. Just as he is owned by the State, his property is also owned by the State.}}

Because many businesses still are privately owned, ipso facto, the [[United States]] is not a socialistic government. "That definition is confuted by the earliest theoretical writings on socialism. In France, Henri de Saint-Simon, in the first decades of the 1800s, and his pupil and colleague [[Auguste Comte]], in the 1820s and 30s, along with [[Robert Owen]] contemporaneously in England, ''stated that the essential feature of what Owen called socialism is government regulation of the means of production and distribution."'' <ref>[http://www.thomasbrewton.com/index.php/weblog/once_again_what_is_socialism/ Thomas E. Brewton; Once Again: What Is Socialism?]</ref>
When the government controls the volume of money and its economic applications, it has the economy in a stranglehold. When government controls education so that nothing other than secular socialism may be taught, as Saint-Simon advocated, it controls the future destiny of a nation.

== Barack Obama and his socialistic and "fascist light" policies ==
[[File:Shepard-Fairey-imgs.JPG|right|thumb|250px|[[Shepard Fairey]], designer of the official Obama hope and change logo, is more known for his anti-American and pro-communist themes. Here a [[Mao Zedong|Maoist]] revolutionary is depicted.<ref>http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-ContextMenu&rlz=1I7ACAW_en___US352&tbs=isch:1&q=Shepard+Fairey&sa=N&start=40&ndsp=20</ref> ]]

In April 2010, [[American]] political consultant [[Dick Morris]] wrote:
{{cquote|When [[Obama]] took office, federal, state and local spending accounted for 30 percent of [[gross domestic product]]. Now it is up to 35 percent, and when health care is fully implemented, it will rise to above 40 percent. But taxes are still below 30 percent. The difference is the deficit, now grown to 10 percent of our GDP.

If our government is to continue spending 40 percent of our GDP, we will morph into the European model of a socialist democracy. But if we can roll the spending back to 30 percent, while holding taxes level, we will retain our free market system.<ref>http://townhall.com/columnists/DickMorrisandEileenMcGann/2010/04/24/the_silent_killer_obamas_vat_proposal</ref>}}

[[Anita Dunn]], the political strategist and former White House Communications Director, admitted that one of favorite political philosophers, one that she “turns to the most”, is [[Mao Zedong]], the [[communism|communist]] dictator responsible for the starvation, torture, and killing of 70 million Chinese.<ref>http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/blog/2009/10/16/anita-dunn-favorite-philosopher-mao-tse-tung/</ref>
Critics of the Obama administration have coined the word "[[Obamunism]]" to describe Barack Obama's socialistic and "[[fascism]] light" [[economic planning]] policies ([[Benito Mussolini]] defined fascism as the wedding of state and corporate powers. Accordingly, trend forecaster [[Gerald Celente]] labels [[Obama administration corporate bailouts|Obama's corporate bailouts]] as being "fascism light" in nature).<ref>http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/daily-intel/2009/07/20/obamunism-inc</ref><ref>http://www.smallbusinessadvocate.com/small-business-interviews/gerald-celente-6944</ref> Obamunism can also allude to Obama's [[Obama administration fiscal policy|ruinous fiscal policies]] and [[Obama administration monetary policy|reckless monetary policies]].<ref>http://seekingalpha.com/article/120883-monetary-policynot-obama-s-stimulusis-what-needs-watching</ref><ref>http://www.nypost.com/seven/05172009/postopinion/editorials/bams_wise_words_169731.htm</ref><ref>http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/</ref>
=== Larry Summers and Leftist Economics ===

[[Larry Summers]] currently is the Director of the White House's National Economic Council (NEC) for President Barack Obama. George Gerald Reisman, Professor Emeritus of Economics at [[Pepperdine University]] and author of ''Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics'', wrote that Summers' socialistic ideas on redistributing wealth demonstrate that [[Larry Summers]] is a "lightweight leftist" who "fails to understand the nature of the most essential feature of capitalism, namely, private ownership of the means of production and the indispensable role it plays in the standard of living of the average person."<ref name="misesblog">http://blog.mises.org/archives/009031.asp</ref> Reisman also wrote that Summers is a shallow and ignorant man whose knowledge of economics is minimal and whose evil views qualify him to be the economic advisor to [[Hugo Chavez]] of [[Venezuela]] or [[Robert Mugabe]] of [[Zimbabwe]], but do not qualify him to be an economic advisor to the President of the United States.<ref name="misesblog" />

=== Obama administration and land ownership ===
In August 2010, [[Hot Air]] declared:
{{cquote|The federal government, as the memo boasted, is the nation’s “largest land manager.” It already owns roughly [http://bigthink.com/ideas/21343 one of every three acres] in the United States. This is apparently not enough. At a “listening session” in New Hampshire last week, government bureaucrats trained their sights on millions of [http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9HGKEAG0.htm private forest land] throughout the [[New England]] region. Agriculture Secretary [[Tom Vilsack]] crusaded for “the need for additional attention to the Land and Water Conservation Fund — and the need to promptly support full funding of that fund.”

Property owners have every reason to be worried. The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is a pet project of green radicals, who want the decades-old government slush fund for buying up private lands to be freed from congressional appropriations oversight. It’s paid for primarily with receipts from the government’s offshore oil and gas leases. Both Senate and House Democrats have included $900 million in full LWCF funding, not subject to congressional approval, in their energy/BP oil spill legislative packages.<ref>http://hotair.com/archives/2010/08/14/great-outdoors-initiative-a-federal-land-grab/</ref>}}

== Influence of Russia on socialism ==
Not until the birth of the [[Soviet Union]] after the [[Communist Revolution]] did the idea become generally accepted that socialism meant government seizing ownership of the economy. Experience in 19th and 20th century [[France]], [[England]], and [[Germany]], however, made it clear that regulatory control by government bureaucrats is sufficient to implement socialism.<ref>[http://www.thomasbrewton.com/index.php/weblog/once_again_what_is_socialism/ What is Socialism?]</ref>

In Communism (the primary variant of socialism) the central goal is to establish a "worker's paradise"-an ideal state with perfect equality.

In practice the socialist government owns the banks, railroads, farmlands, factories, and stores, and is the only employer, or at least controls the regulation of production and distribution. The central goal is to destroy the "evils of capitalism" by government ownership or control of the means of production, usually with one party controlling the government on behalf of the working class.

The socialist system never manages to establish this "paradise" because management for the benefit of the employees leads to featherbedding and lack of investment or economic growth, at the expense of consumers. Collective farming (operating farms like factories) sharply reduced the food supply. The most thoroughgoing efforts by Communist regimes turned into authoritarian dictatorships. The government controls all investments, production, distribution, income, and prices, as well as all organizations, schools, news media and formerly private societies. Churches and labor unions are suppressed or controlled by the government. Socialism is the antithesis of [[capitalism]], because it opposes private ownership of capital or land, and rejects the free market in favor of central planning. It also rejects "civil society" and makes sure that all organizations are controlled by the government.

Theoretically, socialist regimes can have multiple parties. In practice there is only one political party, and it controls the government. The leaders of the party choose the government officials and set all policies for the nation and for cities and localities. Opposition parties are not allowed access to the media or to meeting halls or to funding, and their leaders are often arrested as "enemies of the people."

As a political ideology based on the redistribution of wealth, socialism stresses the privileges of the many over the rights of the few, but in practice when socialist economic principles are forced onto a nation by a totalitarian government a new Upper Class appears which is much better off than the Lower Class.
{{cquote|'''<big>Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.</big> - Winston Churchill''' <ref>[http://www.quotesdaddy.com/quote/280995/winston-churchill/socialism-is-a-philosophy-of-failure-the-creed-of Churchill; Quotesdaddy.com]</ref>}}

==Contradictory Goals of Socialism==

Socialism's stated purpose is to eliminate the huge gap between the highest and lowest classes of society. Their bitter complaint has been that the upper class exploits its dominance to gain privileges and wealth, while the lower class must suffer tyranny and poverty.<ref>"all socialists agree that a socialist economy must be run for the benefit of the vast majority of the people rather than for a small aristocratic, plutocratic, or capitalist class." [http://www.experiencefestival.com/socialism_-_an_economic_system]</ref> This obsession with class paradoxically creates a group of people with a vested interest in seeing class differences remain (socialist politicians, [[community organizer]]s, ''etc.''); if by some means the class system actually ''were'' destroyed, these people would be out of a job.

Another essential goal of most socialist thinkers has been to eliminate [[Capitalism]],<ref>"... one of the fundamental goals of the socialist movement throughout history has been the abolition of capitalism" [http://www.experiencefestival.com/socialism_-_opposition_and_criticisms_of_socialism_arguments_for_and_against A Wisdom Archive on Socialism - Opposition and criticisms of socialism; arguments for and against]</ref>
on the grounds that only "social control" of the economy can prevent abuses such as [[feudalism]], [[monopoly]], [[cartel]]s, etc.

But experiments on both a moderate and a grand scale have shown that socialism's main purpose has been undermined by its unremitting opposition to [[free market]] economics. In its drive to eliminate capitalism, it has overlooked the fact that general prosperity is vouchsafed by [[economic freedom]], and that free market economics improves the lot of the poor much more quickly and permanently than any system of central economic control.

The real aim of socialists is probably personal: why else would socialists want to create programs which encourage Dependency? Well, it fits into their lust for power.
People who want to control others need people who are willing to be controlled.
Independent, proactive people do not fit into the socialist Power Model. That is why the first thing [[Karl Marx|Marx]] wanted to remove from the economy was the [[Profit]] Motive: it gives people an incentive to make their own decisions!

==Types of Socialism==

There are three main kinds of Socialism, all of them are built on the premise of government control of the means of production.

===Leninism===
[[Image:Backrdv12n2.jpg|right|400px|thumb|The Russian caption reads, "Long live the great unbeatable flag of [[Karl Marx|Marx]], [[Friedrich Engels|Engels]], [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]], [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]]!"]]

Marxist Socialism, or '''Leninism''', as revised by [[Vladimir Lenin]] and practiced in the pre-[[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] Soviet Union, was the Socialistic theory developed by Vladimir Lenin during his rise to power. Lenin defined socialism as a transitional stage between capitalism and communism.<ref>"In striving for socialism, however, we are convinced that it will develop into communism", Lenin, State and Revolution, Selected Works, Progress publishers, Moscow, 1968, p. 320. (End of chapter four)</ref> Leninism is totalitarian, with no [[democracy]] and all decision made by the leaders of the Communist party. Lenin saw the Communist Party as an "elite" that was committed to ending capitalism and instituting socialism in its place and attaining the power by any means possible, including revolution. Lenin was quite mild on the belief, believing that, though controlling of resources was important, the people's will comes first.

Though [[Bolshevik]] Russia was somewhat more prosperous than its former [[Russian Empire|Tsardom]], Lenin's death in 1924 sparked the overthrow of his Marxist–Leninism and the imposition of [[Stalinism]], the violent, totalitarian belief that went against some of Lenin's ideas (many of Lenin's works were censored by Stalin post-1924).

==="Democratic" Socialism===
The second form of Socialism (sometimes called "Revisionism") prevailed in Europe down to the 1970s, and is typified by the [[Fabian Socialism|Fabian Society]] and the British Labour Party. It was inspired by Socialism and closely linked to labor unions that had real power. The goal was for [[Industrial Democracy]], that is, for the government to own ("nationalize") major industries such as coal mining, railways, steel making, shipbuilding, airlines, and banking. Small businesses remained private. The idea was that labor unions controlled the government and therefore unions controlled working conditions and wages for the benefit of workers, regardless of the damage to long-term economic growth.

The Socialists were well organized and after 1918 they bitterly fought the breakaway faction that became the [[Communist]] movement. In recent years major Socialist parties (in Europe and Canada) have sometimes dropped the long-standing demands for state ownership of the means of production and have mostly accepted "Controlled Capitalism". However they remain tied to labor unions and favor liberal policies regarding high taxes and public spending. Conservatives have been negative toward the economics of the second form of socialism. Conservatives complain socialists use government power to redistribute wealth.

Within the [[European Union]], a form of [[democratic socialism]] was initially viewed as successful, but eventually lead to lowered social equity and a downward spiraling economy, as well as general discontent. Although this acts as a drag on the economy, in democratic countries of the industrialized west, some socialist ideas have been put into practice with varying degree of success. Beginning in 2010 many European countries were racked with rioting and social unrest as governments began to back away from out-of-control entitlements that began bankrupting them and lead to a world financial crisis because of unrestrained debt.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703791804575439732358241708.html WSJ; "Obstacle to Deficit Cutting: A Nation on Entitlements"]</ref><ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100929/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_europe_austerity_protests_10 Anti-austerity protests sweep across Europe]</ref><ref>[http://www.allbusiness.com/economy-economic-indicators/economic-policy-bailouts/14758032-1.html "Debt crisis pushes Europe toward economic reforms"]</ref>

===Communal Socialism===
The third form of Socialism has nothing to do with Marx or government ownership, and emphasizes the importance of the community over the individual. Usually it means small communities sharing most of their possessions. The most famous examples are the religious [[Shakers]] of the 19th century (a conservative group), and the new-left communes that briefly existed in the 1960s and 70s.

Early American settlers, as in Plymouth or Virginia, tried it but quickly abandoned it.

:The Pilgrims in Plymouth used communal farming their first winter but then after a dismal harvest that first year, moved to a system where there was a more direct incentive other than guilt and honor. Governor Bradford summed it up in his journal:
:* "And so assigned to every family a parcel of land, according to the proportion of their number, for that end, only for present use (but made no division for inheritance) and ranged all boys and youth under some family. This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better content. The women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn; which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression."
:Not only were all hands more industrious—the incentive to harvest communal corn before it was fully ripe, a problem equivalent to poaching in the case of wildlife, was also eliminated.<ref> [http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2006/Robertsincentives.html Incentives Matter] - Russell Roberts - Library of Economics and Liberty</ref>

=== Similarities between Communism, Nazism and liberalism ===

''See also:'' [[Similarities between Communism, Nazism and liberalism]]

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
!Communist Manifesto
![[Nazi]] Party Platform
!Analysis
|-
|1
|"Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes."
|"We demand an agrarian reform in accordance with our national requirements, and the enactment of a law to expropriate the owners without compensation of any land needed for the common purpose. The abolition of ground rents, and the prohibition of all speculation in land."
|The stripping away of land from private owners. [[Liberalism]] today demands "eminent domain" on property.
|-
|2
|"A heavy progressive or graduated income tax."
|"We demand the nationalization of all trusts...profit-sharing in large industries...a generous increase in old-age pensions...by providing maternity welfare centers, by prohibiting juvenile labor...and the creation of a national (folk) army."
|The points raised in the [[Nazi]] platform demand an increase in taxes to support them. Liberalism today demands heavy progressive and graduated income taxes.
|-
|3
|"Abolition of all rights of inheritance."
|"That all unearned income, and all income that does not arise from work, be abolished."
|Liberalism today demands a "death tax" on anyone inheriting an estate.
|-
|4
|"Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels."
|"We demand that all non-Germans who have entered Germany since August 2, 1914, shall be compelled to leave the Reich immediately."
|The Nuremberg Laws of 1934 allowed Germany to take Jewish property.
|-
|5
|"Centralisation of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly."
|"We demand the nationalization of all trusts."
|Central control of the financial system.
|-
|6
|"Centralisation of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State."
|"We demand that there be a legal campaign against those who propagate deliberate political lies and disseminate them through the press...editors and their assistants on newspapers published in the German language shall be German citizens...Non-German newspapers shall only be published with the express permission of the State...the punishment for transgressing this law be the immediate suppression of the newspaper..."
|Central control of the press. Liberals today demand control or suppression of talk radio and Fox News.
|-
|7
|"Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children’s factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, &c, &c."
|"In order to make it possible for every capable and industrious German to obtain higher education, and thus the opportunity to reach into positions of leadership, the State must assume the responsibility of organizing thoroughly the entire cultural system of the people. The curricula of all educational establishments shall be adapted to practical life. The conception of the State Idea (science of citizenship) must be taught in the schools from the very beginning. We demand that specially talented children of poor parents, whatever their station or occupation, be educated at the expense of the State. "
|Central control of education, with an emphasis on doing things their way. Liberals today are doing things ''their way'' in our schools.
|-
|}

==Controversy==
''This section confuses "interpretation" with "debate".''

The ideology of '''Socialism''' is subject to a variety of interpretations. From a conservative perspective, Marxist socialism is an economic system whereby the means of production are seized and monopolized by the government sometimes without compensation to the builders of the [[capital]]. Investments, production, distribution, income, prices, and economic justice are administered by a government [[nomenklatura]] that regulates the transfer of money, goods (including capital goods), and services primarily through taxation, regulation and aggressive institutionalized coercion.

However, some socialists reject this description. Democratic socialists advocate a system of governance based on the principles of [[solidarity]], [[equality]] and [[liberty]], viewing these principles as interconnected. They believe increased socio-economic equality is associated with increased practical freedom to fulfill human potential. In many countries, such as Britain, socialist movements have been built on Christian, democratic and co-operative bases, embracing the notion that individuals should 'treat others as they would wish to be treated', and arguing that all individuals have a moral responsibility for the welfare of other members of their society. Socialism seeks to prioritize human welfare over other goals, such as profit and wealth accumulation by elites; it views increased redistribution of wealth as vital to securing greater freedom and happiness for the bulk of the people. Though this rosy picture of socialism is appealing to many, it ignores what Hayek called "the road to serfdom." Though in theory socialism is an idealized, egalitarian form of economics, in practice it means rule by labor bosses who minimize individualism and economic growth in the name of equality and benefits for the working class.

[[Karl Marx]] considered socialism to be a transitory stage between capitalism and communism. In his view, socialism is summed up by the expression: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." A major criticism of socialism is that it infringes individual rights in favor of the populace. In a very real sense, politics in the Western World throughout the 20th century was shaped by the conflict between socialist and capitalist governmental policies.

Although socialist parties are common in Europe, the leading examples all currently embrace some free enterprise, individual property rights and certain other aspects of capitalism although leading European Socialists are very critical of America. In many European countries socialism has been changing to [[Social democracy]].

==Key elements==

As a political ideology based on the expropriation of wealth, socialism stresses the privileges of the nomenklatura over the rights of workers and earners. Many of the most notoriously oppressive dictatorships have been socialist, such as the [[Soviet Union]] and China under Mao Zedong. Private wealth was seized and the owners executed.

===Welfare state===
As an economic theory, democratic socialism calls for equalization of incomes, through taxation of private wealth coupled with welfare state spending. The [[nationalization]] of major industries is primarily a device to allow the unionized workers to control their own wages and working conditions, cutting out the capitalistic owners.

State [[pension]]s and unemployment insurance were not brought in by Socialists—they were first introduced by arch-conservative Chancellor [[Bismarck]] in Germany in the 1870s. In Britain they were introduced about 1910 by [[Winston Churchill]] and [[David Lloyd George]] of the [[Liberal Party]], and in the U.S. were part of Democratic President, Franklin D. Roosevelt's,[[New Deal]] in the 1930s. Welfare state ideas such as [[universal health care]], and state control of key industries have been common throughout the developed world in the modern era. However, the United States has always rejected socialism as an ideological position, with a few exceptions such as the [[TVA]].

===Religion===
Some forms of socialism have often been [[atheism|atheistic]] in character, and many leading socialists (most prominently Karl Marx) have been critical of the role of religion - and conservative religion in particular - which they criticize for lending support to an unjust social order.

Other Socialists have been Christians, and there has been considerable interplay between Christian and Socialist ideas. [[Christian socialists]] have asserted that early Christian communities, in particular, displayed certain traits, such as the holding of possessions in common,<ref>Acts 2:44: "Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."</ref> the rejection of conventional sexual mores and gender roles, the provision for communal education, etc., that could be considered similar to socialism.

During the chaos sparked by the advent of the Reformation in Europe, several sects with radical new interpretations of Christianity sprung up, many of them Anabaptists (believers in adult baptism). Under the leadership of the reformer Thomas Muntzer the peasants of south-west Germany rose up in arms against the clergy and nobility, establishing anarcho-communes in their wake. Though they were massacred to a man, ten years later a group of radical Anabaptists under the leadership of Jan Matthys seized control of the north-western Germany city of Munster from the Prince-Archbishop there and established a Christian-Communist state. True to the spirit of applied communism, Mathys took twelve wives, held lavish feasts for himself and his most loyal followers and had himself crowned King of the World as the city starved, besieged by an alliance of Protestant and Catholic forces keen to see them exterminated. Mathys and all his followers were all tortured and killed when the Prince-Archbishop returned with professional troops to sack the city and reassert his authority, effectively wiping out all non-pacifistic Anabaptists in north-western Germany. Only Baptists as we know them today survived the following persecution.

See, for instance, Arnold Toynbee, the British historian, has responded to this,
:"the Marxian excerpt from a Christian Socialism is an experiment which is doomed to failure because it has denied itself the aid of the spiritual power which alone is capable of making Socialism a success. ….'Christianity', they say, 'is the opiate of the People'; and, in the [[Soviet Union]]… Christianity or of any other theistic religion have been debarred… from admission to membership of the All-Union Communist Party. In fact, Communism has been definitely and militantly anti-Christian. Thus the campaign against Christianity which is to-day an integral part of the propaganda of [[Marxian Socialism]] is a challenge to the living generation of Christians …we latter-day Christians may still turn a Marxian attack upon Christianity to good account … a re-awakening of the Christian social conscience has been the one great positive practical achievement of Karl Marx" <ref>Arnold Toynbee, ''A Study of History'', Annex II to Vol. V, Part C (i) (c) 2, p. 585-586, Marxism, Socialism, and Christianity.</ref>

====New Testament socialism====
The earliest Christians were decidedly living in a manner consistent with basic aims of socialism, albeit with critical requirements and distinctions from its secularist expressions. Luke 14:33 requires the forsaking of all one has if one will be a disciple of Christ, and while this is not shown to necessarily always require the literally forsaking of all,<ref>Lk. 19:8,9; Acts 16:14,15; 1Cor. 11:22; 2Tim. 4:13</ref> Acts 2:44 states that the communal believers "had all things common". Acts 4:32-5:11 also describes community redistribution of property, and details the Divine punishment of a husband and wife for hypocrisy, in keeping proceeds from the sale of a piece of property while openly pretending that they gave it all, as others voluntarily did.<ref>Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, (5:1-11)</ref>

However, forsaking all is shown to be that of first surrendering oneself and life to the God of the Bible, and placing all at His disposal,<ref>Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714), ''Commentary on the Whole Bible'', Lk. 14:25-35</ref><ref>Archibald Thomas Robertson, ''WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT'', Lk. 14:33</ref> with literal giving as a result being as He directs, and voluntary. (2Cor. 8,9)
{{cquote|Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)}}

While the early organic community provides a noble model of communal life, and of a "seminary" type experience, it was also soon dispersed by persecution (thus greatly expanding the church: Acts 8:1-5; 11:19), and it is later indicated that believers retained ownership of property after conversion. (Lk. 19:8,9; Acts 16:14,15; 1Cor. 11:22; 2Tim. 4:13) Rich Christians are evidenced to have been part of the early church, but were not mandated by the church itself to give all they had away, but to be lowly in mind, and to be ready and willing to distribute, in faith and surrender to God. (1Tim. 6:17-19)

Moreover, in both Testaments capitalism is clearly supported,<ref>Gary North, ''Capitalism and the Bible''</ref> and indolence is not subsidized, but penalized by poverty, while diligence in work is rewarded by its fruits. (Prov. 6:6-11; 13:4; 20:4; 2 Thes. 3:10-12; 1 Tim. 5:17-18) Although holy widows over 60 years old who were without familial support were taken in by the church, a man is clearly required to provide for his own family, if able. (1Tim. 5:2ff)

While the success of the early church as an organic community is often invoked in support of modern socialism, and many communes of the 1960s evoked the Bible, the early organic church was a result of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit among believers, while the "administrators" were humble servants who were examples of self-sacrifice, and who worked with their own hands as needed, (1Cor. 4:9-16) and whose authority was established by manifest Divine attestation, including the pro-active exercise of church discipline being only by supernatural or otherwise spiritual means, not carnal force.<ref>Acts 2:43; 5:5,9,10; 1Cor. 4:19-21; 2Cor. 13:2,3; 2Thes. 3:14,15; 2Tim. 4:2</ref>

In addition other distinctions, without the unique changes and influence resulting from faith and full surrender to Christ from all the community, and His anointing upon the work, attempts to mimic the communal life of Christians have failed.

As one critic of modern-day socialism states:
<blockquote>Socialism, unfortunately, completely disregards Biblical teaching about the fallen nature of human beings and assumes that human beings will act in a morally upright fashion if their basic needs are met. This is at the heart of why socialistic systems never work: because human nature does not work in this fashion.<ref>[http://www.dakotavoice.com/2009/06/capitalism-and-socialism-in-light-of-the-bible Bob Ellis, ''Capitalism and Socialism in Light of the Bible''] Dakota Voice, June 23rd, 2009</ref></blockquote>

== Britain, the Labour Party and Socialism ==

At its inception, the [[Labour Party]] borrowed socialist ideas by committing itself to a program of nationalization under 'Clause 4' of their Constitution, but was always fundamentally committed to the British system of parliamentary government. Clause 4 was formally dropped after the election of [[Tony Blair]] as Party leader, signaling the creation of 'New' Labour.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/21/newsid_2515000/2515825.stm</ref> The British governments of 1945-1950 and 1950-1951 under [[Clement Attlee]] implemented the nationalization of several industries and utilities, including coal, steel, water, railways and electricity. Former owners of nationalized industries were compensated. The best known example is the nationalization of health care to create the [[National Health Service]] (NHS). This made - literally overnight - health care "free" at the point of delivery for everybody in Britain, and it remains so today.

In the 1980s under Conservative Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] most of the nationalized industries were returned to the private sector, and public housing has been sold to the residents. These conservative decisions were endorsed by the "New Labour" of Tony Blair, to the annoyance of elderly radicals who fondly remember the poverty and inefficiencies of the old system.

== Criticism of socialism ==

[[Friedrich Hayek]] and [[Ludwig von Mises]] were important critics of socialism, particularly regarding what is known as the Socialist Calculation Debate. Hayek and Mises argued that a socialist economy would face information constraints that would prevent even well intentioned planners from efficiently allocating resources. That is, the planners would not know how much a battleship or a hospital cost, and could not efficiently allocate resources among different choices. This criticism should be considered as compatible with, but independent of, criticisms based on [[Public choice theory]] that bring into consideration the incentives of political actors.

Svetlana Kunin, who lived in the Soviet Union until 1980 explains how the system worked:
<blockquote>
Life in the USSR modeled the socialist ideal. God-based religion was suppressed and replaced with cultlike adoration for political figures....Only the ruling class of communist leaders had access to special stores, medicine and accommodations that could compare to those in the West. The rest of the citizenry had to deal with permanent shortages of food and other necessities, and had access to free but inferior, unsanitary and low-tech medical care.
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
USSR, 1959: I am a "young pioneer" in school. History classes remind us that there is a higher authority than their parents and teachers: the leaders of the Communist Party.
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Those who left Russia found a different set of values in America: freedom of religion, speech, individual pursuits, the right to private property and free enterprise....These opportunities let the average immigrant live a better life than many elites in the Soviet Communist Party...
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The slogans of "fairness and equality" sound better than the slogans of capitalism. But unlike at the beginning of the 20th century, when these slogans and ideas were yet to be tested, we have accumulated history and reality.<ref>[http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/SpecialReport.aspx?id=512665 ''The Perspective Of A Russian Immigrant''], ''Investors Business Daily,'' 09/10/2009</ref>
</blockquote>

A government which adheres to economic socialistic principles also tends to have cultures which prize unmerited equality among citizen and criminal alike, and through extension of socialistic welfare policies, between the chronically employed and the chronically unemployed, by ensuring both groups receive income though only one group works for income. This enables people otherwise healthy to not seek gainful employment because they will receive income no matter their actions, thus providing no incentive to produce. The economies of socialistic governments are thus weak and riddled with flaws, such as expecting increased production from a reduced workforce, and when engendered with a progressive culture, which simply means people who do are the same as people who do not, eventually fall under the weight of their own poorly managed and over-extended public welfare institutions. Public welfare also decreases personal charity, thus making the people dependent on the aid of the government since charitable aid, such as from a church, is discouraged by the secular nature of socialistic nations.

Socialists occasionally appeal to the fact that God, in the Old Testament, commanded His own nation to surrender a tenth of its proceeds for the maintenance of the priests and for the care of the sickly and weak. But, while fallen men, and their secular and pagan nations, shall always struggle to understand the righteous balances between government and liberty.<ref name="npr">[http://www.npr.org/2011/08/23/139761274/how-the-a-p-changed-the-way-we-shop ''The Great A&P and the Struggle for Small Business in America''], "NPR’s interview of the book’s author, Marc Levinson"</ref> (i.e., between local and national logistics, as well as between the logistics of the individual person and those of his community) the mark of socialism is the general allowance for a naive, and willingly ignorant, adult sub-population whose members prefer, despite the limitations imposed by bureaucratic accountability, to live under all the securities rightly afforded in the fallen world only to infants. In the unfallen world, such security was a given for all persons, but without any of the bureaucracy required in the fallen world for maintaining it. In the fallen world, such security is an unattainable ideal, so that the more is done to attain it, the more the society suffers under the requisite bureaucracy. And, while the initial policy made toward that ideal is the creation of an executive class or executive vocation, such as monarchies and professional armies,<ref>[http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Sa&c=8&t=KJV#19 ''First Samuel 8:19-20''] Blue Letter Bible</ref><ref>[http://www.wbur.org/media-player?url=http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2011/09/29/consequences-combat-vietnam&title=The+Consequences+Of+Combat&segment=consequences-combat-vietnam&pubdate=2011-09-29&source=hereandnow ''Interview of Vietnam war veteran, and '''What It Is Like To Go To War''' author, Karl Marlantes, on NPR's Here And Now'']</ref> there is a 'tipping point' in the creation of bureaucratic entities beyond which any civilization cannot help but increasingly lose its footing in the struggle to balance all its righteous human interests. The result is an ever-increasing proportion of that civilization's total population which, for all variety of reasons, becomes enslaved to their own demands for that ideal of security. When there is no judge who judges righteously, when all the people make the laws, and when the power of money is used to try to stay ahead of the natural consequences of unrighteousness, the 'bad money' cannot help but drive out the 'good money', until the 'Bank of Reality' is forced to call in the loan, and the civilization implodes to the point that it falls victim also to militant invaders and, or, to unmanageable internal unrest.<ref name="npr" />

==Past Socialist Countries==
===Chile===
Marxist socialist leader [[Salvador Allende]] was elected in Chile in 1970 in a minority government run by the Popular Unity Party. Allende's economic policy, known as the Vuskovic Plan, sought to achieve transition to socialism. The Vuskovic Plan involved nationalization of large foreign enterprises, land redistribution to farmers, and redistribution of income. The majority in Parliament never supported it and the plan was never carried out as Allende was overthrown by the military.

==Other Socialist Countries (Current )==

===[[Cuba]]===
Communist leader [[Fidel Castro]] violently overthrew the Cuban government in the 1950s and has declared Cuba to be communist since then, nationalizing millions of dollars worth of American-owned property. It is notable that Fidel Castro originally self-defined as [[liberal]], before coming out openly as a communist.<ref>[http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CGoQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fib-global-history-ii-period-5.aspen.high.schoolfusion.us%2Fmodules%2Flocker%2Ffiles%2Fget_group_file.phtml%3Ffid%3D6868636%26gid%3D1176955%26sessionid%3D0&ei=o74IUPDNOqPp6wGbtPGxCg&usg=AFQjCNG1bEoHrxurCF_WL1OPKMxIb4hCTw Fidel Castro - His Rise and Rule of Cuba]</ref> Today, Cuba faces copious economic problems and the people lack their fundamental rights. (Fidel's brother [[Raul Castro]] now runs the country, having taken it over from his ailing brother Fidel.)

===North Korea===

[[North Korea]]'s form of communism is in the form of "Juche" - a doctrine established by [[Kim Il Sung]] and carried on by his son [[Kim Jong Il]] and after his death by the current leader [[Kim Jong-un]]. Although it is investing heavily in nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, extreme poverty on the verge of starvation is the fate of the people, who are very tightly controlled. The country has little to no electrical power at night outside the capital, which can be verified by looking at nighttime satellite photos.<ref>http://epod.usra.edu/archive/epodviewer.php3?oid=87488</ref>

===Venezuela===

The socialist policies of president-for-life Hugo Chavez have destroyed the economy of that oil-rich nation. In 2009, he seized the Venezuelan operations of U.S. based Cargill in order to tighten his grip on the shrinking food supply in his country.<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/4938993/Venezuelas-Hugo-Chavez-tightens-state-control-of-food-amid-rocketing-inflation-and-food-shortages.html</ref> After the death of Chavez, [[Nicolás Maduro]] continues his politics.

===Other Countires===
[[Daniel Ortega]], the dictator of [[Nicaragua]], is a strong ally of Venezuela and Cuba. [[China]] and [[Vietnam]] have abolished the Socialist economy but are still governed by Communist parties. Other countries who are controlled by Socialist parties are [[Laos]], [[Angola]], [[Mozambique]] and [[Moldova]].

==Quotes on Socialism==
Comparative quotes are given from the top [[Left-wing]] - [[Socialist]] - [[National Socialist]] (a.k.a. [[Nazi]]) - [[Marxist]] - [[Communist]] leaders and their critics in order to better understand the commonality of the end result of their similar philosophy taken to its fruition by the [[big government]] [[welfare state]]-[[nanny state]]-[[police state]] by [[leftist]] [[globalist]]-[[statist]]-socialist-communists. For more examples, see [[Nazism and socialism]]. From these quotes one can see little difference between Socialists, Nazis, Communists, Marxists. Communist regimes killed 60 million in the 20th century through [[genocide]], according to [[Le Monde]] and more than 100 million people according to ''The Black Book of Communism''.

===Quotes from National Socialist's Adolph Hitler===
* "Then will come a [[National Socialism|National Socialist]] State tribunal; then will November, 1918, be expiated; then the [[mass murder|heads will roll]].
** testimony at a trial of German officers, Leipzig, in 1930.
* "We have to put a stop to the idea that it is a part of everybody's [[unalienable rights|civil rights]] to [[freedom of speech|say whatever he pleases]].
** transcript of a conversation (22 February 1942)
* "National socialism is the determination to create a [[slave|new man]]. There will no longer exist any individual arbitrary [[free will|will]], nor realms in which the individual belongs to himself. The time of happiness as a private matter is over."
** As quoted in Joachim C. Fest (1974), ''Hitler''. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, p. 533.
*"I have sympathy for Mr. [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt|Roosevelt]], because he marches straight toward his objectives over Congress, lobbies and bureaucracy." Hitler went on to note that he was the sole leader in Europe who expressed "understanding of the methods and motives of President Roosevelt."
**[http://www.fff.org/freedom/0795a.asp] ''New York Times'' 1934, quoted from John Toland: ''Adolf Hitler: The Definitive Biography''.

=== Quotes from National Socialist's Heinrich Himmler ===
From the Nazi party ([[National Socialism]]) [[SS]] leader [[Heinrich Himmler]]:
* "In the course of history periods of capitalism and socialism alternate with one another; capitalism is the unnatural, socialism the natural [[economic system]]...The [[Nazi|National Socialists]] and the [[Communists|Red Front]] have the same aspirations. The [[Jew]]s falsified the Revolution in the form of [[Marxism]] and that failed to bring fulfillment."—Speech in [[Potsdam]] (13 October 1926), quoted in Peter Longerich, Heinrich Himmler (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), pp. 92–93.
* "The best political weapon is the [[terrorism|weapon of terror]]. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don't ask for their love; only for their fear."—Quoted in "Visions of Reality - A Study of Abnormal Perception and Behavior" - by Alberto Rivas - Psychology - 2007 - Page 162

=== Quotes from Lenin ===
[[Vladimir Lenin]] stated:
* “The way to crush the [[middle class]] is to grind them between the millstones of [[taxation]] and [[inflation]].”
* "The best revolutionary is youth devoid of [[moral]]s."
* "A lie told often enough becomes the truth."
* "The goal of socialism is communism."
* "There are no morals in [[politics]] there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel."
* "Give us the child for 8 years and it will be a [[Bolshevik]] forever." (see [[Public school values]] and [[Professor values]])

===Quotes from Stalin===
The ''Darwin-Stalin connection'' describes the brutal [[Soviet]] dictator [[Josef Stalin]] who [[mass murder|murdered millions]] of people, giving credit to [[Charles Darwin|Darwin]]'s book for his outlook in life:
* "The death of one man is a tragedy, the [[mass murder|death of millions]] is a statistic." ~ to [[Churchill]], 1945.
* "Death is the solution to all problems. No man - no problem"
* "Ideas are more powerful than [[guns]]. We would [[gun control|not let our enemies have guns]], why should we let them have ideas?"
* "It is enough that the people know there was an [[election]]. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."
* "The only real power comes out of a long [[rifle]]."
* "When we hang the [[capitalist]]s they will sell us the rope we use."

===Quotes from Leon Trotsky===
* "Repression for the attainment of economic ends is a necessary weapon of the socialist [[dictatorship]]."
** [[Leon Trotsky]] in ''Terrorism and Communism : A Reply to Karl Kautsky'' (1920; 1975), p. 153
* "The road to socialism lies through a period of the highest possible intensification of the principle of the state … Just as a lamp, before going out, shoots up in a brilliant flame, so the state, before disappearing, assumes the form of the dictatorship of the proletariat, i.e., the most ruthless form of state, which embraces the life of the citizens authoritatively in every direction...
** ''Terrorism and Communism : A Reply to Karl Kautsky'' (1920; 1975), p. 177
* "We must rid ourselves once and for all of the Quaker-Papist babble about the sanctity of human life."
** Leon Trotsky in his book The [[Russian Revolution]], 1930
* "Root out the counterrevolutionaries without mercy, lock up suspicious characters in concentration camps... Shirkers will be [[extermination camp|shot]], regardless of past service."
** Statement of 1918, as quoted in ''Trotsky : The Eternal Revolutionary'' (1996) by Dmitri Volkogonov, p. 213

===Quotes from Mao===
[[Mao Zedong]], responsible for the deaths of 77 million [[Chinese]] states:
* "Every Communist must grasp the truth: Political power grows out of the barrel of a [[gun]]."—The [[Little Red Book]], 1964
* "Our principle is that the [[Communist Party|Party]] commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the Party."

===Quotes on Kim Il-sung===
[[Kim Il-sung]] took the communist [[cult of personality]] to a new level.<ref>Barbara Demick (2010) ''Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea'', Granta, page 45, ISBN 9781847081414</ref>
"In Korea, the Americans have far exceed the Hitlerites!"—by Kim Il-sung<ref>**Kim Il-sung to the [[Swedish]] communist leader [[Frank Baude]] in 1993.</ref>
* "When it comes to the orchestration of terror, Kim Jong-il is a natural born genius."
**[[Kim Duk Hong]] quoted in ''[[BBC News]]'' (21 July 2003) "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/correspondent/3065101.stm Inside the mind of Kim Jong-il]"

===Quotes from Pol Pot===
As ruler of [[Cambodia]] Pol Pot was responsible for [[mass murder|exterminating]] 2 million people by [[genocide]]. That's a quarter of the country's population:
* "Exterminate the 50 million [[Vietnamese]]... and purify the masses of the [[Cambodian]] people."
** Phnom Penh radio broadcast by [[Pol Pot]] of the [[Khmer Rouge]] (May 10, 1978) ([http://www.enotes.com/genocide-encyclopedia/khmer-rouge])

===Related Quotes from Others===
* "[[Socialist]]s ignore the side of man that is of the spirit. They can provide shelter, fill your belly with bacon and beans, treat you when you are ill, all the things that are guaranteed to a prisoner or a slave. They don't understand that we dream - yes, even of some time owning a yacht." -- [[President]] [[Ronald Reagan]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ut8fnmwVkwC&pg=PA91#v=onepage&q&f=false|last1=Skinner|first1=Kiron K.|last2=Anderson|first2=Annelise A.|title=Stories in His Own Hand: The Everyday Wisdom of Ronald Reagan ; Edited with an Introduction and Commentary by Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, Martin Anderson ; Foreword by George P. Shultz|date=2001|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781416584506}}</ref>

* "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the [[income redistribution|equal sharing]] of misery." -- [[Winston Churchill]]

* "I've always doubted that the socialists had a leg to stand on intellectually" -- [[Friedrich Hayek]]

* "The trouble is with socialism, which resembles a form of [[mental illness]] more than it does a philosophy" -- [[L. Neil Smith]]

* "Socialists cry "Power to the people", and raise the clenched fist as they say it. We all know what they really mean — [[Nanny state|power over people]], [[Police state|power to the State]]." -- [[Margaret Thatcher]]

* "All socialism involves [[slavery]]" -- [[Herbert Spencer]]

* "Socialism is based on [[envy]] and eventually always creates a very powerful big government controlled by very mediocre people who envy any success and destroy it." -- [[Vlad]]

* "If one understands that socialism is not a share-the-wealth program, but is in reality a method to ''consolidate'' and ''control'' the wealth, then the seeming paradox of super-rich men promoting socialism becomes no paradox at all."—Gary Allen <ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UuKnhw27vUwC&q=%22if+one+understands+that+socialism+is+not+a%22&dq=%22if+one+understands+that+socialism+is+not+a%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBGoVChMI9b6puNfryAIVxSQmCh2CHw7j None Dare Call It Conspiracy], page 33</ref>

==See also==
* [[Big government]] [[Welfare state]] leads to [[socialist]] [[Nanny state]], leads to [[communist]] [[Police state]] - Don't think Socialism-Communism is incompatible with [[Islam]].
* [[Gun control]] - key element to create a police state
* [[Karl Marx]] and [[Friedrich Engels]]
* [[List of atheist and agnostic pseudosciences]]
* [[Barack Obama]]
* [[Marxism and mysticism]]
* [[Joseph Stalin]]
* [[Dictatorship]]
** [[Dictator]]
** [[List of dictators]]
** [[Friendly dictator]]
** Adolf Hitler - [[Heinrich Himmler]], [[Vladimir Lenin]] - [[Leon Trotsky]] - [[Joseph Stalin]], [[Mao Zedong]] - [[Ho Chi Minh]] - [[Kim Jong-Il]] - [[Pol Pot]], [[Fidel Castro]] - [[Che Guevara]]
** [[Dictatorship of the proletariat]]: [[Class warfare]]
** [[List of Communist States]]
** [[List of Socialist States]]
** [[Death toll of communism]] via [[mass murder]] - [[genocide]] - [[concentration camp]] [[forced labor]] - [[extermination camp]] - [[firing squad]]
** [[Atheism and mass murder]]
** [[Coup d'état]]
* [[Cult of personality]]
* [[Single-party state]]
* [[Mobocracy]], [[Social Effects of the Theory of Evolution]], [[Anti-Semitism]], [[Communist Racism]], [[Holocaust]]
* [[Nazi Party|National Socialist German Workers' Party]] (Nazi Party)
* [[Nazism and socialism]]: [[National Socialism]] - the Nazis were elitist [[Police state]] [[liberals]] not [[conservative]]s
* [[Liberal totalitarianism]]
* [[Essay:Resisting Socialist Landfills‎]]
* [[Champagne socialist]]

----
'''Contrast with:'''
* [[Libertarianism]] and [[Conservatism]]
* [[Conservative]]
* [[American values]] and [[Conservative values]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.mises.org/etexts/hayekintellectuals.pdf The Intellectuals and Socialism], By F.A. Hayek, ''The University of Chicago Law Review'', (Spring 1949), pp. 417–420, 421-423, 425-433.
*[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109587/socialism Socialism] Encyclopædia Britannica.
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/socialism/ What Liberals Say - Category: Socialism], [[Accuracy In Media]]

==Bibliography==
* Busky, Donald F. ''Communism in History and Theory: From Utopian Socialism to the Fall of the Soviet Union'' (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/Communism-History-Theory-Utopian-Socialism/dp/027597748X/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232396722&sr=1-24 excerpt and text search]
* Dougherty, Jude P. "Socialist Man: A Psychological Profile," ''Modern Age'' Volume 46, Number 1-2; Winter/Spring 2004 [http://www.mmisi.org/ma/46_1-2/dougherty.pdf online edition], a conservative critique
*Laslett, John, ed. ''Failure of a Dream: Essays in the History of American Socialism'' (1984)
* Lindemann, Albert S. ''A History of European Socialism'' (1984)
* Lipset, Seymour Martin, and Gary Marks. ''It Didn't Happen Here: Why Socialism Failed in the United States'' (2001), Lipset was a leading conservative scholar [http://www.amazon.com/Didnt-Happen-Here-Socialism-Failed/dp/0393322548/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232396722&sr=1-21 excerpt and text search]
* Malia, Martin. ''Soviet Tragedy: A History of Socialism in Russia'' (1995) [http://www.amazon.com/Soviet-Tragedy-History-Socialism-Russia/dp/0684823136/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228761853&sr=1-4 excerpt and text search]
* Muravchik, Joshua. ''Heaven on Earth: The Rise and Fall of Socialism'' (2003) by conservative historian [http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Earth-Rise-Fall-Socialism/dp/1893554783/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228761601&sr=1-21 excerpt and text search]
* Novak, Michael. ''Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry '' (1988) [http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Socialism-Theological-Michael-Novak/dp/0844721549/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228761601&sr=1-19 excerpt and text search], by leading conservative scholar
* Nove, Alec. ''An Economic History of the USSR 1917-1991'' (3rd ed. 1993)
* Pipes, Richard. ''Communism: A History'' (2003), by a leading conservative
* Suny, Ronald Grigor. ''The Soviet Experiment: Russia, the USSR, and the Successor States.'' (1998) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=24265044# online edition]

{{Liberalism}}

[[Category:Socialism]]
[[Category:Marxist Terminology]]
[[Category:Marxism]]
[[Category:Communism]]
[[Category:Oppression]]
[[Category:Anti-American]]
[[Category:Liberalism]]
[[Category:Police State]]
[[Category:Welfare State]]
[[Category:Atheism]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]
[[Category:Sociology]]
[[Category:Worldviews]]
[[Category:Man-Made Disasters]]
[[Category:Threats]]

Leftist

2017-06-26T14:59:34Z

FDR:

'''Leftist''' is a political slur used solely to demonize [[liberals]]

== Origins ==
===French Revolution===
''See also:'' [[Secular left]] and [[History of Atheism|History of atheism]] and [[French Revolution]]

During the French [[Reign of Terror]] of the early [[Enlightenment]], the Left attempted a de-Christianization movement to replace the "reactionary" worship of God and replace it with the worship of national patriotism, or the ''Patrie''. Many churches were closed and either converted into Temples of Reason,<ref>John Hall Stewart, ''A Documentary Survey of the French Revolution'' (Macmillan, New York, 1963).</ref> or otherwise demolished outright under the order of Jacobin leader [[Maximilien de Robespierre]] under the pretense that their design was "undemocratic."<ref>[http://www.culturewars.com/CultureWars/Archives/Fidelity_archives/parricide.html Operation Parricide: Sade, Robespierre & the French Revolution]</ref> The Left even formed a new calendar [[Liberal censorship|secularizing Christian holidays]]. This calendar was short lived though and was never accepted in the rural, more religious parts of France. In addition, it was also stated that the Left-wing had some origins in the [[Book of Revelations]] when Jesus transfigured people on his right and left as sheep and goats, respectively.

==19th century Europe==
===Marx===
[[Karl Marx]] (May 5, 1818<ref>[http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/letters/misc/1818-bc.htm Birth Certificate of Karl Marx], Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, ''Collected Works'', Vol. 1 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1975), p. 635</ref> – March 14, 1883) was a [[bourgeois]]<ref>Francis Wheen, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=3KOyuSakn80C Karl Marx: A Life]'' (W.W. Norton & Company, 2001) ISBN 0393321576, pp. 8, 278</ref> political pamphleteer,<ref>George Bernard Shaw, “Trotsky, Prince of Pamphleteers,” ''The Nation'' (ISSN 0027-8378) Vol. 1922 No. 30 (June 7, 1922), pp. 560-561, reprinted in Brian Tyson, ed., ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=Ui6sNgX5vfQC Bernard Shaw's Book Reviews: Volume Two,1884-1950]'' (University Park, PA.: Penn State Press, 1996) ISBN 0271015489, pp. 440-450. Cf. Terrell Carver, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=HgbPEM0A4ksC The Postmodern Marx]'' (University Park, PA.: Penn State Press, 1998), p. 160</ref> polemicist<ref>Chris Matthew Sciaberra, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=D7z2ACODvLkC Marx, Hayek and Utopia]'' (SUNY Press, 1995) ISBN 0791426165, p.6. Cf. Michael Grenfell and Cheryl Hardy, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=ao6emzDlvIAC Art Rules: Pierre Bourdieu and the Visual Arts]'' (Berg Publishers, 2007) ISBN 1845202341, p.17</ref> and [[propagandist]],<ref>Baron John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=ItJmAAAAMAAJ The Cambridge Modern History]'' (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1910), p. 758. Cf. Milorad M. Drachkovitch and Sidney Hook, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=MJkLqIlu-q4C Marxist Ideology in the Contemporary World: Its Appeals and Paradoxes]'' (Ayer Publishing, 1973) ISBN 0836981545, p. 113</ref> credited as co-founder (with [[Friedrich Engels]]) of communism<ref>Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=am7G9xBmlXAC The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings]'' (Barnes & Noble, 2005) ISBN 1593081006, p. vi</ref> and specifically of Marxism. Although Marx always considered himself an economist,<ref>Charles H. Powers, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=cw8nRx08ix0C Making Sense of Social Theory: A Practical Introduction]'' (Rowman & Littlefield, 2010) ISBN 1442201193, p. 115</ref> "the Marxist system as a whole is not regarded as economics by the mainstream," according to Don Ross, co-editor of ''[http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/oso/public/content/oho_philosophy/9780195189254/toc.html The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Economics]''.<ref>Don Ross, "[http://uct.academia.edu/documents/0095/6341/Economics__anti-economics_and_ideology.pdf Economic theory, anti-economics, and political ideology]," p. 10</ref> Ex-Marxist<ref>"'I was a Marxist when I went to the University of Chicago, and I was still a Marxist after I took [[Milton Friedman]]’s course. ... But just one summer as an economics intern in Washington got rid of all of that.' Sowell worked in the Labor Department, in the Wage and Hour Division. He was interested in whether minimum wages helped the poor by raising their pay or hurt them by denying them jobs. He found that the personnel around him were interested in other things: namely, the preservation of their own jobs, and the perpetuation of government programs." Jay Nordlinger, "[http://www.nationalreview.com/nrd/article/?q=NTQ5ZjNhNzE5MjhmOGY5MjYwNGFjNmEwYWNmZjNmNTk= A Lion in High Summer]," ''National Review'', Vol. LXIII, No. 3 (February 21, 2011)</ref> economist [[Thomas Sowell]] agrees:
{{cquote|[T]he Marxian contribution to [[economics]] can be readily summarized as virtually zero. Professional economics as it exists today reflects no indication that Karl Marx ever existed... [T]he development of modern economics has simply ignored Marx. Even economists who are Marxists typically utilize a set of analytical tools to which Marx contributed nothing... In professional economics, ''Das Capital'' was a detour into a blind alley...<ref>Thomas Sowell, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=TVkVAAAAIAAJ Marxism: Philosophy and Economics]'' (Taylor & Francis, 1985) ISBN 0043201717, p. 217.</ref>}}
William Coleman of the Australian National University actually goes so far as to identify Marx as an "anti-economist."<ref>William Coleman, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=jMipPwAACAAJ Economics and its Enemies: Two Centuries of Anti-Economics]'' (London: Palgrave as Macmillan, 2002) ISBN 1403941483, p. 234. As economics concerns human prosperity and thriving, "anti-economics" may be understood as an anti-human project of death and destruction.</ref> Ross concurs, labeling Marx "the most influential anti-economist of all."<ref>Don Ross, "[http://uct.academia.edu/documents/0095/6341/Economics__anti-economics_and_ideology.pdf Economic theory, anti-economics, and political ideology]," p. 10</ref> Even Michael Harrington, a well-known Marxist,<ref>Wayne Price, "[http://www.utopianmag.com/files/in/1000000043/wayne_utopia.pdf Anarchism: Utopian or Scientific?]" ''The Utopian'' Vol. 5, p. 62</ref> in his book, ''The Twilight of Capitalism'', devoted an entire chapter to Marx "The anti-economist."<ref>Michael Harrington, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=__ROAAAAMAAJ The Twilight of Capitalism]'' (Simon and Schuster, 1976) ISBN 0671227599, chapter 5</ref> Nevertheless, men and women of zeal, often well-meaning but without understanding<ref>"The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." [http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0277_0438_ZD.html Brandeis, J., Dissenting], ''Olmstead v. United States'' 277 US 438 (1928)</ref> of economics, ravaged the 20th century reifying Marx's anti-economics—in the process killing more people than all the century's wars combined.<ref>R.J. Rummel, [http://democraticpeace.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/what-only-35000000-killed-in-20th-century-war/ What? Only 35,000,000 Killed in 20th Century War?], Democratic Peace Blog, November 30, 2008. In 1918, [[Grigory Zinoviev]], first head of the [[Comintern]], announced: "To overcome our enemies we must have our own socialist militarism. We must carry along with us 90 million out of the 100 million of [[Soviet Russia]]'s population. As for the rest, we have nothing to say to them. They must be annihilated." (George Leggett, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=NRUFAQAAIAAJ The Cheka: Lenin's Political Police]'' [Oxford University Press, 1986] ISBN 0-19-822862-7, p. 114) Zinoviev's estimate that the Soviets would murder 10 million people was far too low: Mid-range academic estimates of the number of civilians murdered by Marxists range from 94 million (Stéphane Courtois, ed. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=H1jsgYCoRioC The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression]'' [Harvard University Press, 1999] ISBN 0-674-07608-7, p. 4) to 148 million. Margaret Cox, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=xMvOoPN58CoC The Scientific Investigation of Mass Graves: Towards Protocols and Standard Operating Procedures]'' [Cambridge University Press, 2008] ISBN 0521865875, p. 8; Cf. Rudy Rummel, [http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl?trx=vx&list=H-Genocide&month=0511&week=d&msg=kbHvcYM/g2BcFyVBXdoRew&user=&pw= Reevaluated democide totals for 20thC. and China], H-Genocide Discussion Logs, H-Net (Humanities and Social Sciences Online), Center for Humane Arts, Letters, and Social Sciences Online (Michigan State University), November 28, 2005; T. Matthew Ciolek, [http://www.ciolek.com/SPEC/rummel-on-democide-2005.html R.J. Rummel: Reevaluated democide totals for 20th C. and China], Asia Pacific Research Online, Internet Publications Bureau, Research School of Asian and Pacific Studies, National Institute for Asia and the Pacific (Australian National University), November 29, 2005</ref>

===Bakunin===
Anarchist thinker Mikhail Bakunin critiqued prominent leftist theoritician [[Karl Marx]] in 1873 with these words,

:"..if the [[proletariat]] is to be the ruling class, over whom is it to rule? ...the peasant "rabble" who, as it is known, does not enjoy the sympathy of the Marxists who consider it to represent a [[Racism|lower level of culture]], will probably be ruled by the factory proletariat of the cities. Or, if this problem is to be approached [[Nationalism|nationalist]]ically, the [[Slavs]] will be placed in the same subordinate relationship to the victorious German proletariat in which the latter now stands to the German bourgeoisie." <ref>Michael Bakunin, ''Statism and Anarchy'', (1873), in Sam Dolgoff, ''Bakunin'' On Anarchy, (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1972), p. 330.</ref>

It should be noted that Bakunin was also a leftist, and in fact, the only difference he had from Marx was the exact extent that they should get rid of government. In addition, he also declared regarding anarchism: "Let us put our trust in the eternal spirit which destroys and annihilates only because it is the unsearchable and eternally creative source of all life--the passion for destruction is also a creative passion!"<ref>''Reaction in Germany'', 1842</ref>

==United States==
:''Main article: [[American liberalism]]''
===State planning===
In the United States men such as [[Eugene Debs]], Maurice Hilquit and [[Norman Thomas]] believed they could, by a gradual series of alterations in the structure of society, create a truly democratic world in which all people would enjoy not merely freedom, but prosperity. They believed this could not be achieved under the system of [[private property]] and [[profit]]. They advocated a gradual acquisition by the State of all the great utilities, transportation, communication, and basic industries such as coal, oil, and steel.

The dream of a cooperative commonwealth in which all would share equally in the prosperity created by an economic system owned by the people was the vision of [[Socialist]]s. This in theory would end [[poverty]], [[ignorance]] and [[crises]]. The idea was to [[nationalize]] banks, railroads, all means of transport, mines, and a few basic industries, but leave some factories, stores, farms, entertainment industries, etc., in the hands of private owners. The government would assume responsibility for making the economy work, for the well-being of all the citizens, their protection from the hazards of life, poverty, sickness, and old age. To make the whole economy work continuously without occasional [[Great Depression#Boom or Bust Cycles|boom-bust]] cycles, the government would create [[economic planning]] boards staffed by a bureaucratic class which would continuously study and observe the functioning of the economic system and make plans covering production, prices, distribution, financing, profits, [[wages]], hours, etc. Thus there would be Planned Capitalism, with the State responsible for the planning and for ensuring the carrying out of its plans through great government bureaus armed with the necessary powers to enforce compliance.

===Borrowing from fascism===

In the 1920s [[Benito Mussolini]] had adopted the Planned Capitalist State and gave it the name "[[fascism]]". [[Adolf Hitler]] adopted the same idea and called it [[National Socialism]]. Mussolini and Hitler both realized that a system which imposes a vast complex of decrees upon a people while subjecting them to confiscatory [[tax]]es to support the immense activities of the government cannot be operated except by an [[Absolutism|absolute]] government that has the power to enforce compliance. Prior to [[World War II]], this type of system had spread all over Europe. For nearly 70 years all the countries in Europe, with Germany in the lead, had been experimenting with the idea of the [[welfare state]], the State which attempts to provide its people with jobs and protection from all the hazards of life.

This system is the direct opposite of [[classical liberalism]]. It is the negation of the classical liberal philosophy which for decades has been fighting to [[emancipate]] the people from the [[tyranny]] of the all powerful State. During the [[New Deal]] this doctrine became known in America as "liberalism". Liberals did not admit that it implied the restoration to the State those very powers which had been stripped from the State as the means of giving people [[freedom]]. They called it the [[Planned Economy]]. But it was and is fascism by whatever name it is known. Incrementally the government must be made stronger, and the rights of the citizens reduced.

==Modern leftists==
Modern leftists in the United States have come under increasing criticism as advocates of thought control.<ref>[http://www.humanevents.com//article.php?id=20562 Leftist Thought Control], David Limbaugh, ''Human Events'', 05/04/2007.</ref> Author David Limbaugh cites, "Consider the subjects of [[evolution]], [[global warming]], [[homosexual agenda|special rights for homosexuals]] and [[abstinence]] education. Consider efforts of the Left to [[Fairness Doctrine|silence conservative talk radio]]. Consider the mainstream media's arrogant denial of its transparent [[liberal bias]], pronouncing itself to be above politics and inherently objective and its critics somehow skewed....Consider the leftist refrain that [[red state]] conservatives do not merely possess a different world view, but are not part of the 'reality-based community.'"

=== Decline of the secular Left ===
''See:'' [[Decline of the secular left]]

== Leftism and the use of mockery rather than reasonable argumentation ==
''See also:'' [[Atheism and mockery]]

In a ''BloombergView'' article, Stephen L. Carter wrote about the Left:
{{Cquote|But the left has work to do, not only on policy and organization but also on attitude. Too many of my [[progressivism|progressive]] friends seem to have forgotten how to make actual arguments, and have become expert instead at condemnation, derision and mockery. On issue after issue, they’re very good at explaining why no one could oppose their policy positions except for the basest of motives. As to those positions themselves, they are too often announced with a zealous solemnity suggesting that their views are Holy Writ -- and those who disagree are cast into the outer political darkness. In short, the left has lately been dripping with hubris, which in classic literature always portends a fall.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-11-11/trump-and-the-fall-of-liberalism Trump and the Fall of Liberalism] by Stephen L. Carter, BloombergView</ref>}}

Historically, [[Atheism|atheists]] have skewed towards the [[Leftism|left]] side of the political aisle (see: [[Atheism and politics]] and [[Secular left]] and [[Atheism and communism]]).<ref>[http://atheism.about.com/od/Atheist-Agnostic-Belief-Survey/a/Atheists-Agnostics-America-Politically-Liberal.htm Atheists & Agnostics in America Tend to be Politically Liberal]</ref><ref name="Marxism-Leninsim">{{cite web|url = http://www.investigatingatheism.info/marxism.html|title =Marxism|publisher = [[University of Cambridge]]|quote=The most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 [[Russian Revolution]], which brought the Marxist-Leninists to power. For the first time in history, atheism thus became the official ideology of a state.|year=2008|accessdate = 2011–03–15}}</ref><ref name="Guillotine">{{cite book|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=bf3m7IVAa9gC&pg=PA461&dq=France+atheism+guillotine++Christians+executed&hl=en&sa=X&ei=l4lUUaTRBufG0QGe0IHACA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=France%20atheism%20guillotine%20%20Christians%20executed&f=false|title =Christianity|author=James Adair|publisher = JBE Online Books|year=2007|quote=Although the Civil Constitution called for religious liberty, which was extended to Jews as well as Christians, many revolutionaries pushed for the establishment of a new state religion, either the Cult of Reason (atheists) or the Cult of the Supreme Being (Deists). Although the Civil Constitution called for religious liberty, which was extended to Jews as well as Christians, many revolutionaries pushed for the establishment of a new state religion, either the Cult of Reason (atheists) or the Cult of the Supreme Being (Deists). Changes to the calendar eliminated references to Christian holidays, and even the ancient seven-day week, and a list of officially recognized saints included such famous thinkers such as Socrates, Jesus, Marcus Aurelius, and Jean-Jacques Rosseau. A period of political persecution, often with religious overtones, broke out, known as the Reign of Terror. Thousands of people were executed by the guillotine, including many of the original leaders of the French Revolution.|page=461|accessdate = 2011–03–15}}</ref><ref name="France">{{cite book|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=9WkBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA105&dq=Reign+of+Terror+atheism&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HoRUUcD0NeXX0gGNo4HIDQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Reign%20of%20Terror%20atheism&f=false|title =Memoirs of the reign of George III. to the session of parliament ending A.D. 1793, Volume 5|page=105|author=William Belsham|publisher = G.G. & J. Robinson|year=1801|quote=Reign of this portentous period, it has been eloquently tenor, and energetically observed, "that the reign of atheism in France was avowed the reign of terror. In the full madness of their career, in the highest climax of their horrors, they shut up the temples of God, abolished His worship, and proclaimed death to be an eternal sleep:-in the very centre of Christendom, Revelation underwent a total eclipse, while atheism, performing on a darkened theatre its strange and fearful tragedy, confounded the first elements of society, blended every age, rank, and sex ,indiscriminate proscription and massacre, and convulsed all Europe to its centre, that the imperishable memorial of these events might teach the last generations of mankind to consider religion as the pillar of society, the parent of social order, and the safe-guard of nations." It is wonderful that, amid the horrors of this dismal period, while "the death dance of democratic revolution" was still in rapid movement, among the tears of affliction, and the cries of despair, "the masque, the song, the theatric scene, the buffoon laughter, went on as regularly as in the gay hour of festive peace."|accessdate = 2011–03–15}}</ref><ref name="Reign of Terror">{{cite book|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=Tt5rqiCP1p8C&pg=PA57&dq=Reign+of+Terror+atheism&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HoRUUcD0NeXX0gGNo4HIDQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Reign%20of%20Terror%20atheism&f=false|title =Christianity, Islam, and Atheism: The Struggle for the Soul of the West|author=William Kilpatrick|publisher = [[Ignatius Press]]|year=2012|quote=Actually, it's helpful to think in terms of two Enlightenments: the Enlightenment that cut itself off from God. The former led to the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the abolition of slavery, and the civil rights movement. The latter led to the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, the suppression of church by state, and the godless philosophies of Marx and Nietzsche and their offspring-National Socialism and Communism. More recently the abandonment of God has led to the regime of cultural relativism that regards rights as arbitrary constructions. It's this second Enlightenment tradition that Cardinal Ratzinger referred to when he wrote, "The radical detachment of the Enlightenment philosophy from its roots ultimately leads it to dispense with man." Actually this transition happened no "ultimately" but almost immediately. The first instance occurred when Enlightenment worship of abstract "reason" and "liberty" degenerated quickly into the mass murders committed during the anti-religious Reign of Terror in France. "Liberty, what crimes are committed in your name", said Madam Rolande as she faced the statue of Liberty in the Place de la Revolution movements before her death at the guillotine. She was one of the early victims of a succession of secular systems based on rootless notions of "liberty", "equality", and "reason". As many historians have pointed out, the atheist regimes of modern times are guilty of far more crimes than any committed in the name of religion. Communist governments alone were guilty of more than one hundred million murders, most of them committed against their own people.|accessdate = 2011–03–15}}</ref>

Although the [[secular left]] is known for ridiculing [[religion]] since at least the time of [[French Revolution]] (see: [[Atheism and mockery]]), the secular Left is known for its humorlessness when it comes to others mocking of its ideology (See also: [[Atheism and humor]] and [[Atheism and intolerance]] and [[Atheist hypocrisy]]).

==See also==
*[[2017 leftwing violence]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==

*[http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/09/the_imploding_leftist_establishment.html The Imploding Leftist Establishment], ''American Thinker''
* [http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/LWC20.html V. I. Lenin, ''"Left-Wing" Communism, An Infantile Disorder''] (1920) V. I. Lenin, Selected Works, English edition, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1952, Vol. II, Part 2.
* [http://jonjayray.tripod.com/leftism2.html John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.), ''THE MOTIVATIONS OF POLITICAL LEFTISTS'']
{{Liberalism}}
[[Category:Liberalism]]

Ronald Wilson Reagan

2017-06-26T14:58:41Z

FDR:

{{Officeholder
|name=Ronald Wilson Reagan
|image=Ronald-reagan by kinstler.jpg
|party=[[Republican]] (formerly [[Democrat]])
|spouse= Jane Wyman [[Nancy Davis Reagan]]
|religion=[[Presbyterian]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/president
|country=the United States
|number=40th
|terms=January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989
|vp=[[George H. W. Bush]]
|preceded=[[Jimmy Carter]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[George H. W. Bush]]
}}
{{Officeholder/governor
|number=33rd
|state=California
|terms=January 2, 1967 – January 6, 1975
|preceded=[[Pat Brown|Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, Sr.]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Jerry Brown|Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr.]]
}}
|military=y
|allegiance=United States
|branch=Army Reserve, Air Force
|serviceyears=1937-1946
|rank=Captain
}}
'''Ronald Wilson Reagan''' (February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004), served as the 40th [[President of the United States of America]] from 1981 to 1989. He was the 33rd Governor of [[California]] (1967–1975), following a successful career in film and television. He has been widely recognized as one of the greatest American Presidents and the main inspiration for the conservative movement from the 1970s to the present.

Reagan was a [[movement conservative]] who succeeded in moving the nation to the right in terms of reducing federal regulation and lowering taxes. He promoted Individual Liberty and the conviction that government was the problem and private enterprise the solution. He cut taxes but despite his proposals, spending and the federal deficit went up. After a short sharp recession early in his first term, the economy was strong by 1984. Proclaiming "It's Morning Again in America", Reagan carried 49 of 50 states to win reelection. He moved the [[Supreme Court]] and the federal courts to the right with his appointments.

Reagan's [[Supply-side economics|supply-side economic]] policies were based on the [[libertarian]] ideas of [[Milton Friedman]] and the [[Chicago School of Economics]]. "Reaganomics" was based on the idea that tax cuts will spur savings and investment. This resulted in a massive upward redistribution of wealth in favor of the 1%. Reagan was strongly opposed to the concept of [[Big government]], advocating a reduction in the size and budget of the federal government. During his terms in office, he faced a divided Congress split between Republican and Democratic control for six of his eight years as President. Reagan was known for forging alliances with "[[Blue Dog]]" (conservative) Democrats to overcome the apparent majority led by Democratic Speaker [[Tip O'Neill]].

In foreign affairs Reagan rejected détente with the [[Soviet Union]], but not with [[China]]. His massive defense buildup forced the Soviets to confront their crumbling financial base. He rejected the legitimacy of Communism and in the [[Reagan Doctrine]] systematically challenged and eventually destroyed Soviet strength in the Third World. After 1986 the new leadership of [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] who tried desperately to rescue Communism by cutting its losses; they came to terms with Reagan; the Communist empire collapsed in 1989 a few months after Reagan left office, and Communism was abolished (and Gorbachev repudiated) by Russia in 1991. Reagan is thus credited with achieving victory in the Cold War.<ref>Knopf (2004)</ref>

Always distrustful of nuclear weapons, Reagan proposed SDI, a space-based system to defend against nuclear missiles. The inability of the Soviet Union to match this new technological breakthrough forced it to agree to Reagan's terms for ending the Cold War. In leading the rollback of Communism in Europe, he battled powerful liberal forces that called instead for détente (peaceful relations) with Communism. As the Soviet system faltered and Gorbachev accepted Reagan's terms, ensured an unprecedented level of nuclear disarmament. His signature phrase in dealing with Communists was "trust, but verify."

In his most famous challenges to Communism, Reagan went to the Brandenburg Gate and gave the Soviets the American terms for ending the Cold War: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" The Soviets were forced to agree, and watched their empire collapse overnight in late 1989, a few months after Reagan was succeeded as president by his Vice President [[George H.W. Bush]]. At the closing of his presidency, Reagan compared America to that "[[Shining city upon a hill]]", a beacon of Liberty for all who still live in the darkness of totalitarian rule.<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/04/reagan-shining-city-hill/ Reagan saw the shining city on the hill], [[Daily Caller]]</ref>

As a great communicator, and leader of the Republican party, he added a new base of "Reagan Democrats" (blue collar workers who were social conservatives), religious [[evangelical]]s, and [[neoconservative]]s; his success became the model for Republicans into the 21st century.

By all accounts, including by many of his adversaries, Reagan was a highly intelligent individual. He also contributed many new well-thought-through [[insight]]s to the general public that were not previously available.<ref>Tear Down This Wall, Laffer Curve, etc. See [[conservative insights]]</ref>
[[File:Reagan's signature.jpg|Right|285px|thumb|Ronald Reagan's signature]]
[[File:Reagan-at-durenberger-rally.jpg|Right|500px|thumb|Ronaldus Magnus]]
== Reagan's Conservatism ==
In a speech, immediately after assuming the presidency in 1981, he outlined his philosophy. After listing "intellectual leaders like [[Russell Kirk]], [[Friedrich Hayek]], [[Henry Hazlitt]], [[Milton Friedman]], [[James Burnham]], [[Ludwig von Mises]]" as the ones who "shaped so much of our thoughts," he discussed only one of these influences at length:

*It's especially hard to believe that it was only a decade ago, on a cold April day on a small hill in upstate New York, that another of these great thinkers, [[Frank Meyer]], was buried. He'd made the awful journey that so many others had: He pulled himself from the clutches of "The [communist] God That Failed,'' and then in his writing fashioned a vigorous new synthesis of traditional and libertarian thought -- a synthesis that is today recognized by many as modern conservatism.

*It was [[Frank Meyer]] who reminded us that the robust individualism of the American experience was part of the deeper current of Western learning and culture. He pointed out that a respect for law, an appreciation for tradition, and regard for the social consensus that gives stability to our public and private institutions, these civilized ideas must still motivate us even as we seek a new economic prosperity based on reducing government interference in the marketplace.

*Our goals complement each other. We're not cutting the budget simply for the sake of sounder financial management. This is only a first step toward returning power to the States and communities, only a first step toward reordering the relationship between citizen and government. We can make government again responsive to the people by cutting its size and scope and thereby ensuring that its legitimate functions are performed efficiently and justly.<ref>[http://acuf.org/issues/issue13/040606news.asp Ronald Reagan's Conservative Legacy, ACUF]</ref> Reagan rose to power speaking of [[Traditional values]] such as hard work, faith, family, God and patriotism (ideas that liberals call "racist"). Reagan strongly opposed progressive taxation, redistribution of wealth, the welfare state, and nationalization.

==Early life==
[[File:Ronald Reagan Young Boy.jpg|left|160px|thumb|Jack Reagan, Neil, Ronald, and his mother Nelle (from left to right) Photograph circa 1916-17.]]
Reagan was born in [[Tampico, Illinois]], the second son of John (Jack) Edward and Nelle Wilson Reagan. The family finally settled in Dixon, Illinois in 1920 after years of moving from town to town. Jack Reagan nicknamed his younger son “Dutch", claiming he looked like “a fat little Dutchman.”<ref>[http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/reference/facts.html Ronald Reagan Facts]: Physical Description, Favorites, Dislikes, Firsts in Life, Nickname, and Religion</ref> Reagan's father was a working class Irish Catholic, and an active Democrat. Unemployed during the [[Great Depression]], Jack Reagan held a minor position in the [[WPA]] during the [[New Deal]]. Reagan recalled numerous alcoholic episodes that cost his father many job opportunities. Nelle Reagan, a devout member of the [[Disciples of Christ]], greatly influenced her son, who remained a lifelong Protestant.
[[File:Reagan_graduation.jpg|right|160px|thumb|1932 photo taken after his graduation from Eureka College]]
He attended [[Eureka College]], a small Disciples school where he developed a reputation as a "jack of all trades", excelling in campus politics, sports and theater. Reagan was a member of several athletic organizations including the football and track teams, the basketball cheerleading squad, and captain of the swimming team. He was also yearbook editor and was elected student body president. Reagan was a political liberal at that point and led a student revolt against the college president. In his first year at Eureka, the president of the college tried to cut back the faculty. Reagan helped organize a student strike. He received his degree in economics and sociology in 1932.<ref>[http://www.asanet.org/students/famous.cfm Famous Sociology Majors]</ref>

To pay for college, Reagan worked many low wage jobs such as cooking hamburgers and washing tables. He also worked as a lifeguard at Lowell Park on the Rock River in Dixon for seven summers, where he saved seventy-seven swimmers from drowning.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/reagan/ Timeline of Ronald Reagan’s Life], [[PBS]]</ref>

After college Reagan became a radio sports announcer in Iowa. Although he was originally only hired to announce the [[University of Iowa]] football games, he became so popular in the Midwest he began covering Chicago Cubs baseball games at Wrigley Field. He also wrote sports columns in the Des Moines ‘’Dispatch’’.

===Reagan as Disciple===
Reagan took religious values into the presidency that he learned from his [[Disciples of Christ]] background at home and at Eureka College, a Disciples school. He was strongly influenced by Ben Hill Cleaver, the minister of the First Christian Church<ref>The formal name of the denomination is the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).</ref> in Dixon, Illinois, during the 1920s, and by Reagan's mother, Nelle, an active member of the church. At many points the positions taken by the Disciples Church of Reagan's youth coincided with the words, if not the beliefs of the latter-day Reagan. These positions included faith in Providence, the association of America's mission with God's will, belief in progress, trust in the work ethic and admiration for those who achieved wealth, an uncomfortableness with literature and art that questioned the family or challenged notions of proper sexual behavior, the presumption that poverty is an individual problem best left to charity rather than the state, sensitivity to problems involving alcohol and drugs, and reticence to use government to protect civil rights for minorities. Reagan's experiences in the church and with the Cleavers provided early training in public speaking and offered a way of learning in which acting played a central part. Reagan's use of the jeremiad and his fusing of Judeo-Christianity and patriotism into a civil religion also have their roots in this early period. For her part, Nelle was a pillar of the church and the one who provided stability to the shaky Reagan family when the head was drunkard and a poor provider. She helped spark her son's interest in acting and believed the stage could be a force for noble purposes.<ref>Stephen Vaughn, "The Moral Inheritance of a President: Reagan and the Dixon Disciples of Christ." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 1995 25(1): 109-127. 0360-4918</ref>

==Hollywood==
[[File:Reagan1953.jpg|thumb|left|250px|1953 film ''Law and Order'', starring Reagan and Dorothy Malone]]
In 1937 Reagan traveled to [[Hollywood]] to cover the Chicago Cubs's spring training games and look at prospects in the film industry. Warner Brothers studio offered him a one-year contract with a starting salary of $200 a week. He made his first on-screen debut in the 1937 movie ''Love is On the Air'',<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/161292|0/Love-is-On-the-Air.html Love is on the Air]</ref> then became famous starring in numerous "B" movies, where he typically played a supporting character rather than the leading role. In 1941 Reagan gave a well received performance in the [[Academy Award|Oscar]] nominated film ''Kings Row''. Other notable movies include ''Knute Rockne'', ''The Hasty Heart'', and the film ''Brother Rat'', which is where Reagan first met his future wife Jane Wyman.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=7rBLCZuEOswC&pg=PA189 President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime]</ref> During the war Reagan was in the Air Force where he was assigned to make training films.

===Military Service===
Intertwined with his career as an actor, Reagan also served in the military. He enlisted in the Army Enlisted Reserve on 29 April 1937, and transferred to the Army Air Forces (AAF) in 1942.<ref name=service>[https://reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/reference/military.html Military Service of Ronald Reagan]</ref> Poor eyesight kept him from being sent into overseas combat. He would instead produce training films for the AAF Public Relations and subsequently, to the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California.

By the end of the war, his units had produced some 400 training films for the Army Air Forces. He resumed his Hollywood career on release in 1946, and his Reserve Commission automatically terminated on April 1, 1953.

While serving, Reagan was promoted several times. On January 4, 1943, he was promoted to First Lieutenant. On July 22, 1943, was promoted to Captain.<ref name=service />

===Return to Hollywood===
[[Image:Reagantheater.jpg‎|right|thumb|205px|Ronald Reagan and General Electric Theater. 1954-62.]]
Reagan's movie career faded in the late 1940s but he made a successful transition to television, especially as a host, and became a celebrity on the speakers' circuit. He traveled the country as a motivation speaker for [[General Electric]], attracting highly appreciative audiences for his polished, witty speeches based on a wide reading in current events and libertarian economic principles. Reagan also starred in the 1960s television series ''Death Valley Days''. By 1964 he had appeared in over 50 films.

===Friendship with Billy Graham===
Reagan first met [[Billy Graham]] in the mid 1950s<ref name=focus>[http://jimdaly.focusonthefamily.com/a-story-of-billy-graham-and-ronald-reagan/ A Story of Billy Graham and Ronald Reagan], [[Focus on the Family]]</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/06/08/transcript-ronald-reagan-friendship-with-billy-graham.html Transcript: Ronald Reagan's Friendship With Billy Graham], [[Fox News]]</ref> around the time that Reagan started with GE, and they remained friends for many years.

Graham was very impressed with Reagan's ability to effectively manage criticism with politeness, reason, and conviction. Graham wrote of Reagan in relating a story of a pastor from Dallas: "Ron had not only changed a man's mind, but he had done it with charm, conviction, and humor - traits I would see repeatedly as I got to know him."<ref name=focus />
[[Image:Reagan-LPcover.jpg|thumb|100px|left]]
===Operation Coffee Cup===
{{main|Operation Coffee Cup}}

During the 1950s and 1960s, Reagan teamed up with the [[American Medical Association]] to produce a campaign against government run universal healthcare, warning citizens that if the government controls your healthcare, they control you.

Together with the AMA, they produced the LP record ''Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine''.

===Union president===
Reagan jumped into union politics and was elected to five terms as president of the [[Screen Actors Guild]], a labor union for movie actors and part of the [[AFL]]. As SAG President he traveled across the country giving speeches on behalf of actors. Until the 1950s Reagan was an avid liberal Democrat who strongly supported the [[New Deal]] of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and the [[Fair Deal]] of [[Harry S. Truman]]. He often campaigned on behalf of the [[New Deal Coalition]], such as [[Helen Gahagan Douglas]]'s 1950 run for Senator of California.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=U2cs7IHERBwC&pg=PA43 Ronald Reagan's Journey: Democrat to Republican]</ref> There was talk of running Reagan for president of the AFL itself.<ref>Ronald Reagan, [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0743400259/ref=sib_dp_srch_bod?v=search-inside&keywords=truman ''An American Life'' (1990) p 132]</ref>

Reagan was thus the only president to lead a [[labor union]], a bastion of liberalism. Reagan himself was a registered Democrat well into the 1950s, but as head of the Screen Actors Guild he fought against Communist infiltration. In 1947 he became an FBI informant, known by the bureau as informant "T-10",<ref>[http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959749,00.html Unmasking Informant T-10], [[Time Magazine]]</ref><ref>[http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-08-26/news/8502040928_1_fbi-interviews-reagan-and-wyman-informant Reagan Reportedly Was Fbi Informer In 1940s]</ref> and testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Reagan expressed some reservation with the FBI, asking one agent "Do they expect us to constitute ourselves as a little FBI of our own and determine just who is a Commie and who isn't?"<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=I4-UBnd20K4C&pg=PA155 Ronald Reagan in Hollywood: Movies and Politics]</ref> Peggy Noonan wrote, "Even in his zeal to purge the communist influence from [[Hollywood]], he fought those who engaged in witch hunts and defended those who had been falsely accused of involvement."

==Democrat to Republican==
While remaining a Democrat in the 1950s, Reagan started to increasingly hold conservative points of view. After actively supporting [[Richard Nixon]]'s campaign for president in 1960, Reagan switched political parties and officially became a Republican in 1962. He realized that he had diverged greatly from the tax-and-spend liberalism of the Democratic Party. As a part of Reagan's change in viewpoints, he came to be a fan of former president [[Calvin Coolidge]], and would later replace a painting of Truman with that of Coolidge in the White House Cabinet Room.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/04/opinion/calvin-reagan.html Calvin Reagan], [[The New York Times]]</ref>

==1964==
Conservatives nationwide saw Reagan as their new star when his campaigning for Senator [[Barry Goldwater]] in 1964 was better received than Goldwater's own speeches. He raised an unprecedented eight million dollars for Goldwater. Despite Goldwater's defeat, Reagan's 1964 "[[Time for Choosing]]" speech helped launch his political career and made him became a probable candidate for governor of California.

==Governor of California (1967-1975)==
[[Image:Reagangovernor.jpg‎|left|thumb|275px|Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan at the Victory celebration for California Governor at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California 11/8/66.]] In the 1966 gubernatorial campaign, conservatives generally supported Reagan over George Christopher, the Republican mayor of [[San Francisco]]. Reagan defeated Christopher, and incumbent [[liberal]] [[Democrat]] [[Pat Brown]] in the general election, taking fifty-three of California's fifty-eight counties. Reagan's strategists wanted to emphasize libertarian support for smaller government and less taxation, as the state verged on a revolt against high property taxes. As student and black unrest exploded in the headlines, Reagan's call for [[Law and order]] won the votes of former liberals. Reagan's victory marked the end of New Deal liberalism in California.<ref>Dallek, Matthew. "Liberalism Overthrown." ''American Heritage'' (1996) 47(6): 39+ Fulltext online at Ebsco</ref>

Reagan inherited an enormous budget deficit from the Brown administration. In his first year as Governor, Reagan froze government spending and cut ten percent of the spending budget in each department of the government. At the end of his two terms the $194 million deficit had been transformed into a $550 million surplus. The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' editorialized, "We exaggerate very little when we say that Reagan has saved the state from bankruptcy.<ref>[http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1980 1980 Reagan VS. Carter VS. Anderson]</ref>

When coming into office there was a growing number of anarchist protesters at the [[University of California, Berkeley]] over the United States' involvement in the [[Vietnam War]]. The protests would become violent. Reagan sent the state police and later the national guard to handle the riots. It allowed him to showcase his populist themes of morality, [[Law and order]], strong leadership, and defense of traditional values. Reagan was reelected in 1970, after firing the president of the state university and sending in armed force to confront student demonstrators. Reagan's handling of this crisis helped to make him into a national politician known for strength and courage.<ref>Gerard DeGroot, "Reagan's Rise." ''History Today'' (1995) 45(9): 31-36. Issn: 0018-2753 Fulltext online at Ebsco</ref>

Governor Reagan briefly tested the presidential waters in 1968 as part of a "Stop Nixon" movement, but drew back when he saw [[Richard Nixon]]'s strength.

Governor Reagan also attempted to clean up radicalism at other college campuses. [[Angela Davis]], a member of the [[Communist Party USA]], was also a professor of philosophy at [[UCLA]]. Reagan wrote that "I, nor the board will tolerate any Communist activities at any state institution... any member of the Communist Party is barred from teaching at this institution."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=OwhvBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA140 African Americans and Criminal Justice: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia]</ref>

Welfare spending was a major issue in the 1970 election; with 10% of the nation's population, California had 16% of its welfare recipients. Reagan promised to cut the welfare spending by rooting out fraud and abuse, by requiring recipients to take jobs, and by collecting from dead-beat fathers. Democrats in the legislature supported a much more liberal bill, which advocated the welfare rights of the poor. Reagan personally worked out a compromise that passed and won considerable praise and some criticism. Its savings to taxpayers proved small, but it represented an important political achievement for both parties. Reagan benefited as well, emerging from the compromise as a more experienced and effective politician.<ref>Burbank (1991)</ref>

Reagan supported and signed laws to liberalize [[abortion]] in California (before the Supreme Court issued ''[[Roe v. Wade]]''), but later turned strongly against abortion.

Reagan's gubernatorial style, which carried over into his presidency, was expansive in looking only at the big picture, and choosing talented staffers who were given the power to handle all the details. Reagan seldom paid attention to the minute details of his own policies. Reagan was a powerful communicator, through press conferences and public appearances, with an uncanny knack for precise timing to make the maximum impact.<ref>Hamilton and Biggart, (1984); Ritter (1992)</ref>

Liberals across the country were puzzled by Reagan, and decided that he was a weak reactionary who would be easy to defeat if he ran for president. California liberals explained they were all wrong, that Reagan was the most formidable Republican since Eisenhower.

In 1970, he was re-elected by a landslide against challenger "Big Daddy" Jesse Unruh.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/06/obituaries/jesse-unruh-a-california-political-power-dies.html Jesse Unruh, A California Political Power, Dies], [[The New York Times]]</ref> But in 1974, he chose not to seek a third term and was succeeded by liberal Democrat [[Jerry Brown]].

In 1974, the [[Symbionese Liberation Army]] abducted [[Patty Hearst]] and demanded a redistribution of food to the poor. Governor Reagan quipped: "It's just too bad we can't have an epidemic of botulism".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=PAvTCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA288 Days of Rage: America's Radical Underground, the FBI, and the Forgotten Age of Revolutionary Violence]</ref>

Three Lieutenant Governors served with Reagan: Robert Finch(67-69), Edwin Reinecke(69-74), John L. Harmer(74-75).

===Events and achievements as governor===

*Called in the [[National Guard]] to restore order when "People's Park" protesters began attacking police, and restored order to California's chaotic university campuses. Reagan authorized the use of force against the rioting protesters in Berkeley, saying, "If there has to be a bloodbath, then let's get it over with. No more appeasement." In the resulting chaos, 111 police officers were injured, and police fired buckshot into the crowd, sending over a dozen people to the hospital with shotgun wounds, 3 with punctured lungs and 1 with a shattered leg, and fatally wounded James Rector, who had been attacking the police.<ref>[http://police.berkeley.edu/about_UCPD/ucpdhistory.html#anchor178048 "History topic: People's Park"] University of California, Berkeley - Police Department (August 2006)</ref><ref>''San Francisco Chronicle'', early morning edition, May 15, 1969</ref><ref>[http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/06/08_reagan.shtml Ronald Reagan launched political career using the Berkeley campus as a target] (June 8, 2004)</ref><ref>[http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/video-ronald-reagans-press-conference-after-bloody-thursday/284045/ Video: Ronald Reagan's Press Conference After 'Bloody Thursday'] (February 2014)</ref><ref>[http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,904149,00.html California: Postscript to People's Park], [[Time Magazine]] archive, February 16th, 1970, Note: Fee required to read article.</ref>

*Led a comprehensive and far-reaching revision of California's massive public assistance programs, actually increasing benefits to the truly needy.

*Worked well with the Democrats to forge consensus on a variety of issues.

*Despite pressure within his own party, Reagan publicly opposed the Briggs Initiative which helped its defeat at the ballot in 1978.

*Signed the nation's first no-fault divorce law

*Signed the Therapeutic Abortion Law, which had the effect of increasing the availability of legal abortion in California - later Reagan expressed regret for this<ref>[http://www.lifenews.com/2008/03/11/nat-3790/ Revisionist History: Misrepresenting President Ronald Reagan’s Abortion Record], [[LifeSiteNews]]</ref><ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/223437/reagans-darkest-hour-paul-kengor-patricia-clark-doerner Reagan's Darkest Hour, "Therapeutic" abortion in California.], [[National Review]]</ref><ref>[http://cnsnews.com/news/article/president-reagan-put-his-pro-life-stance-center-stage-supporting-march-life President Reagan Put His Pro-Life Stance Center Stage In Supporting the March for Life], [[CNSNews.com]]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-dSvWrJ6ooAC&pg=PA64 The Essential Ronald Reagan: A Profile in Courage, Justice, and Wisdom]</ref> and even wrote a [[pro-life]] pamphlet while he was president.

==Nationally Syndicated Radio==
From 1975 to 1979, Reagan gave over 1000 radio addresses to listeners in 20-30 million homes each week.<ref>[https://www.loc.gov/programs/static/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/ReaganOnRadio.pdf Ronald Reagan Radio Broadcasts]</ref> In one particular address, he discussed the California abortion bill he had signed, along with some additional observations.

<blockquote>A bill had been introduced in the California legislature to make abortion available upon demand. The pro and anti forces were already marshaling their troops, and emotions were running high. Then the author of the bill sent word down that he'd amend his bill to anything I felt I could sign. The ball - to coin a cliche - was in my court. Suddenly I had to have a position on abortion.

I did more studying and soul-searching than on any thing that was to face me as governor. I discovered that neither medicine, law, or theology had ever really found a common ground on the subject. Some believed an unborn child was no more than a growth on the body female and she should be able to remove it as she would her appendix. Others felt a human life existed from the moment the fertilized egg was implanted in the womb. Strangely enough, the same legislature that couldn't agree on abortion had unanimously passed a law making it murder to abuse a pregnant woman so as to cause the death of her unborn child.

Another inconsistency - the unborn have property rights protected by law. A man can will his estate to his wife and children and any children yet to be born of his marriage. Yet the proposed abortion law would deny the unborn the protection of the law in preserving its life.

I went to the lawyers on my staff and posed a hypothetical question. What if a pregnant woman became a widow during her pregnancy and found her husband had left his fortune to her and the unborn child. Under the proposed abortion law, she could take the life of her child and inherit all of her husband's estate. Wouldn't that be murder for financial gain? The only answer I got was that they were glad I wasn't asking the questions on the bar exam.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=MH7b57xk6jIC&pg=PA52 Speaking My Mind: Selected Speeches]</ref></blockquote>

==The New Republican Party==
At the 1975 [[Conservative Political Action Conference]], Reagan talked about the new Republican Party in a speech titled "''[[Let Them Go Their Way]]''", a party that was a striking contrast to the Democrat party. He called for bold colors that would be contrasted against pale pastels. This is one of Reagan's most quoted lines from any speech.<ref>[http://www.westernfreepress.com/2013/03/14/reagan-at-cpac-in-1975-let-them-go-their-way/ Reagan at CPAC in 1975: "Let Them Go Their Way"]</ref>

At the time, voters were of the belief that because Republicans did very little in the way of conservative principles and values, that there was little to no difference between the two parties. Reagan's main point was that instead of organizing a new third party, why not organize a new first party.

==Presidential Campaigns==
===1976===
[[File:1976 Republican National Convention.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Reagan and Ford at the 1976 Republican National Convention]]
{{Main|United States presidential election, 1976}}

After [[Richard Nixon]]'s resignation in 1974, the weak [[Gerald Ford]] became president, and Reagan challenged him in the 1976 Republican Party primaries. The main issue was détente with the Soviets as promoted by Ford and Secretary of State [[Henry Kissinger]], though other issues such as the [[Panama Canal]] also threw Ford off guard.<ref name=canal>[https://books.google.com/books?id=qpfzsnHAzZAC&pg=PA315 Gerald Ford and the Challenges of the 1970s]</ref> Ford won the first 13 primaries, then Reagan came roaring back. He criticized the federal government and politicians for being too large, too powerful, and too involved in American society. Reagan named liberal eastern Senator Richard Schweiker as his running mate, disappointing many of his conservative supporters.<ref>[http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1976/07/28/page/5/article/reagan-gambles-all-in-schweiker-choice Reagan gambles all in Schweiker choice]</ref> The outcome of the contest was that Ford won 26 primary contests, and Reagan won 24. The final delegate count was 1121 to 1078, Ford. 1130 delegates were needed to clinch the nomination.<ref name=seventysix>[http://www.newsweek.com/delegate-battle-1976-reagan-almost-unseated-ford-449843 Delegate Battle of '76: When Reagan Almost Beat Ford], [[Newsweek]]</ref>

At the Republican convention, victory came down to the Mississippi delegation which swung the nomination to Ford. However, given how difficult it is to run against an incumbent President in a Primary, Reagan's campaign was surprisingly strong. On the first ballot, Ford had 1,187 delegates, Reagan had 1,070.<ref name=seventysix /> Ford had succeeded in becoming the party's nominee.

After Ford was defeated in the general election, Reagan retired to his ranch in California and continued to give speeches across the country. There was little doubt that Reagan was the dominant Republican for the next election, and he easily won the nomination in 1980.

===1980===
{{Main|United States presidential election, 1980}}

Before the general election, Reagan faced a Republican primary challenge from the more moderate [[George H. W. Bush]]. Bush was highly established and respected as having served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, ambassador to People's Republic of China and the United Nations, former chairman of the National Republican Committee, and two-term Congressman from [[Texas]]. Bush referred to Reagan's economic policies as "voodoo economics." After Bush won a surprising victory in the January 21st [[Iowa]] State primary, Reagan surged ahead after he outwitted Bush in the New Hampshire debate. During that debate, Reagan uttered the famous phrase "I'm paying for this microphone!"<ref>[https://usatelections.wordpress.com/2015/07/31/10-memorable-moments-from-past-primary-debates/ 10 memorable moments from past primary debates], [[USA Today]]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRI6iSrS1kc Ronald Reagan's famous line, "I am paying for this microphone"]</ref> After winning Iowa and losing New Hampshire, Bush had another win in the Massachusetts primary, then Reagan began sweeping primaries and crushed all of his opponents.<ref>[http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/NEWS0605/110509963 1980: Reagan begins his sweep], [[New Hampshire Union Leader]]</ref> Bush dropped out on May 26, leaving Reagan as the presumptive nominee. Ironically, he named George H. W. Bush as his running mate at the convention.<ref>[https://partners.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/800717convention-gop-ra.html Reagan Wins Nomination and Chooses Bush as Running Mate After Talks With Ford Fail], [[The New York Times]]</ref>

Reagan was able to crusade against the failures of incumbent Democrat, President [[Jimmy Carter]]. There was runaway [[stagflation]], soaring [[interest rates]], persistent [[unemployment]], a series of humiliations abroad, and a weakened [[military]] in the face of growing Soviet superpower. As Reagan put it, "I'm told I can't use the word depression. Well, I'll tell you the definition. A recession is when your neighbor loses his job; depression is when you lose your job. Recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his." The most pressing foreign policy crisis was that [[Iran]]ian President [[Ayatollah Khomeini]] was holding fifty- two Americans hostage. All of Carter's diplomatic attempts had failed.

The phrase "There you go again", which Reagan used in the Reagan-Carter Debate on October 28, 1980, became a defining phrase of the campaign.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Decoder/2012/1001/Presidential-debate-what-to-look-for-beyond-who-wins-or-loses-video Presidential debate: what to look for beyond who wins or loses]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN7gDRjTNf4 Reagan-Carter Oct. 28, 1980 Debate - "There You Go Again"]</ref>

[[File:2000px-ElectoralCollege1980.png|right|thumb|325px|Reagan's 1980 landslide]]
Reagan feared that the [[Soviet Union]]'s military had become much more powerful then the United States'. He proposed stronger defense systems and a larger military. Carter fought back, lashing out at Reagan as a dangerous radical who would unleash nuclear war. A liberal Republican [[John Anderson]] ran a third party campaign which received 7% of the popular vote. Reagan won a landslide victory - receiving 51% of the popular vote and winning 44 of 50 states. In the 20th century, only two presidents received a larger electoral majority: Franklin Roosevelt in 1936 and Richard Nixon in 1972.<ref>[http://www.trivia-library.com/c/biography-of-us-president-ronald-reagan-part-8-campaign.htm Biography of U.S. President Ronald Reagan]</ref> His long coattails brought in the first Republican Senate in years, but the Democrats still controlled the House. The election marked the last hurrah of the New Deal era, the final collapse of the [[New Deal Coalition]] and indeed the end of liberalism as a coherent policy.<ref>Busch 2005</ref>

====Suburban Swimming Pool====
During the 1980 election, media outlets at the time used blue for republican states and red for democrat states.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMuWVsPQbwM US Election Night 1980 NBC live coverage 11-4-1980], Reagan blue-state landslide map in the background</ref><ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2012/05/how-red-states-turned-blue-and-vice-versa/ How red states turned blue and vice versa], [[WND]]</ref> [[David Brinkley]] famously said that it looked like a "suburban swimming pool."<ref>[http://www.conservativenewsandviews.com/2015/10/29/editorial/guest/dem-red-reagan-blue/ Dem red, Reagan blue]</ref> [[Time Magazine]] referred to it as "Lake Reagan."<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=20040208&id=bVNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qesDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6665,1584006&hl=en One state, Two state; red state blue state]</ref>

==Presidency (1981-1989)==
[[Image:Reagan 1981 Inauguration.jpg|right|thumb|325px|President Elect Reagan being sworn in for his first term in the 1981 Inauguration Ceremony at the U.S. Capitol]]
Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th President of the United States on January 20, 1981. On that same day Ayatollah released the hostages after keeping them in captivity for 444 days. At the inauguration, the invocation and benediction were delivered by Reverend Donn Moomaw, Reagan's pastor at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Hollywood.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wF_kAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA15-IA103 The Living Church, Volume 182]</ref>

Once in office, Reagan vowed a shift in federal power, back to states and localities.<ref name=localities>[http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/21/us/reagan-vows-shift-in-federal-powers.html REAGAN VOWS SHIFT IN FEDERAL POWERS], [[The New York Times]]</ref> When the Federal [[Air Traffic Controllers]] struck illegally, Reagan showed he was playing hardball and gave them 48 hours before he fired all who hadn't gone back to work (11,359).

Reagan rebuffed liberals who complained he was killing the New Deal. Noting that he voted for FDR in 1932, 1936, 1940 and 1944, as well as Truman in 1948, Reagan said he was trying to repeal the ''"[[Great Society]]"'' enacted by liberals in the mid-1960s.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=68rBxuO7EsMC&pg=PA351&dq=reagan+%22great+society%22+roosevelt+truman&lr=&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES ''Eyewitness to Power''], by David Gergen, (2000) p 351</ref> During the first term of his presidency, Reagan tapped [[James A. Baker]], [[Edwin Meese III]], and [[Michael Deaver]] to form a group known by some as "The Troika".<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/19/magazine/the-presidential-troika.html?pagewanted=all The Presidential Troika]</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19810806&id=02xQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rlkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7013,1321812&hl=en The Troika], The Evening Independent</ref><ref>[http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-01-05/features/8501010299_1_deaver-and-meese-michael-deaver-edwin-meese Reagan Does Not Plan To Replace Deaver, Meese]</ref>

Early in his first term, he took a trip to Canada where he met with Prime Minister [[Pierre Trudeau]] and addressed the Canadian Parliament.<ref>[https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/reagan-ronald Travels of the President]</ref> While in Canada, Reagan requested to meet with [[Gordon Sinclair]], a Canadian journalist who had made international headlines for his commentary "[[The Americans]]".<ref>[http://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/08/03/Veteran-Toronto-broadcaster-Gordon-Sinclair-81-famous-in-the/7991365659200/ Veteran Toronto broadcaster Gordon Sinclair, 81, famous in the...]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UP61LHTcaFMC&pg=PA84 A Salute to Service: The Rebirth of Patriotism]</ref>

===Administration===
[[Image:Reaganfamily-red-rr-.jpg|right|thumb|325px|President & Mrs. Reagan with their extended family.]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Office
! Name
! Term
|-
| [[President]]
| Ronald Reagan
| 1981-1989
|-
| [[Vice President of the United States of America|Vice President]]
| [[George H.W. Bush]]
| 1981-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of State]]
| [[Alexander Haig]]
| 1981-1982
|-
|
| [[George Shultz]]
| 1982-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of Treasury]]
| [[Donald Regan]]
| 1981-1985
|-
|
| [[James Baker]]
| 1985-1988
|-
|
| [[Nicholas Brady]]
| 1988-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of Defense]]
| [[Caspar Weinberger]]
| 1981-1987
|-
|
| [[Frank C. Carlucci]]
| 1987-1989
|-
| [[Attorney General]]
| [[William Smith]]
| 1981-1985
|-
|
| [[Edwin Meese III]]
| 1985-1988
|-
|
| [[Richard Thornburgh]]
| 1988-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of the Interior]]
| [[James G. Watt]]
| 1981-1983
|-
|
| [[William P. Clark, Jr.]]
| 1983-1985
|-
|
| [[Donald Hodel]]
| 1985-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of Agriculture]]
| [[John Rusling Block]]
| 1981-1986
|-
|
| [[Richard E. Lyng]]
| 1986-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of Commerce]]
| [[Howard M. Baldrige, Jr.]]
| 1981-1987
|-
|
| [[C. William Verity, Jr.]]
| 1987-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of Labor]]
| [[Raymond J. Donovan]]
| 1981-1985
|-
|
| [[William E. Brock]]
| 1985–1987
|-
|
| [[Ann Dore McLaughlin]]
| 1987-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of Health and Human Services]]
| [[Richard S. Schweiker]]
| 1981–1983
|-
|
| [[Margaret Heckler]]
| 1983-1985
|-
|
| [[Otis R. Bowen]]
| 1985-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of Education]]
| [[Terrel Bell]]
| 1981-1985
|-
|
| [[William Bennett]]
| 1985-1988
|-
|
| [[Lauro Cavazos]]
| 1988-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of Housing and Urban Development]]
| [[Samuel R. Pierce, Jr.]]
| 1981-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of Transportation]]
| [[Drew Lewis]]
| 1981-1983
|-
|
| [[Elizabeth Dole]]
| 1983-1987
|-
|
| [[James H. Burnley IV]]
| 1987-1989
|-
| [[Secretary of Energy]]
| [[James B. Edwards]]
| 1981-1982
|-
|
| [[Donald Paul Hodel]]
| 1982-1985
|-
|
| [[John S. Herrington]]
| 1985-1989
|-
|}

===Assassination Attempt===
Outside the Washington Hilton Hotel<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=tMrEP4Y6whwC&pg=PA64 The Reagan Era from the Iran Crisis to Kosovo]</ref> on March 30, 1981, Reagan was shot by [[John W. Hinckley]] near the heart after giving a routine speech.<ref>The assassin was [[John Hinckley]], a mentally disturbed man who didn't shoot Reagan for political reasons, but instead did to impress an actress he had never met.</ref> Surgeons at [[George Washington University]] Hospital saved his life and despite his age he recovered quickly. Prior to the operation, Reagan looked up at the doctors and said "I Hope you're all Republicans". Dr. Joseph Giordano, the head surgeon at GWU Hospital confirmed the story, and replied to the president "We are all Republicans today".<ref>[http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historical/a/ronald_reagan.htm Ronald Reagan: Grace Under the Scalpel]</ref>

White House Press Secretary [[James Brady]] was shot in the head, became permanently disabled; Brady then became an icon of the [[gun control|anti-gun]] movement.

The assassination attempt came at a critical moment and disarmed the opposition in Congress, enabling Reagan to pass his major legislation even though the Democrats controlled the House.

===1984 Reelection===
[[File:2000px-ElectoralCollege1984.png|right|thumb|325px|Reagan's 1984 landslide]]
{{Main|United States presidential election, 1984}}

In 1984, Reagan was re-elected in a landslide, winning every state except Mondale's home state of Minnesota and the District of Columbia, creating a record 525 electoral vote total (of 538 possible), and received 58.8%. of the popular vote.<ref>[http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/scores.html#1984 National Archives]</ref><ref>[http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?f=0&year=1984 Leip, David: 1984 Presidential Election Results.]</ref> At the second inaugural, the Reverend Timothy Healy delivered the invocation, and the Reverend Peter Gomes delivered the benediction.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1988&dat=19850119&id=MGwiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_6sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1381,1418388&hl=en The Argus-Press - Jan 19, 1985]</ref> In his Second Inaugural Address after winning the election, Reagan asked two of his most well remembered questions: "''If not us, who? And if not now, when?''"

During his second term, he helped end the Cold War with the help of Margaret Thatcher and some assistance from Pope John Paul II and Mikhail Gorbachev by recognizing the weakness of the Soviet economy, and spent them out of existence by their not being able to compete with defense spending.

===Challenger Disaster===
On January 28, 1986, the [[Space Shuttle Challenger]] disintegrated due to O-ring failure 73 seconds after lift-off. In response, Reagan gave a speech that is regarded as a high mark of his Presidency.<ref name=challenger>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/28/how-ronald-reagan-explained-the-challenger-disaster-to-the-world-its-all-part-of-taking-a-chance/ Exactly the right words, exactly the right way: Reagan’s amazing Challenger disaster speech], [[The Washington Post]]</ref> [[Peggy Noonan]] was chosen to write the speech who, at the time, was relatively unknown.<ref name=challenger /> In the speech, the freedom of the United States was highlighted in contrast to the tyranny of socialism, and the astronauts were honored as they were on their final journey to "touch the face of God".<ref>[http://history.nasa.gov/reagan12886.html Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, Address to the Nation, January 28, 1986], by President Ronald W. Reagan, [[NASA]]</ref>

===Space Station Freedom===
In the 1984 State of the Union Address, Ronald Reagan outlined the development of a [[Space station]]. He said "We can reach for greatness again. We can follow our dreams to distant stars, living and working in space for peaceful, economic, and scientific gain."<ref>[http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=40205 Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union], January 25, 1984</ref> The space station, later named ''Freedom''<ref>[https://mix.msfc.nasa.gov/abstracts.php?p=1653 Space Station Freedom-Artist's Concept]</ref> faced challenges and re-designs due to budget cuts.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/09/us/nasa-studying-ways-to-redesign-space-station-to-meet-budget-cut.html NASA Studying Ways to Redesign Space Station to Meet Budget Cut]</ref> It eventually evolved into the [[International Space Station]] program.<ref>[https://uhclarchives.omeka.net/exhibits/show/faget/industrial/freedom Space Station Freedom]</ref><ref>[http://www.iso.org/iso/home/news_index/news_archive/news.htm?refid=Ref1555 Cooperation in space - The International Space Station benefits from ISO standards]</ref>

==Domestic policy==
===School prayer and a moment of silence===
[[Image:Reagans greet Billy Graham at Prayer Breakfast 1981.jpg|right|thumb|250px|President Reagan and Nancy Reagan greeting Billy Graham at the 1981 National Prayer Breakfast]]
As a conservative, Reagan was a supporter of school prayer, with Reagan repeatedly raising the issue during his presidency.<ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/266491/ronald-reagans-prayer-legacy-stewart-mclaurin Ronald Reagan’s Prayer Legacy], [[National Review]]</ref>

Early on in his presidency, Reagan brought up the issue of prayer in schools, which was banned in 1962 by the Supreme Court in [[Engel v. Vitale]]. He proposed a constitutional amendment<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/18/us/reagan-proposes-school-prayer-amendment.html Reagan Proposes School Prayer Amendment], [[The New York Times]]</ref> that contained the following language: "Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any state to participate in prayer".

Reagan revived the issue in 1984<ref>[http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=40205 Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union], January 25, 1984</ref> noting the beliefs of the [[Founding Fathers]] on the importance of faith. He said: "America was founded by people who believed that God was their rock of safety. He is ours. I recognize we must be cautious in claiming that God is on our side, but I think it's all right to keep asking if we're on His side." Also in 1984, the Supreme Court reviewed a case regarding a moment of silence in schools.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19840712&id=vogzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dDIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=5416,1067751 Reagan urges school 'moment of silence']</ref><ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/05/us/high-court-weighs-silence-in-school-for-prayer-or-meditation.html High Court Weighs Silence in School for Prayer or Meditation], [[The New York Times]]</ref> In [[Wallace v. Jaffree]], the court ruled 6-3 against.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1985-06-04/news/mn-6462_1_voluntary-prayer High Court Bars Moments of Silence for School Prayer : But Would Approve Meditation], [[Los Angeles Times]]</ref>

Toward the end of his presidency in 1987, Reagan called for Congress to act.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=NefcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA56 Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Ronald Reagan, 1987]</ref> In an address to congress on January 27, he said: "The 100th Congress of the United States should be remembered as the one that ended the expulsion of God from America's classrooms".<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/28/nyregion/high-court-accepts-appeal-of-moment-of-silence-law.html High Court Accepts Appeal of 'Moment of Silence' Law], [[The New York Times]]</ref>

===Economy===
[[Image:Reagan_desk.jpg‎|left|thumb|275px|President Reagan working at his desk in the oval office, 05/06/82.]]
As President, Ronald Reagan enacted his theory of "[[Reaganomics]]." His four major policy objectives were the following:<ref>[http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/Reaganomics.html Reaganomics], by William A. Niskanen</ref>

*Reduce the growth of government spending.
*Reduce the marginal tax rates on income from both labor and capital.
*Reduce government regulation of the economy.
*Control the money supply to reduce inflation.

On August 13, 1981, Reagan signed the Kemp-Roth [[Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981]] bill into law, reducing the tax burden on American citizens.
[[File:Time-8-17-81.jpg|thumb|250px| ''Time'' Aug 17, 1981. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,949316,00.html read story]]]
Fueled by an over spending [[Congress]] that steadfastly refused Reagan's budget proposals, the national debt increased 160% during his two terms in office. However, the economic growth that resulted from tax cuts made deficits as a percentage of [[GDP]] lower than what they had been in during the previous decade of stagflation. The period of high [[inflation]] and [[unemployment]] when Reagan took office was over after eight years of his Presidency. In 1986 Reagan signed the [[Tax Reform Act of 1986]], which obtained an overhaul of the income tax code and eliminated many deductions and exempted millions of people with low incomes. The [[income tax]] rates of the top personal tax bracket dropped from 70% to 28% in 7 years. At the same time, Reagan sought to close tax loopholes so that the wealthy would not be able to get away with paying less tax than low to middle income earners. By the end of his administration, the Nation was enjoying its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without [[recession]] or [[depression]].<ref>[http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/rr40.html Ronald Reagan]</ref>

====PATCO Strike====
On 3 August 1981, 13,000 air traffic controllers, members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO), walked off the job. PATCO had supported Reagan in the 1980 election but now was making exorbitant demands regarding high raises, early retirement, and reduced hours. The Federal Aviation Administration made a generous offer but PATCO said no and called a strike. PATCO assumed it would shut down all air traffic and paralyze the economy, forcing the government to surrender, but they misjudged Ronald Reagan. Under federal law, the strike was illegal. Reagan ordered the strikers as a group to return to work. Some returned but most did not; he ordered individual strikers to return, and again most refused. Reagan was ready; secretly the Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis had readied military replacements. It was the first time in over 50 years in a major strike that replacements were used. Two days later, the president fired 11,000 strikers, and they never were rehired. The planes were flying and labor unions suffered their worst defeat since the 1920s. Reagan's dramatic action energized corporations to resist union demands, and sped up the rapid decline in union membership and the political power of union bosses.<ref>"Turbulence in the Tower," [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,949316,00.html ''Time'' Aug. 17, 1981]; Paul L. Butterworth, et al., "More than a Labor Dispute: The PATCO Strike of 1981," ''Essays in Economic & Business History'' 2005 23:125-139</ref>

===Boll Weevils===
In 1981 President [[Ronald Reagan]] won over enough conservative southern Democrats—called '''Boll Weevils'''--<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/1981/1216/121615.html Boll weevils, gypsy moths, and the 97th Congress ], [[Christian Science Monitor]]</ref><ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/26/us/congress-the-eclipse-of-the-boll-weevils.html CONGRESS; THE ECLIPSE OF THE BOLL WEEVILS], [[The New York Times]]</ref> to carry his major tax cuts through a House nominally controlled by the Democrats. Led by Congressman [[Phil Gramm]] of Texas,<ref>Gramm later became a Republican. On Gramm see David Frum, "Righter Than Newt," ''The Atlantic Monthly'' v. 275#3 (March 1995) pp 81+, online at [[Questia]]</ref> they helped Reagan enact many of his domestic policy proposals, to increase defense spending sharply, and to block leftists attacks on Reagan's anti-Communist policies in Central America. They also helped dismantle some of the remnants of [[Lyndon Johnson]]'s [[Great Society]].<ref>The "boll weevil" was a pest that ruined cotton plants across the South in the early 20th century, and forced the region to diversify out of cotton.</ref> Reagan did not campaign against them, so they kept their seats a few years longer.<ref>Lou Cannon, ''President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime'' (2000) pp 89, 754</ref>

===Social Security Reform 1983===
Mounting concerns that rising Social Security benefits were causing a long-term deficit and were growing too fast resulted in a bipartisan compromise in 1983. Brokered by conservative [[Alan Greenspan]] and liberal [[Claude Pepper]], the agreement lowered benefits over the next 75 years and brought the system into balance. Key provisions included a gradual increase over 25 years in the retirement age from 65 to 67, to take account of longer life expectancy. (People could retire younger, but at a reduced rate of benefits.) Millions of people were added to the system, especially employees of state governments and of nonprofit organizations.<ref>1983 Greenspan Commission on Social Security Reform (1983) [http://www.ssa.gov/history/reports/gspan5.html online version]; "Claude Pepper and Social Security Reform - 1981-1983," [http://www.claudepeppercenter.fsu.edu/webexhibits/socialsecurityreform/socialsecurityreform1981to1983.htm online exhibit]; Paul Charles Light, ''Artful Work: The Politics of Social Security Reform'' (1985)</ref>

===Judicial Appointments===
[[File:Reagan and Justices.jpg|thumb|250px| From left to right: Justices [[Harry Blackmun]], [[Thurgood Marshall]], [[William Brennan]], Chief Justice [[Warren Burger]], President Reagan, [[Sandra Day O'Connor]], [[Byron White]], [[Lewis F. Powell, Jr.]], [[William Rehnquist]] and [[John Paul Stevens]].]]
President Reagan made a total of 381 judicial appointments; 83 to US Court of Appeals, 290 to US District Courts, and 5 to the Supreme Court. 11 were not confirmed.<ref>[https://www.boundless.com/u-s-history/textbooks/boundless-u-s-history-textbook/the-conservative-turn-of-america-1968-1989-30/the-reagan-administration-228/battles-in-the-courts-and-congress-1289-8810/ President Reagan's Court appointees included: Sandra Day O'Connor, Anton Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, and William Rehnquist as Chief Justice.]</ref>

====Supreme Court====
Reagan fulfilled a promise he unnecessarily made in his 1980 presidential campaign to appoint the first women to the [[U.S. Supreme Court]].<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19801015&id=4zxUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=s40DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4187,2916117&hl=en Reagan pledges woman on court], [[Associated Press]]</ref> On July 7, 1981, he chose the first person he interviewed, without even bothering to interview other candidates, by nominating little-known Arizona judge [[Sandra Day O'Connor]] to become an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. O'Connor succeeded Justice [[Potter Stewart]]. Liberals, who had been ready for a knock-down battle, were stunned that Reagan had appointed a [[feminist]] and welcomed her nomination. [[Pro-life]] groups pointed out that her record indicated her support of [[abortion]]; [[movement conservative]]s [[Jerry Falwell]] opposed her confirmation and Howard Phillips testified against it. Phillips prophetically declared, "People say you can't tell how a Supreme Court nominee will turn out once on the bench. I respectfully disagree. In most cases, it's very clear. I opposed the nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor because it was very clear that she had a pro-[[abortion]] record in the Arizona State Senate and as a judge in Arizona. She was also allied with [[Planned Parenthood]]." With enthusiastic liberal support for O'Connor, she was confirmed by the Senate by a 99–0 vote on September 21 and took her seat September 25.

In 1986 [[Warren E. Burger]] announced his retirement from the Court. Reagan nominated [[Antonin Scalia]] to fill the vacant seat, at the same time that he elevated [[William Rehnquist]] for Chief Justice. Most of the opposition in the Senate focused their opposition on the Rehnquist nomination. Scalia was confirmed by a unanimous 98-0 vote, while Rehnquist was confirmed over substantial opposition.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/22/AR2007082200931.html Rehnquist Confirmed In 65-33 Senate Vote]</ref><ref>[https://www.loc.gov/law/find/nominations/scalia/vote.pdf Floor Vote - Scalia], September 17, 1986</ref>

=====Robert Bork=====
In 1987, Reagan nominated conservative judge [[Robert Bork]] to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice [[Lewis Powell]]. In a highly contentious series of Senate Hearings<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/19/politics/robert-bork-dead/ Robert Bork, known for contentious Supreme Court nomination, dies at 85], [[CNN]]</ref> senate liberals attacked Bork as being too conservative. Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] criticized him, saying,
:''"Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens' doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the Government, and the doors of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is -- and is often the only -- protector of the individual rights that are the heart of our democracy."''<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE5DF1E3EF936A35754C0A961948260 WASHINGTON; Kennedy And Bork], [[The New York Times]]</ref>

The U.S. Senate rejected Bork's confirmation on a 42-58 vote. Reagan then turned to [[Douglas Ginsburg]], who withdrew his name from consideration. Finally, the much less controversial Californian [[Anthony Kennedy]] was nominated, who was confirmed on a 97-0 vote.

======"Borking"======
Because of the treatment that Robert Bork received during his confirmation hearing, the term to "be Borked" entered the general lexicon.<ref>[http://beta.townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2007/10/26/the_borking_of_american_politics The Borking of American Politics], [[Townhall]]</ref>

===Federalism===
{{main|Federalism|Tenth Amendment}}

As a staunch supporter of the Republic which our [[Founding Fathers]] created and handed down to us, Reagan signed Executive Order 12612 on October 26, 1987.<ref>[http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=33607 Executive Order 12612 - Federalism]</ref> The EO recognized that the [[Constitution]] only grants authority to a few, specific [[Enumerated powers]]. Outside of these few areas, the role of the Federal Government should not be a meddlesome one, but that the states should be in charge, where citizens have a more direct and local discretion. The EO said "Federalism is rooted in the knowledge that our political liberties are best assured by limiting the size and scope of the national government".

Executive Order 12612 was rescinded with Executive Order 13083 by [[Bill Clinton]] on May 14, 1998.<ref>[http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=55957 Executive Order 13083 - Federalism]</ref><ref>[http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/1998/06/president-clintons-sellout-of-federalism President Clinton's Sellout of Federalism], [[Heritage Foundation]]</ref>

===War on Drugs===
As President, Reagan declared a "[[War on Drugs]]", which would be policies put forward by the United States and other countries to reduce illegal drug trade. In 1986, President Reagan signed the very prominent Anti-Drug Abuse Act which granted $97 million to build new [[prison]]s, $200 million for drug [[education]] and $241 million for treatment. Overall, $1.7 billion to fight the drug crisis.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/cron/ Thirty Years of America's Drug War], A Chronology, [[PBS]]</ref> First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]] started a slogan, "[[Just Say No]]" to drug use. The term was used in television advertising, and today there are many "Just Say No" drug clinics. As a result of the policies, [[marijuana]] use dropped from 33% of high-school seniors in 1980 to 12% in 1991.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/interviews/kleber.html Interview with Dr. Herbert Kleber], [[PBS]]</ref>

===Immigration Reform===
November 6, 1986, Reagan signed into law the [[Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986]], also known as the Simpson-Mazzoli Act, named after it's two authors: Romano Mazzoli and [[Alan Simpson]].<ref>[http://humanevents.com/2007/06/04/simpsonmazzoli-twentyone-years-later/ Simpson-Mazzoli: Twenty-One Years Later], [[Human Events]]</ref>

In his diaries, Reagan wrote that he wanted to sign the bill because of how important it was to regain control of our borders.<ref>[http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Ronald_Reagan_Immigration.htm Ronald Reagan on Immigration]</ref> But the bill had largely the opposite effect. By granting a pathway to citizenship (amnesty) to 2.7 million illegal aliens, the law encouraged unlawful entry by more than 10 million additional new illegal aliens.

==Foreign policy==

===Strategic Defense Initiative===

Reagan's 1983 [[Strategic Defense Initiative]] became popularly known as "[[Star Wars]]", the name given to it by critics because they thought it was pure fantasy like the popular [[George Lucas]] films. This plan was never fully instituted. Although billions of dollars were spent on development, no space-based missile defense was tested successfully during Reagan's terms in office. However, the main goal was achieved of forcing the Soviets to realize they could no longer compete in the Cold War.

The threat the Soviet Union felt from the SDI initiative forced them to negotiate an end to the arms race, according to many involved with diplomacy at the time and can be seen by following Gorbachev's repeated public insistences that the SDI program be discontinued. [[Henry Kissinger]] wrote:
:''I know it's an axiomatic view of the Left around the world that missile defense is sinful, and that it's desirable to keep each nation as vulnerable as possible. But that's a debatable premise. The U.S. must defend itself against ''whoever'' has missiles that would threaten the United States. And you don't have to be able to name an enemy.''<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050308023334/http://www.doublestandards.org/dreifus1.html An interview with Henry Kissinger], by Claudia Dreifus, August 29th, 2001</ref>

===Flight 007===
Reagan was president at the time of the shooting down of [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]]. He termed the shoot-down of an innocent straying passenger plane with 269 passengers and crew, including Congressman [[Larry McDonald]], as a "massacre". The ensuing rage over the tragedy both worldwide and in the U.S. provided support for the deployment of cruise and Pershing ll missiles in West Europe- just six minutes flying time from Moscow.

===Soviet Union===
Shortly after taking office in 1981 Reagan issued National Security Decision Directive 11-82, (NSDD 11-82), that explicitly made U.S. defense spending a form of economic warfare against the Soviets. The directive was known more unofficially as the Reagan Initiative.

The United States would "exploit and demonstrate the enduring economic advantages of the West to develop a variety of [arms] systems that are difficult for the Soviets to counter, impose disproportionate costs, open up new areas of major military competition and obsolesce previous Soviet investment or employ sophisticated strategic options to achieve this end. Reagan's [[Strategic Defense Initiative]] (SDI), or "Star Wars" as the media referred to it, was a costly high tech research and development program designed to make arms spending a "rising burden on the Soviet economy."<ref>Peter Schweizer , [http://www.reason.com/news/show/28929.html ''Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism''], New York: Doubleday, 2002.</ref>
The Reagan Initiative was also concerned with aiding nations in active conflict with the Soviet Union. One such group was the [[mujahideen]] of Afghanistan who were given anti-aircraft missiles to fight the Soviet invaders.

A report by the CIA of the critical domestic economic problems and social discontent Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev provided a look what the sources of his principal dilemma-the very reforms needed to deal with the problems would threaten preservation of the [[nomenklatura]] and put at risk Gorbachev’s ability to maintain the power to bring about [[Perestroika]].<ref>CIA Assessments of the Soviet Union: [https://www.cia.gov/csi/monograph/russia/enter.html Chapter 5, Enter Gorbachev ], Douglas J. MacEachin, CIA Publications, 1996.</ref>

====Reykjavík Summit====
[[Image:Photo 4 250.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Reagan and Gorbachev at Reykjavik]]
{{main|Reykjavík Summit}}

Gorbachev requested a Summit with Reagan in Reykjavik in October 1986 to discuss the stresses competition from the Reagan’s defense posture was having on Soviet military spending and economy, and Gorbachev’s ability to carryout his plans of restructuring Communist control. Gorbachev told the [[Politburo]] in preparation for the Summit, "Our goal is to prevent the next round of arms race. If we do not do this ... will pulled into an arms race beyond our power, and we will lose this race, for we are presently at the limit of out capabilities."<ref>Notes of Politburo Meeting 4 October 1986, [http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/22/documents/reykjavik/ Gorbachev's instructions for the group preparing for Reykjavik]</ref>

Initially, Reagan recognized that the Soviets were offering a bad deal at the [[Reykjavík Summit]], so he walked away from the table.<ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/423381/reagans-lesson-obama-no-agreement-better-bad-agreement-thom-tillis Reagan's Lesson to Obama: 'No Agreement Is Better Than a Bad Agreement'], [[National Review]]</ref>

A year later, the ''Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)'', which was signed by Reagan and Gorbachev on December 8, 1987.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/12/newsid_3732000/3732902.stm 1986: Reykjavik summit ends in failure], [[BBC]]</ref>

===Dealing with the Soviets===
Gorbachev, weakened by his nation's economic malaise, frightened by SDI, and committed to reforming the Soviet system before it collapsed, realized he had to end the Cold War to save Communism. Reagan proved willing to deal, but had to face three sources of criticism inside the U.S. The political right represented by the ''[[National Review]]'' and columnists such as [[George F. Will]] feared it was all a Soviet trap. Reagan used his enormous influence within the conservative movement to disarm these critics before disarming the Russians. Second were the "realists", led by Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger, who thought Reagan was going too far. The third group comprised segments of the intelligence community and military; they did not believe that the Soviet Union was as weak as Reagan and secretary of state, George P. Shultz, believed. Reagan, reelected in a landslide and at the peak of his power, pushed ahead with a series of agreements that effectively weakened the Soviet Empire and made it clear America had the initiative.<ref>James Mann, ''The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan'' (2009)</ref>

By the late 1980s, the Soviet Union began unilateral force cuts and troop withdrawals from Eastern Europe, and by May 1989 an unprecedented series of disclosures by senior Soviet officials revealed actual reductions in defense spending for the 1986-1990 and 1991-1995 Five Year Plan periods.<ref>Christopher Wilkinson NATO Review, [http://www.nato.int/docu/review/1991/9102-4.htm Soviet Defense Spending], NATO's Economics Directorate No. 2 - April 1991, Vol. 39 p. 16-22</ref> Genrikh Grofimenko, a former adviser to [[Leonid Brezhnev]], said "Ninety-nine percent of the Russian people believe that [the US] won the Cold War because of your president's insistence on SDI".<ref>Peter Schweizer, ''Reagan’s War''.</ref> Gennady Gerasimov, the Soviet Foreign Ministry's top spokesman during the 1980s, said "Reagan's SDI was a very successful blackmail. The Soviet economy couldn't endure such competition."<ref>[http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122478630951963297 Freedom's Team], [[Wall Street Journal]]</ref>

Reagan also brought about the collapse of the [[Berlin Wall]], which was a symbol of [[communism]] and oppressed the [[freedom]] of East Berliners that wanted to move to West Berlin.

===Containment and the Iranian initiative===
[[Image:C26887-26.jpg|right|250px|thumb|President Reagan being sworn in for second term in the rotunda at the U.S. Capitol, 1/21/85]]
{{main|Containment}}

In 1985, after Reagan won reelection to his second term, the focus turned from reviving the domestic economy to several foreign policy matters which had been lingering throughout the decade. One such matter involved Iran, a long time ally of the Western Allies since 1941 that had experienced an [[Islamic Revolution]] in 1979 after President Carter announced [[Human Rights]] had superseded [[Containment]] as the primary focus of American foreign policy. Since 1980, Iran had been enmeshed in a brutal trench war with neighboring Iraq which was emerging as a potent military threat in the region to other allies. Members of the National Security Council staff, along with CIA Director [[William Casey]], persuaded Reagan much could be gained and several problems could be addressed simultaneously with an overture to Iran to restore relations.

The objective of the plan was fourfold:
#Take steps to restore good relations with the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] which was becoming increasingly hostile to the West;
#Take measures to convince Iran that Israel could become a friend and ally;
#Insurance against Iraq becoming too strong which would become a threat to [[Kuwait]] or [[Saudi Arabia]];
#Provide funding for other operations to continue the policy of containment in the Western Hemisphere, most notably [[Nicaragua]], and the violence the Soviet/Cuban/Nicaragua connection was creating in [[El Salvador]] and [[Honduras]].

There were humanitarian aspects to the proposal as well; (1) the [[Iran-Iraq War]] had stalemated for nearly six years and Reagan was advised that he was in the unique position as President to help facilitate bringing a senseless war with much suffering to an end; (2) the suffering of the people of the Central American Republics at the hands of Soviet-inspired subversion which had in the decade of the '80s established a beachhead in North America; (3) Iran perhaps could be persuaded to use its good offices to influence hostage takers in [[Lebanon]] who had held several Western prisoners, many of them Christian Missionaries, for several years.

Reports had filtered back to Reagan that children as young as nine years old had been used by Iran to clear minefields.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/iran-iraq.htm Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), ''Iraqi Retreats, 1982-84''], Globalsecurity.org, retrieved 20 March 2007.</ref> In weighing Iraq's delicate Sunni/Shia balance and the growing threat of Iranian-sponsored terrorism, the NSC staff and Casey recognized the dangers of an Iraqi collapse as well as the urgent need to dissuade Iran from continuing its ruthless and inhumane tactics.<ref>[http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB82/iraq53.pdf NSDD 139, 5 April 1984].</ref>

The [[Boland amendment]], a Vietnam era-style Congressional impingement on the legitimate foreign policy prerogatives of the Executive via the power of the purse, was used to deny Reagan's recommitment to the [[Truman Doctrine]] which had been adhered to by every President, Democratic and Republican alike since Truman, with the exception of [[President Carter]] whose [[human rights]] policy had brought one of the active belligerents, the [[Ayatollah Khomeini]], to power. In three of the active Soviet fronts, [[Afghanistan]], [[Nicaragua]], and [[El Salvador]], some Congressional Democratic leaders were openly sympathetic to Soviet foreign policy.<ref>[http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/004/591eifow.asp ''One Weekend in April, A Long Time Ago ... What John Kerry thought about the Sandinista in Nicaragua''], Hugh Hewitt, The Weekly Standard, 09/09/2004.</ref><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060331222819/www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/6/7/234527.shtml ''Kerry: 'I'm Proud I Stood Against Reagan''] Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff, 7 June 2004.</ref> So the decision was made to fund [[Containment]] of Soviet objectives on an active front in North America with sales of TOW missiles to Iran. Israel provided the TOWs because the [[Boland Amendment]] forbade direct US funding and it was a welcome opportunity for Israel to build bridges to a much needed friend in the Middle East.

The operation was known as the "[[Iran-Contra affair]]." After word got out about the operation in November 1986, investigations were made, leading to the convictions of several members of the Reagan administration. President Reagan himself testified before the Tower Commission that he had poor recollection of the details of the operation due in part to the heavy pain medications he had been on in that period.

===Nicaragua===
In 1981 Robert McFarlane, then assistant to the Secretary of State proposed a coordinated covert political, economic, and military approach to the pro-Communist [[Sandinista]] government in Nicaragua and the insurgency in El Salvador, led by [[Daniel Ortega]]. His proposal was approved in January, 1982, in "National Security Directive 17," which provided for a $20 million program against the Sandinista government and gave the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) responsibility for organizing a five-hundred-man "interdiction" force.<ref>See [http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/nsdd/nsdd-017.htm Portions online]</ref> Democrats in Congress began voicing opposition in 1982; Reagan and Congress were in constant battle until 1987, when all five Central American heads of state signed a peace accord. The Sandinistas and Contras signed a cease-fire agreement in 1988, and in 1991 democratic elections overthrew the Sandinista regime.<ref>James M. Scott, "Interbranch Rivalry and the Reagan Doctrine in Nicaragua." ''Political Science Quarterly'' 1997 112(2): 237-260.</ref>

===Beirut===
During the Lebanese Civil War, Reagan sent peacekeeping forces as a part of a multinational force to Beirut. On October 23, 1983, the barracks were bombed. As a result of the bombing, 241 Americans were killed.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1697&dat=19860827&id=ljQqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZUcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6550,6530129&hl=en Reagan says worst mistake involved Marines in Beirut]</ref> The Embassy was also attacked, which resulted in the deaths of 63 people, 17 of which were Americans.<ref>[http://www.deseretnews.com/article/515039782/1983-Beirut-bomb-began-era-of-terror.html?pg=all 1983 Beirut bomb began era of terror]</ref><ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1023.html Beirut Death Toll at 161 Americans; French Casualties Rise in Bombings; Reagan Insists Marines Will Remain], [[New York Times]]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=BMnUBQJBbgIC&pg=PT157 Seven Events That Made America America: And Proved That the Founding Fathers Were Right All Along], by Larry Schweikart</ref>

===Grenada===
On March 13, 1979, the New Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation Movement (New Jewel Movement—NJM), ousted Sir Eric Gairy in a coup and established a People's Revolutionary Government (PRG) headed by Maurice Bishop, who became Prime Minister of [[Grenada]]. His Marxist–Leninist government established close ties with Cuba, the Soviet Union, and other communist bloc countries.

In October 1983, a power struggle within the government resulted in the arrest and execution of Bishop and several members of his cabinet and the killing of dozens of his supporters by elements of the People's Revolutionary Army (PRA).

A U.S.-Caribbean force landed on Grenada on October 25, 1983 for Operation Urgent Fury, in response to an appeal from the Governor General and to a request for assistance from Barbados and other Eastern Caribbean states. U.S. citizens were evacuated, and order was restored.

An advisory council named by the Governor General administered the country until general elections were held in December 1984. The New National Party (NNP) led by Herbert Blaize won 14 out of 15 seats in free and fair elections and formed a democratic government. Grenada's constitution had been suspended in 1979 by the PRG, but it was restored after the 1984 elections.

===Cold War victory===
[[Image:300px-ReaganBerlinWall.jpg‎|right|275px|thumb|"Mr.Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"]] Reagan is credited for ending the [[Cold War]] in victory for the United States. Historian Tony Judt in ''Postwar'' credits Soviet leader [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], while the political scientist Jan Kubik presents a viewpoint that credits [[Pope John Paul II]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080221230216/http://praguepost.com/articles/2007/02/28/letters-to-the-editor.php Letters to the Editor]</ref> Other historians contend structural weaknesses within the Communist bloc meant Reagan's actions were inconsequential to the end of [[communism]]. This is the view adopted by [[Russia]]ns themselves, and many political historians, citing ''[[perestroika]]'' and ''[[glasnost]]'' as beginning an inevitable slow fading of central power, and a collapse by irreconcilable differences between the central Soviet [[Politburo]] and the constituent republics, especially the [[Ukraine]].<ref>David Remnick, "Lenin's Tomb</ref> In the end, the consensus seems to point to all of the above, that hastened the demise of the Soviet Union; Internal factors, religious pressure brought by the Pope, Gorbachev's "Perestroika" and the united front of Ronald Reagan and [[Margaret Thatcher]], leading [[NATO]] and [[the West]] to embed a [[SDI|missile defense system]] in [[Western Europe]], and the economic superiority of [[Capitalism]], which simply out-spent and out-performed that of the Communist one.

One thing that cannot be quantified is Reagan's ability to give [[hope]], his never-ending optimism that good would indeed triumph over evil.<ref>[http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2015/March/That-Time-the-President-Spoke-Truth-about-Our-Enemies/?Print=true That Time the President Spoke Truth about Our Enemies], [[Christian Broadcasting Network]]</ref> Many see that as key to bringing extra confidence to those locked behind the "[[Iron Curtain]]" to press even harder for reforms.

Columnist Cal Thomas wrote about it like this:

{{cquote|'''''He proved he was right about the big things.'' Faced with editorial denunciations at home and massive demonstrations in [[Europe]] against his plan to put missiles there to offset a [[Soviet]] threat, Reagan went ahead and did it anyway. The Soviets could not keep pace with the buildup or Reagan's proposed missile defense system (derided by insincere and dangerous critics as "[[Star Wars]]"). ''When those critics could not bring themselves to admit they were wrong, they unpersuasively claimed the Soviet Union fell under its own weight.'' More accurately, Reagan pushed it onto "the ash heap of history," with the able assistance of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and [[Pope John Paul II]]. What Reagan did more than anything else - and it will be his lasting legacy - is replace [[despair]] with hope. Most people, even his detractors, felt a glow from being in his presence.

'''''He was the kindest, most gracious president I have met, and I have met them all since JFK. In his presence you felt he was interested in you and not himself. He was a good man.''''' <ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CalThomas/2004/06/07/ronald_reagans_wonderful_life Ronald Reagan's wonderful life], [[Townhall]]</ref>}}

[[Brian Mulroney]], the [[Canada|Canadian]] Prime Minister, Eulogized Reagan at his state funeral:
{{cquote|'''Some in the West during the early 1980s believed communism and democracy were equally valid and viable. This was the school of "[[moral equivalence]]." In contrast Ronald Reagan saw Soviet Communism as a menace to be confronted in the genuine belief that its squalid underpinning would fall swiftly to the gathering winds of [[freedom]]. Provided, as he said, that NATO and the industrialized democracies stood firm and united. They did. ''And we know now who was right.'''''<ref>[http://reagan2020.us/eulogies/mulroney.asp Brian Mulroney on Ronald Reagan]</ref>}}

Former Reagan speech writer [[Peggy Noonan]] paid tribute to the fallen president in a [[Wall Street Journal]] editorial. In it, Noonan noted:
{{Cquote|'''Ronald Reagan told the truth to a world made weary by lies. He believed truth was the only platform on which a better future could be built. He shocked the world when he called the Soviet Union ‘evil,’ because it was, and an 'empire,' because it was that, too. He never stopped bringing his message to the people of the world, to Europe and China and in the end the Soviet Union. And when it was over, the Berlin Wall had been turned into a million concrete souvenirs, and Soviet communism had fallen. But of course, it didn’t fall. It was pushed. By Mr. Know-Nothing-Cowboy-Gunslinger-Dimwit. ''All presidents should be so stupid...'''''<ref>[http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB108656337732830162 Thanks from a Grateful Country], [[WSJ]]</ref>}}

===Libya===
In the 1980s, [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]] became a sponsor of [[terrorism]]. President [[Ronald Reagan]] ordered a retaliatory bombing of his palace and key Libyan targets in April 1986 during Operation El Dorado Canyon. At the time, Gaddafi, [[Fidel Castro]], and [[Leonid Brezhnev]] were considered to be an "unholy trinity".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rVXuAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22unholy+trinity%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22unholy+trinity%22 Time Inc., 1982], [[Time Magazine]]</ref>
[[Image:Reagan and Thatcher.jpg‎|right|225px|thumb|Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher at the [[White House]]]]
===Thatcher on Reagan===

Upon his death, [[Margaret Thatcher]], in very ill health from a series of strokes, insisted upon traveling to America to bid farewell to her old friend, and taped a stirring tribute to him:
{{cquote|'''As Prime Minister, I worked closely with Ronald Reagan for eight of the most important years of all our lives. We talked regularly both before and after his presidency. And I have had time and cause to reflect on what made him a great president. Ronald Reagan knew his own mind. He had firm principles - and, I believe, right ones. He expounded them clearly, he acted upon them decisively. ''When the world threw problems at the White House, he was not baffled, or disorientated, or overwhelmed. He knew almost instinctively what to do.'''''

'''When his aides were preparing option papers for his decision, they were able to cut out entire rafts of proposals that they knew 'the Old Man' would never wear. When his allies came under Soviet or domestic pressure, they could look confidently to Washington for firm leadership. And when his enemies tested American resolve, they soon discovered that his resolve was firm and unyielding. ''Yet his ideas, though clear, were never simplistic. He saw the many sides of truth.'' Yes, he warned that the Soviet Union had an insatiable drive for military power and territorial expansion; but he also sensed it was being eaten away by systemic failures impossible to reform. Yes, he did not shrink from denouncing Moscow's 'evil empire'.'''

'''But he realized that a man of goodwill might nonetheless emerge from within its dark corridors. So the President resisted Soviet expansion and pressed down on Soviet weakness at every point until the day came when communism began to collapse beneath the combined weight of these pressures and its own failures. And when a man of goodwill did emerge from the ruins, President Reagan stepped forward to shake his hand and to offer sincere cooperation. ''Nothing was more typical of Ronald Reagan than that large-hearted magnanimity - and nothing was more American.'''''<ref>[http://reagan2020.us/eulogies/thatcher.asp Margaret Thatcher on Ronald Reagan]</ref>}}

==Post-presidency==
[[Image:5.jpg|left|thumb|250px|President Bush presents the Medal of Freedom Award to Former President Ronald Reagan in the East Room of the White House, 01/13/93]]
Reagan retired to California. He would occasionally involve himself in politics, including a speech in Britain addressing the [[Tiananmen Square massacre]], and an address at the 1992 Republican National Convention.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/14/world/reagan-gets-a-red-carpet-from-british.html Reagan Gets A Red Carpet From British], [[The New York Times]], June 14, 1989, "''You cannot massacre an idea, you cannot run tanks over hope. You cannot riddle a people's yearning with bullets. Those heroic Chinese students who gave their lives have released the spirit of democracy and it cannot be called back. That spirit is loose upon the world this spring''."</ref><ref>[http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112542724_007.do President Reagan Speaks Out on Tiananmen Square Massacre], [[NBC]]</ref>

At a speech in front of the National Association of Broadcasters on April 13, 1992, Reagan was assaulted by a radical anti-nuclear protester masquerading as a press agent.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/16/us/protester-at-reagan-speech-had-press-credentials.html Protester at Reagan Speech Had Press Credentials], [[The New York Times]]</ref> The protester, identified as Rick Paul Springer, was the founder of a group called ''The 100th Monkey''.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1993-07-16/news/mn-13621_1_las-vegas Man Who Disrupted Reagan Speech Flees 4-Month Jail Term]</ref> At the event, Reagan was awarded a 2-foot statue for his contributions to broadcasting, made out of crystal weighing nearly 30 pounds.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/14/us/reagan-unhurt-after-man-smashes-30-pound-statue.html Reagan Unhurt After Man Smashes 30-Pound Statue], [[The New York Times]]</ref> When Springer smashed the statue, some shards did hit Reagan, but he was not hurt.

After the secret service rushed the man off stage, Reagan asked the crowd "Was that a democrat by chance?",<ref>[http://www.deseretnews.com/article/221028/NUCLEAR-PROTESTER-RUSHES-REAGAN-SMASHES-STATUE.html?pg=all NUCLEAR PROTESTER RUSHES REAGAN, SMASHES STATUE]</ref> to which the crowd burst into laughter.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaLMmcY3vs0 President Reagan Attacked at NAB Convention Las Vegas April 1992 480p], [[CBS News]] video from 1992</ref> A spokesman for the [[Secret Service]] said that he was not sure how Springer got so close to Reagan to begin with.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1992-04-19/news/vw-684_1_secret-service-protection How Do You Really Protect a President?], [[Los Angeles Times]]</ref>

On January 13, 1993 President George H. W. Bush awarded Reagan the Presidential [[Medal of Freedom]]. Reagan was becoming increasingly forgetful. His last public appearance was on April 27, 1994, at the funeral for President Richard Nixon.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ewc1V-KnRMYC&pg=PA182 Ronald Reagan: A Biography]</ref> In November 1994, he announced that he had been diagnosed in August with [[Alzheimer's disease]], a degenerative nerve disorder that annihilates the victim's mental capacity.

([[See Reagan's letter to the American people regarding his disease.]])

He died at his [[Los Angeles|Bel Air]] home on June 5, 2004 at the age of 93, making him the second-longest lived president in history after [[Gerald Ford]]. Reagan was buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library, located in Simi Valley, California, on June 11, 2004.<ref>[http://www.reaganfoundation.org/listviewf.aspx?session_args=NCrq/CB0Nbp/onw6gOr7mg==&p=LM2002EX&tx=13&h1=7&h2=3&sw=lm_exhibit&lm=libraryandmuseum&args_a=cms&args_b=32&argsb=N Exhibitions]</ref>

==Legacy and Honors==
[[Image:Reagan at the Rotunda.jpg|right|thumb|150px|The State of California donated a statue of Reagan to the [[National Statuary Hall Collection]] in 2009. The statue is currently in the Rotunda.<ref>[https://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/national-statuary-hall-collection/ronald-wilson-reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan]</ref>]]
There is growing consensus among scholars, both conservative and liberal, that he was the most influential president since [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. Reagan left a major imprint on American politics, diplomacy, culture, and economics.<ref>"As of this writing, among academic historians, the Reagan revisionists—who view the 1980s as an era of mixed blessings at worst, and of great forward strides in some renditions—hold the field," reports Doug Rossinow, "Talking Points Memo," in American Quarterly 59.4 (2007) p. 1279. For more historiographical support see: Troy (2009); Hayward (2009); Wilentz (2008); also Charles L. Ponce de Leon, "The New Historiography of the 1980s" in ''Reviews in American History,'' Volume 36, Number 2, June 2008, pp. 303-314; Whitney Strub, "Further into the Right: The Ever-Expanding Historiography of the U.S. New Right," ''Journal of Social History,'' Volume 42, Number 1, Fall 2008, pp. 183-194; Kim Phillips-Fein, "Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and Making of History," ''Enterprise & Society'', Volume 8, Number 4, December 2007, pp. 986-988.</ref>

On March 26, 1982, Reagan's boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/ronald_reagan_boyhood_home.html Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home]</ref> was added to the National Register of Historic Places.<ref>[http://www.discoverdixon.org/dixon-community/70-reagan-s-roots.html Reagan's Roots]</ref> In 2002, Congress authorized<ref>[https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/400/text/pl To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site, and for other purposes]</ref> the purchase of the property and placed under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.<ref>[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-02-07/news/0202070346_1_boyhood-home-reagan-home-historic-site Reagan home is a historic site], [[Chicago Tribune]]</ref>

Reagan has come to be known by some conservatives lovingly as '''Ronaldus Magnus'''.<ref>[http://moonbattery.com/?p=66847 Vintage Christmas Address From Ronaldus Magnus], [[Moonbattery]]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIAVrsmO_1Q Rush Limbaugh- Tribute To Ronald Reagan Part 1], Segment from the [[Rush Limbaugh]] TV show, February 6, 1996</ref>

The ''Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center'', ''[[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport]]'', and the aircraft carrier [[USS Ronald Reagan]] (CVN-76) are named in his honor.<ref>[http://www.reagan.navy.mil/ USS Ronald Reagan]</ref><ref>[http://www.uscarriers.net/cvn76history.htm USS RONALD REAGAN], USS ''Ronald Reagan'' CVN 76 official website</ref>

[[Edwin Feulner]], one of the founders of the [[Heritage Foundation]], described Reagan's legacy this way: "At a time when patriotism was mocked, he exposed the bankruptcy of modern liberalism and proved that true liberty is still a fighting faith."<ref>[http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2004/06/the-legacy-of-ronald-reagan The Legacy of Ronald Reagan], [[Heritage Foundation]]</ref>

===Conservative Activism===
[[Image:Reagan and Buckley.jpg|left|thumb|250px|President Reagan meets with Conservative icon [[William F. Buckley]]]]
Since Reagan's passing and even prior to it, there has been a concerted effort by [[RINOs]] to make him seem less conservative than he was during his life. There have been plenty of former democrats who switched parties and became Republicans, but few of them spent as much time helping to build the '''conservative movement''' over the decades, as well as keeping the legacy of the [[Founding Fathers]] alive.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/04/04/juan-williams-ronald-reagan-loved-founding-fathers.html?intcmp=obinsite Juan Williams: Ronald Reagan loved the Founding Fathers], [[Fox News]]</ref> Prior to the era of the [[Tea Party Movement]], conservative efforts and organizations have come and gone, many of which Reagan stood side by side with. The ''Town Meeting for Freedom'', which sometimes led to accusations of him being a "Bircher";<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iuaeEX-1yKgC&pg=PA124 The Right Moment: Ronald Reagan's First Victory and the Decisive Turning]</ref> he was a member of ''Project Prayer'', which rallied after the [[Supreme Court]] banned prayer in public schools;<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=7IBuD1fC_tkC&dq=%22project+prayer%22 Ronald Reagan], by George Sullivan</ref> he appeared at rallies for groups like ''Project Alert'' and the ''Christian Anti-Communist Crusade'';<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-nnsCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT23 Selling Ronald Reagan: The Emergence of a President]</ref> he joined the board of YAF, the [[Young Americans for Freedom]](which later became the [[Young America's Foundation]])<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=fPWPDH-0TZYC&pg=PA67 Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All]</ref> and helped make it a successful organization; and he was open for years about his love for the conservative publication [[Human Events]],<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=C1kvsToagGEC&pg=PA24 President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination]</ref> which helped to increase its prominence. During the 1970s, Reagan helped transform the [[National Rifle Association]] into what it is today, with Reagan being the first presidential candidate they had endorsed in their then 109-year history.<ref>[http://www.thenation.com/article/how-nra-became-organization-aspiring-vigilantes-part-2/ How the NRA Became an Organization for Aspiring Vigilantes], The [[Nation magazine]]</ref>

To listen to some pundits, journalists, and other political figures, you would think Reagan changed the letter D after his name into the letter R, made a few speeches here and there, and then washed his hands of it. Nothing could be further from the truth. He spent a lifetime in the trenches once he decided to become a conservative. He was all-in. Once Reagan became president, he was not afraid to champion conservative causes, nor talk about his faith and his belief in God. He frequently talked about the importance of religious faith to a free society.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/02/06/ronald-reagan-remembering-champion-religious-liberty-on-his-birthday.html Ronald Reagan: Remembering the champion of religious liberty on his birthday], [[Fox News]]</ref>

==Family==
[[File:Reagan Family.jpg|left|160px|thumb|Ronald and Nancy Reagan with Patti Davis, Ron, Maureen, and Michael Reagan, 1976.]]
On January 26, 1940, Reagan married actress Jane Wyman at The Wee Kirk o' the Heather chapel in Glendale, California.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1989-08-13/local/me-908_1_forest-lawn 'Till Death Do Us Part : A Wedding at a Cemetery Might Seem Macabre, but Forest Lawn's 2 Chapels Are Booked 6 Months Ahead], [[Los Angeles Times]]</ref>

Wyman was an Oscar-winning actress for her role in the 1948 movie ''Johnny Belinda''. They had three children together: Maureen Elizabeth Reagan (1941-2001), who passed away from malignant [[melanoma]] within months of diagnosis, at age 60; [[Michael Reagan|Michael Edward Reagan]] (b. 1945-),<ref>Michael Reagan is the adopted son of Wyman and Reagan. See conservapedia.com: "[[Michael Reagan]]"</ref> and Christine Reagan (June 26 & 27, 1947). She was born prematurely and survived only one day. The baby's death traumatized Wyman. In 1948, Wyman (who married a total of four times) divorced Reagan in 1948. Ironically, Wyman was a Republican at the time while Reagan was a Democrat.

A year later, he met actress [[Nancy Davis]] (b. 1921). In 1952 they married at the Little Brown Church in Studio City, California.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/03/07/reagans-church-is-big-in-japan/ Reagan's Church in L.A. is 'Big in Japan']</ref> They remained married until his death in 2004. Together they had two children, Patricia "Patti" Ann Davis (b. 1952) and [[Ron P. Reagan|Ronald Prescott Reagan]] (b. 1958).

==Miscellaneous Facts==
*Reagan was the first and only divorced president.
*Reagan was the first president to break the so-called "[[Curse of Tippecanoe]]", i.e., the first president elected in a twenty-year cycle who did not die in office (although an attempt was made on his life in 1981).
*At 69, Reagan was the oldest man elected to the presidency for a first term.
*Reagan loved [[jelly bean]]s.<ref>[https://reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/reference/jellybellies.html JELLY BELLY JELLY BEANS AND RONALD REAGAN]</ref> The blueberry flavor was made in his honor. [[Jelly Belly]] even created a Ronald Reagan [[portraits|portrait]] out of jelly beans.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2146733/Art-thats-good-eat-Incredible-jelly-bean-portraits-use-10-000-sweets.html Art that’s good enough to eat: Incredible jelly bean portraits that each use more than 10,000 sweets]</ref>
*After his death, some of his closest supporters wished to put him on the $10 bill.<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2004/06/08/news/economy/reagan_hamilton/index.htm Reagan the new face of the $10 bill?], [[CNN]]</ref>
*Reagan played college football player [[George Gipp]] in the film ''Knute Rockne: All American'' (1940), and was affectionately known as "The Gipper" ever since.<ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/208420/taxing-experience A Taxing Experience], [[National Review]]</ref>
*Reagan signed Proclamation 5018 declaring 1983 the [[Year of the Bible]].
*The booth where Ronald proposed to Nancy from the restaurant ''Chasen's'' is on display at the Reagan Library.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2003/oct/14/local/me-reagan14 Reagan Library to Roll Out Renovated Galleries, Exhibits]</ref>
*Reagan kept a small plaque on his desk with the words "There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he does not mind who gets the credit".<ref>[https://www.reaganfoundation.org/ronald-reagan/the-presidency/reagan-the-man/ Reagan the Man], Reagan Foundation</ref>

== Quotes ==
*"Within the covers of the [[Bible]] are the answers for all the problems men face."

* "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well taught lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same. And if you and I don't do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America when men were free." - March 30, 1961

* "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." - [[Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Speech]]

* "We're not cutting the budget simply for the sake of sounder financial management. This is only a first step toward returning power to the States and communities, only a first step toward reordering the relationship between citizen and government. We can make government again responsive to people not only by cutting its size and scope and thereby ensuring that its legitimate functions are performed efficiently and justly."<ref name=localities /><ref>[https://www.reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/speeches/1981/32081b.htm Remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference Dinner], March 20, 1981</ref>

*"I won the nickname the great communicator. But I never thought it was my style that made a difference - it was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full blown from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation, from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/265509.stm Reagan: The great communicator], [[BBC]]</ref>

* "[[Socialist]]s ignore the side of man that is of the spirit. They can provide shelter, fill your belly with bacon and beans, treat you when you are ill, all the things that are guaranteed to a prisoner or a slave. They don't understand that we dream - yes, even of some time owning a yacht."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ut8fnmwVkwC&pg=PA91#v=onepage&q&f=false|last1=Skinner|first1=Kiron K.|last2=Anderson|first2=Annelise A.|title=Stories in His Own Hand: The Everyday Wisdom of Ronald Reagan ; Edited with an Introduction and Commentary by Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, Martin Anderson ; Foreword by George P. Shultz|date=2001|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781416584506}}</ref>

* "I have wondered at times what the [[Ten Commandments]] would have looked like if [[Moses]] had run them through the [[US Congress]]." <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=tzR2IgNgRK4C&pg=PA160&dq=I+have+wondered+at+times+what+the+Ten+Commandments+would+have+looked+like+if+Moses+had+run+them+through+the+US+Congress&ei=8GsPSrrnOI_CzATl8sGMCw Chapter 9 Page 160] The United States Congress by Ross M. English</ref>

*"The house we hope to build is not for my generation but for yours. It is your future that matters. And I hope that when you are my age, you will be able to say as I have been able to say: We lived in freedom. We lived lives that were a statement, not an apology." - January 20, 1981

*"We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals of our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the party over to the so-called moderates wouldn't make any sense at all."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=0BafgsBIlrwC&pg=PA96 The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order: 1964-1980]</ref>

*"The more the plans fail, the more the planners plan."

*"Peace is the highest aspiration of the American People. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever." - January 20, 1981

*"We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look." - January 20, 1981

*"I'm convinced that today the majority of Americans want what those first Americans wanted: a better life for themselves and their children; a minimum of government authority. There are those in America today who have come to depend absolutely on government for their security. And when government fails, they seek to rectify that failure in the form of granting government more power. So, as government has failed to control crime and violence with the means given it by the Constitution, they seek to give it more power at the expense of the Constitution. But in doing so, in their willingness to give up their arms in the name of safety, they are really giving up their protection from what has always been the chief source of despotism: government. Lord Acton said power corrupts. Surely then, if this is true, the more power we give the government, the more corrupt it will become. And if we give it the power to confiscate our arms, we also give up the ultimate means to combat that corrupt power. In doing so, we can only assure that we will eventually be totally subject to it. When dictators come to power, the first thing they do is take away the people's weapons. It makes it so much easier for the secret police to operate, it makes it so much easier to force the will of the ruler upon the ruled." - ''Guns and Ammo'', September, 1975<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=yTDyAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA31 The Deepest and Noblest Aspirations]</ref>

*"I've learned in Washington, that that's the only place where sound travels faster than light." - December 12, 1983

*"The challenge of statesmanship is to have the vision to dream of a better, safer world and the courage, persistence, and patience to turn that dream into reality." - March 8, 1985

*"I have only one thing to say to the tax increasers: Go ahead, make my day." - March 13, 1985, in a speech threatening to veto legislation raising taxes.<ref name=phrases>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3638320/ Phrases that defined a career], [[MSNBC]]</ref>

*"A leader, once convinced a particular course of action is the right one, must have the determination to stick with it and be undaunted when the going gets rough." - December 5, 1990

*"If you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here, to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." —Speech at the Berlin Wall, June 12, 1987<ref name=phrases />

*"...I know it's hard when you're up to your armpits in alligators to remember you came here to drain the swamp." - February 10, 1982

*"There is no question that we have failed to live up to the dreams of the [[Founding Fathers]] many times and in many places. Sometimes we do better than others. But all in all, the one thing we must be on guard against is thinking that because of this, the system has failed. The system has not failed. Some human beings have failed the system." - June 21, 1973

*"We have some hippies out there in the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco, one of them the other day was given some advice to his companions, he says: "you know, your parents take care of you until you're 21, the government takes care of you after you're 65, you've only got 44 lousy years you gotta look out for yourself.

:This fellow that was doing the talking had a haircut like tarzan, he walked like Jane, and smelled like cheeta."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfg9WL6j5V4 Ronald Reagan slams the hippies]</ref>

*"The work of volunteer groups throughout our country represents the very heart and soul of America. They have helped make this the most compassionate, generous, and humane society that ever existed on the face of this earth." - October 16, 1973

*"Realize that the doctor's fight against socialized medicine is your fight. We can't socialize the doctors without socializing the patients"

*"If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he'll eat you last."

*"In America, our origins matter less than our destination, and that is what democracy is all about." - August 17, 1992<ref>http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/quotes/default.asp</ref>

*"These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war."<ref>[http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/watch-reagan-delivers-famous-boys-of-pointe-du-hoc-d-day-speech/article/2565718 Watch: Reagan delivers famous 'Boys of Pointe du Hoc' D-Day speech]</ref>

*"Latinos are Republicans - they just don't know it yet."<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/18/opinion/la-oe-jacoby-rubio-dream-act-20120418 How Romney could win over Latinos], [[Los Angeles Times]]</ref>

*"It is freedom itself that still hangs in the balance, and freedom is never more than one generation from extinction." - Commencement address to The Citadel, 1993

*"I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born."<ref>New York Times, September 22, 1980</ref>

*"Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?", [[Let Them Go Their Way]]

*"Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them."

*"If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under" - Aug. 23, 1984<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ViUb1DLpnS4C&pg=RA1-PA373&dq=%22ever+forget+that+we+are+One+Nation+Under+God%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES ''Treasury of Presidential Quotations''], William J. Federer, ed. p 373</ref>

*"If you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat." <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=Xn4JEGVh-bYC&pg=PA93&dq=When+you+can%27t+make+them+see+the+light,+make+them+feel+the+heat.&ei=tvAlSsrrKZOCygS9_qycBw Ronald Reagan: how an ordinary man became an extraordinary leader‎], by Dinesh D'Souza, Page 93</ref>

*"I, too, have always believed that God's greatest gift is human life and that we have a duty to protect the life of an unborn child." <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=65Sd1VzUBacC&q=We+have+the+duty+to+protect+the+life+of+an+unborn+child&dq=We+have+the+duty+to+protect+the+life+of+an+unborn+child&ei=rf5USpawCZnkygTa8LyVBw Ronald Reagan] by Office of the Federal Register</ref>

*"Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty." <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=aF8YAAAAIAAJ&dq=Concentrated+power+has+always+been+the+enemy+of+liberty&ei=FE6PSuHhCYuSygSV-fCzBw War and conflict quotations] P.105, by Michael C. Thomsett, Jean F. Thomsett</ref>

*"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program."

*"some years ago, the [[federal government]] declared [[war on poverty]], and poverty won."

*"Criminals are not bigoted and they are color blind; they roam and rob and maim and murder without reference to race, religion or neighborhood boundaries. We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=XZ9CAAAAIAAJ&q=%22It+is+time+to+restore+the+American+precept+that+each+individual+is+accountable+for+his+actions%22&dq=%22It+is+time+to+restore+the+American+precept+that+each+individual+is+accountable+for+his+actions%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-oPay5JnPAhWIbSYKHW9qBi84FBDoAQgbMAA The Presidential Nominating Conventions, 1968]</ref>

*"(''[[Human Events]]'') helped me stop being a liberal Democrat."<ref>[http://humanevents.com/2011/02/05/reagans-newspaper/ Reagan’s Newspaper], ''[[Human Events]]''</ref>

*"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhYJS80MgYA The Nine Most Terrifying Words]</ref>

*"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."

*"How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."

*"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives."

*"My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mwAntNGz9k Ronald Reagan "Outlaws Russia" on August 11 1984]</ref>

*"Man is not free unless government is limited."

*"You won't get gun control by disarming law abiding citizens. There's only one way to get real gun control: Disarm the thugs and the criminals, lock them up, and if you don't actually throw away the key, at least lose it for a long time."<ref>[http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=41545 Remarks at a California Republican Party Fund-raising Dinner in Long Beach], June 30, 1983</ref>

*"I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency, even if I'm in a cabinet meeting."

*"No arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."

*"Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."

*"Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."

*"This fellow they've nominated claims he's the new Thomas Jefferson. Well let me tell you something, I knew Thomas Jefferson. He was a friend of mine, and governor, you're no Thomas Jefferson."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiNVqYwVfWE Ronald Reagan - Governor, You're No Thomas Jefferson]</ref>

* "When it comes to the canal, we built it, we paid for it, it's ours, and we are going to keep it."<ref name=canal />

*"The march of freedom and democracy which will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash-heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people."<ref name=westminster>[http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2002/06/reagans-westminster-speech 20 Years Later: Reagan's Westminster Speech], [[Heritage Foundation]]</ref>

*"The British people know that, given strong leadership, time and a little bit of hope, the forces of good ultimately rally and triumph over evil. Here among you is the cradle of self-government, the Mother of Parliaments. Here is the enduring greatness of the British contribution to mankind, the great civilized ideas: individual liberty, representative government, and the rule of law under God."<ref name=westminster />

==See also==
* [[Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Speech]]
* [[Ronald Reagan's 1980 Republican National Convention Speech]]
* [[Ronald Reagan's 1984 Republican National Convention Speech]]
* [[How Ronald Reagan won the Cold War]]
* [[Limited government]]
* [[Conservatives]] and [[Libertarians]]
* [[Encroaching Control: Keep Government Poor and Remain Free]]
* [[Ronald Reagan's speech on KAL 007#Text of the speech|Ronald Reagan's Speech on KAL 007]]
* [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]]
* [[U.S. Peace Council]]
* [[Reagan revolution]]
* [[Richard Clarke]]
* [[List of Conservative or pro-Conservative Hollywood stars]]
* [[Conservative media#Hollywood Conservatives|Hollywood conservatives]]
* [[Essay:List of celebrities who support the Second Amendment]]
* [[Loyal Davis]]
* [[Let Them Go Their Way]] - Reagan's speech to CPAC, 1975
* [[Ronald Reagan's Address to Young Americans for Freedom]], 1975
* [https://mises.org/library/sad-legacy-ronald-reagan-0 Libertarian criticism of Reagan concerning big government]

==Further reading==
see Bibliography for much more detailed guide.
* Berman, Larry, ed. ''Looking Back on the Reagan Presidency'' (1990), essays by academics
* Busch, Andrew E.; "Ronald Reagan and the Defeat of the Soviet Empire" in ''Presidential Studies Quarterly''. Vol: 27. Issue: 3. 1997. pp 451+. [http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=HhHYNGdT18XmGxylZNJQhdSjrtry2j8zYD2pLstvcnSLFqC9JzvF!-313427117?docId=5000522864 online edition] by conservative
* Cannon, Lou. ''President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime '' Public Affairs. (2nd ed 2000) 948 pp. best full-length biography [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=88989671 online edition]
* Cannon, Lou. ''Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power'' detailed biography
* Flamm, Michael and John Ehrman. ''Debating the Reagan Presidency'' (2009), key issues explained; includes primary sources
* Berman William C. ''America's Right Turn: From Nixon to Bush.'' (1994).
* Brownlee, W. Elliot and Hugh Davis Graham, eds. ''The Reagan Presidency: Pragmatic Conservatism and Its Legacies'' (2003)
* Campagna; Anthony S. ''The Economy in the Reagan Years: The Economic Consequences of the Reagan Administrations'' Greenwood Press. 1994 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=28144725 online edition], by conservative
* Cannon, Lou. ''Ronald Reagan: The Presidential Portfolio''. (2001) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=101553874 online edition]
* Ehrman, John. ''The Eighties: America in the Age of Reagan.'' (2005), by conservative historian
* Griscom Tom. "Core Ideas of the Reagan Presidency." In Thompson, ed., ''Leadership,'' 23-48.
* Hayward, Steven F. ''The Age of Reagan, 1964-1980: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order'' (2001)
* Hayward, Steven F. ''The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution: 1980-1989'' (2009) [http://www.amazon.com/Age-Reagan-Conservative-Counterrevolution-1980-1989/dp/1400053579/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258861343&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Hulten Charles R. and Isabel V. Sawhill, eds. ''The Legacy of Reaganomics: Prospects for Long-Term Growth.'' (1994).
* Jones, Charles O. ed. ''The Reagan Legacy: Promise and Performance'' (1988) essays by political scientists
* [http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/si/2004/aug/knopfAUG04.asp Jeffrey W. Knopf, "Did Reagan Win the Cold War?"] ''Strategic Insights'', Volume III, Issue 8 (August 2004)
* Kyvig, David. ed. ''Reagan and the World'' (1990), scholarly essays on foreign policy
* Langston, Thomas S. "Reassessing the Reagan Presidency," ''Presidential Studies Quarterly,'' Vol. 34, 2004 [http://www.questia.com/read/5006516145?title=Reassessing%20the%20Reagan%20Presidency online edition]
* Levy, Peter B. ''Encyclopedia of the Reagan-Bush Years'' (1996), short articles [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=77341841 online edition]
* Matlock, Jack. ''Reagan and Gorbachev: How the Cold War Ended.'' (2004) by the conservative US ambassador to Moscow
* Pach, Chester. "The Reagan Doctrine: Principle, Pragmatism, and Policy." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly''(1): 75-88. Fulltext in SwetsWise and Ingenta; Reagan declared in 1985 that the U.S. should not "break faith" with [[anti-Communist]] resistance groups. However, his policies varied as differences in local conditions and US security interests produced divergent policies toward "freedom fighters" in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Mozambique, Angola, and Cambodia.
* Patterson, James T. ''Restless Giant: The United States from Watergate to Bush vs. Gore.'' (2005), standard scholarly synthesis of the era
* Pemberton, William E. ''Exit with Honor: The Life and Presidency of Ronald Reagan'' (1998) short, favorable biography by historian [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=49534236 online edition]
* Reagan Ronald. ''An American Life.'' (1990). his second autobiography
* Reeves, Richard. ''President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination'' (2005) detailed analysis by historian
* Sullivan, George.''Mr. President'' (1997). for middle schools
* Schmertz, Eric J. et al. eds. ''Ronald Reagan's America'' 2 Volumes (1997) articles by scholars and officeholders [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=15343830 vol 1 online][http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=28729700 vol 2 online]
* Schweizer, Peter. ''Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism'' (2002), by conservative
* Thomas, Tony. ''The Films of Ronald Reagan'' (1980)
* Troy, Gill. ''Morning in America: How Ronald Reagan Invented the 1980s'' (2004). Study of Reagan's image.
* Troy, Gill. ''The Reagan Revolution: A Very Short Introduction'' (2009) [http://www.amazon.com/Reagan-Revolution-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0195317106/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258861138&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Wilentz, Sean. ''The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974-2008'' (2008), major narrative history by liberal historian who says Reagan transformed America

==Detailed Bibliography==
===Biographies===
* Benze, Jr. James G. ''Nancy Reagan: On the White House Stage'' (2005), [http://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Reagan-White-Modern-Ladies/dp/070061401X/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194317375&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Benze James G. "Nancy Reagan: China Doll or Dragon Lady?" ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 20 (fall 1990): 777-90
* Cannon, Lou. ''President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime '' Public Affairs. (2nd ed 2000) 948 pp. full-length biography [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=88989671 online edition]
* Diggins, John. ''Ronald Reagan‎'' (2008), 528 pages, by leading conservative historian.
* D'Souza, Dinesh. ''Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader'' (1999), popular. [http://www.amazon.com/Ronald-Reagan-Ordinary-Became-Extraordinary/dp/0684848236/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194317303&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Evans, Thomas W. ''The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years'' (2006) [http://www.amazon.com/Education-Ronald-Reagan-Conversion-Conservatism/dp/0231138601/ref=sr_1_5/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194317183&sr=1-5 excerpt and text search]
* Morris, ''Edmund. Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan'' (1999), includes fictional material [http://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Memoir-Ronald-Edmund-Morris/dp/0375756450/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194317223&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Pemberton, William E. ''Exit with Honor: The Life and Presidency of Ronald Reagan'' (1998) short biography by historian [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=49534236 online edition]
* Reeves, Richard. ''President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination'' (2005) detailed analysis by historian
* Sullivan, George.''Mr. President'' (1997). for middle schools
* Sutcliffe, Jane. ''Ronald Reagan‎'' (2008) 48 pages; for elementary school; [http://books.google.com/books?id=_H_u21ebGcsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=intitle:reagan&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=2007&as_maxm_is=12&as_maxy_is=2009&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES excerpt and text search]

===Reagan before 1981===
* Brennan Mary C. ''Turning Right in the Sixties: The Conservative Capture of the GOP.'' University of North Carolina Press, 1995
* Burbank, Garin. "Governor Reagan and California Welfare Reform: the Grand Compromise of 1971." ''California History'' 1991 70(3): 278-289. Issn: 0162-2897
* Burbank, Garin. "Governor Reagan's Only Defeat: The Proposition 1 Campaign in 1973." ''California History'' 72 (winter 1993-94): 360-73.
* Burbank, Garin. "Speaker Moretti, Governor Reagan, and the Search for Tax Reform in California, 1970-1972" ''The Pacific Historical Review'' Vol. 61, No. 2 (May, 1992), pp. 193–214 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0030-8684%28199205%2961%3A2%3C193%3ASMGRAT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-E online in JSTOR]
* Cannon, Lou. ''Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power'' Public Affairs. detailed biography [http://www.amazon.com/Governor-Reagan-His-Rise-Power/dp/1586480308/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194317275&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Dallek, Matthew. ''The Right Moment: Ronald Reagan's First Victory and the Decisive Turning Point in American Politics.'' (2004). Study of 1966 election as governor.
* DeGroot, Gerard J. "'A Goddamned Electable Person': the 1966 California Gubernatorial Campaign of Ronald Reagan." ''History'' 1997 82(267): 429-448. Issn: 0018-2648 Fulltext: in Swetswise, Ingenta and Ebsco
* DeGroot, Gerard J. "Ronald Reagan and Student Unrest in California, 1966-1970." ''Pacific Historical Review'' 1996 65(1): 107-129. Issn: 0030-8684 Fulltext: in Jstor
* Drew, Elizabeth. ''Portrait of an Election: The 1980 Presidential Campaign.'' (1981).
* Ferguson, Thomas and Joel Rogers, eds. ''The Hidden Election: Politics and Economics in the 1980 Presidential Campaign,'' 1981.
* Germond, Jack W. and Jules Witcover. ''Blue Smoke & Mirrors: How Reagan Won & Why Carter Lost the Election of 1980''. (1981). Detailed journalism.
* Hayward, Steven F. ''The Age of Reagan, 1964-1980: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order'' (2001)
* Hayward, Steven F. ''The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution: 1980-1989'' (2009) [http://www.amazon.com/Age-Reagan-Conservative-Counterrevolution-1980-1989/dp/1400053579/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258861343&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Hamilton Gary G., and Nicole Woolsey Biggart. ''Governor Reagan, Governor Brown: A Sociology of executive Power.'' (1984).
* Moore, Glen. "Ronald W. Reagan's Campaign for the Republican Party's 1968 Presidential Nomination." ''Proceedings and Papers of the Georgia Association of Historians'' (1992) 12[i.e., 13]: 57-70. Issn: 0275-3863

===Politics and Domestic issues ===
* Aldrich, John H., and David W. Rohde. ''Change and Continuity in the 1984 Elections.'' (1987)
* Amaker Norman C. ''Civil Rights and the Reagan Administration.'' Urban Institute Press, 1988
* Berman, Larry, ed. ''Looking Back on the Reagan Presidency'' (1990), essays by academics
* Berman William C. ''America's Right Turn: From Nixon to Bush.'' Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994.
* Birnbaum Jeffrey H., and Alan S. Murray. ''Showdown at Gucci Gulch: Lawmakers, Lobbyists, and the Unlikely Triumph of Tax Reform.'' 1987.
* Boskin Michael J. ''Reagan and the Economy: The Successes, Failures, and Unfinished Agenda.'' ICS Press, 1987.
* Brownlee, W. Elliot and Hugh Davis Graham, eds. ''The Reagan Presidency: Pragmatic Conservatism and Its Legacies'' (2003)
* Busch, Andrew E. ''Reagan's Victory: The Presidential Election of 1980 and the Rise of the Right,'' (2005) [http://www.claremont.org/publications/crb/id.1103/article_detail.asp online review by Michael Barone]
* Campagna; Anthony S. ''The Economy in the Reagan Years: The Economic Consequences of the Reagan Administrations'' Greenwood Press. 1994 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=28144725 online edition]
* Cannon, Lou. ''Ronald Reagan: The Presidential Portfolio''. Public Affairs. (2001) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=101553874 online edition]
* Cook, Daniel M. and Polsky, Andrew J. "Political Time Reconsidered: Unbuilding and Rebuilding the State under the Reagan Administration." ''American Politics Research''(4): 577-605. ISSN 1532-673X Fulltext in SwetsWise. Argues Reagan slowed enforcement of pollution laws and transformed the national education agenda.
* Derthick Martha, and Paul J. Quirk. ''The Politics of Deregulation.'' Brookings Institution, 1985
* Detlefsen, Robert R. ''Civil Rights under Reagan'' Institute for Contemporary Studies, 1991 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=85749844 online edition]
* Eads George C., and Michael Fix, eds. ''The Reagan Regulatory Strategy: An Assessment.'' Urban Institute Press, 1984
* Ehrman, John. ''The Eighties: America in the Age of Reagan.'' (2005)
* Evans Rowland, and Robert Novak. ''The Reagan Revolution.'' 1991.
* Ferguson Thomas, and Joel Rogers, ''Right Turn: The Decline of the Democrats and the Future of American Politics'' 1986.
* Germond Jack W., and Jules Witcover. ''Wake Us When It's Over: Presidential Politics of 1984.'' 1985.
* Marshall R. Goodman; ''Managing Regulatory Reform: The Reagan Strategy and Its Impact'' Praeger Publishers, 1987 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=43165555 online edition]
* Greider William. ''The Education of David Stockman and Other Americans.'' 1982. Stockman was Reagan's budget chief
* Griscom Tom. "Core Ideas of the Reagan Presidency." In Thompson, ed., ''Leadership,'' 23-48.
* Hulten Charles R. and Isabel V. Sawhill, eds. ''The Legacy of Reaganomics: Prospects for Long-Term Growth.'' C.: Urban Institute Press, 1994.
* Johnson, Haynes. ''Sleepwalking through History: America in the Reagan Years'' (1991) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=104836392 online edition]
* Jones, Charles O. ed. ''The Reagan Legacy: Promise and Performance'' (1988) essays by political scientists
* Karier, Thomas. ''Great Experiments in American Economic Policy: From Kennedy to Reagan'' (1997) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=15083874 online edition]
* Laham, Nicholas. ''The Reagan Presidency and the Politics of Race: In Pursuit of Colorblind Justice and Limited Government'' 1998. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=14220230 online edition]
* Levy, Peter B. ''Encyclopedia of the Reagan-Bush Years'' (1996), short articles [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=77341841 online edition]
* Minarik Joseph J. ''Making America's Budget Policy. From the 1980s to the 1990s.'' M. E. Sharpe, 1990.
* Palmer, John L., and Isabel V. Sawhill. ''The Reagan Record,'' 1984. economics and sociology
* Patterson, James T. ''Restless Giant: The United States from Watergate to Bush vs. Gore.'' (2005), standard scholarly synthesis.
* Rayack; Elton. ''Not So Free to Choose: The Political Economy of Milton Friedman and Ronald Reagan'' (1987) hostile critique [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=24670801 online edition]
* Sahu, Anandi P. and Ronald L. Tracy; ''The Economic Legacy of the Reagan Years: Euphoria or Chaos?'' Praeger Publishers, 1991 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=59361760 online edition]
* Salamon Lester M., and Michael S. Lund. eds. ''The Reagan Presidency and the Governing of America'' 1985. articles by political scientists
* Schmertz, Eric J. et al. eds. ''Ronald Reagan's America'' 2 Volumes (1997) articles by scholars and officeholders [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=15343830 vol 1 online][http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=28729700 vol 2 online]
* Shirley, Craig. ''Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All'' (2005) on 1976 campaign; [http://www.amazon.com/Reagans-Revolution-Untold-Campaign-Started/dp/0785260498/ref=pd_cp_b_1?pf_rd_p=413864201&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0700614087&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0SWJK392VVCTPEDPDKJE excerpt and text search]
* Weatherford, M. Stephen and Mcdonnell, Lorraine M. "Ronald Reagan as Legislative Advocate: Passing the Reagan Revolution's Budgets in 1981 and 1982." ''Congress & the Presidency'' (2005) 32:1 pp 1–29. Fulltext in Ebsco; Argues RR ignored the details but played a guiding role in setting major policies and adjudicating significant trade-offs, and in securing Congressional approval.

===Foreign affairs===
* Arnson, Cynthia J. ''Crossroads: Congress, the Reagan Administration, and Central America'' Pantheon, 1989.
* Baucom Donald R. ''The Origins of SDI, 1944-1983.'' University Press of Kansas, 1992.
* Bell Coral. ''The Reagan Paradox: American Foreign Policy in the 1980s.'' Rutgers University Press, 1989.
* Beschloss Michael R., and Strobe Talbott. ''At the Highest Levels: The Inside Story of the End of the Cold War.'' 1993
* Busch, Andrew E.; "Ronald Reagan and the Defeat of the Soviet Empire" in ''Presidential Studies Quarterly''. Vol: 27. Issue: 3. 1997. pp 451+.
* Dobson, Alan P. "The Reagan Administration, Economic Warfare, and Starting to Close down the Cold War." ''Diplomatic History''(3): 531-556. Fulltext in SwetsWise, Ingenta and Ebsco. Argues Reagan's public rhetoric against the USSR was harsh and uncompromising, giving rise to the idea that his administration sought to employ a US defense buildup and NATO economic sanctions to bring about the collapse of the USSR. Yet many statements by Reagan and Shultz suggest they desired negotiation with the Soviets from a position of American strength, not the eventual demise of the USSR.
* Draper, Theodore. '' A Very Thin Line: The Iran-Contra Affair'' (1991)
* Fitzgerald, Frances. ''Way Out There in the Blue: Reagan, Star Wars and the End of the Cold War''. political history of S.D.I. (2000). ISBN.
* Ford, Christopher A. and Rosenberg, David A. "The Naval Intelligence Underpinnings of Reagan's Maritime Strategy." ''Journal of Strategic Studies''(2): 379-409. Fulltext in Ingenta and Ebsco; Reagan's maritime strategy sought to apply US naval might against Soviet vulnerabilities on its maritime flanks. It was supported by a major buildup of US naval forces and aggressive exercising in seas proximate to the USSR; it explicitly targeted Moscow's strategic missile submarines with the aim of pressuring the Kremlin during crises or the early phases of global war. The maritime strategy represents one of the rare instances in history when intelligence helped lead a nation to completely revise its concept of military operations.
* Garthoff, Raymond L. ''The Great Transition: American-Soviet Relations and the End of the Cold War'' (1994), detailed narrative by a hostile critic [http://www.questia.com/read/29069917?title=The%20Great%20Transition%3a%20American-Soviet%20Relations%20and%20the%20End%20of%20the%20Cold%20War online edition]
* Haftendorn, Helga and Jakob Schissler, eds. ''The Reagan Administration: A Reconstruction of American Strength?'' Berlin: Walter de Guyer, 1988. by European scholars
* Hall, David Locke. ''The Reagan Wars: A Constitutional Perspective on War Powers and the Presidency'' Westview Press, 1991 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=87551275 online edition]
* [http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/si/2004/aug/knopfAUG04.asp Jeffrey W. Knopf, "Did Reagan Win the Cold War?"] ''Strategic Insights'', Volume III, Issue 8 (August 2004)
* Kyvig, David. ed. ''Reagan and the World'' (1990), scholarly essays on foreign policy
* Lagon, Mark P. ''The Reagan Doctrine: Sources of American Conduct in the Cold War's Last Chapter'' (1994) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=9161896 online edition]
* LeoGrande, William M. ''Our Own Backyard: The United States in Central America, 1977-1992'' (1998)
* Matlock, Jack. ''Reagan and Gorbachev: How the Cold War Ended.'' (2004) by the US ambassador to Moscow [http://www.amazon.com/Reagan-Gorbachev-How-Cold-Ended/dp/0679463232/ref=sr_1_2/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194316986&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Pach, Chester. "The Reagan Doctrine: Principle, Pragmatism, and Policy." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 2006 36(1): 75-88. Issn: 0360-4918 [http://www.questia.com/read/5015817882?title=The%20Reagan%20Doctrine%3a%20Principle%2c%20Pragmatism%2c%20and%20Policy online edition]
* Salla, Michael E. and Ralph Summy, eds. ''Why the Cold War Ended: A Range of Interpretations'' (1995). [http://www.questia.com/read/22889072 online edition]
* Schmertz, Eric J. et al. eds. ''Ronald Reagan and the World'' (1997) articles by scholars and officeholders
* Shultz, George P. ''Turmoil and Triumph My Years As Secretary of State'' (1993)
* Schweizer, Peter. ''Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism'' (2002)
* Suri, Jeremi. "Explaining the End of the Cold War: A New Historical Consensus?" ''Journal of Cold War Studies'' - Volume 4, Number 4, Fall 2002, pp. 60–92 in [[Project Muse]]
* Thomas W. Walker; ''Reagan Versus the Sandinistas: The Undeclared War on Nicaragua'' (1987) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=65710540 online edition]
* Wallison, Peter J. ''Ronald Reagan: The Power of Conviction and the Success of His Presidency.'' (2003). 282 pp.
* Wapshott, Nicholas. '' Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher: a political marriage‎'' (2007) 336 pages [http://books.google.com/books?id=5HOuTL508F0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=intitle:reagan&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=2007&as_maxm_is=12&as_maxy_is=2009&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES excerpt and text search]
* Wills, David C. ''The First War on Terrorism: Counter-Terrorism Policy during the Reagan Administration.'' 2004.

===Rhetoric, media and values===
* Aden, R. C. "Entrapment and Escape: Inventional Metaphors in Ronald Reagan's Economic Rhetoric." ''Southern Communication Journal'' 54 (1989): 384-401
* Dallek, Robert. ''Ronald Reagan: The Politics of Symbolism.'' (1999)
* Denton Jr., Robert E. ''Primetime Presidency of Ronald Reagan: The Era of the Television Presidency'' (1988) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=23088126 online edition]
* Diggins, John Patrick. ''Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and the Making of History'' (2007) Reagan as follower of Emerson, by leading historian of ideas
* Jane Feuer; Seeing through the Eighties: Television and Reaganism'' Duke University Press, 1995 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=98148093 online edition]
* FitzWater, Marlin . ''Call the Briefing! Bush and Reagan, Sam and Helen, a Decade with Presidents and the Press''. 1995. Memoir by Reagan's press spokesman.
* Goodnight, G. Thomas. "Ronald Reagan's Re-formulation of the Rhetoric of War: Analysis of the 'Zero Option,' 'Evil Empire,' and 'Star Wars' Addresses." ''Quarterly Journal of Speech'' 72 (1986): 390-414.
* Greffenius, Steven. ''The Last Jeffersonian: Ronald Reagan's Dreams of America''. June, July, & August Books. 2002.
* Hertsgaard, Mark. ''On Bended Knee: The Press and the Reagan Presidency'' 1988. criticizes the press
* Hoeveler, J. David. ''Watch on the Right: Conservative Intellectuals in the Reagan Era.'' University of Wisconsin Press, 1991.
* Houck, Davis, and Amos Kiewe, eds. ''Actor, Ideologue, Politician: The Public Speeches of Ronald Reagan'' (Greenwood Press, 1993) [http://www.questia.com/SM.qst?act=adv&contributors=Davis W. Houck&dcontributors=Davis+W.+Houck online edition]
* Jones, John M. "'Until Next Week': The Saturday Radio Addresses of Ronald Reagan" ''Presidential Studies Quarterly.'' Volume: 32. Issue: 1. 2002. pp 84+.
* Kengor, Paul. ''God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life'' Regan Books, 2004. ISBN.
* Kiewe, Amos, and Davis W. Houck. ''A Shining City on a Hill: Ronald Reagan's Economic Rhetoric, 1951-1989.'' 1991.
* Lewis, William F. "Telling America's Story: Narrative Form and the Reagan Presidency", ''Quarterly Journal of Speech'': 280–302
* Longley, Kyle, Jeremy D. Mayer, Michael Schaller, and John W. Sloan. ''Deconstructing Reagan: Conservative Mythology and America’s Fortieth President,'' (M.E. Sharpe, 2007. xviii, 150 pp. isbn 978-0-7656-1591-6.)
* Meyer, John C. "Ronald Reagan and Humor: A Politician's Velvet Weapon", ''Communication Studies'' 41 (1990): 76-88.
* Moore, Mark P. "Reagan's Quest for Freedom in the 1987 State of the Union Address." ''Western Journal of Communication'' 53 (1989): 52-65.
* Muir, William Ker. ''The Bully Pulpit: The Presidential Leadership of Ronald Reagan'' (1992), examines his speeches
* Noonan, Peggy. ''When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan'' (2001) memoir by a Reagan speechwriter
* Ormanm John. ''Comparing Presidential Behavior: Carter, Reagan, and the Macho Presidential Style'' Greenwood Press, 1987 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=15388519 online edition]
* Ritter, Kurt W. ''Ronald Reagan: The Great Communicator.'' Greenwood, 1992. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=29047567 online edition]
* Shogan, Colleen J. "Coolidge and Reagan: The Rhetorical Influence of Silent Cal on the Great Communicator", ''Rhetoric & Public Affairs'' 9.2 online at Project Muse; argues that Coolidge and Reagan shared a common ideological message, which served as the basis for modern conservatism. Even without engaging in explicitly partisan rhetoric, Reagan's principled speech served an important party-building function.
* Stuckey, Mary. ''Getting Into the Game: The Pre-Presidential Rhetoric of Ronald Reagan.'' Praeger, 1989
* Stuckey, Mary. ''Playing the Game: The Presidential Rhetoric of Ronald Reagan.'' Praeger, 1990. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=24414026 online edition]
* Thomas, Tony. ''The Films of Ronald Reagan'' (1980)
* Troy, Gill. ''Morning in America: How Ronald Reagan Invented the 1980s'' (2004). Study of Reagan's image.
* Michael Weiler and W. Barnett Pearce; ''Reagan and Public Discourse in America'' University of Alabama Press, 1992 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=59353372 online edition]
* Wills, Garry. ''Reagan's America: Innocents at Home''. (1987)

===Primary sources===
* [http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/publications/ERP/ Council of Economic Advisors, ''Economic Report of the President'' (annual 1947- )], complete series online; important analysis of current trends and policies, plus statistcial tables
* Reagan Ronald, and Richard G. Hubler. ''Where's the Rest of Me?'' (1965). first autobiography
* Reagan Ronald. ''An American Life.'' (1990). second autobiography [http://www.amazon.com/American-Life-Ronald-Reagan/dp/0743400259/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194317128&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Reagan Ronald. ''The Creative Society: Some Comments on Problems Facing America.'' 1968.
* Reagan Ronald. ''Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation.'' 1984.
* Reagan Ronald. ''Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Ronald Reagan. 1981-1989.'' 8 vols. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1982-91.
* Reagan, Ronald. ''[[Reagan, In His Own Hand]]: The Writings of Ronald Reagan That Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America'' (2001) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0743219384/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-4827826-5463040#reader-link excerpt and text search]
* Reagan, Ronald. ''The Reagan Diaries: Extended Selections‎'' ed. by Douglas Brinkley (2007)
* Skinner, Kiron K. et al., eds. ''Reagan's Path to Victory: The Shaping of Ronald Reagan's Vision: Selected Writings'' (2004), 450 radio talks from late 1970s

====Primary sources by Reagan associates====
* Anderson, Martin. ''Revolution: The Reagan Legacy'' (1990)
* Haig, Alexander. ''Inner Circles: How America Changed the World'' (1994). Haig was Secretary of State 1981-82
* Deaver, Michael, and Mickey Herskowitz. ''Behind the Scenes''. 1987. Memoir by a top aide.
* Meese Edwin. ''With Reagan: The Inside Story.'' Regnery Gateway, 1992.
* Niskanen William A. ''Reaganomics: An Insider's Account of the Policies and the People.'' Oxford University Press, 1988.
* Reagan, Nancy. ''My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan'' (1989)
* Reagan Maureen. ''First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir.'' 1989.
* Reagan Michael and Joe Hyams. ''On the Outside Looking In.'' 1988.
* Regan Donald T. ''For the Record. From Wall Street to Washington.'' 1988; Treasury Secretary and Chief of Staff
* Shultz, George P. ''Turmoil and Triumph My Years As Secretary of State'' (1993) Schulz was Secretary of State 1982-89
* Stahl, Lesley. "Reporting Live" (1999) memoir by TV news reporter
* Stockman David A. ''The Triumph of Politics: How the Reagan Revolution Failed.'' 1986. Stockman was Budget Director in 1981-82
* Thompson Kenneth W., ed. ''Foreign Policy in the Reagan Presidency: Nine Intimate Perspectives.'' University Press of America, 1993.
* Thompson Kenneth W., ed. ''Leadership in the Reagan Presidency: Seven Intimate Perspectives.'' 1992.
* Thompson Kenneth W., ed. ''Leadership in the Reagan Presidency, Part II: Eleven Intimate Perspectives.'' University Press of America, 1993.
* Weinberger, Caspar. ''In the Arena: A Memoir of the 20th Century'' (1991), by the Defense Secretary

===Government documents===
* Council of Economic Advisors. ''Economic Report of the President,'' (annual, 1981-1988), detailed analysis of economic issues
* U.S. Census Bureau, ''Statistical Abstract of the United States'' annual compilation of over 1000 tables of data.

==References==
{{reflist|3}}

==External links==
*[https://reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/photographs/history.html Historical Photographs], from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
*[https://reaganlibrary.gov/major-speeches-index Ronald Reagan's Major Speeches, 1964-89]
*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040614-646317,00.html Time Magazine Article on ''The All-American President'']
*[http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/rr40.html White House Official Page]
*[http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=537924&agid=2 The Passing of a Conservative] - by Alfred Regnery
*[http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/ Reagan's Presidential Library]
*[http://imdb.com/name/nm0001654/ Actor Bio At IMDB]
*[http://www.ronaldreaganmemorial.com/ Official Memorial]
*[http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Ronald_Reagan Quotations by Ronald Reagan]
*[http://reagan2020.us/ Reagan 2020] Reagan 2020 is the Internet's most comprehensive resource on Ronald Reagan.
*[http://www.acuf.org/principles/p_philos.asp "Our Philosophy of Government"] Speech by President Ronald Reagan, March 2, 1981
*[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/211049/abortion-and-conscience-nation-nro-primary-document Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation] While president, Ronald Reagan penned this article for The Human Life Review, unsolicited.
* [https://librivox.org/author/11305 Works by Ronald Reagan - text and free audio] - [[LibriVox]]
*[http://davekopel.org/Misc/OpEds/Ronald-Reagan-extremist-collaborator.html Ronald Reagan, Extremist Collaborator], by Dave Kopel
*Hawkins, Awr (April 25, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/25/ronald-reagan-seek-inflict-harm-not-fazed-gun-control-laws/ Ronald Reagan: ‘Those Who Seek to Inflict Harm Are Not Fazed by Gun Control Laws’]. ''Breitbart News''.

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ObamaCare

2017-06-26T14:57:00Z

FDR:

[[File:ObamaCareSymbol.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Image courtesy [[Newsbusters]].]]
'''ObamaCare''', officially known as "'''The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act'''" (ACA), has imposed massive penalties on young workers, small businesses and others who choose not to buy expensive health insurance, beginning in 2014. However, it has also provided health insurance coverage to 20 million people. ObamaCare is the biggest handout by [[liberals]] to a single interest group — the health insurance industry — in [[America]]n history. Even [[Democrat]]ic Presidential candidate [[Jim Webb]] admitted in 2012: Obamacare "cost [[Obama]] a lot of credibility as a leader."<ref>http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/politics-elections/222259-sen-webb-says-president-obamas-health-law-cost-him-a-lot-of-credibility-as-a-leader</ref> On June 28, 2012, the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] upheld the constitutionality of Obamacare — by only one vote, 5-4 — as being within the taxing power of the federal government. Since then, leading Democrats have described ObamaCare as a "train wreck," and [[union]]s increasingly agree with [[conservatives]] that Obamacare should be repealed.<ref>http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/300881-labor-unions-break-ranks-on-health-law</ref>

ObamaCare caused the creation of 23 health exchange co-ops, 22 of which lost money in 2014, and five of which have gone out of business as of October 14, 2015.<ref>http://dailysignal.com/2015/10/14/another-obamacare-collapse-kentucky-health-co-op-goes-under/</ref>

The [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] (AAPS) pointed out that there are no redeeming provisions of Obama's health care plan.<ref name="aapsonline.org">http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/00377</ref> AAPS observes that Obama's health care plan will significantly increase the overall cost of health care for a majority of United States citizens, plus reduce the quality of care that a [[free market]] system would otherwise provide.<ref name="aapsonline.org"/>

Obamacare will soon cause havoc and harm to tens of millions of Americans: 28 million Americans will be caught in a "massive game of health coverage pingpong" due to Obamacare.<ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-medi-cal-churn-20130520,0,5572821.story</ref>

As of April 2014, the House of Representatives has voted 55 times to scale back or repeal the law, but none of those proposals has received consideration in the Senate.<ref name=fulltime/>

__TOC__
[[File:Jane orient.jpg|right|200px|thumbnail|Dr. Jane Orient, Director of the [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] (AAPS). The AAPS, a [[conservative]] doctor's association, has always been against Obamacare, while the liberal [[American Medical Association]] endorsed it.<ref>[http://www.aapsonline.org/index.php/article/the_right_not_to_work_for_obamacare/ The right not to work for Obamacare]</ref><ref>[http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/why-the-ama-endorses-obamacare-but-your-doctor-does-not/ Why the AMA endorses Obamacare]</ref> ]]
Obamacare is opposed by many state governors, including [[Florida]] Governor [[Rick Scott]]. He declared after the Supreme Court ruling, "I will not implement this law. Florida will not implement Obamacare." Scott encouraged other states to reject Obamacare in three ways:

*opt out of the expensive Medicaid provision in ObamaCare, which would incur massive costs in extending free care to those over the poverty line
*refuse to set up a [[health-insurance exchange]] - "If there were any value added by these exchanges, the private sector would be doing it already," Governor Scott observed
*repeal Obamacare in Congress, which requires electing a [[Republican]] majority in the [[U.S. Senate]]

Obamacare was passed by [[Congress]] on March 21, 2010, and signed into federal law by President [[Barack Obama]] on March 23. This law furthers the process of [[Socialism|socializing]] the [[United States]] [[health care]] system, which began with [[Medicare]].<ref>Epic [[Direct spending#New spending|new spending]] and taxes, pricier insurance, rationed care, dishonest accounting: The Pelosi health bill has it all. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703399204574505423751140690.html Nancy Pelosi's New Health-Care Bill], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', November 01, 2009.</ref><ref>[[President Obama]], Senate Majority Leader [[Harry Reid]] and House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] rammed Obamacare down the throats of an unwilling American public. Half a year removed from the unprecedented legislative chicanery and backroom dealing that characterized the bill's passage, much more is known about the bill than when it was passed into law. [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Obamacare-is-even-worse-than-critics-thought-960772-103571664.html Examiner Editorial: Obamacare is even worse than critics thought], ''Washington Examiner'', September 22, 2010.</ref> The centerpiece of Obamacare is the individual mandate, a provision that makes it mandatory for every citizen to purchase private health insurance, which was unprecedented in American history. Under an [[Executive Order]] signed by President [[Donald Trump]], collection of the Obamacare tax and fines has been temporarily suspended, however individuals and businesses' penalties continue to accrue daily.<ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Saving-Money/2017/0125/What-Trump-s-executive-order-on-Obamacare-repeal-means-for-your-health-care-coverage </ref> Through legislative mandates, Obamacare requires private citizens to purchase health insurance, involuntarily fund [[abortion]]s, and pay for sex offenders to use Viagra under the threat of legal sanctions if they do not. The new law imposes penalties that will increase to 2.5% of one's income if he fails to purchase government-approved health insurance.

On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court voted 5–4 that while ObamaCare exceeded Congress’s authority under the commerce clause, the law was a permissible tax under the Constitution.<ref>[http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/11-393c3a2.pdf]</ref> The constitutionality of Obamacare was originally challenged under the theory that it exceeded the limitations of the commerce clause; more than 20 federal lawsuits have been filed against Obamacare since President Barack Obama signed it into law.<ref>By Janet Adamy and Evan Perez. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704058704576015631138296112.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth Federal Judge to Rule on Health Law's Constitutionality], WSJ.com, December 13, 2010.</ref><ref>By Rep. [[Lamar Smith]]. [http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/01/19/rep-lamar-smith-voting-repeal-new-health-care-law/ REP. LAMAR SMITH: Why I Am Voting to Repeal the New Health Care Law], ''[[Fox News]]'' (FoxNews.com), Published January 19, 2011.</ref> In total, 27 states have started or joined in a lawsuit against Obamacare.<ref>Brandon Stewart. [http://blog.heritage.org/2011/01/17/list-of-states-suing-over-obamacare/ List of 27 States Suing Over Obamacare], heritage.org, January 17, 2011.</ref> A federal judge ruled on 13 December 2010 that a central component of ObamaCare, the requirement that most Americans carry insurance or pay a penalty, violates the Constitution. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson is quoted as saying the law "exceeds the constitutional boundaries of congressional power."<ref name=unconstitutional>Judge Rules Mandatory Insurance Unconstitutional; First Round of Long Battle. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703727804576017552229615230.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEADNewsCollection Court Strikes at Health Law], By Janet Adamy (WSJ.com), December 14, 2010.</ref> Then on 31 January 2011 federal judge Roger Vinson ruled that as a result of the unconstitutionality of the "individual mandate" that requires people to buy insurance, the entire law must be declared void.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/31/judges-ruling-health-care-lawsuit-shift-momentum-coverage-debate/ Judge Rules Health Care Law Is Unconstitutional], [[Fox News|FoxNews.com]], Published January 31, 2011.</ref><ref>[[Rush Limbaugh]]. [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/content/home/daily/site_020111/content/01125106.guest.html Obamacare Ruled Unconstitutional, But Fight for Repeal Must Continue], RushLimbaugh.com, February 1, 2011.</ref> The U.S. district judge declared Obamacare unconstitutional because it violates the [[Commerce Clause]]. In a footnote attached to the ruling, federal judge Roger Vinson cited Barack Obama's position in 2008 from an interview with [[CNN]], when Obama stated that, "If a mandate was the solution, we can try that to solve homelessness by mandating everybody to buy a house."<ref>Stephen Dinan. [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/31/judge-uses-obamas-words-against-him/ Judge uses Obama’s words against him], ''[[The Washington Times]]'', January 31, 2011.</ref>

The [[Congressional Budget Office]] (CBO) estimates the invasive revenue generating device could produce as much as $36 billion over ten years.<ref>[http://allnurses-central.com/world-news-current/proposed-senate-plan-405168.html Proposed Senate Plan Would Involve IRS in Collecting Fines from Non-participants], ALLNURSES CENTRAL, Jul 03, 2009.</ref> The fines are euphemistically dubbed "shared responsibility payments."<ref>http://www.unitedliberty.org/articles/cbo-reports-entitlements-and-shared-responsibility</ref> Employers would be required to deduct the penalties from employees' paychecks.<ref name="ReferenceA">http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/00421</ref> The State of [[Massachusetts]] has had a similar program in place for several years, and many have elected to pay the penalties rather than purchase insurance, and many remain uninsured.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

ObamaCare will do more than detrimentally impact healthcare accessibility. According to the [[Heritage Foundation]], Obama is intentionally sacrificing millions of jobs, at a time when unemployment is around 10%, with the Medicare surtax without any objective exception of increases in revenues.<ref>http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/03/Obamas-Capital-Gains-Tax-Hike-Unlikely-to-Increase-Revenues</ref> ObamaCare will cost 650,000 U.S. jobs if it is not repealed. The Congressional Budget Office says the figure would be more than 800,000 people would lose their jobs.<ref>[http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/cbo-director-says-obamacare-would-reduce-employment-800000-workers_547288.html CBO Director Says Obamacare Would Reduce Employment by 800,000 Workers, Weekly Standard, February 10, 2011]</ref>

==Bill History==
===Background===
In the 1940s in the wake of World War II, European countries and Canada rebuilt their health care systems on a single-payer model. However, the United States continued its system of private health care insurance, which was largely paid by employers to cover the health care of employees. Rep. John Dingell, Sr. introduced a bill to establish a national system of health care. When Dingell died in 1955, his son was elected to represent the same Michigan district in Congress. [[John Dingell]], Jr. introduced the National Health Insurance Act, to provide universal health care in each session of congress.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dingell.house.gov/issue/health-care|title=Health Care|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref> In the Senate, [[Edward M. Kennedy]] advocated universal health care.

In 1965, Congress passed the law establishing [[Medicare]] - a single-payer insurance program for citizens over 65, which was funded through a federal payroll tax.

The United States Congress passed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) in 1986. EMTALA requires hospitals and ambulance services to provide care to anyone needing emergency treatment regardless of citizenship, legal status or ability to pay. EMTALA applies to virtually all U.S. hospitals. As a result, many people who could not afford to see a doctor came to hospital emergency rooms for non-emergency care. Because EMTALA does not have a way of paying for this care, hospitals raised the rates charged to other patients to cover these costs.

On April 12, 2006, Massachusetts Governor [[Mitt Romney]] signed state health legislation which provided for universal health coverage in that state.<ref>{{cite news|title=Landmark Health Bill Signed|agency=Los Angeles Times and Associated Press|date=April 13, 2006|publisher=The Seattle Times|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002927493_insure13.html}}</ref>

Obama during the 2008 elections had campaigned on healthcare reform, promising that the negotiations would not be behind closed doors, but televised publicly on C-Span.<ref>Spiering, C. (2010, January 6). "[http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/beltway-confidential/2010/01/video-obama-promises-health-care-negotiations-will-be-cspan Video: Obama Promises That Healthcare Negotiations Will Be On C-Span]." ''Washington Examiner''. Holan, A.D. (2009, July 10). "[http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/promise/517/health-care-reform-public-sessions-C-SPAN/ Obama Said He'd Televise Health Reform Negotiations on C-Span]." ''PolitiFact''.</ref> He had also promised Planned Parenthood on July 17, 2007, that "reproductive care" would be central to the coming healthcare bill, and that he believed it important for Planned Parenthood to be part of the system:<ref>McGurn, William (2009, November 9). "[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704402404574525962492620186.html The Man Who Made Pelosi Cry 'Uncle']." ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> {{cquote|"Well, look, in my mind, reproductive care is essential care. It is basic care. So it is at the center and at the heart of the plan that I propose... Essentially what we are doing is to say that we're going to set up a public plan that all persons, and all women, can access if they don't have health insurance. It'll be a plan that will provide all essential services, including reproductive services, as well as mental health services, and disease-management services, because part of our interest is to make sure that we're putting more money into preventive care. And so many of women's diseases are preventable if they're getting access to regular care. So we subsidize women who don't have health insurance, or can't afford low group rates. We also will subsidize those who prefer to stay in the private insurance market, except the insurers are going to have to abide by the same rules in terms of providing comprehensive care, including reproductive care, and mental care services, and they won't be able to keep people out as a consequence of pre-existing conditions. So, that's going to be absolutely vital... I still believe that it is important for organizations like Planned Parenthood to be part of that system, because many young women for example may be much more comfortable when they're in college, or universities, or in other places, going to Planned Parenthood clinics and services, to get contraception, for example."
-Barack Obama before Planned Parenthood, July 17, 2007<ref>nrlccomm (2009, August 18). "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqww8jmizug Obama Promises Abortion in Public Plan]." ''YouTube''.</ref>}}

===Democratic Supermajority===
On April 28, 2009, the 2008 [[Wall Street Journal's]] prediction of a '[[Liberal]] [[Supermajority]]'<ref>(2008, October 17). "[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122420205889842989.html A Liberal Supermajority]." ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> proved correct; as the defection of Senator [[Arlen Specter]] from the [[Republican Party]] to the [[Democratic Party]] put the Democrats on the verge of one of the rarest blessings in politics, a Supermajority - complete control of the [[House]], two-thirds of the [[Senate]], and [[Presidency]] so that they wouldn't need a single Republican vote to pass bills.<ref>Davis, S. (2009, April 28). "[http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/04/28/sen-specter-to-switch-parties-democrats-near-60-vote-majority/ Sen. Specter To Switch Parties, Democrats Near 60 Vote Majority]." Washington Wire. ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> Senator Bernie Sanders then urged the Democratic party to pursue single-payer healthcare reform.<ref>keithmsnbcer (2009, April 29). "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGYBbFMeFNc Bernie Sanders on Ed Show]." ''MSNBC''. YouTube.</ref> On May 16, 2009, [[Barack Obama]] urged [[Congress]] to pass health care reform within the year, stating, "Our businesses will not be able to compete; our families will not be able to save or spend; our budgets will remain unsustainable unless we get health care costs under control".<ref>(2009, May 16). "[http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5js3WXGJZSiC4UpHS8rzfumBXGd-w Obama Urges Health Care Reform by Year's End]." ''AFP''.</ref> On July 1, 2009, [[Al Franken]] was finally declared the winner of his election (narrowly winning by 312 votes<ref>Gilbert, K. (2009, July 1). "[http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/al-franken-win-hands-supermajority-to-senate-democrats Al Franken Win Hands Supermajority to Senate Democrats]." ''LifeSiteNews''.</ref>), giving the Democrats their desired Supermajority, and a clear path towards [[healthcare]] reform which Republicans would be powerless to stop.<ref>Hulse, C. (2009, July 1). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/us/politics/02cong.html Congressional Memo - What's So Super About a Supermajority?]" ''New York Times''.</ref> Nevertheless, sickness of [[Ted Kennedy]] and [[Robert Byrd]] along with several other factors led to question marks about the supermajority's strength.<ref>Pergram, C. (2009, July 1). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/01/democrats-senate-supermajority-strong-advertised/ Democrats' Senate Supermajority Not As Strong As Advertised]." ''FOX News''. Stewart, J. (2009, July 1). "[http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-1-2009/indecision-2008---franken-s-time Indecision 2008 - Franken's Time]." The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. ''Comedy Central''.</ref> Democrats maintained this Supermajority until February 5, 2010, when Republican [[Scott Brown]] was sworn in to replace deceased Senator [[Edward Kennedy]].<ref>(2010, February 5). "[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/05/democrats-lose-supermajority-brown-sworn/ Democrats Lose Supermajority as Brown Sworn In]." ''Associated Press''.</ref>
====Locking Out Republicans, Literally====
Democrats were so confident that the 2008 elections displayed [[American]] backing for the Democratic Party that in October 2009 they even changed the door locks for the House [[Oversight and Government Reform Committee]] to keep Republicans from meeting when Democrats weren't present.<ref>Crabtree, S. (2009, October 20). "[http://thehill.com/homenews/house/63941-democrats-lock-republicans-out-of-committee-room Democrats Lock Republicans Out of Committee Room]." ''The Hill''. Pershing, B. (2009, October 23). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/22/AR2009102204442.html Democrats on House Committee Lock Out Republicans]." ''Washington Post''.</ref> The debacle occurred because Republicans were trying to launch an investigation into corruption by Democrat Senators [[Kent Conrad]] and [[Chris Dodd]] for receiving special VIP loans from [[Countrywide Financial]].<ref>Sherman, J. (2009, October 20). "[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28531.html Towns Locks Republicans Out, Literally]." ''Politico''. Klein, R. & Jaffe, M. (2009, October 21). "[http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2009/10/dems-lock-out-republicans-literally/ Dems Lock Out Republicans - Literally]." ''ABC News''.</ref> Democrats canceled the meeting by secretly leaving before the meeting was to begin, and a GOP staffer caught this on videotape, set it to the tune of "Hit the Road, Jack", and posted it on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s minority webpage for the press. Committee Chairman Sen. [[Edolphus Towns]] and the Democrats then had the locks changed in retaliation.<ref>Freeman, J. (2009, October 20). "House Democrats Lock GOP Out of Committee Room." ''Wall Street Journal''. (2009, October 21). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/21/oversight-panels-democrats-lock-republicans-dispute/ Oversight Panel's Democrats Lock Out Republicans After Dispute]." ''FOX News''.</ref>
====Public Option Removed====
On July 8, 2009, Barack Obama met with hospital [[lobbyists]] and struck a deal with the hospital industry to remove the [[public option]] in exchange for the industry's support of the bill, while also reducing costs for hospitals under the plan.<ref>Mogulesku, M. (2010, March 16). "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/ny-times-reporter-confirm_b_500999.html NY Times Reporter Confirms Obama Made Deal to Kill Public Option]." ''Huffington Post''. Manjunath, Y. (2010, October 6). "[http://www.alan.com/2010/10/06/obamas-not-so-secret-deal-with-the-hospital-industry-to-kill-the-public-option/ Obama's Not-So-Secret Deal With the Hospital Industry to Kill the Public Option]." ''AlanColmes.com''. Manjunath, Y. (2010, October 7). "[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/10/07/908619/-Obama-rsquo-s-Not-So-Secret-Deal-With-The-Hospital-Industry-To-Kill-The-Public-Option Obama's Not-So-Secret Deal With the Hospital Industry to Kill the Public Option]." ''Daily Kos''.</ref> {{cquote|"Not to worry, [[Jim Messina]], the deputy [[White House]] [[chief of staff]], told the hospital lobbyists, according to White House officials and lobbyists briefed on the call. The White House was standing behind the deal, Mr. Messina told them, capping the industry’s costs at a maximum of $155 billion over 10 years in exchange for its political support... Several hospital lobbyists involved in the White House deals said it was understood as a condition of their support that the final legislation would not include a government-run health plan paying [[Medicare]] rates — generally 80 percent of [[private sector]] rates — or controlled by the [[secretary of health and human services]]. 'We have an agreement with the White House that I’m very confident will be seen all the way through conference,' one of the industry lobbyists, Chip Kahn, director of the Federation of American Hospitals, told a Capitol Hill newsletter."
-David Kirkpatrick, ''[[New York Times]]'', [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/health/policy/13health.html Obama is Taking an Active Role in Talks on Health Care Plan]<ref>Kirkpatrick, D. (2009, August 13). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/health/policy/13health.html?pagewanted=all Obama is Taking an Active Role in Talks on Health Care Plan]." ''New York Times''.</ref>}} In November 2009, an amendment proposed by [[Dennis Kucinich]] to let states have single-payer healthcare systems without insurance industry lawsuits was stripped from the healthcare bill because [[Nancy Pelosi]] said it would break Obama's promise to let people keep their current insurance plans if they liked them.<ref>Grim, R. (2010, March 18). "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/05/pelosi-single-payer-amend_n_347017.html Pelosi-Single Payer Amendment Breaks Obama's Health Care Promise]." ''Huffington Post''.</ref> Kucinich expressed frustration with the move, stating, "They took single-payer off the table right at the beginning, because the table was set by [[insurance]] companies."<ref>Grim, R. (2010, March 18). "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/29/pelosi-not-planning-to-al_n_339188.html Pelosi Not Planning to Allow Amendments to Health Care Bill]." ''Huffington Post''.</ref> On March 25, 2010, Obama claimed the public option wasn't included "Because we couldn"t get it through Congress, that's why." He also on December 22, 2009 erroneously<ref>(2011, July 27). "[http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/dec/23/barack-obama/public-option-obama-platform/ Public Option Was in Obama's Platform]." Truth-O-Meter. ''Politifact''. Jilani, Z. (2009, December 22). "[http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2009/12/22/74682/obama-repeatedly-touted-public/?mobile=nc FLASHBACK: Obama Repeatedly Touted Public Option Before Refusing To Push For It In The Final Hours]." ''ThinkProgress.org''. Hamsher, J. (2009, September 10). "[http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2009/09/10/yes-obama-campaigned-on-a-public-option/ Yes, Obama Campaigned on a Public Option]." ''FireDogLake''.</ref> claimed that he hadn't campaigned on a public option.<ref>Jacobson, L. & Drobnic Holan, A. (2010, March 26). "[http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/promise/518/create-public-option-health-plan-new-national-heal/ Create a Public Option Health Plan for a New National Health Insurance Exchange]." The Obameter. ''PolitiFact''. Murray, M. & Montanaro, D. (2009, December 23). "[http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2009/12/23/4424556-did-obama-campaign-on-public-option?lite Did Obama Campaign on Public Option?]" First Read. ''MSNBC''.</ref> Following Obama's claim, a liberal group, [[The Progressive Change Campaign Committee]], began airing television ads accusing Obama of breaking his promise of a single-payer healthcare plan.<ref>Seelye, K. (2009, December 23). "[http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/liberal-group-accuses-obama-of-reneging-on-promises/ Liberal Group Accuses Obama of Reneging on Promises]." ''New York Times''.</ref>
====Tax on Medical Device Makers====
The only healthcare industry to not readily acquiesce to the administration's demands for cooperation, medical device manufacturers, were hit with a 2.3% [[excise]] tax.<ref>LeBlanc, S. (2010, June 7). "[http://www.boston.com/business/taxes/articles/2010/06/07/medical_device_makers_new_tax_will_cost_jobs/ Medical Device Makers: New Tax Will Cost Jobs]." ''Associated Press''. Morris, D. & McGann, E. (2009, October 23). "[http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/64493-obama-taxes-pacemakers-heart-valves Obama Taxes Pacemakers, Heart Valves]." Pundits. ''The Hill''. Musgrove, M. (2009, October 14). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/13/AR2009101303015.html Planned Tax on Medical-Device Makers Too High, Firms Say]." ''Washington Post''.</ref> [[The Wall Street Journal]] suggested this was due to retaliation since the tax would add just $40 billion in funds for a bill costing $900 billion.<ref>(2009, September 18). "[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204518504574418941379207328.html The Innovation Tax]." ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> Medical device makers continue to accuse the tax of costing jobs in 2012.<ref>Kelly, S. (2012, April 18). "[http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/18/medicaldevices-tax-idUSL2E8FI25620120418 Medical Device Tax May Spur Price Hike, Cost Cuts]." ''Reuters''. Pecquet, J. (2012, March 26). "[http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medical-devices-and-prescription-drug-policy-/218151-medical-device-makers-decry-cost-of-new-tax- Medical Device Makers Decry Cost of New Tax]." HealthWatch. ''The Hill''. Flavelle, C. (2012, March 22). "[http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-03-22/how-much-will-the-medical-device-tax-hurt How Much Will the Medical Device Tax Hurt?]" ''Bloomberg Businessweek''.</ref>

===Role of Pro-Life Democrats===
====House Bill: H.R. 3962====
=====Stupak's Resistance=====
In June and July 2009 some 200 [[Planned Parenthood]] [[activists]] arrived in [[Washington D.C.]]<ref>Connolly, C. (2009, July 13). "[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/health-care-reform/2009/07/state_of_play_democrats_dig_in.html State of Play: Democrats Dig In Despite Senate Focus on Hearings]." Daily Dose. ''Washington Post''.</ref> and a number of [[Pro-Choice]] bills began receiving support, as the Pro-Choice movement sought to ensure [[abortion]] would be mandated in health care reform.<ref>Novak, V. (2009, July 31). "[http://www.factcheck.org/2009/07/surgery-for-seniors-vs-abortions/ Surgery for Seniors vs. Abortions?]" ''FactCheck.org''.</ref> The Republicans would find an unlikely ally in the [[Pro-Life Democrats]] (Democrats for Life of America). On June 25, 2009, 19 of them, led by Congressman [[Bart Stupak]], sent a letter to House leader Nancy Pelosi expressing refusal to support any healthcare bill with an [[abortion]] agenda,<ref>Kenworthy, Z. (2009, June 30). "[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529632,00.html President Obama's Approval Index Rating Takes a Dive]." ''FOX News''. Russert, L. (2009, July 16). "[http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2009/07/16/4429288-health-bill-to-floor-in-two-weeks Health Bill to Floor in Two Weeks]." First Read. ''MSNBC''.</ref> which firmly stated, "''Therefore, we cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan... By ensuring that abortions are not funded through any health care reform package, we will take this controversial issue off the table so that Congress can focus on crafting a broadly-supported health care reform bill.''"<ref>Gilbert, Kathleen (2009, June 26). "[http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2009/jun/09062608 Pro-Life Democrats Unite to Protect Unborn Children in Healthcare Restructuring]." ''LifeSiteNews''.</ref>

In July, Stupak introduced the [[Stupak-Pitts amendment]] to ensure [[abortions]] would not be [[subsidized]] in the healthcare bill,<ref>(2009, July 22). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5180854-503544.html Dem Says Abortion Language a Must in Healthcare Bill]. ''CBS News''.</ref> but it was defeated 30-29 in the [[Energy and House Committee]], the committee responsible for drafting it for proposal to the entire [[House of Representatives]], when [[Bart Gordon]] sneakily switched his vote from Yes to No last minute.<ref>McCormack, J. (2009, July 31). "[http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/07/house_democrat_introduces_comp.asp Waxman Strong-Arms Vote to Allow Abortion Coverage in Public Plan]." ''The Weekly Standard''.</ref> Chairman [[Henry Waxman]] replaced it with the [[Capps amendment]], which mandated one healthcare plan in each state must cover abortions.<ref name=menges>Menges, D. (2009, October 30). "[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/31/stupak-on-the-attack/ Stupak On the Attack]." ''The Washington Times''.</ref> On July 17, 2009, Obama once more urged rapid passage of the healthcare bill.<ref>(2009, July 17). "[http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hXW-UnAKQIiTxd2SoCN6TDQ0Fm3Q Obama Urges Congress to Pass Health Care Reform]." ''AFP''. Ferraro, T. & Smith, D. (2009, September 10). "[http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/10/us-usa-healthcare-obama-idUSTRE5881V520090910 Democrats Seek to Build Momentum On Healthcare]." ''Reuters''.</ref> Pro-Life Democrats then, in mid-July, nearly stopped the healthcare process in its tracks by initially defeating a rule required to start healthcare reform legislation, 215-214, but Democrats managed to persuade a few members to change their votes, barely passing it.<ref>Pergram, C. (2009, July 17). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/17/abortion-debate-complicate-efforts-overhaul-health-care Abortion Debate May Complicate Efforts to Overhaul Health Care]." ''FOX News''.</ref>

Obama on July 16 pressured Republicans to support the healthcare bill, even as the [[Congressional Budget Office]] criticized the proposed healthcare reform for not paying for itself.<ref>Dixon, K. (2009, July 16). "[http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/07/16/usa-healthcare-idUSN1641208920090716?pageNumber=2 WRAPUP 2-Obama Looks for Republican Healthcare Backing]." ''The New York Times''.</ref> Republicans criticized the lack of [[tort reform]] and insistence on covering 5.6 million [[illegal immigrants]].<ref>(2009, July 22). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/22/president-obama-uses-magnetism-political-capital-push-health-care/ President Obama Uses Magnetism, Political Capital to Push Health Care Bill]." ''FOX News''.</ref> Obama predicted he would be held responsible if the bill failed, stating: {{cquote|"You know, I intend to be president for a while and once the bill passes, I own it. And if people look and say, 'You know what? This hasn't reduced my costs. My [[premiums]] are still going up 25 percent, insurance companies are still jerking me around,' I'm the one who's going to be held responsible."<ref>Kroft, S. (2009, September 13). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18560_162-5301098.html?pageNum=2&tag=contentMain;contentBody Obama on Health Care: 'I Own It']." 60 Minutes. ''CBS News''.</ref>}} Obama initially claimed that allegations of abortion in the healthcare bill were "fabrications" by "people who are bearing false witness."<ref>Bordlee, D. (2009, September 30). "[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113335539 Pelosi & Co. Talk Abortion]." ''The National Review''. Winfield, P. (2009, October 23). "[http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/octoberweb-only/142-52.0.html Health Care Reform Splits Democrats on Abortion]." ''Christianity Today''.</ref> On August 21, he said, in a radio talk show, that claims of abortion in the bill were "not true".<ref name=menges /> However, a detailed [[FactCheck.org]] analysis concluded Obama went too far in decrying claims of abortion in healthcare as fabrications, since his own previous promise of "[[reproductive]] services" in the bill coupled with the bill's wording showed that abortion likely would be subsidized by government under the bill.<ref>Jackson, B. (2009, August 21). "[http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/abortion-which-side-is-fabricating/ Abortion: Which Side Is Fabricating?]" ''FactCheck.org''.</ref> On September 9, Obama continued to assert the bill would not fund abortions, promising immediately after [[Joe Wilson]] famously stood up and yelled "You lie!", that "Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions."<ref name=menges />

In late September after 31 different Pro-Life Democrats had signed various letters opposing abortion in the healthcare bill, Nancy Pelosi and Obama began meeting with their leader, Bart Stupak, for the first time.<ref>Kirkpatrick, D. (2009, September 28). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/policy/29abortion.html Abortion Fight Complicates Healthcare Debate]." ''New York Times''. Gilgoff, D. (2009, November 9). "[http://www.usnews.com/news/religion/articles/2009/10/09/the-countrys-emerging-shift-on-abortion?page=2 The Country's Emerging Shift on Abortion]." ''U.S. News & World Report''.</ref> Stupak denied claims that he was trying to "kill" healthcare reform, stating publicly at the time, "I believe we need comprehensive healthcare reform and I am excited that we are closer than we have ever been to passing a healthcare reform bill in Congress. But any reform must address legitimate concerns, including using public funding for abortions, even if party leaders disagree."<ref>Stupak, B. (2009, October 29). "[http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/65297-i-am-not-trying-to-kill-health-reform-abortion-issue-is-key Stupak: I am Not Trying to Kill Health Care Reform; Abortion Still a Concern]." ''The Hill''.</ref> On October 21, a coalition of Pro-Life groups led by key Republicans, including [[Mike Pence]], delivered a petition signed by 137,000 Americans to Congress expressing disapproval with the healthcare reform legislation.<ref>Brandt, J. (2009, October 21). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/21/house-members-raise-concerns-abortion-funding-health-reform/ House Members Raise Concerns Over Abortion Funding in Health Reform Bill]." ''FOX News''.</ref>
=====Bill Introduced=====
On October 26, the House healthcare bill was unveiled, a 1,930 page piece of legislation, the [[Affordable Healthcare for America Act]] (H.R. 3962).<ref>Allen, J. & Soaghan, M. (2009, November 29). "[http://thehill.com/homenews/house/65409-pelosi-unveils-healthcare-bill-house-moves-toward-floor-vote Pelosi Unveils Healthcare Bill; House Moves Toward Floor Vote]." ''The Hill''. Jackson, J. (2009, November 7). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5570605-503544.html Key Provisions of the House Healthcare Bill]." ''CBS News''.</ref> Representative Mike Pence (R-IN) accused the bill of being a "government takeover of health care in America".<ref>Barrett, T., Bash, D., et. al. (2009, October 29). "[http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/29/health.care/ House Democrats Unveil $894 Billion Health Care Bill]." ''CNN''.</ref> By early November, the House was trying to pass the healthcare bill<ref>(2009, November 4). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/04/democrats-running-time-address-abortion-dispute-health-care-reform/ Democrats Running Out of Time to Address Abortion Dispute]." ''FOX News''. Oliphant, J. (2009, November 4). "[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-11-04/news/0911030597_1_abortion-rights-activists-supporters-of-abortion-rights-hyde-amendment Delay on Health Care Bills Loom in Congress]." ''The Chicago Tribune''. (2009, November 2). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/02/abortion-health-care-reform-question/ Abortion Part of Health Care Reform Still in Question]." ''FOX News''. (2009, November 2). "[http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20091102/editorial02_st.art.htm Abortion Foes Seek to Use Health Plan to Curb Access]." ''USA Today''.</ref> but Bart Stupak claimed 40 Pro-Life Democrats could vote with him if his Stupak-Pitts Amendment was not voted on to prevent abortion funding in the bill.<ref>Bacon Jr., P. (2009, November 3). "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/02/AR2009110203232.html Some Democrats Concerned Over Abortion Provisions in Health Bill]." ''The Washington Post''. McCormack, J. (2009, September 21). "[http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/941kghiv.asp Democratic Dissenters]." ''The Weekly Standard''.</ref> With 218 votes required for passage, this would derail the historic vote set to occur on November 7.<ref>Whitesides, J. (2009, November 4). "[http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/11/05/us-usa-healthcare-congress-idUSTRE5A233B20091105 Democrats Wrestle With Abortion on Health Bill]." ''Reuters''. Soraghan, M. (2009, October 22). "[http://thehill.com/homenews/house/64439-whip-count-shows-dems-lack-votes-on-public-plan Whip Count Shows Democrats Lack Votes on 'Robust' Public Option for Healthcare]." ''The Hill''.</ref> While Senate Leader [[Harry Reid]] (D-UT) sought to create a separate bill in the Senate, he continued to lack the 60 votes needed for a public option, i.e. a government insurance program.<ref>Jen.sen, K. & Litvan, L. (2009, November 2). "[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aTYrPXF97cFw Senate, House Move Closer on Health Bills as Battle Goes Public]." ''Bloomberg''.</ref>
=====Passage=====
Bart Stupak and his 40 Pro-Life Democrats refused to budge,<ref>(2009, November 6). "[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120161271 No Public Money for Abortion]." ''The National Review''.</ref> and Pelosi until the last day tried to play 'chicken', denying the Stupak Amendment its vote.<ref>McCormack, J. (2009, November 5). "[http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/11/post_149.asp Pelosi Likely to Allow Vote on Phony Abortion Compromise Ellsworth Amendment (Update)]." ''The Weekly Standard''.</ref> On November 7 Obama made personal last-minute contact with moderate Democrats in an attempt to persuade them to vote for the healthcare bill without Stupak's amendment.<ref>Haberkorn, J. (2009, November 7). "[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/07/furious-scramble-for-health-reform-support/ Furious Scramble for Health Reform Support]." ''The Washington Times''. Allen, J. & Hooper, M. (2009, November 7). "[http://thehill.com/homenews/house/66787-health-bill-reaches-moment-of-truth Health Bill Reaches Moment of Truth]." ''The Hill''.</ref> A desperate Nancy Pelosi met with Bart Stupak last-minute and at his request, the [[Conference of Catholic Bishops]],<ref>''Associated Press'' (2009, November 11). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/11/catholic-bishops-inserting-influence-health-care-fight/ Catholic Bishops Sway Health Care Fight]." Retrieved from ''FOX News''.</ref> ultimately allowing the Stupak-Pitts amendment its vote, which passed by a vote of 240-194.<ref>Silva, C. (2009, November 23). "[http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/11/23/gvsa1123.htm Abortion Amendment Threatens to Derail Health Reform]." ''The American Medical Association''. Duin, J. (2009, November 19). "[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/19/duin-catholics-celebrate-their-stand-on-health-bil/ Catholics Celebrate Their Stand on Health Bill]." ''The Washington Times''.</ref> While some Republicans had considered voting 'Present' on the Stupak amendment to defeat it and thus perhaps healthcare reform, Pro-Life groups opposed the strategy and were scoring the vote so less than a 'Yes' would change a member's perfect Pro-Life rating.<ref>Hooper, M. (2009, November 9). "[http://thehill.com/homenews/house/67091-house-gop-mulled-present-strategy-on-abortion-amendment House GOP Mulled 'Present' Strategy on Abortion Amendment]." ''The Hill''.</ref> Republican House leader [[John Boehner]] confronted Democrat [[Charles Rangel]] on the House floor, asking whether the Stupak language would be preserved in the final bill or removed in the end, stating, "I have my doubts this language if it passes has any chance of being in the final version of this bill".<ref>(2009, November 9). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/07/republicans-question-abortion-agreement-effort-stop-health-care-momentum/ Republicans Question Abortion Agreement in Effort to Stop Health Care Momentum]." ''FOX News''.</ref> Boehner refused to vote for the bill without a guarantee the language would be kept.<ref>Phillips, K. (2009, November 7). "[http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/07/rangel-boehner-tangle-over-ethics-abortion/ Rangel and Boehner Tangle Over Ethics and Abortion]." ''The New York Times''.</ref> {{cquote|"Republican congressional leaders have to be chuckling right now. In the end, all the [[tea-party]] town halls, [[Glenn Beck]] rallies and '[[death panel]]' rumors may have less of a hand in bringing down health care reform than an intraparty Democratic culture war. Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan, whose amendment restricting abortion coverage on all policies sold through the new insurance exchange paved the way for passage of health reform in the House of Representatives, vows that 'there will be [[hell]] to pay' if his language gets stripped out of, or weakened in, the final legislation."
-[[Amy Sullivan]], ''[[Time Magazine]]'', [http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1939600,00.html#ixzz1vJ6ILjRr Can Dems Resolve Their Abortion Split?]<ref>Sullivan, Amy (2009, November 16). "[http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1939600,00.html#ixzz1vJ6ILjRr Can Dems Resolve Their Abortion Split?]" ''Time Magazine''.</ref>}} On November 8, 2009, the House healthcare bill, newly amended with the Pro-Life Stupak-Pitts amendment, narrowly passed the House by a vote of 220-215.<ref>''Associated Press'' (2009, November 9). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/07/politics/main5570400.shtml House Passes Landmark Healthcare Bill]." ''CBS News''. Condon, S. (2009, November 16). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/09/politics/main5588038.shtml Health Care Progress Report: November 9]." ''CBS News''.</ref> [[Joseph Cao]] was the only Republican to vote in favor of the bill.<ref>Haberkorn, J. (2009, November 12). "[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/12/cao-explains-his-breaking-rank-in-health-care-vote/ Lone GOPer: Health Vote Could End Career]." ''The Washington Times''.</ref> 39 Democrats still voted against the bill, including many fiscally conservative [[Blue Dog Democrats]] and socially conservative Pro-Life Democrats affiliated with DFLA.<ref>Blake, A. (2009, November 10). "[http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/67097-at-risk-dems-defend-their-tough-votes At-Risk Democrats Defend Their Tough Votes on Healthcare Reform Bill]." ''The Hill''.</ref>

=====Reaction=====
Afterwards, Obama stressed that it was time for the Senate to "take the baton."<ref>(2009, November 8). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-08/politics/health.care_1_public-option-republican-filibuster-health-insurance?_s=PM:POLITICS Obama: Time For Senate to 'Take the Baton' on Health Care Reform]." Healthcare Insurance. ''CNN''.</ref> Several Democrats including [[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]] (D-FL) revealed they voted for the bill only with the understanding that it would be removed from the final bill version.<ref>O'Brien, M. (2009, November 9). "[http://thehill.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=66969&pop=1&page=8&Itemid=70 Senior Democrat is 'Confident' that Stupak Amendment Will be Stripped]." ''The Hill''.</ref> The passage of Stupak's Pro-Life amendment in the House healthcare bill led to a letter signed by 40 Pro-Choice Senate Democrats, led by [[Dianna DeGette]],<ref name=thrush>Thrush, G. (2009, November 17). "[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29651.html Abortion Causes Family Feud for Democrats]." ''Politico''. Halloran, L. (2009, November 10). "[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120254656 Democrats Face Backlash Over House Abortion Limits]." ''NPR''. Cooper, C. (2009, November 10). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504365_162-5605926-504365.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody The Left's Stupak Stupification]." Coop's Corner. ''CBS News''.</ref> saying that they would not pass healthcare reform unless Stupak's amendment was removed,<ref>Litvan, L & Rowley, Rowley, J. (2009, November 9). "[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aaqkPE6p_8ig Abortion Curbs Draw 40 Democrats' Threat of 'No' Vote (Update 1)]." ''Bloomberg''. Young, J. (2009, November 9). "[http://thehill.com/homenews/house/67099-liberals-threaten-to-sink-health-bill-over-abortion Liberals Threaten to Oppose Healthcare Bill Over Stupak Abortion Amendment]." ''The Hill''. (2009, November 27). "[http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/11/27/abortion-s-new-battleground.html Abortion's New Battleground]." ''Newsweek Magazine''.</ref> even as Senate Pro-Life Democrats vowed to reject any bills with abortion agendas. Senator [[Ben Nelson]] (D-NE) promised, "If it isn’t clear that government money is not to be used to fund abortions, I won’t vote for it," and Obama assured that "This is a health-care bill, not an abortion bill."<ref>Jen.sen, K. & Litvan, L. (2009, November 10). "[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aI.clKoFb__M Abortion Issue Threatens Healthcare Overhaul Plan (Update 1)]." ''Bloomberg''. (2009, November 10). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/10/abortion-haggling-looms-health-care-debate-senate/ Abortion Haggling Looms Over Health Care Debate in Senate]." ''FOX News''. Franke-Ruta, G. (2009, November 13). "[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/11/a-new-frontier-opens-up-in-the.html A New Frontier in the Abortion Wars: Health Insurance]." 44 - Politics and Policy. ''The Washington Post''.</ref>

On the Pro-Life side, a website, StopTheAbortionMandate.com, was created, and [[Susan's B. Anthony's List]], an [[Abortion#Activist|anti-abortion group]], fund-raised in attacks on the bill, receiving contributions over 50% above the previous year's levels, which it used in advertising attacks on Sen. Harry Reid. On the Pro-Choice side, Stupak's stand drew the anger of liberal groups.<ref>Kirkpatrick, D. (2009, November 23). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/health/policy/24abortion.html?_r=1 Health Bill Revives Abortion Groups]." ''The New York Times''. (2009, November 27). "[http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/11/27/abortion-s-new-battleground.html Abortion's New Battleground]." ''Newsweek Magazine''.</ref> The Progressive Change Campaign Committee performed three "Stop Stupak" fundraisers and began issuing attack ads against him in his home state of [[Michigan]].<ref>Price, D. (2009, November 12). "[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DTNB&s_site=detnews&f_site=detnews&f_sitename=Detroit+News%2C+The+%28MI%29&p_multi=DTNB&p_theme=gannett&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=12BEFFE1532DF538&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Group Raises Cash, Will Take Stupak to Task]." ''The Detroit News''. Clift, E. (2009, November 12). "[http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/11/12/both-parties-abandon-women-s-rights.html Both Parties Abandon Women's Rights]." ''Newsweek''.</ref> [[CNN's]] [[Rachel Maddow]] predicted a revolt among [[women]].<ref>Depke, D. (2009, November 13). "[http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/11/13/stupak-is-as-stupak-does.html Stupak Is as Stupak Does]." ''Newsweek Magazine''.</ref>

Democratic Senator [[Barbara Boxer]] vowed to keep the Stupak-Pitts amendment from passing in the [[Senate]].<ref name=thrush /> White House Senior Advisor [[David Axelrod]] claimed Obama would intervene to change the Stupak language, and Stupak responded with "They're not going to take it out. If they do, health care will not move forward,. We won fair and square. ... That's why Mr. Axelrod's not a legislator. He doesn't really know what he's talking about."<ref>(November 17, 2009). "[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/17/stupak-health-care-stall-white-house-strips-abortion-restrictions/ Stupak: Health Care Bill Will Stall if White House Strips Abortion Restrictions]." ''FOX News''.</ref> Polls taken in mid-November showed public support for the Pro-Life Democrat position. 61% of Americans, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey, oppose using federal money for abortions, while a [[CBS News]] poll found 56% oppose federal subsidies for abortions.<ref>Black, N. (2009, November 18). "[http://www.christianpost.com/news/most-americans-against-abortion-coverage-in-health-care-bill-41906/ Most Americans Against Abortion Coverage in Health Care Bill]." ''The Christian Post''.</ref>
====Senate Bill: H.R. 3962====
On November 18 the U.S. Senate under Senate Leader Harry Reid introduced its own health care bill (H.R. 3962 The Affordable Health Care for America Act), separate from the House bill. Obama called this bill a 'milestone' and urged Congress to pass it quickly.<ref>Bazinett, K. & McAuliff, M. (2009, November 19). "[http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-11-19/news/17939142_1_reform-bill-illegal-immigrants-public-health-insurance-plan Senate Rolls Out $849 Billion Health Care Reform Bill; President Obama Urges Congress To Act Quickly]. ''New York Daily News''.</ref>

Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska attempted to introduce the [[Nelson Amendment]], a [[Pro-Life]] amendment identical to the Stupak-Pitts amendment, but it was defeated 54-45 on December 8.<ref>Feldmann, L. (2009, December 9). "[http://www.minnpost.com/christian-science-monitor/2009/12/nelson-amendment-fails-health-care-abortion-battle-isn’t-over Nelson Amendment Fails, But Healthcare Abortion Battle Isn't Over]." ''The Christian Post''.</ref> Four Senators stood in the way of the bill's passage, [[Ben Nelson]], [[Mary Landrieu]], [[Blanche Lincoln]], and [[Joe Lieberman]].<ref>Tantaros, A. (2009, December 16). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/06/obama-heads-captiol-hill-health-care-push/ The Senate's Health Care Bill Isn't On My Christmas List]. ''[[FOX News]]''. Cordes, N. (2009, December 15). [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/15/eveningnews/main5983872.shtml What Will it Take to Win Over Lieberman?]. ''[[CBS News]]''.</ref> By December 16, both Landrieu and Lieberman had agreed to support the bill since its public option and Medicare expansions were removed.<ref>Haberkorn, J. (2009, December 17). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/17/democrats-recraft-health-bill-to-win-passage/?feat=home_headlines Dems Recraft Health Bill to Win Passage]. ''The Washington Times''.</ref> Lieberman agreed only on condition that Medicare not be expanded to include Seniors as young as 55.<ref>(2009, December 16). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/16/senate-dems-contemplate-half-loaf-health-care/ Democrats' Health Care Wish List Cut Short]. ''Associated Press''.</ref> Landrieu in the process agreed to take $100 million in Medicaid money for her state, and was accused by Republican [[John Cornyn]] as having been "bribed".<ref>Sherman, J. (2009, December 18). [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30783.html Mary Landrieu hot over NRSC comments]. ''Politico''.</ref>
{{cquote|"We are approaching the eve of Christmas and maybe in that spirit, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid morphed into Santa Claus, giving out presents to the little boys and girls who were naughty and (not so) nice this year. Of course, he was not using his own money. America's overused credit card, issued by the Bank of China, may have to be used one more time to pay for Reid's deals. The majority leader traded to help ensure the votes of Sens. Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, Chris Dodd, Bernie Sanders and others representing 11 states by giving them special perks for staying on the health care bus that's about to drive us all over the financial cliff."
-[[Ed Rollins]], [http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/23/rollins.health.care.deals.reid/ Harry Reid Playing Santa With Your Money], [[CNN]].<ref>Rollins, E. (2009, December 23). [http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/23/rollins.health.care.deals.reid/ Harry Reid Playing Santa With Your Money]. ''[[CNN]]''.</ref>}}
On December 19 following 13 hours of negotiations, Senator Nelson finally agree to back the Senate bill in exchange for tighter restrictions on abortion and increased Medicaid funding for his state.<ref name=hersz>Herszenhorn, D.M. & Hulse, C. (2009, December 19). [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/health/policy/20health.html?pagewanted=all Democrats Clinch Deal for Deciding Vote on Health Bill]. ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref> The [[National Right to Life Committee]] opposed Nelson's compromise and said it was "light years removed" from the House bill's language per the Stupak Amendment.<ref>Jensen, K. & Litvan, L. (2009, December 20). [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aim3g2AJwUHI House, Senate Health-Care Legislation: Side-by-Side Comparison]. ''Bloomberg''.</ref> A day later, both the RNC and Rick Santorum then initiated a robocall to 100,000 Nebraskans asking them to call Ben Nelson and ask him to reconsider.<ref>Budoff Brown, C. (2009, December 19). [http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1209/RNC_Santorum_hit_Nelson_in_robocall.html?showall RNC, Santorum hit Nelson in Robocall]. ''Politico''.</ref> On December 22, the GOP led by [[John McCain]] began accusing Nelson of a "Cornhusker Kickback" because his state had received $45 million of Medicare funding in the deal. Nelson denied this, claiming "I didn't ask for a special favor here".<ref>Scott, B. (2009, December 22). [http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/gop_blasts_kickback_health_fix_dAelgwc0jXXhMD6fwB05IK GOP blasts 'kickback' health fix]. ''[[New York Post]]''.</ref> Landrieu's deal was likewise criticized as the "Louisiana Purchase".<ref>Rowley, J. & Gaouette, N. (2009, December 23). [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aIkM0vXz_yxk Republicans Assail ‘Cornhusker Kickback’ Health Deals (Update1)]. ''[[Bloomberg]]''.</ref>

Both the [[AARP]] and [[American Medical Association]] ran ads urging Senators to vote for the bill. On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its bill on a party-line vote, 60-39, without a single Republican vote.<ref>Pear, R. (2009, December 24). [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/health/policy/25health.html Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul on Party-Line Vote]. ''The New York Times''.</ref>

===Reconciliation===
The possibility of splitting healthcare into two bills and reconciling them was rumored as early as August 20, 2009.<ref>Weisman, J. & Bendavid, N. (2009, August 20). "[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125072573848144647.html New Rx for Health Plan: Split Bill]." ''The Wall Street Journal''. Hetchtkopf, K. (2009, August 20). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5255030-503544.html Dems Might Split Healthcare Reform Into Two Bills]." ''CBS News''.</ref><ref>Bash, D., Glass, E., & Walsh, D. (2010, March 19). "[http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/19/health.care.abortion/ Abortion Again an Issue in Health Care Debate]." ''CNN''.</ref>

==Effort to Repeal==
On January 19, 2011, the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] voted 245-189 to repeal Obamacare (56 percent to 44 percent). In an historic repudiation of an entitlement program that was only 10 months old, the House voted to overturn President Obama's health care takeover.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/19/house-poised-vote-health-law-repeal/ House Republicans Vote to Overturn Obamacare in Symbolic Move], [[Fox News|FoxNews.com]], Published January 19, 2011.</ref><ref>An historic repudiation of an entitlement that is only 10 months old. ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', Review & Outlook: [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704590704576091973130244618.html The Repeal Vote], January 20, 2011.</ref> Repealing the bill would eliminate $770 billion in the newly mandated tax increases, according to the CBO.<ref>Philip Klein. [http://spectator.org/blog/2011/01/07/breaking-cbo-says-repealing-ob CBO Says Repealing Obamacare Would Reduce Net Spending by $540 Billion], ''The American Spectator'', January 07, 2011.</ref> The CBO released accounting data which shows that repealing the national health care law would reduce net government spending by $540 billion in the ten-year period from 2012 through 2021; that number represents the cost of the new provisions, minus Medicare cuts. The [[Tea Party Movement]] firmly supports the proposed repeal of Obamacare.

On February 2, 2011, the [[U.S. Senate]] proceeded with a hearing to discuss the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and whether or not the individual mandate requiring Americans to purchase health insurance under penalty of a fine is constitutional.<ref>Amanda Carey. [http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/03/senate-hearing-on-health-care-bills-constitutionality-had-more-show-than-substance/ Senate hearing on health care bill’s constitutionality had more show than substance], ''The Daily Caller'', February 03, 2011.</ref> The amendment to repeal Obamacare failed in the Senate by a 51-47 vote.<ref>[[Michelle Malkin]]. [http://michellemalkin.com/2011/02/02/undoing-obamacare-senate-repeal-fails-47-51-on-party-line-vote-1099-provision-killed-83-17/ Undoing Obamacare: Senate repeal fails 47-51 on party-line vote; 1099 provision killed 83-17], MichelleMalkin.com, February 2, 2011.</ref>

The Individual Mandate requiring U.S. citizens to buy healthcare was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court as constitutional in 2012. It is possible the entire bill could end up getting repealed.<ref>(2012, April 7). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7404552n Obama vs. Supreme Court: How Serious?]" ''CBS News''.</ref> A ''CBS News''/''New York Times'' poll taken March 21–25, 2012, found that just 26% of Americans want the Supreme Court to keep the entire healthcare law intact.<ref>Condon, S. (2012, March 26). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57404793-503544/poll-1-in-4-want-supreme-court-to-uphold-health-care-law/?tag=featuredPostArea Poll: 1 in 4 Want Supreme Court to Uphold Health Care Law]." ''CBS News''.</ref>

Obama criticized the Supreme Court for considering the case, saying to overturn the bill would be "unprecedented" and was criticized by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who said he should "back off. Let the Court do its work. Let our system work the way it was intended."<ref>Condon, S. (2012, April 5). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57410114-503544/mcconnell-tells-obama-to-back-off-on-supreme-court/ McConnell Tells Obama to 'Back Off' on Supreme Court]." ''CBS News''.</ref> Following this, Obama conceded the Supreme Court does have the power to overturn the bill.<ref>(2012, April 5). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7404408n WH Concedes Court's Power to Kill Health Care Law]." ''CBS Evening News''.</ref>

The Congressional Budget Office in 2011 projected that repealing the bill would add $211 billion to the deficit, but this was contradicted in April 2012 by economist Charles Blahouse who said the bill adds $340 billion to the deficit.<ref>''Associated Press'' (2012, April 10). "[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57411669/study-obamas-health-care-law-will-add-at-least-$340-billion-to-deficit/?tag=cbsnewsLeadStoriesArea Study: Obama's health care law will add at least $340 billion to deficit]." Retrieved from ''CBS News''.</ref>

As of February 2015, the House of Representatives has voted 56 times to scale back or repeal the law, but none of those proposals has received consideration in the Senate.<ref name=fulltime/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/3/house-votes-repeal-replace-obamacare/|title=House votes to repeal, replace Obamacare|first=Tom |last=Howell Jr.|work=The Washington Times -|date=February 3, 2015 |accessdate=February 6, 2015}}</ref>

In October 2013, the Congress needed to adopt a continuing resolution to allow the federal government to remain open after the existing appropriation laws expired. The House adopted a series of continuing resolutions which were conditioned upon the repeal or modification of the ACA. However, the Senate adopted a series of continuing resolutions which did not contain such ACA conditions. As a result of the impasse, many federal programs were shut down, and remained shut until the House agreed to funding without ACA conditions.

In November 2016, the ''Washington Times'' reported that [[Paul Ryan]]
:is hoping to work with GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump to repeal Obamacare and replace its heavy mandates and coverage requirements with Republican reforms that rely on free-market levers to incentivize people into buying coverage. <ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/7/ryan-warns-obamacare-wont-be-repealed-clinton-wins/ Paul Ryan’s final warning to voters: Obamacare won’t be repealed if Clinton wins]</ref>

As a result of the 2016 election, Republicans controlled the White House, the House and the Senate. As a result, they followed the original Obamacare playbook and sought to make a bill repealing of Obamacare part of the budget reconciliation, which will not be subject to the Senate's 60-vote filabuster requirement. The Republicans proposed a three phase approach: a bill to repeal Obamacare and the tax provisions, new regulations from HHS, and follow-up legislation enacting the details of the new health care plan. The House committees voted the repeal bill to the floor of the House, but the House Freedom Caucus withheld its support. On March 24, 2017, the Republicans withdrew the bill and stated that they would allow Obamacare to fail, and then pursue bipartisan legislation to replace it. President Trump singled out the Freedom Caucus, the Heritage Foundation and the Club for Growth in a tweet:
[[File:Obamacaretweet.jpg|left|600px|Obamacare tweet]]

== Basic Requirements ==

Beginning in 2014, Americans are required to buy government-approved, private health insurance or else pay a penalty.

Health insurance companies will be required to spend on medical care at least 80% of the premium payments they receive from individual and small-group plans (and at least 85% from large group plans). The federal government will define what constitutes medical care.

=== Immediate Impact in 2010 ===

Creating temporary high-risk pool with subsidized premiums for certain people with pre-existing conditions.

Imposing new taxes on some facilities, such as tanning parlors.

Health insurers raised premiums for Americans as a direct result of President Obama's health care overhaul.<ref>Janet Adamy. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703720004575478200948908976.html?KEYWORDS=health+care+insurance+premiums Insurers Pin Rate Hikes on Health Law], ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', September 07, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703340904575285002595068326.html?KEYWORDS=health+care+insurance+premiums Health Law Augurs Transfer of Funds From Old to Young], WSJ.com, July 25, 2010.</ref>

=== Requirements for Insurance Companies ===

Prohibit bans on pre-existing health conditions in children, lifetime and annual limits on expenses, and limits coverage exclusions of pre-existing health conditions in adults.

Requires family policies to include coverage of children up to age 26.

Allows states to form compacts in order to allow the interstate sale of insurance.

Requires direct access to obstetrical and gynecological care, which might include abortion.

Creates (starting in October 2013) health insurance exchanges or marketplaces that will be state-based and state-administered, but states can opt out of this if certain conditions are met; insurance can be sold within the exchange only if government-approved. If a state fails to set up its own exchange, residents of the state can purchase insurance on a federally-administered exchange. Insurance can be sold outside of the exchange, but only policies purchased on the exchange will be eligible for a premium tax credit.<ref name=pcredit/>

Prohibits health plans from discriminating against providers, but plans are not required to contract with any provider.

Requires health plans to develop politically correct language services, community outreach and cultural competency trainings.

Requires "silver" insurance plans sold on the exchange to implement a premium tax credit program for individuals making less than $45,960 ($94,200 for a family of four).<ref name=pcredit>{{cite web|url=https://www.healthcare.gov/will-i-qualify-to-save-on-monthly-premiums/|title=Will I qualify for lower costs on monthly premiums?|work=healthcare.gov|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref> The insurance company receives the credit from the federal government and is responsible for billing the difference to each insured person.

=== Employer Requirements ===

Requires that employers with more than 50 full-time employees provide health insurance or pay a penalty.

Employers with 25 or fewer full-time employees, receiving average salaries of $50,000 or less, can apply for tax credits in order to provide their employees with health insurance.

=== Medicaid ===

Obamacare expands [[Medicaid]] (medical care for the poor) to everyone (under the Medicare age of 65) who has income less than 133% the federal poverty level. States must pay this enormous new burden, but federal government promises to reimburse 100% of costs of newly eligible patients under this program from 2014 to 2016, and then 90%. Although the law was drafted to make this a required part of the existing Medicare program, the Supreme Court considered an appeal from certain states and interpreted the law as giving each state the option to either retain the prior scope of Medicaid or expand Medicaid. If a state refuses to expand Medicaid, the taxes collected from that state will be redirected to states that have expanded Medicaid, and hospitals will still be required to provide medical care to the uncovered individuals without reimbursement.

On April 10, 2014, Secretary of Health and Human Services Sebelius acknowledged there are extensive backlogs of people in some states who have applied for Medicaid but remain unable to access care because of out-of-date state computer systems. In April 2014, the government said three million people had enrolled in Medicaid from October 1 through February 28.<ref name=Sebelius>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/10/us-usa-healthcare-obama-idUSBREA3918920140410|title=Obamacare enrollment to surpass 7.5 million: U.S. official|first=David|last=Morgan|date=April 10, 2014|accessdate=April 11, 2014|work=Reuters}}</ref>

=== New Bureaucracy ===

Establishes a new Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) program with the goal of creating non-profit, member-run health insurance companies in every state

=== Impact on the deficit and expanded welfare spending ===
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that Obamacare’s refundable health insurance tax credits (or [[tax expenditure]]s<ref>[http://www.concordcoalition.org/publications/facing-facts/1996/0913/back-door-entitlement The Back-Door Entitlement], The Concord Coalition.</ref> in D.C. parlance) will add to the [[national debt]] $1.36 trillion in the first seven years of implementation. 85% of filers who claim the tax credit will end the year with zero or negative income tax liability. Since the tax credit is refundable, nearly all 11.3 million of these filers will have negative income tax liability and will no longer pay the cost of government by contributing federal income taxes. Tax credits, or tax expenditures, are a form of federal un-appropriated [[backdoor spending]].

For example, a family of four at 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (about $48,677 in 2016) cannot pay more than 6.3% of their income for health insurance. The CBO estimates that the average cost of the reference insurance plan (the plan used to calculate the tax credit) will be $14,100 for family coverage in 2016. Therefore, a family of four that qualifies for a credit in 2016 and that makes $48,677 would be required to pay about $3,067 for health insurance (6.3% of household income). The difference, $11,033, is the value of this family’s refundable tax credit. According to the CBO, 20 million Americans will receive health insurance tax credits in 2020 at a cost of $130 billion.<ref>[http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/10-27-11_Obamacares_Subsidies_and_Tax_Distribution_Final.pdf Impact of the Obamacare Tax Credits], House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Staff Report, October 27, 2011.</ref>

== Basis for Legal Challenges ==
===Commerce Clause===
There have been several grounds for challenging the Cosntitutionality of the bill. Obamacare includes an "individual responsibility requirement" compelling persons to buy health insurance or pay a penalty. The one legal justification for this requirement by Congress is the [[Commerce Clause]]:
{{cquote|The individual responsibility requirement provided for in this section ... is commercial and economic in nature, and substantially affects interstate commerce, as a result of the effects described in paragraph (2). ... [Paragraph (2) states,] The requirement regulates activity that is commercial and economic in nature: economic and financial decisions about how and when health care is paid for, and when health insurance is purchased.}}

Apparently uncertain that this would withstand legal scrutiny as a valid exercise of Commerce Clause authority, on March 21 (the same day as passage) the Joint Committee on Taxation released a 157-page "technical explanation" of the bill. This "explanation" grounded the justification for the bill in the tax authority of Congress, and nowhere mentioned commerce. As Professor Randy Barnett explained in an article on April 29, 2010 in the Wall Street Journal:
{{cquote|The word "commerce" appeared nowhere. Instead, the personal mandate is dubbed an "Excise Tax on Individuals Without Essential Health Benefits Coverage." But while the enacted bill does impose excise taxes on "high cost," employer-sponsored insurance plans and "indoor tanning services," the statute never describes the regulatory "penalty" it imposes for violating the mandate as an "excise tax." It is expressly called a "penalty."}}

Professor Barnett then explained that in ''Bailey v. Drexel Furniture'' (1922), "the Supreme Court struck down such a penalty saying, 'there comes a time in the extension of the penalizing features of the so-called tax when it loses its character as such and becomes a mere penalty with the characteristics of regulation and punishment.'" A subsequent Supreme Court decision, ''U.S. v. Kahriger'' (1953), upheld a punitive tax on gambling based on an express statement in the law that Congress was exercising its power to tax. No such statement exists in Obamacare. ''See also Sonzinsky v. U.S.'' (1937) ("Inquiry into the hidden motives which may move Congress to exercise a power constitutionally conferred upon it is beyond the competency of courts."). Professor Barnett noted that the penalty is not enforced as a tax in a customary manner, providing further evidence that Obamacare is based on the Commerce Clause and not on any taxing authority.

Requiring Americans to buy insurance "would invite unbridled exercise of federal police powers," wrote Judge Hudson, a George W. Bush appointee in the Eastern District of Virginia. The federal judge also wrote:
{{Cquote|At its core, this dispute is not simply about regulating the business of insurance—or crafting a scheme of universal health insurance coverage—it's about an individual's right to choose to participate.<ref name=unconstitutional/>}}

It has also been pointed out that because the penalty applies to inactivity, it is beyond the powers authorized by the [[Sixteenth Amendment]].

Since the [[federal]] judge decided the entire healthcare reform bill law was unconstitutional, states such as Alaska have decided not to implement the mandated reforms.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/17/alaska-governor-refuses-enact-obamacare/?test=latestnews Alaska Governor Refuses to Enact 'Obamacare', Fox News, February 17, 2011]</ref> This prompted Obama's Justice Department to appeal to Judge Vinson by claiming that states cannot ignore the new health care law while his ruling is being appealed.

===Origination Clause===
On September 12, 2012, the [[Pacific Legal Foundation]] filed suit in a Washington, D.C., federal court, arguing that the mandate is unconstitutional under the [[Origination clause]].<ref>[http://www.abajournal.com/mobile/article/amended_suit_claims_obamacare_was_enacted_in_violation_of_origination_claus/ Amended Suit Claims Obamacare Was Enacted in Violation of Origination Clause] ABA Journal. Welss, Debra.</ref> The Origination Clause (Article I, Section 7, clause 1 of the Constitution) provides that "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills."

On September 17, 2009, Congressman Charlie Rangel introduced a bill in the House, H.R. 3590, the "Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009," whose purpose was "to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the first-time homebuyers credit in the case of members of the Armed Forces and certain other Federal employees." The bill passed the House on October 8 by a 416-0 vote.

On November 19, Harry Reid introduced his own version of H.R. 3590 in the Senate. He took the bill that had been unanimously passed by the House, renamed it the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," deleted all its contents after the first sentence, and replaced it with totally different content. What followed was the first pass of the Senate version of Obamacare.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/06/29/Justice-Roberts Justice Roberts Turns Obamacare into Origination Clause Shell Game] Breitbart. Leahy, Michael P.</ref>

Thus, the only portion of Obamacare to originate in the House was its number. Congress frequently uses this same practice for many years, and if the Supreme Court were to overturn the law based on the Origination Clause, a large number of other laws would be open to court challenge as well.

==History of Mandatory Coverage==

One of the early proposals (a predecessor to the one enacted) would create a system to require adults (over age 19, U.S. citizens, not incarcerated) to enroll themselves and dependent children in a plan through the statewide Health Help Agency (HHA) unless they provide evidence of enrollment or coverage through Medicare, a health insurance plan offered by the Department of Defense, an employee benefit plan through a former employer (i.e. retiree health plans), a qualified collective bargaining agreement, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the Indian Health Service. The law contains a religious exemption for people, such as [[Christian Scientists]] who do not receive health care. {{USC|26|5000A(d)(2)}}. Each adult would have the responsibility to enroll each child in a plan. Dependent children include individuals up to age 24 claimed by their parents for deductions in the tax code.
[[File:Penalty.jpg|right|thumbnail|200px|If an individual fails to purchase coverage and does not meet the exceptions or the religious exemption, then under Obamacare a financial penalty may be assessed for non-indigent individuals. (Image courtesy See-Ming Lee)]]

===History of Penalty for Failure to Purchase Coverage===

Monthly payments for Obamacare are massive, roughly 12-15% of an individual's annual salary. If an individual fails to purchase coverage and does not meet the exceptions or the religious exemption, then a financial penalty will be assessed for non-indigent individuals. An exemption is available if more than 8% of the individual's household income would be required to pay for the cheapest available coverage.<ref>https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions/</ref>

Fines were to be paid to the HHA of the State in which the person resides. That agency also may establish a procedure to waive the penalty if the penalty poses a hardship. Each State would determine appropriate mechanisms to enforce the requirement that individuals be enrolled.<ref>http://wyden.senate.gov/issues/Healthy%20Americans%20Act/HAA_Section_by_Section.pdf (Link doesn't work.)</ref>

The law that was enacted replaced the state-based approach with a direct penalty to be paid to the United States.

===Privacy Rights===

Section 163 of the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 would have "require[d] the Secretary of HHS to adopt standards for typical transactions between insurers and providers such as claims, eligibility, enrollment, and prior authorization building on the standards in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996".<ref>http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/111/sbys3200.pdf</ref>

==Rationed Care==
{{main|Complete Lives System}}

Doctors have said they anticipate more people waiting in the waiting-rooms, more phone calls, people upset because they want to be seen now. Doctors will be overbooked. As the health care system brings in more and more patients, the system will be overwhelmed. Obamacare will be a tremendous burden for doctors in the United States.

Obamacare will shorten the amount of time Doctors have with each patient, and lengthen the amount of time patients will have to wait. Dr. Sreedhar Potarazu said that the current bill passed into law will create a scenario where the supply cannot meet the demand. Because the necessary health care reform needs are not included in Obamacare, there are still no protections for physicians in the medical industry, and doctors are going into the profession to work harder to earn less.

There will be an oversight board where the government looks at what should and shouldn't be given to patients, regardless of medical need. There is going to be rationing of care, according to Dr. Sreedhar Potarazu. Doctors have agreed there will be "rationed care" under Obamacare.<ref>[http://beta.video.foxbusiness.com/v/4115101/doctors-respond-to-health-care-reform/?playlist_id=87185 Doctors Respond to Health-Care Reform], FoxBusiness.com, March 18, 2010.</ref>

==Disinformation==
{{see also|Jonathan Gruber}}
If private citizens have disagreements, discussions, and dissections of Obamacare, the proposed expansion of federal debt and deficits through its planned regulation of the healthcare industry, whether its communicated through e-mail, websites, blogs, or even casual conversation the Obama administration has asked that these people be reported to the executive branch of the federal government.<ref>McCullough, K. (2009, August 6). [http://townhall.com/columnists/KevinMcCullough/2009/08/06/welcome_to_gestapo-care Welcome to Gestapo-Care]. ''TownHall.com''.</ref> To counter any discussions related to the repeal of Obamacare, or that are against the implementation of Obamacare which will in turn destroy jobs and create more taxpayer debt, a Web page at whitehouse.gov entitled "Reality Check" has claimed that the president's program "would be fully paid for over 10 years, and it would not add one penny to the deficit."<ref>[http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq Frequently Asked Questions About Health Insurance Reform]. Health Insurance Reform Reality Check. ''WhiteHouse.gov''.</ref>

The [[CBO]] is mandated to prepare cost estimates and to show how individual legislative proposals would change spending or revenue levels under current law.<ref>[ http://www.cbo.gov/aboutcbo/budgetprocess.shtml Overview]. ''Congressional Budget Office''.</ref> A July 15, 2009 letter from the CBO made this assessment,
{{Cquote|Enacting the proposal would result in a net increase in the federal budget deficits of about $1.0 trillion over the 2010-2019 period."<ref>Elmendorf, D.W. (2009, June 15). [http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/103xx/doc10310/06-15-HealthChoicesAct.pdf Preliminary Analysis of Major Provisions Related to Health Insurance Coverage Under the Affordable Health Choices Act]. ''Congressional Budget Office''. U.S. Congress.</ref>}} However, deceptively, CBO analysis of the House and Senate versions of the health care reform bills show that they would reduce the federal budget deficit by $109 billion <ref>http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=421</ref> and $81 billion <ref>http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=387</ref> respectively.

In a 2010 report, HHS claimed a provision in the health-care law would extend the Medicare trust fund by 12 years. The Congressional Budget Office released a memo that said HHS’s math was more than a little off.

Health and Human Services Secretary [[Kathleen Sebelius]] appearing on Capitol Hill for questioning admitted to double-counting in the Obamacare budget. Rep. Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania said “The same dollar can’t be used twice. This is the largest of the many budget gimmicks Democrats used to claim Obamacare would reduce the deficit.” <ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/04/hhs-secretary-sebelius-admits-to-double-counting-in-obamacare-budget/ HHS Secretary Sebelius admits to double-counting in Obamacare, The Daily Caller, March 4, 2011]</ref>

==Implementation==
{| class=wikitable align=right
|+States implementing Medicare Expansion<ref>{{cite news|url=http://kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/state-activity-around-expanding-medicaid-under-the-affordable-care-act/|title=Status of State Action on the Medicaid Expansion Decision, 2014|work=Kaiser Family Foundation|accessdate=April 4, 2014}}</ref>
!State!!Status as of April 2014
|-
|Alabama||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Alaska||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Arizona||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Arkansas||Implementing Expansion in 2014<ref group=note name="ar">AR and IA have approved Section 1115 waivers for Medicaid expansion.</ref>
|-
|California||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Colorado||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Connecticut||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Delaware||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|District of Columbia||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Florida||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Georgia||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Hawaii||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Idaho||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Illinois||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Indiana||Open Debate<ref group=note name="in">IN and PA have pending waivers for alternative Medicaid expansion plans.</ref>
|-
|Iowa||Implementing Expansion in 2014<ref group=note name="ar"/>
|-
|Kansas||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Kentucky||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Louisiana||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Maine||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Maryland||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Massachusetts||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Michigan||Implementing Expansion in 2014<ref group=note>MI has an approved waiver for expansion and plans to implement in April 2014.</ref>
|-
|Minnesota||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Mississippi||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Missouri||Open Debate
|-
|Montana||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Nebraska||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Nevada||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|New Hampshire||Implementing Expansion in 2014<ref group=note>NH has passed legislation approving the Medicaid expansion that is expected to be signed by the Governor in March 2014. While the state plans to seek a waiver at a later date, the legislation calls for the expansion to begin July 1, 2014.</ref>
|-
|New Jersey||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|New Mexico||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|New York||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|North Carolina||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|North Dakota||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Ohio||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Oklahoma||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Oregon||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Pennsylvania||Open Debate<ref group=note name="in"/>
|-
|Rhode Island||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|South Carolina||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|South Dakota||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Tennessee||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Texas||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|-
|Utah||Open Debate
|-
|Vermont||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Virginia||Open Debate
|-
|Washington||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|West Virginia||Implementing Expansion in 2014
|-
|Wisconsin||Not Moving Forward at this Time<ref group=note>WI amended its Medicaid state plan and existing Section 1115 waiver to cover adults up to 100% FPL in Medicaid, but did not adopt the expansion.</ref>
|-
|Wyoming||Not Moving Forward at this Time
|}
The ACA as passed assumed that the eligibility for [[Medicaid]] would be automatically expanded in all 50 states. However, some states appealed this provision, and the US Supreme Court ruled that each state would have the right to decide whether to continue Medicaid on its present terms or to expand Medicaid to cover more low-income individuals. Although the ACA provided for the federal government to pay for all costs of medicaid expansion during the first four years, there was no statutory guarantee for full federal funding after that time. So, some states, particularly those with Republican Governors or Republican-controlled legislatures, refused to expand the eligibility requirements for the Medicaid program in their states. However, hospitals faced financial pressures to limit or end free charity care for indigent patients under the new structure, leaving low-income people in a difficult, un-insured dilemma.

Individuals and families who earned enough money to not qualify for [[Medicaid]], and were not covered by employer-provided insurance, were then required to purchase insurance through health care exchanges in order to receive federal subsidies of insurance premiums and deductibles. However, there were massive problems with the online health care exchanges operated by the federal government for states that did not set up their own exchanges. This was true at the start of the open season in October 2013 as well as toward the end of the open season in March 2014. Despite these problems, 7.5 million people signed up for insurance on the exchanges.<ref name=Sebelius/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/04/01/more-7-million-americans-have-enrolled-private-health-coverage-under-affordable-care|title=7.1 Million Americans Have Enrolled in Private Health Coverage Under the Affordable Care Act|work=whitehouse.gov|date=April 1, 2014}}</ref> This number does not indicate a growth in the number of people covered by private health insurance. First, the 7.5 million includes people who became covered by Medicaid expansion. Second, some of the people were already covered by a grandfathered health plan, but were forced to purchase on the exchange so as to receive premium and deductible subsidies. Third, some states, like California, required insurance companies to cancel their existing insurance plans as a precondition of offering plans on the health care exchanges. Fourth, purchasing a plan and signing-up are two very different criteria in determining the viability of government healthcare. The Obama administration has declined to provide "paid for" statistics.

Some people thought that they had purchased insurance through the exchange, but because of malfunctions in the back office of the exchange, the insurance providers did not receive any record of the insurance purchase. The Obama Administration launched a crash program to fix the federal exchange software and in January 2014 replaced the contractor responsible for building and operating the healthcare.gov website.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/01/10/obama-administration-to-replace-top-healthcare-gov-contractor/|title=Obama administration to replace top HealthCare.gov contractor|date=January 10, 2014|accessdate=April 3, 2014|work=Washington Post|author= Juliet Eilperin and Amy Goldstein}}</ref>

Although a number of Americans gave up their grandfathered health care plans for new policies. If the number of people purchasing policies under the ACA is not sufficient, insurance companies will raise their rates in future years, perhaps trapping these Americans who gave up their rights to switch back to the grandfathered plans.

The ACA imposed a mandate for employers who hire more than 50 full-time employees. A full-time employee is defined as someone who works 30 or more hours per week. In response, some employers have cutback the number of full-time employees to avoid the duty to comply with the ACA's insurance requirements. The Obama Administration has postponed the implementation of the employer mandate until 2015. Some employers have cut the hours that their staff could work to under 30 hours per week. For example, adjunct faculty members have found that the number of classes per semester have been reduced so that they will not be covered by employer insurance. House Republicans have passed legislation through the House to increase the definition of full-time worker to 40 hours per week.<ref name=fulltime>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-votes-to-change-health-care-laws-definition-of-full-time-work/2014/04/03/dc0b7066-bb69-11e3-9a05-c739f29ccb08_story.html|title=House votes to change health-care law’s definition of full-time work|first=Ed |last=O’Keefe|date=April 3, 2014|work=Washington Post|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref>

The ACA requires health plans to offer women family planning and contraceptive services. Some employers object that such coverage violates religious principles. This issue has been taken to the United States Supreme Court with a decision expected by the summer of 2014.

Following the troubled roll-out of the ACA, on April 11, 2014, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced her resignation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/11/us-usa-healthcare-idUSBREA3926R20140411|title=Health secretary resigns after Obamacare launch woes|first=Roberta|last=Rampton|date=April 11, 2014|accessdate=April 11, 2014|wprl=Reuters}}</ref>
===2015===
The second year posed a number of different challenges for the law. The open season started on November 15 and runs through February 15, 2015. The federal exchange website (healthcare.gov) did not have as many problems during the second open season as it had during the first. HHS reports that 6.6 million people have enrolled or were "automatically re-enrolled" on the Federal exchange through January 2, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/blog/2015/01/open-enrollment-week-seven.html|title=Open Enrollment Week 7: December 27, 2014 – January 2, 2015|date=January 7, 2015|accessdate=January 9, 2015|work=hhs.gov}}</ref> The fees or penalties on individuals who fail to enroll in health insurance for 2015 are: either 2% of the taxpayer's income, or $325 per adult ($162.50 per child) — whichever is higher.<ref>https://www.healthcare.gov/quick-guide/ Retrieved January 9, 2015.</ref> The IRS will have to implement their new computer systems for calculating the tax credit that each taxpayer was due under the ACA for 2014 and then compare it to the subsidies that the taxpayer received in 2014 and then collect or refund any differences. This may be a surprising new complication to taxpayers as they attempt to file their tax returns for 2014.

According to HHS, 25 percent more issuers have joined their Marketplace for 2015, and consumers can choose from an average of 40 health plans, which is up from 30 in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/factsheets/2014/10/affordable-care-act-is-working.html|title=The Affordable Care Act is Working|work=hhs.gov|date=January 8, 2015|accessdate=January 9, 2014}}</ref> To promote plan enrollment to young people, President Obama appeared on the '''Colbert Report''' on December 8, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/88p9oh/the-word---president-barack-obama---to-health-in-a-handbasket|title=The Word - President Barack Obama - To Health in a Handbasket|date=December 8, 2014|retrieved=January 9, 2015}}(ACA is "half as popular as a grumpy cat video")</ref>
===2016===
The open enrollment period for 2016 began on November 1, 2015, and 11.6 million people signed up for an insurance plan through either a state insurance exchange or through healthcare.gov.<ref name="2016a">{{cite web|url=https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2016-Fact-sheets-items/2016-01-29.html|title=By the Numbers: Open Enrollment|date=2016-01-29|accessdate=February 20, 2016}}</ref> Sixty percent of the people who enrolled in a plan in 2015 and used an exchange in 2016, switched to a different insurance plan.<ref name="2016a"/>

== Obama Administration health care plan and liberal elitism ==
[[File:Arrogant obama.jpg|right|125px|thumbnail|[[Barack Obama]] ]]
''See also:'' [[Barack Obama and liberal elitism]] and [[Barack Obama and uncharitableness]]

In 2007, when Obama was running for the office of President of the United States, he promised Americans "health care that is as good as the health care that I have as a member of Congress."<ref>http://www.emaxhealth.com/10/18430.html</ref> The ACA has a provision which requires members of Congress and their staff to purchase insurance on a health care exchange instead of from the health care plans offered through the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The Obama Administration wrote implementing regulations which would have Congress and their staff receive a subsidy on the exchange-purchased insurance equal to the amount that OPM subsidizes the insurance of all other federal employees. However, during the October 2013 government shutdown crisis, one of the provisions the House added to one of the continuing resolution to fund the federal government was a prohibition of such a subsidy. The Senate rejected it.<ref>http://theweekincongress.com/2013/10/08/how-the-senate-and-house-handled-h-j-res-59-the-continuing-resolution-for-fy-2014/</ref>

The Obama administration's [[Liberal Elite|liberal elitism]] is not unusual when it comes to health care. For example, [[Belinda Stronach]], a former Member of the Canadian Parliament, chose to have a surgical treatment in the United States rather than be treated in Canada for her condition ([[Canada]] has a [[socialized medicine]] system of health care).<ref>http://blogs.dailymail.com/donsurber/2007/09/14/canadian-official-refuses-canadian-health-care/</ref>
[[File:MedSybolBlog.jpg|left|125px]]

Congressman [[John Fleming]] has offered a legislative amendment that would require United States congressmen and senators to take the same health care plan they try to force on others (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt). Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go to his website and sign his petition.<ref>http://fleming.house.gov/index.html</ref> Fleming and other Congressmen advocate ending the health care plans offered through OPM and placing all federal employees under the health care exchanges.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fleming.house.gov/uploadedfiles/fleming_letter_to_president_on_opm_fix.pdf|title=Letter to President Obama|date=August 9, 2013|format=PDF|accessdate=April 17, 2014}}</ref>

===Two-Tier Health Care System===
Socialist regimes reveal their true nature by the special treatment they give to their permanent ruling class; they deny such treatment for ordinary citizens of their country. The worst corruption in socialist regimes flows from that simple two-caste system. Some critics claim there is a two-tier health care system under the ACA.<ref>[http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/obamacare-means-a-two-tier-health-care-system/ Obamacare Means a Two-Tier Health Care System], by James Lewis at ''Pajamas Media'', March 9, 2010.</ref>

The first example of Obamacare's creation of a two-tier health care system was seen as millions of hardworking Americans struggle to make ends meet and watch as their health care costs increase due to provisions in Obamacare. Senate staffers planned to participate in a two-day orgy of back massages, organic food tastings and milk mustache photos as part of a "health fair" for the staffers, who enjoy some of the best health care in the country.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/08/senate-office-host-health-fair-covered-staffers/ Senate Office to Host Health Fair for Well-Covered Staffers], FoxNews.com, October 08, 2010.</ref> The Senate staffers will be treated to seated massages, herbal [[tea]]s, polarity therapy, low-fat [[cheese]] samples and organic foods. A [[pharmacist]] and health coach will be available to speak to fair-goers about their medications, nutrition and healthy lifestyle questions. All of which is at the American taxpayers expense. Of course, the ACA provisions regarding employee health care had not gone into effect at the time of that proposed health fair.

Less than one year after Obamacare was signed into law, 111 [[unions]], companies, and organizations had received approval for Waiver of the Annual Limits Requirements of the PHS Act Section 2711.<ref>Scott Baker. [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/lots-of-unions-are-on-the-hidden-list-to-receive-obamacare-waivers/ Lots of Unions Are on the ‘Hidden’ List to Receive Obamacare Waivers], ''[[The Blaze]]'', November 15, 2010.</ref><ref name=waivers>Applications for waivers from annual limit requirements: [http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/approved_applications_for_waiver.html Approved Applications for Waiver of the Annual Limits Requirements of the PHS Act Section 2711], (as of December 3, 2010).</ref><ref>When the American people learned that the congressmen who wrote the new healthcare law were exempt from it, questions regarding the alleged benefits of the new legislation were raised. Further proof that Obamacare may not be all that it was touted to be can be found in the fact that 111 companies, including a number of unions, have been given waivers to be exempted from certain provisions of the law. [http://www.examiner.com/will-county-libertarian-in-chicago/government-health-care-is-not-law-for-everyone?cid=parsely#parsely Government Health Care is not law for everyone], by Steve Balich, Examiner.com, November 15, 2010.</ref><ref>Warner Todd Huston. [http://biggovernment.com/wthuston/2010/11/15/obamacare-waivers-prove-policy-is-a-jobs-killer-unions-benefit-most/ Obamacare Waivers Prove Policy is a Jobs Killer, Unions Benefit Most], biggovernment.com, November 15, 2010.</ref> By December 7, 2010, the list of unions, companies, and insurers who have used the HHS waiver as an escape to avoid the costly, destructive consequences of Obamacare for their members and employees grew from 111 to 222.<ref name=waivers/><ref>[[Michelle Malkin]]. [http://michellemalkin.com/2010/12/07/obamacare-waiver-mania-continues-list-tops-222/ Obamacare Waiver-mania! continues: List tops 222], MichelleMalkin.com, December 7, 2010.</ref> More than 50 unions have already received waivers.<ref>[[Rush Limbaugh]]. [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_011711/content/01125114.guest.html Why We Must Repeal Obamacare], RushLimbaugh.com, January 17, 2011.</ref> Moreover, three [[Service Employees International Union]] (SEIU) local chapters, including the [[Chicago]] chapter, whose political action committee spent $27 million supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, have received waivers from a provision in the Obamacare law.<ref>Fred Lucas. [http://cnsnews.com/news/article/seiu-locals-including-chicago-chapter-wa Three SEIU Locals--Including Chicago Chapter--Waived From Obamacare Requirement], CNSnews.com, January 24, 2011.</ref>

===Treatment of older patients===
Some critics, including 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate [[Sarah Palin]], have accused Obama of planning on setting up "[[Death panel|Death Panels]]" to judge the worthiness and "cost effectiveness" of keeping certain people alive, such as senior citizens. In spite of public outcry over [[Death panel|Death Panels]], the Obama administration is pressing forward to enact the same measures by bureaucratic regulations, called "end-of-life planning."<ref>Meredith Jessup. [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/return-of-death-panels-obama-to-enact-end-of-life-planning-for-medicare/ Return of ‘Death Panels’? Obama to Enact End-of-Life Planning for Medicare], ''[[The Blaze]]'', December 26, 2010.</ref> Quoting research from the [[British Medical Journal]], the [[Obama administration]] insists death panels are humane: "Advance care planning improves end-of-life care and patient and family satisfaction and reduces stress, anxiety and depression in surviving relatives."
Prior to ObamaCare, uninsured indigent patients would be subject to rationing of care dictated by the limited amount of charity funding available at local hospitals. Insurance companies also rationed care by declining to authorize and reimburse procedures and treatments that they considered wasteful or experimental.

This "end-of-life" care is apparently to be doled out like pork from a salt barrel from the 200 or so "Elderly Care Centers" nationwide that will distribute strictly rationed medication to those in need until such time as the "committee" considers the patient to be too old. 200 centers in the country amounts to about 4 per state on average, though California, Massachusetts and Iowa were able to grab more funding from the Obama administration through a combination of political dealings and judicial activism <ref>http://blogs.smartmoney.com/tax/2011/02/10/lights-camera-tax-scandal-iowa-trial-begins/</ref> The majority of Elderly Care Centers are located in urban areas of states; for example, the state of Kansas has only two Elderly Care Centers for their entire retired population and both are located in Topeka, far from the rural elderly who "need" government help the most. This may be a strategy to reduce the strain on the system by allowing a large portion of the elderly to die off "naturally," while still making a show of treating them in cities, where liberal voters tend to congregate.

There have already been deaths attributed to doctors exercising newly granted authority from these extrajudicial decision making bodies. A young girl, in liberal California of all places, was told that her liver transplant was not "worth it," because she wouldn't live long enough to justify the value of the organ. Though public outcry forced the doctors to change their minds after ten days, but those ten days were enough to kill an innocent child. Another woman, a nurse in Texas, was denied treatment for her breast cancer, purportedly because she was in middle age and was not worth the "investment." <ref>http://dying.about.com/od/ethicsandchoices/a/death_panels.htm</ref>

Under Obamacare, in every state taxpayer dollars originally slated for caring for the elderly in our communities have been transferred to a "Community Health" slush fund run by federal government-appointed bureaucrats. The purpose of this fund is to allow unscrupulous doctors and insurance companies, who are the acknowledged source of our high health costs, to charge ridiculous amounts of money for basic services, without leaving a paper trail or even committing a (legal) crime.

==Polls==
Taken from an [[Associated Press|AP]] poll, on January 17, 2011, Kellyanne Conway, president of the polling company, inc./WomanTrend, pointed out that when asked if voters would favor a law "that would require every American to have health insurance, or pay money to the government as a penalty if they do not, unless the person is very poor," 59 percent are opposed.<ref>Katrina Trinko. [http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/257331/two-new-obamacare-polls-have-high-numbers-democrats-misleading-questions-katrina-trink# Two New Obamacare Polls Have High Numbers of Democrats, Misleading Questions], ''National Review'', January 17, 2011.</ref> {{Cquote|When they actually hear what the health care reform is, they’re opposed to it," Conway said.}}
One week after a federal district judge ruled in favor of 26 states and declared Obamacare to be unconstitutional, Rasmussen's poll of likely voters showed that Americans support its repeal by a margin of 21 percentage points (58 to 37 percent). Among [[independents]], the margin in support of repeal was even higher: 27 points (63 to 36 percent).<ref>[http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/new-rasmussen-poll-obamacare_541512.html New Rasmussen Poll on Obamacare], ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'', February 7, 2011.</ref> The pollsters also point out that many voters don't just want Obamacare repealed — they also want it replaced with a better system.

* On August 29, 2011, the ''[[Rasmussen Reports]]'' national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters showed that 57% at least somewhat favor repeal of the health care law, including 46% who Strongly Favor repeal. Thirty-seven percent (37%) at least somewhat oppose repeal, with 25% who are Strongly Opposed.<ref>Voters Express Stronger Enthusiasm for Health Care Repeal. [http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/health_care_law Health Care Law], ''[[Rasmussen Reports]]'', August 29, 2011.</ref>

* According to the ''Kaiser Health Tracking'' [[poll]], as reported on August 30, 2011, 44% of Americans have an unfavorable view of Obamacare. Only 39% of those surveyed have a favorable view of the law.<ref>Conn Carroll. [http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/poll-obamacare-support-all-time-low Poll: Obamacare support at all time low], ''The Washington Examiner'', August 30, 2011.</ref>

* According to a monthly poll from the ''Kaiser Family Foundation'', as reported by ''[[The Hill]]'' on October 28, 2011, 51 percent of respondents had an unfavorable view while only 34 percent had a favorable impression of Obamacare.<ref>[http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/politics-elections/190399-healthcare-laws-popularity-hits-a-new-low-poll-says Healthcare law's popularity hits new low], ''[[The Hill]]'', October 28, 2011.</ref>

== See also ==
[[File:Dr Obama.jpg|right|150px]]
* [[King v. Burwell]]
* [[Socialized Medicine]]
* [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] (doctor organization which opposes Obamacare)
* [[Accountable Care Organization]]
* [[Single payer]]
* [[Obamunism]]
* [[Barack Hussein Obama#Obama's Medical Administrator|Obama's Medicare/Medicaid Administrator]]
* [[Essay:47 million Americans without health insurance lie]]
* [[Predicting ObamaCare Outcome]]

== External links ==
*[http://obamacarewatch.org/ Website publicizing the numerous, latest harms caused by ObamaCare]
*[http://www.healthcare.gov Official website]
*[http://housedocs.house.gov/energycommerce/ppacacon.pdf Full text of Obamacare, aka Affordable Healthcare Act]
*[http://www.healthcare.gov/news/brochures/info-for-small-businesses.pdf Official site info for small businesses; statement there will be penalties against employers]
*[http://www.castlibrary.com/free_books Three Days of Argument: Obamacare On Trial Audiobook] - Complete coverage of the arguments to the Supreme Court regarding Obamacare
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcBaSP31Be8 Know the TRUTH about the Government Health Care Bill H.R.3200- Key Points video]
*[http://www.aapsonline.org/obamacare-bill/ Obamacare] by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvzLDb2igKM The Obama health care press conference: The Public Option]
*[http://www.cato.org/dailypodcast/podcast-archive.php?podcast_id=653 Collectivism and Obama, McCain], featuring David Boaz, [[CATO Institute]] Daily Podcast, June 10, 2008.
*[http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_071510/content/01125107.guest.html White House Snaps Fingers and Triggers End of Private Insurance], [[Rush Limbaugh]] on how the Obama Administration just issued new rules requiring health insurance companies to provide free coverage.
*FoxNews.com: [http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/01/19/taxpayer-calculator-health-care-repeal Taxpayer Calculator: ''Find Out How Much Health Care Law Is Costing YOU'']. To find out how much your taxes will increase because of Obamacare, [http://www.foxnews.com/topics/health-care-bill-gross-cost-of-coverage-provisions CLICK HERE]. In addition to calculating your individual tax burden caused by the overall health care takeover, FoxNews.com has also broken down the bill into three main pieces: the [http://www.foxnews.com/topics/health-care-bill-gross-cost-of-exchange-subsidies-related-spending.htm gross cost of exchange subsidies and related spending], the [http://www.foxnews.com/topics/health-care-bill-gross-cost-of-medicaid-chip-outlays.htm cost of Medicaid and expense of the Children's Health Insurance Program], and the [http://www.foxnews.com/topics/healthcare-bill-gross-cost-of-small-employer-tax-credits.htm cost of small employer tax credits].
* http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/21/premiums-set-to-rise-this-year-in-run-up-to-obamacare-tax-on-insurance-industry/
* http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/01/memphis-based-medical-company-lays-off-100-blames-obama-care/
* http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/339456/obamacare-s-pressure-points-thomas-p-miller

{{Liberalism}}

==Notes==
<references group="note"/>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:ObamaCare]]
[[Category:Totalitarianism]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Socialism]]
[[Category:Health]]
[[Category:Health Care]]
[[Category:Government Programs]]
[[Category:Welfare State]]
[[Category:United States Law]]
[[Category:Retirement]]
[[Category:Medicine]]

United States presidential election, 2016

2017-06-26T14:55:22Z

FDR: this part of the article is not true or needed

[[File:ElectoralCollege2016.svg.png|thumbnail|right|350px|2016 election results]]
In the '''2016 United States presidential election''', Republican [[Donald J. Trump]] defeated Democrat [[Hillary Clinton]]. The election was held on November 8, 2016. Trump was inaugurated as the forty-fifth president on January 20. Indiana Governor [[Mike Pence]], Trump's running mate, was inaugurated as vice president at the same time. Few predicted that Trump would win before the election and the result was a historic upset.<ref name="HistoricUpset"/>

Trump was elected with an [[Electoral College]] majority of 304 votes. Hillary Clinton got 227, Colin Powell 3, Bernie Sanders 1, Ron Paul 1, John Kasich 1, and Faith Spotted Eagle 1.<ref name=schmidt>KIERSTEN SCHMIDT and WILSON ANDREWS, "[http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/19/us/elections/electoral-college-results.html A Historic Number of Electors Defected, and Most Were Supposed to Vote for Clinton]," ''New York Times''</ref> This result includes two "faithless" Republican electors who voted for minor candidates, five faithless Democrats.<ref name="schmidt" /> Trump received 45.95 percent of the popular vote (63.0 million votes) compared to 48.04 percent (65.8 million) for Clinton.<ref name=NationalPopular>[http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=2016&off=0&f=1 2016 Presidential General Election Results]. ''Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections''. Retrieved January 12, 2016.</ref> A total of 136.6 million votes were cast.<ref name="NationalPopular" /> In such key states as Ohio and Iowa, Trump soundly defeated Hillary with landslide margins as wide as 9 percent, carrying working class voters that previously voted for Barack Obama, whom Democrats now openly derided as "deplorable racists." While, the margins within several tipping point states as Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania (Trump wins), and New Hampshire (Clinton won) had margins around or less than one percent, just providing now-President Trump the needed electoral votes to win the presidency.

Trump's promises to crack down on illegal immigration and "repeal and replace Obamacare" were central campaign themes. Exit polls suggest that the issue of terrorism was a decisive factor for voters.<ref>William Saletan, [http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/11/debunking_myths_about_trump_voters_with_exit_polls.html Debunking Myths about Trump’s Voters with Exit Polls]</ref> Clinton's foundation had accepted multimillion-dollar donations from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two Gulf Arab states that also finance [[ISIS]].<ref>"[http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/264493/saudi-arabia-and-qatar-bankroll-isis-%E2%80%94-and-clinton-joseph-klein Saudi Arabia and Qatar bankroll ISIS -- and the Clinton Foundation]," ''Frontpage Mag''.</ref>

[[Donald Trump]] defeated sixteen other major candidates to receive the nomination of the [[Republican Party]] in July. Former Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] defeated Vermont Senator [[Bernie Sanders]] to receive the nomination of the [[Democrat Party]].

==Primaries and convention==
[[File:Donald Trump (29273256122) Phoenix.jpg|thumb|right|The public's fascination with Donald Trump dominated the first half of 2016 more than any candidate of either party. Trump spent virtually nothing on media advertising.]]

===Republican primaries===
A record-breaking total of 17 individuals formally announced their candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election. Their first [[2016 presidential debate|debate]] was held on Thursday, August 6, on the [[Fox News Channel]], and viewed by a record-breaking audience of 24 million people. By February 14, 2016, after numerous debates and subsequent to the [[Iowa caucuses]] and [[New Hampshire primary]], six candidates remained in the race.

By March 15, half of the delegates were allocated among the candidates, including the key "winner take all" states of [[South Carolina]], [[Florida]] and [[Ohio]].<ref name="washingtonpost.com">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/02/17/if-donald-trump-wins-south-carolina-can-he-be-stopped/</ref> The remainder of the states holding early primaries allocated their delegates using a proportional scheme, which marginalizes the influence of the state.

To have a candidate's name placed into nomination at the National Convention, the candidate must win a majority of the delegates from at least eight different states.<ref name="Rule 40">{{cite web|url=http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3402699/posts|title=Rule 40|accessdate=March 4, 2016}}</ref>

With Donald Trump's victory in Indiana, and [[Ted Cruz]] and [[John Kasich]] subsequently suspending their campaign, Trump became the presumptive nominee for the GOP.<ref name="cnbc.com">http://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/04/john-kasich-campaign-latest-news.html/</ref>

In winning the GOP primary, Trump received more votes than any other Republican primary candidate in history.<ref>Hoft, Joe (June 7, 2016). [http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/06/trump-trumps-wins-historic-race-record-fashion/ HISTORY! Trump Shatters Republican Primary Vote Record by 1.4 Million Votes]. ''The Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref>

====Conservatives increase in number====
The share of [[Evangelical Christians]] in the Republican Iowa Caucus increased to 64 percent from 57 percent in 2012.<ref>Zitner, Aaron (February 2, 2016). [http://www.wsj.com/articles/voters-seek-change-as-iowa-caucus-begins-1454377162 Ted Cruz’s Iowa Win Powered by Evangelicals, Conservatives]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref>

An NBC News exit poll taken at the Republican Primary in South Carolina found that voters have become more conservative:
{{cquote| Nearly four in 10 Republicans casting votes in the primary today described their political ideology as "very conservative"—an increase of 3 points over those who identified as "very conservative" in 2012 and up 5 points from 34 percent during the 2008 Republican presidential primary.

The increase among Republicans voters identifying as "somewhat conservative" is even more significant—now at 43 percent of Republican primary voters and up 11 points from 2012 and 9 points from 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/sc-exit-poll-results-gop-voters-grow-more-conservative-n522716|title=SC Exit Poll Results: GOP Voters Grow More Conservative|work=NBC News|date=Feb. 20, 2016|accessdate=Feb. 21, 2016}}</ref>}}

===Democrat primaries===

[[Democrats]] had to choose between former secretary of state [[Hillary Clinton]], [[Democratic socialism|"Democratic" Socialist]] Vermont senator [[Bernie Sanders]], and former Maryland Governor [[Martin O'Malley]].

====Rigged election====
The Democrat Iowa Caucus was very chaotic, poorly run, and whose results were very questionable.<ref>Samuelson, Darren (February 8, 2016). [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/how-iowa-democrats-couldnt-handle-a-two-candidate-race-218934 Inside the Iowa caucus chaos]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref><ref>Tuttle, Ian (February 5, 2016). [http://www.nationalreview.com/article/430878/hillary-clintons-iowa-victory-transparent-irregularities Iowa’s Transparently Dishonest Democratic Caucus]. ''National Review''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref><ref>Jacobs, Jennifer (February 3, 2016). [http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2016/02/02/iowas-nightmare-revisited-correct-winner-called-caucus-night/79702010/ Iowa's nightmare revisited: Was correct winner called?] ''The Des Moines Register''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> It was reported that the results of 90 precincts, about 5 percent of the vote, went missing.<ref>[http://conservativetribune.com/iowa-caucus-democrat-party/ Iowa Democrat Party Issues Stunning Announcement About Caucus Results]. ''Conservative Tribune''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref>

The Democrat primary was rigged against Bernie Sanders and in favor of Hillary Clinton, and the party was shown to be helping Clinton behind the scenes.<ref>Griffin, Andrew (November 9, 2016). [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/bernie-sanders-us-election-president-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-democrats-primary-results-a7408451.html Donald Trump won election because Democrats rigged system to have Clinton beat Bernie Sanders, says WikiLeaks]. ''The Independent''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref><ref>Hoft, Jim (October 18, 2016). [http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/10/obama-lectures-media-integrity-elections-forgets-democrats-just-rigged-primary-bernie/ Obama Lectures Trump on "Rigged" Elections — Forgets That Democrats Just Rigged Primary Against Bernie]. ''The Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> In addition, the Democrat primary has "superdelegates", who are made up of party leaders and can vote for whomever they want regardless of what the primary voters want.<ref>Resnikoff, Ned (May 16, 2016). [http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/why-will-superdelegates-decide-2016-democratic-primary-unearthed-documents-hold Why Will Superdelegates Decide The 2016 Democratic Primary? Unearthed Documents Hold The Key]. ''International Business Times''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> Even the leftist website [[Salon Media Group]] believed the primary was rigged.<ref>Demoro, Roseann (March 30, 2016). [http://www.salon.com/2016/03/30/10_ways_the_democratic_primary_has_been_rigged_from_the_start_partner/ 10 ways the Democratic primary has been rigged from the start]. ''Salon''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref>

[[Donna Brazile]], the interim DNC Chair, shared Democrat primary town hall questions to the Clinton campaign in order to help her win the primary.<ref>Shaw, Adam (March 17, 20170. [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/17/brazile-admits-forwarded-debate-questions-to-clinton-camp.html Brazile admits she forwarded town hall questions to Clinton camp]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 17, 2017.</ref><ref>Ernst, Douglas (March 17, 2017). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/17/donna-brazile-admits-leaking-debate-questions-to-c/ Donna Brazile admits leaking debate questions to Clinton camp: ‘A mistake I will forever regret’]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved March 17, 2017.</ref> She continued to deny this fact through February 2017<ref>Scarry, Eddie (March 17, 2017). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/donna-brazile-finally-admits-she-shared-debate-questions-with-clinton-campaign/article/2617742 Donna Brazile finally admits she shared debate questions with Clinton campaign]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved March 17, 2017.</ref> and blamed [[Russia]] for the ordeal.<ref>Hudson, Jerome (March 18, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/18/donna-brazile-admits-to-sharing-debate-questions-with-clinton-camp-blames-russia/ Donna Brazile Admits to Sharing Debate Questions With Clinton Camp, Blames Russia]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 18, 2017.</ref>

====Millenial outreach====
Hillary Clinton's shapeshifting was on full display in the 2016 Democrat primaries. At first she posed as an experienced diplomat, [[national security]] expert, and statesman. But that didn't get her anywhere.<ref>See for example Hillary's speech on "The Crisis of Meaning" delivered in Austin Texas, 6 April 1993. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/23/magazine/saint-hillary.html?pagewanted=all</ref> So she appealed to the [[center]] by saying economists claimed Bernie Sanders promises were crazy and would bankrupt America.<ref>http://fortune.com/2016/02/17/bernie-sanders-open-letter/</ref> But that didn't gain any traction either. After the nomination she was matching or trying to outdo Sanders' pie-in-the-sky rhetoric by promising hundreds of billions for student aid to prepare young people for jobs that don't exist. Public Service Ads at one time ran saying, "Get a good job, get a good education". Then came an explosion of government handouts in the form of student loans. Then, in the bait and switch arrangement, students graduated only to find their jobs shipped overseas as the result of government negotiated trade agreements or the US economy's inability to create new jobs bankrupted by government mandated [[entitlement]] programs. Recent graduates found themselves [[serf]]s of the [[IRS]] with no way to repay the debt delivering pizzas.<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2016/01/student_loan_crisis_at_its_ugliest_i_graduated_and_found_out_i_owe_200_000.html]</ref> What would be the way to reform the crisis? Increase [[capital]] formation to create new jobs? Not in the Democrat program. As Bernie Sanders proposed, and Hillary adopted, increase public treasury debt so that all young adults can go to college to graduate and find no jobs.

====Convention shenanigans====
[[File:Sethrich-e1494948876256.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Seth Rich (1989-2016) leaked DNC emails to WikiLeaks. His bullet ridden body was found on a dark Washington DC street two weeks before Hillary's nominating convention.]]
The Clinton dominated [[Democratic National Committee]] showed how un-inclusive it is when it rejected out of hand 42 of 45 Sanders nominees for the 75 member convention rules, platform, and credentials committees. Of the 75 members on the 3 committees (25 each), 72 where staffed with Clinton cronies, and 3 with Sanders supporters, under the party's alleged "proportional allocation" methods based upon primary and caucus results.<ref>http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/bernie-sanders-dnc-rules-committee-222978#ixzz48eixbtTR</ref>

Despite being under investigation by the [[FBI]] for illegal mishandling of classified information during her term as Secretary of State, with the inclusion of [[Superdelegates]] Hillary led the field as the convention approached. The Clinton's have amassed $3 billion over 41 years from political donations. The majority of the money — $2 billion — has gone to the Clinton Foundation.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/clinton-money/</ref> Her campaign has also accumulated $6.9 million from fossil fuel donations.<ref>http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaign-updates/hillary-clintons-connection-oil-gas-industry/</ref> Through the Hillary Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee, she funneled $60 million in donations through 33 Democrat state parties.<ref>http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/04/01/how-hillary-clinton-bought-the-loyalty-of-33-state-democratic-parties/</ref>

Clinton promised to put her husband, former President Bill Clinton, "in charge" of fixing the [[economy]];<ref name="aflcio.org">http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Trade/NAFTA</ref> according to the [[AFL-CIO]] and the Economic Policy Institute, Bill Clinton along with the Democrat-controlled Congress destroyed 700,000 jobs in America with the passage of the [[NAFTA]] agreement.<ref name="aflcio.org"/>

==Republican Party candidates==
{| class="wikitable"4
|-
! Maverick/anti-[[Establishment]]
|-
| [[Donald Trump]]
|}

=== Republican candidates===
A record-breaking total of 17 major individuals formally announced their candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election. Their first [[2016 presidential debate|debate]] was held on Thursday, August 6, on the [[Fox News Channel]], and viewed by a record-breaking audience of 24 million people. As of February 14, 2016, after numerous debates and subsequent to the [[Iowa caucuses]] and [[New Hampshire primary]], six candidates remained in the race.

By March 15, half of the delegates will have been allocated among the candidates, including the key "winner take all" states of [[South Carolina]], [[Florida]] and [[Ohio]].<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> The remainder of the states holding early primaries allocate their delegates using a proportional scheme, which marginalizes the influence of the state.

To have a candidate's name placed into nomination at the National Convention, the candidate must win a majority of the delegates from at least eight different states.<ref name="Rule 40"/>

With Donald Trump's victory in Indiana, and Ted Cruz and John Kasich subsequently suspending their campaign, Trump remained as the only Republican candidate left and became the presumptive GOP nominee. He opposed Hillary Clinton in the general election.<ref name="cnbc.com"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Donald Trump]]
|Business smart, name recognition, holds some conservative positions. Leads in almost all polls. Has forcefully campaigned on the issues of illegal immigration and international trade.
|Celebrity type with a bombastic style that can be a distraction.
|Trump won the [[New Hampshire primary]] easily, more than doubling the votes of his nearest rival. Won the [[South Carolina primary]], Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Kentucky. As of March 7, he enjoys a lead in the polls in Florida and Michigan. He originally announced his candidacy on June 16, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/</ref>

|-

|}

=== Other possible Republican candidates ===
These individuals expressed interest in running or have been mentioned as possible candidates, which could happen if none of the existing candidates attains a majority of the delegates prior to the [[Republican National Convention]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Paul Ryan]]
|Endorsed by former Speaker [[John Boehner]] and a proven conservative; ran on 2012 national ticket.
|Happy being speaker
|Boehner withdrew support and shifted to [[John Kasich]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/03/16/john-boehner-withdraws-2016-support-for-paul-ryan-backs-john-kasich-until-first-vote/|title=John Boehner Withdraws 2016 Support for Paul Ryan, Backs John Kasich Until First Vote|date=March 16, 2016|accessdate=March 17, 2016}}</ref>
|-
|[[Sarah Palin]]
|Very popular with the conservative base, record of cutting the size of government, expert on energy issues. Already experienced on national ticket.
|Thanks to the media, the electorate has already made up their minds about her. May prefer the role of commentator and not run for her and her children's sakes.
|
|-
|[[Condoleezza Rice]]
|Articulate, popular, foreign policy experience, takes the race and gender cards off the table, gave impassioned speech at the RNC, inspiring childhood story.
|Pro-choice, ties to Bush administration, never elected to any office, just appointed; left-wing immigration stance, had role leading up to [[Iraq War]], single status will mean she won't have the emotional support of a family for a Presidential run as [[Laura Bush]] has said; admired by some conservatives, disliked by others like [[paleoconservatives]] and from how [[Dick Cheney]] and [[Donald Rumsfeld]] have criticized her, she doesn't even have all the [[neoconservatives]] wrapped up.
|Some conservatives would think her running would be a good idea, others wouldn't. She declined to run in 2008 and 2012, but from the speculation she was going to be Romney's VP, she might this time.
|-
|[[John Thune]]
|Senator who defeated [[Tom Daschle]], relatively conservative for a Senator.
|Voted for TARP and often votes for other spending bills the leadership pushes, not well known.
|
|-
|[[Susana Martinez]]
|Gave a good speech at the RNC, conservative Governor of a blue state, Hispanic.
|Might not be interested, expanded Medicare in her state.
|
|-
|[[Jan Brewer]]
|Former governor of Arizona. If she were to run, would use potent immigration issue as foil to Rubio. Can take its mantle and change debate to pressure other candidates to tack right on the issue. Outspoken critic of Obama.
|Expanded Medicare waiver for Obamacare, and is no longer in elective office. Has lost some support from conservatives.
|
|-
|[[Kelly Ayotte]]
|Represents a swing state
|Voted in favor of amnesty
|If Rubio had been the Presidential nominee, he was likely to make Ayotte his running mate hoping the ticket will appeal to two swing states (Florida and New Hampshire), Hispanics, and women, offsetting Hillary with the last group. Both Rubio and Ayotte have been taken under the wings of McCain and Graham since getting in the Senate.
|-
|[[Allen West]]
|Conservative black Congressman from Florida who speaks his mind, some conservative activists insist that he run.
|Lost his race for re-election to the House two years after getting voted in.
|Has compared his loss to [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s before he became President in a radio interview.
|-
|[[Brian Sandoval]]
|Hispanic, fiscal conservative
|Pro-abortion, expanded Medicare in his state, [[Harry Reid]] did not seem to mind his performance as Governor.<ref>http://blogs.rgj.com/politics/2013/02/20/reid-says-hell-run-for-re-election-in-2016-wont-comment-on-sandoval-as-opponent/</ref>
|Sandoval later announced he would not run for President. He is capable of winning Reid's seat for the U.S. Senate instead with Reid's pending retirement.
|}

=== Republican candidates who dropped out of the race ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Jeb Bush]]
|Unable to win Florida, has Hispanic wife and kids, multilingual, backing of [[Karl Rove]]. Had the backing of most [[George H.W. Bush#Family|Bush family]] members, despite the comment from his mother, [[Barbara Bush|Barbara]], who stated, "We've had enough Bushes" during an April 2013 interview.<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51667537#51667537</ref>
|Outspokenly supports amnesty and Common Core, neither Tea Partiers or independent voters want a third Bush, told GOP primary voters they wouldn't elect Reagan today.
|Bush officially announced his candidacy on June 15, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/15/after-long-wind-up-bush-set-to-enter-2016-white-house-race/</ref>
|-
|[[Rick Perry]]
|Strong record of experience as Governor of [[Texas]]. Supports [[Second Amendment]]. Before the next election he might see a debating coach. Strong fundraiser. Not expanding [[Medicare]] to adjust for [[Obamacare]] like some other Governors are doing.
|Performed poorly in the last time, is an also-ran without [[Rick Santorum]]'s likely momentum in a race that will probably also have multiple other Republican Governors, also signed a state version of the DREAM Act and mandated vaccines for schoolgirls.
|Perry announced his candidacy on June 4, 2015. Perry became the first candidate to drop out of the race in September 2015.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/09/11/rick-perry-drops-out-of-2016-presidential-race/ RICK PERRY DROPS OUT OF 2016 PRESIDENTIAL RACE, Breitbart, September 11, 2015]</ref>
|-
|[[Scott Walker]]
|A once-seeming [[movement conservative]] who defeated a recall that was pushed by [[George Soros]] and the unions, exhibited conservative determination in passing right-to-work in his state and surviving the relentless union attacks that followed.
|[[AFL-CIO]] and the other union special interests have him as a top target, but he stood his ground until recently where he's starting to adopt RINO stances on issues, such as refusing to speak out against [[same-sex marriage]] in a meaningful way and not taking a strong stance against the ''[[Obergefell]]'' decision.
|Walker formally announced his candidacy on July 13, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/13/walker-announces-2016-white-house-bid/</ref> To announce dropping out Sept. 21st, 2015.
|-
|[[Bobby Jindal]]
|Populist conservative who says conservatives should be skeptical of big business, Indian-American, cleaned up Louisiana after Katrina and Governor Blanco, evangelical who also focuses on energy issues like Perry before him.
|Severely lacking in charisma.
|Jindal announced the formation of an exploratory committee on May 18, 2015.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/18/politics/bobby-jindal-forms-exploratory-committee/</ref> Jindal announced his candidacy on June 24, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/24/louisiana-gov-jindal-looks-ready-to-jump-into-2016-race/</ref>
|-
|[[Lindsey Graham]]
|Moderate Senator from South Carolina. Is pro-military and an advocate for a strong national defense. Good public speaker.
|Widely seen as a liberal on immigration issues. Is considered a clone of Sen. [[John McCain]] in the Senate.
|Announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee in January 2015. Graham announced his candidacy on June 1, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/01/graham-set-to-enter-2016-race-with-focus-on-middle-east/</ref>
|-
|[[George Pataki]]
|Former governor of a large state.
|Very low name-recognition nationally.
|Pataki announced his candidacy on May 28, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/28/former-new-york-gov-pataki-announces-run-for-2016-gop-presidential-nomination/</ref>
|-
|[[Mike Huckabee]]
|Former Arkansas governor who ran well in the 2008 primaries, and is particularly popular with [[evangelicals]]. He is the strongest candidate against [[judicial supremacy]] and the [[homosexual agenda]]. Huckabee has kept himself in the public eye for the past six and a half years as the host of a news-and-commentary show on the Fox network.
|His record on social issues is rock solid, but some question his record on fiscal issues.
|On September 2, 2015, he announced his support for the [[Christian]] Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, and telephoned her as other candidates were either ducking the issue, or speaking out against her. Huckabee launched an exploratory committee on April 17, 2015.<ref>http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/huckabee-set-to-announce-claims-ive-beaten-clinton-political-machine/article/2563219</ref> He announced his candidacy on May 5, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/05/huckabee-announces-2016-white-house-bid/</ref>
|-
|[[Rand Paul]]
|Son of [[Ron Paul]], voted against GOP establishment's spending compromise bills, advocate for cutting spending, can unite libertarians and conservatives, voted against NDAA. Made waves with historic [[filibuster]] against [[CIA]] director John Brennan over the Obama administration's claimed authority to use drone strikes against US citizens on American soil.
|Some of his father's more hardcore followers think he's a "traitor" for endorsing [[Mitt Romney]] in 2012, voted for [[Chuck Hagel]] as Defense Secretary. Supported the Supreme Court's liberal wing when it struck down Section 3 of the [[Defense of Marriage Act]], suggesting he's somewhat supportive of the [[Homosexual Agenda]].
|Has criticized [[Paul Ryan]], [[Jeb Bush]], and [[Chris Christie]] as a candidate might, delivered 2013 Tea Party response to the SOTU, which the news media didn't cover. Announced candidacy on April 7, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325139-1/senator-rand-paul-rky-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
|-
|[[Rick Santorum]]
|Strong social conservative base, runner-up in the 2012 primary, by 2016 endorsing [[RINO]]-turned-Democrat [[Arlen Specter]] will be a distant memory for many because he died in 2012. Strongly opposed to [[homosexual agenda]].
|May have been a [[stalking horse]] for Romney in the last election, which he'll vehemently deny; in 2016 voters may want a new face to lead the party instead of an also-ran, media portrays as fanatic, voted for Bush's spending to be 'part of the team'.
|Has founded an organization called Patriot Voices which may serve as a fulcrum for his campaign. Santorum announced his candidacy on May 27, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/27/santorum-set-to-announce-2016-plans-wednesday/</ref> Is currently near the bottom of the field of 17 Republican candidates.
|-
|[[Chris Christie]]
|Blunt criticism of teacher's unions won conservatives over for about a year, [[Ann Coulter]] supported him.
|Unprofessional style, abrasive, overweight, praised Obama's Hurricane Sandy efforts only days before the 2012 election, has gotten heat for appointing Sharia judge and having pro-abortion Lieutenant Governor. Not endearing himself to conservatives with his statements on things like gun control.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/30/christie-announces-2016-bid-for-white-house-becomes-14th-gop-hopeful/</ref>
|Dropped out and endorsed Donald Trump.
|-
|[[Carly Fiorina]]
|Former CEO, a good track record of attacking liberalism. Has gained support and attention since the first debate. She was widely considered the winner of the preliminary debate held for those not in the Top Ten as rated by the polls.
|Failed to win an election as a candidate for Senator, rejected Tea Party support, embraces the establishment GOP.
|Her entrance in the 2016 campaign would deny Democrats and Hillary Clinton the image of men vs. a women argument, aka 'war on women'. Fiorina formally launched her campaign for the Republican nomination on May 4, 2014.<ref>http://www.wsj.com/articles/carly-fiorina-im-running-for-president-1430739879</ref>
|-
|[[Ben Carson]]
|Plain-spoken, with common-sense solutions to the country's problems.
|Has said states can enact [[gun control]]. Much of his time during debates has been spent on humor or general apolitical remarks.
|The world-renowned surgeon made waves by skewering Obama's policies at the White House correspondent's dinner. Carson formally announced his candidacy on May 4, 2015, in Detroit, saying ""I'm Ben Carson, and I'm a candidate for president of the United States."<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/04/ben-carson-tells-tv-station-is-running-for-president/</ref> Dropped out on March 4, 2016 at CPAC.
|-
|[[Marco Rubio]]
|Favorite of [[Fox News]], articulate, Hispanic, able to win key battleground state of [[Florida]] since he's from there, was on Romney's shortlist in 2012.
Though perhaps initially a [[stalking horse]] for Jeb Bush, Rubio began to excel on his own and attract donors independent of the [[Establishment]], and insists on campaigning hard to win the nomination.
|Rubio used to be a Tea Party favorite when he defeated [[RINO]] [[Charlie Crist]], but some soured on his actions beginning with his efforts with [[Chuck Schumer]] as part of the so-called "Gang of Eight" to enact pro-immigration legislation.<ref>Rubio has also been criticize for denouncing [[Michele Bachmann]]'s investigation into [[Huma Abedin]] an for sending troops into Syria.</ref>
|Visited Iowa in December 2012 to speak at [[Jack Kemp]] library, delivered GOP response to Obama's 2013 SOTU, put his capital on the line working with seven other Senators on a controversial amnesty plan many conservatives oppose but has now eased away from it. Announced candidacy on April 13, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325251-1/senator-marco-rubio-rfl-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref> Won in Minnesota and Puerto Rico. Dropped on out March 15, 2016 after losing the Florida Primary.
|-
|[[Ted Cruz]]
|Previously active in the [[tea-party movement]], solid on opposition to Obamacare and gun control. Good debater.
|Like Obama, some question as to eligibility. As a first-term Senator, relatively inexperienced. Alienated some due to role in government shutdown.
|Bypassed the exploratory committee process and instead made his formal announcement of candidacy on March 23, 2015.<ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?324979-1/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref> Has gained in the polls since the first debate. By March, he'd won in Iowa, Maine, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Alaska.
|-
|[[John Kasich]]
|Two-term Ohio Governor, former U.S. Congressman. Popular with establishment types after Jeb Bush's withdrawal from the race.
|Expanded Medicare in his state, said the [[Bible]] supports [[Obamacare]], D.C. beltway insider, and will not oppose [[same-sex marriage]].
|On July 21, 2015, Kasich officially declared his candidacy, stating, "I have decided to run for president of the United States."<ref>http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/07/21/john-kasich-presidential-announcement.html</ref>
|}

==Democrat Party candidates==

===Announced Democrat candidates===
These individuals formally announced their candidacy for the Democrat nomination in the 2016 presidential election.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Hillary Clinton]]
|Has wanted to be President for decades, has Clinton machine and big money behind her, teflon image helped along by the media, quitting Secretary of State position lets her run, she will have the "sexist" card at her disposal.
|Role in Benghazi and decades worth of scandals going back to the 90s, cheerleaded for the Iraq war, facing corruption chargesfeminist. Bill Clinton may be a distraction.
|Clinton announced her candidacy on April 12, 2015.<ref>https://www.hillaryclinton.com</ref>
|-
|[[Bernie Sanders]]
|Independent that is lockstep with the Democrat party. Popular among socialists.
|As head of the Veterans Affairs Committee, he has done nothing to fix scandals and help veterans. Endorses Obama's policies.
|At a press conference on April 30, 2015, Sanders announced that he is running for the Democrat nomination.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/29/vermont-sen-bernie-sanders-am-running-for-president/</ref>
|-
|}

[[Democrats]] will not have a choice other than [[liberal]] Hillary Clinton. If a competitive race were allowed by the party bosses and [[Superdelegates]] (and it won't be), the candidates mentioned below her could be contenders:

===Other possible Democrat candidates===
These individuals expressed interest in running or were mentioned as possible candidates.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Joe Biden]]
|Tries to set image as he's "one of the folks" even though he's a millionaire. He'll have Obama's Chicago machine. Incumbent VPs often receive the party nomination
|Very gaffe-prone, VP to an unpopular administration.
|Currently yukking it up as Obama's Vice-President and has openly expressed some interest in running. Hasn't talked about running...yet. Should be good seeing how he and Hillary deal with each other on the stage if they both run.
|-
|[[Andrew Cuomo]]
|Tried to make himself look like a fiscal conservative, he's part of a political family like Jeb and Hillary, governor of a large state.
|Uncompelling, declared intentions to seize guns from lawful gun owners, which he's used executive orders to do.
|His late father, the former Governor, said he expected him to run. His gun confiscating executive orders are not sitting well with the American people by and large.
|-
|[[Mark Warner]]
|Senator from a swing state with a relatively moderate record compared to others, might try to get points with independents that the other Democrats won't have.
|He votes with his party most of the time, voted for gun control even though he claims to be pro-gun.
|
|-
|[[Elizabeth Warren]]
|Popular in [[Occupy Wall Street]] and other progressive circles, elected in very competitive Senate race.
|Caught lying about being a Native American so she could get [[affirmative action]] at Harvard, her very liberal views and rhetoric probably would not have resonated in states less liberal than [[Massachusetts]].
|Won election to the Senate in November 2012 against [[Scott Brown]].
|-
|[[Al Gore]]
|Former Senator and Vice-President. Represented a conservative leaning Southern state (although as of the 2016 election, it is one of the most Republican states in the nation). Since leaving office, Gore has made a career out of lecturing the world on the dangers of "Climate Change."
|
|Is being talked up as a possible candidate by Democrats worried about the scandals attached to Hillary Clinton.
|}

=== Democrat candidates that dropped out of the race ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate
!Pros
!Cons
!Trending ...
|-
|[[Lincoln Chafee]]
|Former governor of Rhode Island, former Republican.
|
|Chafee announced his candidacy on June 3, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/03/former-ri-gov-lincoln-chafee-one-time-republican-declares-candidacy-for/</ref>
|-
|[[Jim Webb]]
|Former Virginia Senator and Secretary of the Navy.
|Webb's surprise candidacy looks like a public relations stunt by Democrat bosses to make the party look more mainstream than it really is. It is doubtful that this is a serious attempt to win the nomination.
|Announced his candidacy July 2, 2015 <ref>http://www.webb2016.com</ref>
|-
|[[Martin O'Malley]]
|Former governor of Maryland. Partisan and aggressive liberal.
|Martin who? He has low name recognition. Fiercely supports raising taxes and other very liberal stances, although that might help in the primary.
|O'Malley announced his candidacy on May 30, 2015.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/30/omalley-returns-to-baltimore-set-to-seek-democratic-nomination-2016-white-house/</ref>
|}

==General election==
Hillary Clinton lead the Real Clear Politics averages of polls for 101 days straight, from the end of the Democratic National Convention until election eve. The Clinton organization blamed Hillary's loss on the [[misogyny]] and [[bigot]]ry of the American people, particularly among women.<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/15/get-this-now-hillarys-campaign-is-saying-she-lost-because-white-women-are-misogynist-video/ GET THIS: Now Hillary’s Campaign Is Saying She Lost Because WHITE WOMEN ARE ‘MISOGYNIST']"</ref>

===The Trump campaign===
Trump's central campaign theme has been to oppose [[illegal immigration]] and [[free trade]], and he enlisted Senator [[Jeff Sessions]] as an adviser on this issue. As reported by [[Breitbart News Network|Breitbart]], "Sen. Sessions, Chairman of the Senate’s Immigration Subcommittee, is widely regarded as the gold standard on immigration. Sessions has also become the intellectual thought leader in the Republican Party on appealing to the blue collar voters who have been abandoned by their political leaders." <ref>Hahn, Julia (August 14, 2015). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/08/14/game-change-trump-consults-with-sen-jeff-sessions-on-immigration-strategy/ "Game change: Trump consults with Sen Jeff Sessions on immigration strategy"]. Breitbart website/Big government.</ref> However, in recent months, Trump has focused more on [[ISIS]] and terrorism.

At the final presidential debate between [[Hillary Clinton]] and Trump on October 19, 2016, Clinton chastised Trump for running a newspaper advertisement in 1987 critical of the [[Reagan Administration]]. But Trump persuasively explained that he has always disagreed with Reagan's support of free trade, as many other [[conservatives]] disagree with Reagan on this issue.

====Quotes====
[[File:Donald Trump and Mike Pence RNC July 2016.jpg|thumb|Trump and his running-mate, [[Mike Pence]], at the 2016 Republican National Convention.]]
Trump's tactics of naming and shaming candidates has been proven very effective. He called Jeb Bush 'low-energy Jeb' and it stuck. Then came Marco Rubio as 'Little Marco.' Next came 'Lyin' Ted' for Ted Cruz. For the Democrats, he calls Hillary Clinton 'Crooked Hillary'. He doesn't give Bernie Sanders the same treatment though he has referred to him as a Communist.

*“We will no longer surrender this country or its people to the false song of [[globalism]].”
*"I think we have a president who, as a president, is totally incompetent, and he doesn’t know what he’s doing. I think he has no idea what he’s doing. And our country is going to [[hell]]."<ref>http://time.com/4210983/republican-debate-barack-obama-incompetent/</ref>
*"I will be the greatest jobs president that [[God]] ever created."
*"I’m using my own money. I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich."
*"Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people."
*"Nobody would be tougher on ISIS than Donald Trump. Nobody. Within our military, I will find the General Patton, or I will find General MacArthur, I will find the right guy."
*"I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have [[Mexico]] pay for that wall."
*"I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct."<ref>http://video.foxnews.com/v/4406746003001/watch-a-replay-of-fox-news-prime-time-presidential-debate/?#sp=show-clips</ref><ref>[https://www.google.com/search?q=a+big+problem+with+our+country+is+too+politically+incorrect&oq=a+big+problem+with+our+country+is+too+politically+incorrect&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64l3.8295j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8]</ref>
*"Becoming the nominee of the party of [[Abraham Lincoln]] has been the greatest honor of my life.<ref>http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/294401-trump-claims-party-of-lincoln-mantle-in-speech-at-black</ref>

====General election debate quotes====
*"Because you would be in jail." (Trump in response to Clinton saying that it would be a good thing that he "is not in charge of the law in our country")<ref name="2ndTranscript">[http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/2016-presidential-debate-transcript-229519 Full transcript: Second 2016 presidential debate]. ''Politico''. October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.</ref>
*"Now she’s blaming the lie on the late great Abraham Lincoln. ...Honest Abe never lied. That’s the good thing. That's the big difference between Abraham Lincoln and you." (Trump in response to Clinton's excuse for having "'a public and private position on certain issues.'")<ref name="2ndTranscript"/>
*"Hillary has experience, but it’s bad experience."<ref>Goodenough, Patrick (September 27, 2016). [http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/ Trump: 'Hillary Has Experience, But It's Bad Experience']. ''cnsnews.com''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref>

====Quotes from Twitter====
[[File:Screenshot 2015-09-28-12-11-31-1.png|right|300px|Thumb|Tweet from Billionaire Carl Icahn]]
<center>{{Cquote| '''Somebody said I’m the Ernest Hemingway of 140 characters.'''}}</center>
* "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (August 6, 2012, 1:23 pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/232572505238433794 "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
* "It’s amazing how people can talk about me but I’m not allowed to talk about them."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (November 13, 2012, 12:23pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/268449146711703553 "It’s amazing how people can talk about me but I’m not allowed to talk about them."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
* "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (January 1, 2014, 4:39pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/418542137899491328 "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>

====2015 quotes====
* "So many 'politically correct' fools in our country. We have to all get back to work and stop wasting time and energy on nonsense!" (August 8, 2015)
* "Notice that illegal immigrants will be given ObamaCare and free college tuition but nothing has been mentioned about our VETERANS #DemDebate" (October 13, 2015)
* "They laughed at me when I said to bomb the ISIS controlled oil fields. Now they are not laughing and doing what I said." (November 13, 2015)
* "President Obama said 'ISIL continues to shrink' in an interview just hours before the horrible attack in Paris. He is just so bad! CHANGE." (November 14, 2015)
* "Refugees from Syria are now pouring into our great country. Who knows who they are - some could be ISIS. Is our president insane?" (November 17, 2015)
* "Eight Syrians were just caught on the southern border trying to get into the U.S. ISIS maybe? I told you so. WE NEED A BIG & BEAUTIFUL WALL!" (November 19, 2015)

====2016 quotes====
* "Hillary said that guns don't keep you safe. If she really believes that she should demand that her heavily armed bodyguards quickly disarm!" (January 3, 2016)
* "I wonder if President Obama would have attended the funeral of Justice Scalia if it were held in a Mosque? Very sad that he did not go!" (February 20, 2016)
* "The organized group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energized America!" (March 12, 2016)
* "Why is it that the horrendous protesters, who scream, curse punch, shut down roads/doors during my RALLIES, are never blamed by media? SAD!" (March 20, 2016)
* "Do you all remember how beautiful and safe a place Brussels was. Not anymore, it is from a different world! U.S. must be vigilant and smart!" (March 22, 2016)
* "For the 1st time in American history, America’s 16,500 border patrol agents have issue[d] a presidential primary endorsement—me! Thank you." (April 1, 2016)

====Other quotes====
* "[T]he country is going to hell."<ref>Cassidy, Chris (March 19, 2015). [http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2015/03/country_is_going_to_hell_claims_donald_trump "'Country is going to hell,' claims Donald Trump"]. BostonHerald.com website.</ref>
* "We have no leader in this country.”<ref>Reisner, Hiram (April 22, 2011). [http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/donaldtrump-karlrove-gop-birther/2011/04/22/id/393742 "Trump: I'd just take Libyan oil"]. NewsMax website.</ref>
* "Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people."<ref>Pierce, Tony (April 29, 2011). [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/04/donald-trump-in-vegas-our-leaders-are-stupid-they-are-stupid-people.html "Donald Trump in Vegas: 'Our leaders are stupid; they are stupid people'"]. Los Angeles Times website/Top of the Ticket blog.</ref>
* "I can tell you I am [the 2012 Obama campaign's] worst nightmare."<ref>Mooney, Alexander (April 11, 2011). [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/trump-says-he-is-obama-campaigns-worst-nightmare/comment-page-6/ "Trump says he is Obama campaign's worst nightmare"]. Cable News Network website/politicalticker blog.</ref>
* "Obama has no solutions."<ref>Coz, Steve (August 19, 2012). [http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/trump-gibbs-fox-obama/2012/08/19/id/449050/ "Trump fires back at Obama campaign smear"]. Newsmax website/Newsfront.</ref>

===The Clinton campaign===
:''See also'' [[2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign]] and [[Clinton donors in the Panama Papers]]
[[File:Hillary on the campaign trail.jpg|right|400px|thumb|]]
Unlike Trump, [[Hillary Clinton]] carried the baggage of 40 years of personal and political scandal, and recent international foreign policy disasters as Secretary of State. The Democrats and liberal media attempted to compensate by waging an aggressive war of slander and personal attacks on Donald Trump and supporters, labeling every utterance as "racist". In the end the stategy failed, with Trump rallying more African-American votes to his side than any GOP candidate since [[Eisenhower]]. Neither did Hispanic voters respond to the Clinton's hate campaign with the final tally falling in its traditional 60%-40% break.
====Wikileaks====
:''Main articles:'' '''[[Murder of Seth Rich]]''' ''and'' '''[[Clinton body count]]'''
Clinton talking points emphasized the idea that US intelligence, the same people who brought you the [[WMD]] debacle, claim Russia and Putin were responsible for the hack of [[DNC]] servers which resulted in the firing of Democratic National Committee Chair [[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]]. This presumably would exonerate anyone connected with the DNC or Clinton campaign from complity in the Murder of Seth Rich.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails provided by [[Wikileaks]] showed clear collusion between Clinton, [[mainstream media]] outlets, and the DNC to smear [[Bernie Sanders]]. Thousands of hopeful millennials felt betrayed by the Democratic party. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced out on the eve of the convention, less than 24 hours after dozens of emails were published by Wikileaks showing her and her staff rigging the primary elections for Hillary Clinton.

Wikileaks founder [[Julian Assange]] has offered $20,000 cash reward for the arrest and conviction of Seth Rich's killers or killer, the alleged whistleblower who provided the DNC emails to Wikileaks and was murdered execution style in early July 2016. Hillary says of Assange in an email, "Can't we just drone this guy?"<ref>http://truepundit.com/under-intense-pressure-to-silence-wikileaks-secretary-of-state-hillary-clinton-proposed-drone-strike-on-julian-assange/</ref> To silence Assange, Wikileaks internet access was cut by the government of Ecuador after the release of Hillary's private paid speech to [[Goldman Sachs]]. Wikileaks Director, Prof. Gavin Macfayden, was found dead the following week. Macfayden's death was the third of a close associate of Assange in 6 months.<ref>https://mobile.twitter.com/wikileaks/status/790004642038050816/photo/1</ref>

The mysterious death of Shawn Lucas, an attorney and process server for a [[class action]] [[lawsuit]] on behalf of [[Bernie Sanders]] supporters which alleged fraud and collusion between the DNC and the Clinton campaign remained unsolved.
<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20160824031134/http://www.usapoliticstoday.com/just-found-dead-major-attorney-dnc-fraud-lawsuit</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/D3FMgZruOXE</ref> Lucas's death has delayed judicial proceedings until after the November 2016 elections.<ref>http://wallstreetonparade.com/2016/08/shawn-lucas-cause-of-death-still-unknown-as-clintons-campaign-lawyer-tries-to-move-dnc-lawsuit-into-the-weeds/</ref> Illegal payments from the DNC to agitators and activists for [[dirty tricks]] and other illegal election campaign activity on behalf of Hillary C!inton has also been uncovered.<ref>
https://youtu.be/5IuJGHuIkzY</ref>

====FBI paid off====
[[Virginia]] Gov. [[Terry McAuliffe]] was co-chairman of President [[Bill Clinton]]'s 1996 re-election campaign. In that capacity he was a very successful fundraiser. Consequently, when the Clinton's left the [[White House]] in 2001, he was rewarded with the chairmanship of the Democratic National Party. In 2008 he was chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. In May 2016 McAuliffe came under FBI investigation for illegal campaign donations from a [[Chinese]] businessman.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/politics/terry-mcauliffe-fbi-doj-federal-investigation-campaign-contributions/</ref> McAuliffe invited the same man to Hillary Clinton's Washington DC home to meet Hillary.<ref>http://time.com/4348675/terry-mcauliffe-hillary-clinton-china-investigation/</ref><ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1294661.html</ref>
Throughout the email probe when things looked darkest even to loyal Democrats and partisan surrogates, Hillary woukd smuggly reiterated, " I am confident they'll find nothing." The reason became apparent readily enough.

McAuliffe’s political-action committee, Common Good VA, donated $467,500 to the 2015 state [[Senate]] campaign of Dr. Jill McCabe, who is married to Andrew McCabe, who later became deputy director of the FBI. The Virginia Democratic Party, over which McAuliffe exerts considerable control, donated an additional $207,788 worth of support to Dr. McCabe’s campaign in the form of mailers, according to the records. That adds up to slightly more than $675,000 to her candidacy from entities either directly under Mr. McAuliffe’s control or strongly influenced by him. The figure represents more than a third of all the campaign funds Dr. McCabe raised in the effort. Responding to a ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' exposé on the Clinton pay-to-play scandals, [[FBI]] issued a press release:
{{Quotebox|Months after the completion of her campaign, then-Associate Deputy Director McCabe was promoted to Deputy, where, in that position, he assumed for the first time, an oversight role in the investigation into Secretary Clinton’s emails.}}
At the time the Clinton email probe was launched in July 2015, McCabe was running the FBI’s [[Washington, D.C.]], field office, which provided personnel and resources to the Clinton email probe. At the end of July 2015, McCabe was promoted to FBI headquarters and assumed the No. 3 position at the agency. In February 2016, he became FBI Director James Comey’s second-in-command. As deputy director, McCabe was part of the executive leadership team overseeing the Clinton email investigation. McCabe was instrumental in supervising Hillary's investigation the subsequently clearing her.<ref>http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-10-24/prominent-democrat-connected-clintons-donated-675000-campaign-deputy-fbi-directors-w</ref> Some investigators wanted to combine the McAullife investigation with the investigation into bribery and influence peddling through the Clinton Foundation. Investigators reported McCabe issued a 'stand down' order.<ref>http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/10/30/fbi-investigation-bribery-clinton-foundation-spans-nation-multiple-field-offices-says-wsj/</ref>
====emails====
:''Main article:'' [[Hillary Clinton email scandal]]
The Office of Secretary of State is on the 7th floor of the State Department building. Security protocols do not allow any outside, non-State Department electronic transmission or listening devices on the 7th floor. Hillary Clinton insisted upon using her own personal Blackberry and refused to use State Department issued equipment and a State Department email account. For four years, when at work in her State Department Office suite, the Secretary of State was incommunicado with anyone she wanted to communicate with, or who needed to communicate with her, whether professional, diplomatic, or personal.

Fortunately for her the job of Secretary of State requires a lot of travelling. The Secretary usually is in the office only once a month when he/she returns to [[Washington D.C.]] for a monthly Congressional Oversight hearing. While on the road Hillary used exclusively her personal Blackberry tied to an email account server in her Chappaqua New York home.

Because of her insistence on using personal equipment, emails from her via the Chappaqua server were put on the State Department's spam block list. Huma Abedin pleaded with her to get an official state.gov email account. Hillary responded saying, “Let’s get separate address or device but I don’t want any risk of the personal being accessible.”<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3657225/Clinton-failed-hand-key-email-State-Department.html New Clinton email cover-up: Hillary did not include crucial message to right hand aide which demanded her account stay secret in hand-over of 'all' her work-related emails], By Associated Press, 23 June 2016. dailymail.co.uk</ref>

It has been established Hillary knew both her Blackberry and Chappaqua server were vulnerable to hackers. After a bureaucratic fight, the State Department accommodated her by disabling some of their security features to allow access from the Chappaqua server.

Criminal investigations of Hillary Clinton fundamentally surround three issues:
*Handling of classified information and government records;
*conflicts of interest with donors and the Clinton Foundation;
*efforts to circumvent the [[Watergate]] reform era [[Freedom of Information Act]] and openness in government.

The issue of ''intent'' was reviewed by the inspector general’s offices in the State Department and the U.S. Intelligence Community which referred the case to the FBI for criminal investigation after it was determined the Chappaqua server contained classified information. The Chappaqua server was hacked and sensitive classified information compromised.<ref>[http://observer.com/2016/06/how-emailgate-weakened-americas-national-security/ How EmailGate Weakened America’s National Security], By John R. Schindler, ''The Observer'', 06/01/16</ref>

When Hillary moved her server to Platte River Networks, it was a further violation of law.

Bill Clinton met privately with Attorney General [[Loretta Lynch]]. Days later FBI Director James Comey closed the investigation. Later it was revealed President Obama communicated with Hillary on the server using a pseudonym, which seemingly implies he was aware of the abuse. As in the Jeffrey Epstein child sex scandal, the FBI whitewashed the investigation.
=====Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner=====
Hillary's longtime personal aide, Huma Abedin, was married to New York Congressman [[Anthony Weiner]] in a ceremony presided over by former President Bill Clinton. Weiner resigned from Congress in a sexting scandal. In mid 2016, Weiner was involved in yet another sexting scandal involving a 15-year-old girl and came under FBI investigation. His laptop, iPad and cell phone were seized. More than 10,000 State Department emails related to the investigation of Hillary's [[theft]] of government property were discovered on his laptop.

=====Hillary's health=====
Hillary sent an email to Cheryl Mills on August 19, 2011 featuring the text of an article entitled ''Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?''

The article was about how people in positions of power and influence can suffer from “decision fatigue” that causes them to be “low on mental energy” and prompts the sufferer to “become reckless” and “act impulsively”.

The article also explains how “decision fatigue” could explain why “ordinarily sensible people get angry at colleagues.” Hillary added, “Wow that is spooky descriptive."

Huma Abedin sent an email on January 4, 2013 about Hillary's "life threatening" Cerebral Venous Sinus Thombosis (CVST). CVST is the presence of acute thrombosis (a blood clot) in the dural venous sinuses, which drain blood from the brain. Symptoms may include headaches, seizures, abnormal vision and any of the symptoms of stroke, such as weakness of the face and limbs on one side of the body.

From WebMD:
{{Quotebox|Cavernous sinus thrombosis is a very rare, life-threatening condition that can affect adults and children.
In cavernous sinus thrombosis, a blood clot blocks a vein that runs through a hollow space underneath the brain and behind the eye sockets. These veins carry blood from the face and head back to the heart.
The cause of cavernous sinus thrombosis is usually an infection. But other factors may play a role.
Cavernous sinus thrombosis is a serious condition. It causes death in up to 30% of cases.}}

====The Clintons' racist record====
:''See also [[Bill and Hillary Clinton and racism]] and [[Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign]]''
Hillary Clinton is known for her cynical manipulation of Black voters and pandering to "white working class, hard-working white" nativist sentiment.<ref>https://youtu.be/vjoMcqMTMfw</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/ijhL3-5sr18</ref> Reminiscent of her famous "bring them to heel" speech, while discussing police shootings Hillary said, "We have got to rein in what is absolutely inexplicable" without bothering to explain what is inexplicable.

Hillary's racism runs deep. The night Bill Clinton lost his bid for a Congressional seat in 1974 and disappointing their immediate personel ambitions, Hillary blamed the loss on campaign manager Paul Fray. "She called me everything but a white man," Fray explained to the [[BBC]].<ref>https://youtu.be/_VonG4TyTWw</ref> Tensions escalated. Then she called him a "F***ing [[Jew]] bastard." The Cinton's of course deny it but five separate surving witnesses corroborate each other in detail.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/05/three-eyewitnesses-allege-hillary-called-aide-a-fking-jew-bastard/</ref><ref name="Did Hillary commit a hate crime">[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3827/is_200007/ai_n8910772 Did Hillary commit a hate crime?], Human Events, July 28, 2000.</ref> The incident was first reported in a book published by Harper Collins in 2000 entitled, ''State of a Union: Inside the Complex Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton''.<ref name="Did Hillary commit a hate crime"/><ref>http://www.amazon.com/State-Union-Complex-Marriage-Hillary/dp/0060193921</ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/US_election_race/Story/0,,344475,00.html Hillary faces voters' wrath for alleged ethnic slur], Michael Ellison, London Guardian, July 18, 2000.</ref><ref>[http://www.sobran.com/columns/1999-2001/000718.shtml Hillary’s Manners], Joseph Sobran, July 18, 2000.</ref><ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=15015 I agree with Clinton!], Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily, July 20, 2000.</ref>

The Clintons call [[Jesse Jackson]] that "Goddamn n****r" behind his back.<ref>http://polidics.com/news/hillary-clintons-jew-bastard.html</ref><ref>http://rapmusic.com/threads/hillary-clinton-hates-blacks-and-jews-caught-by-the-secret-service-and-endorsers.1074368/</ref><ref name="emptysuit.wordpress.com">https://emptysuit.wordpress.com/2010/08/02/the-clintons-jews-and-niggers-warning-graphic-language/</ref><ref>http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/racial-slurs-are-unsettling-if-used-by-celebrity-chefs-or-top-democrats/</ref> Jackson refused to release his delegates in 1984 to [[Gary Hart]], Clinton's old boss from the [[McGovern]] campaign of 1972. Jackson, the first African-American to win states in a major party primary, questioned the disparity between his vote total and delegate count, but even Hart sided with the DNC's rigging the primary rules.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/20/us/disparity-between-jackson-s-vote-and-delegate-count-vexes-party.html?pagewanted=all DISPARITY BETWEEN JACKSON'S VOTE AND DELEGATE COUNT VEXES PARTY], By DAVID E. ROSENBAUM, ''New York Times'', May 20, 1984.</ref> In 1988 Jackson selected Ron Brown as his chief negotiator at the 1988 Democratic National Convention.<ref>https://socialistworker.org/2016/07/25/how-democrats-got-over-the-rainbow<</ref> Brown went on to serve as DNC Chairman and Commerce Secretary until he died in a plane crash.<ref>https://www.amazon.com/Ron-Browns-Body-Presidency-Hillarys/dp/0785262377</ref>

The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) was a racist organization formed by remnants of the McGovern and Hart campaigns - less the Rainbow Coalition.<ref>http://www.blackcommentator.com/46/46_cover.html</ref><ref>https://ofamerica.wordpress.com/tag/democratic-leadership-council/</ref> By 1992 it had taken over the DNC. Democrat strategists sought to distance themselves from the civil rights movement and begin pushing the "centrist" candidacy of Bill Clinton.<ref>[http://www.salon.com/2016/01/31/the_clintons_sordid_race_game_no_one_will_say_it_but_the_clintons_rise_was_premised_on_repudiating_black_voters/ The Clintons’ sordid race game: No one will say it, but the Clintons’ rise was premised on repudiating black voters], Corey Robin, ''Salon'', Jan 31, 2016</ref>

That fact that 30 year old allegations of sexual asssult and improprieties are hurled at [[Bill Cosby]] with a devastating effect on his life and career while Bill Clinton is held up as a paragon of manhood and public service by the media and judicial system is a testament of the bigotry and racism of the mainstream media and their supporters. Rumors persist that the Clinton's have effectively blackmailed Barack Obama to drop thd email investigation and for his active support in the 2016 presidential campaign.<ref>http://wallstreetonparade.com/2016/07/media-gets-facts-wrong-on-loretta-lynchbill-clinton-tarmac-meeting/</ref>

=====Black lives don't matter=====
On the eve of the [[New Hampshire]] primary in 1992, Bill Clinton took off from the campaign trail to sign the death warrant and oversee the execution of a retarded black man, Ricky Ray Rector. Recktor, who had been lobotomized, was mentally incompetent and unable to understand the charges against him.
<ref>[https://skepticalbrotha.wordpress.com/tag/christopher-hitchens/ Christopher Hitchens], Skeptical Brotha. Retrieved 23 June 2016</ref><ref>[http://www.blackstarnews.com/us-politics/elections/bill-clinton-hopped-up-on-whack-ricky-ray-rector-part-2.html Bill Clinton "Hopped Up On Whack" -- Ricky Ray Rector Part 2], Colin Benjamin, Black Star News, April 13, 2016</ref> "It was like executing a child," the prison chaplain said. Hillary, the master strategist of the Clinton's rise, fearing the Willie Horton syndrome which torpedoed [[Michael Dukakis]] in 1988 and the 'monkey business' which destroyed [[Gary Hart]] as well, still defended the execution in 2016.<ref>[https://theintercept.com/2016/03/17/hillary-clintons-indefensible-stance-on-the-death-penalty/ Hillary Clinton’s Indefensible Stance on the Death Penalty], Liliana Segura, ''The Intercept'', Mar. 17 2016</ref><ref>[http://www.salon.com/2016/01/31/the_clintons_sordid_race_game_no_one_will_say_it_but_the_clintons_rise_was_premised_on_repudiating_black_voters/ Jan 31, 2016 04:00 AM MDT The Clintons’ sordid race game: No one will say it, but the Clintons’ rise was premised on repudiating black voters], Corey Robin, ''Salon'', Jan. 31, 2016</ref>

Hillary was at his side when Bill Clinton raised mandatory sentencing guidelines which disproportionately sent Blacks to prison, giving the United States the highest mass incarceration rate in the world.<ref>[https://newrepublic.com/article/129433/clintons-war-drugs-black-lives-didnt-matter The Clintons’ War on Drugs: When Black Lives Didn’t Matter], By Donna Murch, ''The New Republic'', February 9, 2016</ref> The Clinton's championed the “three strikes you're out” law, passed a crime bill that created dozens of new federal capital crimes, mandated life sentences for some three-time offenders, and authorized more than $16 billion for more state prisons. By the time the Clinton's left office in 2001, the United States had the highest rate of incarceration in the world. [[Human Rights Watch]] reported that in seven states, African Americans constituted 80 to 90 percent of all drug offenders even though they were no more likely than whites to use or sell illegal drugs. Prison admissions for drug offenses reached a level in 2000 for African Americans more than 26 times the level they had been under [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref>[https://www.thenation.com/article/hillary-clinton-does-not-deserve-black-peoples-votes/ Why Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Deserve the Black Vote], Michelle Alexander, ''The Nation'', February 10, 2016</ref>

In late 2015, while several American cities smoldered in riots over police shootings, Hillary Clinton had several prison industry lobbyists working as fundraisers on her campaign. The fundraiser-lobbyists worked for the Corrections Corporation of America and Geo Group, which also run most of the [[immigrant]] detention centers.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/h-a-goodman/while-missouri-students-battle-racism-prison-lobbyists-funded-hillary-clintons-campaign_b_8553370.html While Missouri Students Battle Racism, Prison Lobbyists Funded Hillary Clinton’s Campaign], H.A. Goodman, ''Huffington Post'', Nov 13, 2015</ref>

=====Racial profiling Hispanics=====
The Clintons99 instituted [[racial profiling]] of [[Latino]]s as drug dealers in 1988. Specifically, the troopers were authorized to stop and search cars driven by Hispanics, especially those with Texas license plates. Again, the Clinton's Criminal Apprehension Program was challenged in federal court and ruled unconstitutional. But the program went on anyway with further destruction of civil liberties when the Clinton's authorized state troopers to stop and search any car regardless of race.<ref>https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56765970.html</ref>

Roberto Garcia de Posada, executive director of the Hispanic Business Roundtable, cited the fact that Clinton was "a strong supporter of racial profiling against Hispanics," and thst they do not have "the moral authority to lead a national campaign on this issue." The Clintons need to "apologize to all those Hispanics who suffered this 'morally indefensible' practice".
=====Naked racism=====
A Black Lives Matter activist confront Hillary Clinton in 2016 about the Clinton's history of [[racism]].<ref>[http://fair.org/home/why-did-it-take-an-activist-to-bring-superpredators-into-the-campaign/ Why Did It Take an Activist to Bring ‘Superpredators’ Into the Campaign?], By Jim Naureckas, FAIR, 27 Feb 2016</ref> In January 2016 ''[[Salon]]'' published an article on the dirty little secret among the liberal intelligentsia no one wants to talk about: the Clinton's rise and success has been based on stoking racial fears. Stan Greenberg conducted the focus groups that dictated the Clinton's daily buzzwords and talking points to provide the fodder and fuel the Clinton's lived and died on. Greenberg's work produced results claiming the Democratic Party was too identified with [[Jesse Jackson]] and minorities to speak for 'average Americans' and it needed to appeal to white working class swing voters.<ref>[http://prospect.org/article/crisis-working-majority-0 From Crisis to Working Majority], Stan Greenberg, ''The American Prospect'' 2, no. 7 (September 1991). Republished 24 May 2005</ref>

Perhaps nothing reveals the cold, cruel, calculated and hateful divisiveness in the heart of the woman than her comment to Sam Donaldson on ABC's ''Prime Time Live'' that Gennifer Flowers was the daughter of Willie Horton. Intended as a throwaway line, with all the facts in now - that it was a lie and she knew it was a lie - we see the cynical manipulation of people, particularly those in the civil rights and women's movements, and her incipient predations.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=1j6Xy5FnBzkC&pg=PA268&lpg=PA268&dq=gennifer+flowers+is+the+daughter+of+willie+horton&source=bl&ots=LIylbGcmHA&sig=35GnRjdcZx32qV_stExpcJV0PFw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjPgdST5s3NAhUIKGMKHfDfCOgQ6AEIODAE#v=onepage&q=gennifer%20flowers%20is%20the%20daughter%20of%20willie%20horton&f=false The Rhetoric of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton: Crisis Management Discourse], Colleen E. Kelley, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, pp. 268-269</ref>

In 1992 for the first time in nearly half a century the party platform made no mention of redressing racial injustice. Through triangulation and a policy of 'get tuff on crime', the Clinton's sought to repudiate and distance themselves from the Democratic Party's commitment to the struggles of [[African-American]]s. The Clinton's formulated a crime bill purportedly to 'put 100,000 new cops on the street'. Hillary became one of the chief spokespersons referring to black teens as dogs.
{{Cquote|They are not just gangs of kids anymore. They are often the kinds of kids that are called ‘super-predators.’ No conscience, no empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way but first we have to bring them to heel.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-sanders-slams-clintons-racist-1996-super-predators-comment/ Bernie Sanders slams Clinton's "racist" 1996 super predators comment], By Reena Flores, CBS News, April 14, 2016</ref><ref>[http://fair.org/extra/superscapegoating/ Superscapegoating], Teen 'superpredators' hype set stage for draconian legislation, By Robin Templeton, FAIR, 1 Jan 1998</ref>}}
In the 2008 presidential primaries, the Clinton's were back at it: fostering racial fear and paranoia,<ref>[http://www.alternet.org/story/80258/america's_new_racial_reality%3A_white_minority_status America's New Racial Reality: White Minority Status], While Obama raises the bar for racial understanding, the Democratic Leadership Council leverages white voter fear. By Roberto Lovato / New America Media, March 21, 2008</ref> which by now seemed to be the regular program of the Democratic Leadership Council.<ref>[http://www.blackcommentator.com/46/46_cover.html Muzzling The African-American Agenda With Black Help], Bruce A. Dixon, ''The Black Commentator''. www.blackcommentator.com</ref> They tried to marginalize Obama as the black candidate with comparisons to Jesse Jackson<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/26/bill-clinton-obama-is-jus_n_83406.html Bill Clinton: Obama Is Just Like Jesse Jackson], ''Huffington Post'', 03/28/2008</ref> emphasizing Hillary's 'wide appeal': "Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again", Hillary told ''USA Today''.<ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-07-clintoninterview_N.htm Clinton makes case for wide appeal], By Kathy Kiely and Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY, 5/8/2008</ref> She mocked and ridiculed Obama's fitness to lead on his no first strike nuclear pledge saying, "I don't believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or nonuse of nuclear weapons," whereas two months earlier she promised to nuke Iran. She stayed in the race even after it became apparent she lost, according to her, only because Obama might be assassinated.

As heir to the [[New Deal]] tradition and key to the New England donor base, Sen. [[Ted Kennedy]]'s blessing on the candidate for the 2008 Democrat presidential nomination was vital. The Clinton's also were seeking bona fides among liberals and the [[civil rights]] movement. Clinton said of Obama, "that boy would have been carrying our bags and getting us coffee a few years ago".<ref>[http://urbanintellectuals.com/2015/07/17/did-you-know-bill-clinton-made-racist-comments-about-barack-obama-when-he-first-ran-for-president/ Did You Know Bill Clinton Made Racist Comments About Barack Obama When He First Ran For President], F. Taylor, Urban Intellectuals, July 17, 2015.</ref> Kennedy was offended by Clinton's racism and refused to give Hillary the endorsement.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/apr/28/hillaryclinton.usa Hillary has cynically turned to the one argument she has left: race], Gary Younge, ''Guardian'' UK, 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.alternet.org/story/80258/america's_new_racial_reality%3A_white_minority_status America's New Racial Reality: White Minority Status], While Obama raises the bar for racial understanding, the Democratic Leadership Council leverages white voter fear. By Roberto Lovato / New America Media, March 21, 2008.</ref>

=====Haitian abductions=====
In 2010, Bill Clinton, through the Clinton Foundation, worked for the release of 10 adults who had been arrested transporting 33 [[Haiti]]an children abducted from their families across the border to the [[Dominican Republic]].<ref>https://youtu.be/vzVAcn1YkcY</ref>

=====African sex slaves=====
Again, this advocate of women and children's rights was asked repeatedly in 2011 to designate [[Boko Haram]] as a terrorist organization after the group bombed the [[United Nations]] headquarters in Abuja. Secretary Clinton's State Department refused, despite requests coming from the U.S. Justice Department, the FBI, the [[CIA]], and numerous Senators and Congressmen.<ref>[https://www.yahoo.com/news/hillary-dropped-ball-boko-haram-020300046--politics.html?ref=gs Hillary Dropped the Ball on Boko Haram], Josh Rogin, [The Daily Beast], May 7, 2014. www.yahoo.com</ref> In May 2012, Justice Department official Lisa Monaco wrote to the State Department to urge Clinton to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization. The following month, Gen. Carter Ham, the chief of U.S. Africa Command, said that Boko Haram provided a ‘safe haven’ for al Qaeda in the Maghreb (al Qaeda in North Africa) and was likely sharing explosives and funds with the group.<ref>Morrissey, Ed (May 8, 2014). [http://hotair.com/archives/2014/05/08/did-hillary-refuse-to-designate-boko-haram-as-a-terrorist-organization/ Did Hillary refuse to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization?] Hot Air website.</ref>

The American counterterrorism agencies were asking for the legal authority to begin countering Boko Haram. Boko Haram is now an Islamic State province but at the time it held allegiance to al Qaeda. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at the behest of French and British [[corporate]] interests was in negotiation with several al Qaeda affiliates - [[al Qaeda in the Maghreb]], the [[Libyan Islamic Fighting Group]], and Ansar al Shariah - to destabilize Muammar Gaddafi in Libya at the time and didn't want to antagonize or alienate her allies.

In early 2014 Boko Haram kidnapped 276 teenage schoolgirls, most of whom were Black, and announced its intention to sell them as [[marital]] [[sex]] [[slave]]s.<ref>http://www.theledger.com/opinion/20160927/letter-for-hillary-money-matters-more</ref>

====Clinton attacks on women====
=====Slandering assault victims=====
In [[George Stephanopoulos]]'s memoirs of the Clinton 'War Room', a war waged by the Clinton machine and surrogates against fellow citizens with as much vitriol and [[hate]] as against any foreign oppressor...
{{Quotebox|..."We have to destroy her story," Mrs. Clinton said of one of the first women to come forward during her husband's first presidential campaign, Connie Hamzy, in 1991.}}
In January 2016, ''Esquire'' magazine reported on a gathering in the fashionable Upper East Side apartment of the chief executive of [[HBO]]. Several conflicted past and present Clinton surrogates discussed how...
{{Quotebox|...the Clintons and their allies discredited women who said they had had sexual encounters with, or been [[sexual assault|sexually assaulted]] by former [[President Bill Clinton]]. 
The conversation, relayed by several people with knowledge of the discussion who would speak about it only anonymously, captures the deeper debate unfolding among [[liberal]]-leaning women about how to reconcile Mrs. Clinton's leadership on women's issues with her past involvement in her husband's efforts to fend off accusations of sexual misconduct.<ref>[http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a41327/new-york-times-clinton-rumors/ The New York Times Is Obsessed with 2 Things. You Already Know What They Are.], By Charles P. Pierce, ''Esquire'', Jan 20, 2016.</ref>}}
The conundrum these conflicted Clinton surrogates face is how to explain their own past participation in sliming and vilifying women who came forward with accusations against the President of the United States with a history of untoward, and even violent, sexual misconduct to a generation of Millennials unfamiliar with the brazen history of the pair:
{{Quotebox|Even some [[Democrat]]s who participated in the effort to discredit the women acknowledge privately that today, when Mrs. Clinton and other women have pleaded with the authorities on college campuses and in workplaces to take any allegation of sexual assault and sexual harassment seriously, such a campaign to attack the women's [[character]] would be unacceptable.}}
But such a public campaign of abuse and ridicule of the victim ''was'' acceptable under the Clintons, by Clinton media and [[Hollywood]] surrogates. And virtually all historical and inside eyewitness accounts, dating back to Arkansas and the White House years, point to Hillary Clinton as the source who made it a mission.
=====Intimidation and blackmail=====
{{Cquote|When Hillary hired this fleet of detectives to go around examining all of the woman who had been identified with Clinton. Not for the purpose of divorcing Clinton. Not for the purpose of getting him to stop, but for the purpose of developing blackmail material on these women to cow them into silence that had a [[Nixon]]ian quality that I hold against her and I continue to.|20px|20px|[[Dick Morris]]<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/video/2014/10/31/dick-morris-i-left-when-hillary-hired-secret-police-to-go-after-woman-victimized-by-bill/ Dick Morris: I Left When Hillary Hired Secret Police to Go After Woman Victimized by Bill], by [[Breitbart.com]], 31 Oct 2014.</ref>}}
One of the more abhorrent aspects of Hillary Clinton's personality is a well documented pattern by multiple Clinton confidants and advisors of intimidation and blackmail toward female victims of Mr. Bill Clinton's sexual misconduct. Mrs. Clinton is accredited with introducing the [[sexist]] [[pejorative]], 'bimbo', into the American political [[lexicon]] to disparage victims of sexual assault by the rich and powerful.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WiQRBN8igE Hillary Clinton calls Bill Clinton's sexual assault victims "Bimbo Eruptions"] youtube.com</ref> The politicalinsider.com identified the problem,
{{Quotebox|One of the most incredible things about Hillary Clinton running for President is that there is an extraordinary long list of scandals that younger voters have never heard of. Just trying to keep up with the multiple decades of corruption and criminal activity of Bill and Hillary Clinton which happened long before the recent email scandal is overwhelming.<ref>[http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/a-woman-who-was-sexually-assaulted-by-bill-clinton-drops-a-bomb-on-hillary-whoa/ A Woman Who Was Sexually Assaulted by Bill Clinton Drops a BOMB on Hillary], thepoliticalinsider.com</ref>}}
The ''New York Times'' noted before the 2016 [[primary election]] season began that the ''’90s Scandals Threaten to Erode Hillary Clinton’s Strength With Women'', and Hillary Clinton certainly was not, by any account, a victim, or a victim of her husband's faithlessness.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/us/politics/90s-scandals-threaten-to-erode-hillary-clintons-strength-with-women.html ’90s Scandals Threaten to Erode Hillary Clinton’s Strength With Women], By AMY CHOZICK, ''New York Times'', JAN. 20, 2016.</ref>
In the recent book, ''The Clinton's War on Women'', the authors cite a [[Sociology|sociological]] phenomena known as [[elite deviance]] in a society where the elites no longer believe the rules apply to them and their behavior is justified and facilitated by a cadre of [[sycophant]]s, [[apologist]]s, supporters, and surrogates collectively known as the Clinton smear machine.<ref>http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/the-hillary-clinton-smear-machine/</ref><ref>''[http://greatbookcorner.com/data/thepopularbook.site/T/the-clintons-war-on-women-roger-stone--93pfuGF9wiHCc6-8BX16-8ZvB6-8AVI6d.pdf The Clinton's War on Women]'', pp. 16-17 pdf.</ref>

To locate, stalk, harass, and intimidate the women, Betsy Wright was put in charge of the operation. According to [[Carl Bernstein]], "Betsy's operation became known as 'The Defense Department', and Wright was sometimes known as the 'secretary of defense'"<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KG8oDvWH3ZYC&pg=PT612&dq=Carl+Bernstein+betsey+wright+defense+department+clinton&hl=en&sa=X&ei=x4RWU4edAcLjsATguYHYAQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Carl%20Bernstein%20betsey%20wright%20defense%20department%20clinton&f=false A Woman in Charge], Carl Bernstein, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Jun 5, 2007</ref> For this Jack Palladino, Terry Lenzner, Ivan Duda, Jerry Parks,<ref>http://bonedjello.com/Articles/The%20Murder%20of%20Jerry%20Parks.html</ref> Anthony Pellicano, and others were employed.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2005/07/31278/ The real story behind the Clinton body count], ''[[WorldNetDaily]]'', 07/13/2005. Review of Richard Poe’s, ''Hillary’s Secret War.'' wnd.com</ref><ref>[http://alamo-girl.com/02742.htm PRIVATE AND PUBLIC INVESTIGATIVE RESOURCES], SECTION: SECRET POLICE, Revised 8/10/00. http://alamo-girl.com</ref><ref>[http://www.mega.nu/ampp/foster.html Reports Tie Clinton Sexcapades to Foster's Death]. mega.nu</ref>

To silence the women, all sorts of threats and intimidation were common, such as murdering the family pet on the doorstep or blatant threats against the lives of their children.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=1v5e4lZiS08C&pg=PA214&lpg=PA214&dq=pellicano%2Bhillary&source=bl&ots=2QSRhFU8QY&sig=zFCzv6MqE1JDMGwraPnD1XL3TB8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiyuqCkgYDNAhVLz2MKHdJwA9AQ6AEI3AEwIg#v=onepage&q=pellicano%2Bhillary&f=false Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton], Kathleen Willey, WND Books, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2007/11/44416/ PI 'admits' Hillary paid him to harass Willey], WND, 11/07/2007.</ref> [[Pornographer]] impresario [[Larry Flynt]] was called to boot a $1,000,000 reward to anybody to come forward with sexual innuendo, whether true or not, to attack Clinton's enemies with.<ref>[http://observer.com/2000/08/its-poker-night-with-larry-flynt-porn-king-discourses-on-sex-gore/ It’s Poker Night With Larry Flynt! Porn King Discourses on Sex, Gore], By Andrew Goldman, ''New York Observer'', 08/28/00</ref>

Hillary's obsession with sexual blackmail isn't limited to compromising and silencing disgruntled mistresses or women Bill Clinton assaulted, it became a ready tool against political opponents as well. Hillary Roshan Clinton has an obsession with digging up dirt and negative information on opponents.<ref>https://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/hillary-clinton-already-knows-the-bad-thing-you-said?utm_term=.ry2yGw3Go#.of4rD4yDJ</ref> As Hillary's emails reveal, she often spent more time studying domestic critics views of her activities than the actual job of secretary of state. A new generation of millennials is becoming familiar with the term, "oppo", which is the first step in blackmailing and silencing media critics or candidates for public office. The Clintons have raised it from [[muckraking]] and [[dirty tricks]]to a high art form.

To political opponents and the women, Clinton surrogates routinely use the material, truth not being a factor, dug up by Hillary's investigator's to slime anyone publicly who wouldn't fall into line. A recent lawsuit filed just days after it became evident Trump was considering using the case of Joe Epstein in the election is intended to neutralize criticism.<ref>https://youtu.be/EPlDvVwER7A</ref> And the surrogates relish their jobs. Indeed, many Clinton supporters believe this is the essence of [[politics]] — slander, defamation, and demonization of living human beings — not formulation or discussion of public policy.

In what perhaps may or may not be a [[Freud]]ian slip Hillary Clinton titled her last book, ''Hard Choices''.

=====Other assaults=====
Most cited by name in this section of assault victims are of women who have spoken about the crimes they've suffered, although some have been intimidated into silence after going public. Others remain fearful to come forward.

*In 1972, a twenty-two-year-old woman told Yale University’s campus police that she was sexually assaulted by Bill Clinton, and although no charges were filed, a retired policeman confirmed the incident to ''Capitol Hill Blue''. The woman herself was also tracked down and confirmed it, though she elected to stay anonymous.

*In 1974 a female student at the University of Arkansas complained that then law school instructor Bill Clinton tried to prevent her from leaving his office during a conference, groping her and forcing his hand inside her blouse. Although she complained to her faculty advisor, who confronted Clinton, the complaint again failed to go anywhere. The student left the school shortly after the incident, and more recently confirmed the incident. Several former students also confirmed the incident in confidential interviews and also said there were other reports of Clinton attempting to force himself on female students.

*Arkansas state troopers assigned to protect Clinton have knowledge of at least seven other complaints from women who said Clinton forced himself on them sexually or attempted to do so.<ref>[http://www.shwiggie.com/articles/clintons.html Living with the Clintons, Bill's Arkansas bodyguards tell the story the press missed], By David Brock, 1993</ref>

*A Little Rock legal secretary named Carolyn Moffet claimed that in 1979, she met the governor at a political fundraiser and shortly afterward received an invitation to meet him in a hotel room. She was escorted there by a state trooper. When she arrived he was sitting on a couch wearing an undershirt and nothing else, and angrily assaulted her. She was able to escape before being raped. Moffet received threatening phone calls. “He said that people who crossed the governor usually regretted it and that if I knew what was good for me I’d forget that it ever happened...I haven’t forgotten it. You don’t forget crude men like that.”<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2014/12/15/why-hillary-is-not-inevitable-bills-sordid-past/</ref>

*Elizabeth Ward Gracen, a former Miss Arkansas who won the Miss America crown in 1982 told friends she was forced by Clinton to have sex with him shortly after she won her state crown.<ref>http://www.villagevoice.com/news/the-trashing-of-clintons-women-6422690</ref> Clinton media surrogates publicly hype and boast of Clinton's manliness and ''machismo'' for his sexual conquest of Miss America.

*An Arkansas state employee named Paula Corbin filed a sexual harassment case against Clinton after she said the governor exposed himself and demanded sex in a Little Rock hotel room. President Clinton finally settled the case with Paula Corbin in 1998 with an $850,000 cash payment.<ref>
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/11/18/jones/</ref>

*Sandra Allen James, a former Washington, DC, political fundraiser said Clinton invited her to his hotel room when he was in Washington in 1991, pinned her against the wall and stuck his hand up her dress. She says she screamed loud enough for the Arkansas state trooper stationed outside the hotel suite to bang on the door and ask if everything was alright. Then, she said, Clinton released her and she fled the room. When she reported the incident to her boss, he advised her to keep her mouth shut if she wanted to keep working. ‘’My husband and children deserve better than that..I wasn’t raped, but I was trapped in a hotel room for a brief moment by a boorish man...I got away. He tried calling me several times after that, but I didn’t take his phone calls. Then he stopped. I guess he moved on.” She said she learned other women had similar stories during Clinton’s 1992 presidential run. She has since married and left Washington and retreated from public view.<ref>http://m.digitaljournal.com/article/255828</ref>

*Christy Zercher, a flight attendant on Clinton’s campaign plane in 1992, reported that he exposed himself to her, groped her, and made explicit sexual remarks. A video filmed on board the plane by [[ABC News]] showed an obviously drunken Clinton with his hand on intimate parts of another young flight attendant. Zercher said later in an interview that White House attorney Bruce Lindsey tried to pressure her into not going public about the assault.<ref>http://redalertpolitics.com/2015/12/29/millennials-guide-bill-clintons-20-sex-scandals/</ref>

*Kathleen Willey was a volunteer at the White House when Clinton grabbed her, fondled her, and pressed her hand against himself during an Oval Office meeting in November, 1993. Willey, who told her story in a [[60 Minutes]] interview, became a target of a White House–directed smear campaign after she went public.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/Target-Caught-Crosshairs-Hillary-Clinton/dp/0974670162 Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton], Kathleen Willey, World Ahead Publishing, Nov 6, 2007 ISBN 978-0974670164 ISBN 0974670162</ref>

*The other encounters were confirmed with more than 30 interviews with retired Arkansas state employees, former state troopers and former Yale and University of Arkansas students. Like others, they refused to go public because of fears of retaliation from the Clinton White House and smesr machine.

*Peter Baker in ''The Breach: Inside the Impeachment and Trial of William Jefferson Clinton'', which the ''Washington Post'' describes as the definitive account of the impeachment saga, reported that in the files of the independent prosecutor lawyers had collected the names of 21 different women. Baker noted
{{Quotebox|“One woman was alleged to have been asked by Clinton to give him oral sex in a car while he was the state attorney general (a claim she denied). A former Arkansas state employee said that during a presentation, then-Governor Clinton walked behind her and rubbed his pelvis up against her repeatedly. A woman identified as a third cousin of Clinton’s supposedly told her drug counselor during treatment in Arkansas that she was abused by Clinton when she was baby-sitting at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock.”<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/The-Breach-Inside-Impeachment-William/dp/1476730075 The Breach: Inside the Impeachment and Trial of William Jefferson Clinton], Peter Backer, December 4, 2012, p. 138</ref>}}

On November 21, 2014, columnist Joan Vennochi of the ''a [[Boston Globe]]'' wrote, “Rape allegations hurt Bill Cosby but sail past Bill Clinton.”

“Power—who has it, who doesn’t, and how it can for years insulate the holder of it—is the common thread between Cosby, Clinton, and their accusers,” Vennochi wrote. Clinton apologists, surrogates, sycophants, and spin-meisters srgur their public policies are more important than his private failings.

“Meanwhile, the Clinton spin machine did its best to portray his accusers as ‘nuts or sluts,’ ...against women who dare to hold men accountable for their actions,” Vennochi wrote.<ref>https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/11/21/rape-allegations-hurt-bill-cosby-but-sail-past-bill-clinton/YTIsUoXS2uxrW1mW2JSuRM/story.html</ref>

=====Defends a pedophile=====
The next job after the Children's Defense Fund the self described 'defender of children' handled was the case of a 41-year-old man who raped a 12-year-old girl. The rapist, facing 30 years to life in prison, Hillary plea bargained down to time served - two months in county jail - by attacking the victim who was to young to testify in a court of law to defend herself.<ref>[http://freebeacon.com/politics/audio-hillary-clinton-speaks-of-defense-of-child-rapist-in-newly-unearthed-tapes/ AUDIO: Hillary Clinton Speaks of Defense of Child Rapist in Newly Unearthed Tapes], Washington Free Beacon Staff, June 15, 2014. freebeacon.com</ref>

In court documents Hillary wrote to the judge about the young victim as:
{{Cquote|emotionally unstable with a tendency to seek out older men and engage in fantasizing...children in early adolescence tend to exaggerate or romanticize sexual experiences and that adolescents in disorganized families, such as the complainant’s, are even more prone to exaggerate behavior.<ref>[https://www.intellihub.com/video-hillary-clinton-brags-getting-pedophile-off-hook/ Video: Hillary Clinton brags about getting a pedophile off the hook], By Brandon Turbeville, January 25, 2016. www.intellihub.com</ref>}}
In 2006 the victim, now an adult heard for the first time Hillary Clinton laughing about her victory in the case. The victim spoke out,
{{Cquote|Hillary Clinton took me through hell. ...You took a case of mine in ’75, you lied on me… I realize the truth now, the heart of what you’ve done to me. And you are supposed to be for women? You call that for women, what you done to me? And I hear you on tape laughing. ... she lied like a dog on me. I think she was trying to do whatever she could do to make herself look good...<ref>[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/20/exclusive-hillary-clinton-took-me-through-hell-rape-victim-says.html She Lied: 'Hillary Clinton Took Me Through Hell,' Rape Victim Says], Josh Rogan, ''The Daily Beast'', 06.20.14.</ref> }}

Mrs. Clinton knew the child rapist to be guilty, and joked about it. Clinton mainstream surrogates, apologists, and sycophants [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spin%20control spin] the episode to prove how 'tough minded', 'dedicated, and 'fair' she is.

In 2014 Hillary Clinton again lied about the case claiming she asked to be relieved.<ref>[http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2014/jul/17/did-hillary-clinton-ask-be-relieved-rapist/ Politifact: Did Hillary Clinton ask to be 'relieved' from representing an accused rapist in 1970s?], By Steve Contorno, July 17th, 2014. politifact.com</ref>

=====Joe Epstein=====
When the Clinton's left the White House in 2001, Bill became a friend and business associate with a character known in the media as 'the billionaire pervert'. His new friend is involved in a child sex trafficking ring. He is a registered sex offender for sex crimes involving children.<ref>http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2011/02/28/jeffrey-epstein-sex-offender-yes-billionaire-no/#669f83922136</ref>

Clinton's [[pedophile]] friend and associate, Jeffrey 'Joe' Epstein, is a donor to the [[Clinton Foundation]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/07/06/billionaire-sex-offender-epstein-once-claimed-co-founded-clinton-foundation.html</ref> He began making donations shortly after his arrest on child sex charges. Epstein received a relatively light sentence in view of the charges against him. Epstein has settled lawsuits with 33 of his child victims. Other suits are still pending.<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2584309/Bill-Clinton-identified-lawsuit-against-former-friend-pedophile-Jeffrey-Epstein-regular-orgies-Caribbean-compound-former-president-visited-multiple-times.html#ixzz3NysnRS27</ref> Epstein is said to have provided minor girls for Prince Andrew. When the Palm Beach Florida police seized Epstein's contact book,<ref>http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/bill-clinton/bill-clinton-and-jeffrey-epstein-9086711</ref> 21 different phone numbers and email addresses for Clinton machine operatives were discovered, including the personal cell number for Bill Clinton, and numbers for Bill's flunky Doug Band and Hillary's flunky Cheryl Mills.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2015/03/27/cheryl-mills-the-woman-who-knew-too-much/</ref>

Epstein owns property in Manhattan, Palm Beach and the Virgin Islands where the child molestation acts are said to have taken place.<ref>http://nypost.com/2011/02/25/billionaire-jeffrey-epstein-im-a-sex-offender-not-a-predator/</ref> Seized flight logs in the investigation reveal Clinton flew on Epstein's private plane 18 times.<ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/05/18/morning_joe_panel_clintons_connection_to_billionaire_pedophile_jeffrey_epstein_will_blow_up_campaign.html]</ref> It has been established some of these flights were to Epstein's Virgin Islsnds retreat.<ref>http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2015/07/judge-unseals-more-details-in-jeffrey-epstein-underage-sex-lawsuit-210065</ref> A woman who victims name as procurring underage girls is s donor to the Hiilary Clinton Presidential campaign and attended Chelsea Clinton's wedding in 2010.<ref>http://snn.bz/clinton-4ss/</ref>

In 2007 former Whitewater prosecutor [[Ken Starr]], whom critics accuse of whitewashing the Vince Foster investigation,<ref>http://www.prorev.com/knowl2a.htm</ref> defended Epstein from a second conviction of having sex with a 14 year old minor.<ref>http://www.justice-integrity.org/faq/791-ken-starr-explains-his-help-for-billionaire-pervert-jeffrey-epstein</ref> Starr was forced out of his position as president of Baylor University in May 2016 for mishandling another sex scandal.

====Sycophants and surrogates====
The London ''Telegraph'', for example, refers to [redacted] revelations into the Goldwater girl's "high mind".<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1558943/Hillary-Clinton-student-letters-reveal-high-mind.html Hillary Clinton student letters reveal high mind], By Toby Harnden, ''London Telegraph'', 30 Jul 2007.</ref> As the young woman at Wellesley College considered which of a "smorgasbord of personalities" she wanted to be, she asked him, "Can you be a misanthrope and still love or enjoy some individuals?". A misanthrope - a hater of humanity, is opposite of a philanthrope - a lover of humanity. But it also can be understood in a sexual sense; a misogynist is a woman-hater, and a misanthrope is a man-hater.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=QesppquBwgsC&pg=PT1408&lpg=PT1408&dq=misogynist+woman-hater,+misanthrope+man-hater&source=bl&ots=F8br3x1wPm&sig=1koMfbtfuulHxZ9MOTFc48vIhNk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwif6fT3zOnMAhUJGj4KHXu8C-8Q6AEIfjAT#v=onepage&q=misogynist%20woman-hater%2C%20misanthrope%20man-hater&f=false New American Roget's College Thesaurus in Dictionary Form (Revised & Updated)], By Philip D. Morehead, Penguin Books, 2002.</ref> Whatever its meaning, a college sophomore ought to understand it refers to an antisocial personality.

'''David Maraniss''', while promoting a book based upon personal interviews during the Clinton's first term, broached the subject of the Clintons remaining active in electoral politics beyond Mr. Clinton's presidency. Maraniss speculated one or the other, or both, would run for the Senate.<ref>[http://www.c-span.org/video/?64214-1/book-discussion-first-class Booknotes, C-Span, March 27, 1995.]</ref> Maraniss's book was entitled ''First in His Class'', a euphemistic title offensive to baby boomers. Clinton ''was not'' first in class, his schoolmate [[Vince Foster]] was, who ended up dead before being able to deliver Rose Law Firm and Waterwater records to investigators.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/22/us/white-house-aide-leaves-no-clue-about-suicide.html?pagewanted=all</ref> Clinton was thrown out of his class at Oxford for a reported rape of a 19 year old.

Impeachment made it improbable for Mr. Clinton to run for the Senate, but when Hillary declared her candidacy for the Senate from New York in 2000, it was an open secret their ambitions were for the White House again in 2008. Hillary was declared "inevitable" by media surrogates and supporters. By 2007 when Barack Obama publicly cited published reports the Clintons made a secret pact with each other in the early 1970s to further each other's careers with their eyes set on the White House, Clinton surrogates such as [[Media Matters]] went to work smearing and attacking Barack Obama.<ref>[http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3735821 More Obama Desperation: talks about Hillary and Bill's secret pact of ambition], Sun Nov-18-07 08:22 PM. www.democraticunderground.com</ref>

Hours before the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, radio personality [[Michael Savage]] was abruptly cutoff in midstream on air from his 400 nationwide affiliates when he began discussing Hillary's obvious failing health.<ref>http://breaking911.com/breaking-talk-radio-host-michael-savage-abruptly-removed-radio-claims-sabotage/</ref>

=====Google=====
[[File:Google crimes.png|thumb|right|225px|Google results, June 2016.]]
[[Google]] has more or less destroyed its reputation for integrity in generating non-biased search engine results among intellectuals of the tech-savvy millennial generation. On numerous occasions Google has been caught red-handed manipulating autocomplete [[search engine]] results to favor Hillary Clinton.<ref>[http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-10/must-see-video-how-google-manipulates-search-results-favor-hillary-clinton How Google Manipulates Search Results In Favor Of Hillary Clinton], by Tyler Durden, Jun 10, 2016. zerohedge.com</ref> Autocomplete returns the most popular trending search queries.
<ref>[http://freebeacon.com/politics/here-are-10-more-examples-of-google-search-results-favorable-to-hillary/ Here Are 10 More Examples of Google Search Results Favorable to Hillary], Tech giant accused of whitewashing autocomplete results, Brent Scher and Elizabeth Harrington, ''Washington Free Beacon'', June 10, 2016</ref> Only a few examples are outlined in this section.

When a user types in ''Hillary Clinton cri'' to query about the criminal investigation into Mrs. Clinton for example, the Google results do not match at all popular trends on all other major search engines.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFxFRqNmXKg Did Google Manipulate Search for Hillary?], Matt Lieberman, SourceFed, Jun 9, 2016. UPDATE: Friday June 10. youtube.com</ref>

Supporters of [[Bernie Sanders]] complained throughout the 2016 primary season Google had inflated Hillary's delegate count by adding unelected [[Superdelegate]]s who by rule were to remain unpledged until the convention.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/sanders-vs-clinton-delegate-count/ Failing Delegate Math], A popular [[meme]] detailing the actual delegate count between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton in May 2016 is mostly accurate. Kim LaCapria, ''Snopes'', May 10, 2016</ref> Some in late primary states considered this a form of voter suppression.<ref>[http://thebernreport.com/superdelegate-system-has-been-used-as-a-form-of-voter-supression/ Superdelegate System Has Been Used as a Form of Voter Suppression], Posted by G.A. Casebeer, ''The Bern Report'', May 23, 2016</ref>
[[File:Bing crimes.png|thumb|right|225px|Bing results, June 2016.]]
In an article entitled ''How Google Could Rig the 2016 Election'' in August 2015 ''Politico'' warned Google "can easily shift the voting preferences of undecided voters by 20 percent or more—up to 80 percent in some demographic groups—with virtually no one knowing they are being manipulated... In the United States, half of our presidential elections have been won by margins under 7.6 percent".<ref>[http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/how-google-could-rig-the-2016-election-121548 How Google Could Rig the 2016 Election], Google has the ability to drive millions of votes to a candidate with no one the wiser, By Robert Epstein, ''Politico'', August 19, 2015</ref>

Billionaire Eric Schmidt, [[CEO]] of Google's parent company Alphabet funded a startup company called The Groundwork to ensure Hillary has the engineering talent needed to win the election.<ref>[http://qz.com/520652/groundwork-eric-schmidt-startup-working-for-hillary-clinton-campaign/ THE GROUNDWORK The stealthy, Eric Schmidt-backed startup that’s working to put Hillary Clinton in the White House], Adam Pasick & Tim Fernholz, ''Quartz'', October 09, 2015. qz.com</ref> Schmidt and Google are both donors to the Clinton Foundation.

When Googling, '''Hillary Clinton's he-''' 
Google yielded,
*Hillary Clinton's headquarters
*Hillary Clinton's health plan
*Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan
[[File:Yahoo crimes.png|thumb|right|225px|Yahoo results, June 2016.]]
Search results on Bing return the suggestions
*Hillary Clinton's health
*Hillary Clinton's health issues
*Hillary Clinton's health and weight

Search results on Yahoo return the suggestions
*Hillary Clinton's health problems
*Hillary Clinton's health
*Hillary Clinton's health issues

There also are allegations Google has been filtering emails from [[Donald Trump]] into Gmail users spam boxes.<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/23/users-claim-google-is-putting-trump-emails-in-their-spam-box/ Users Claim Google Is Putting Trump Emails In Their Spam Box], Alex Pfeiffer, ''Daily Caller'', 8:19 AM 06/23/2016</ref> Of course, Google and other Clinton surrogates deny any manipulation.

=====CNN=====
During Erin Burnett's broadcast [[CNN]] maliciously slandered Donald Trump with the claim he advocated racial profiling when in fact he has not. A review of the transcript shows that Trump never used the phrase in his comments on terrorism and immigration. CNN ran headlines reporting that the GOP presidential nominee spoke of using "racial profiling" to stop terrorism. Trump spoke of “profiling," as [[Israel]] does. CNN added the word "racial". CNN likewise edited out a key portion of Hillary Clinton's statement days earlier after the terror attacks in New York and New Jersey.<ref>http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/296753-cnn-falsely-adds-racial-to-trump-vetting-comments</ref>

[[CNN]] had gone on air with doctored, altered images of tweets from Donald Trump editing out the wording of Trumps messsges critical of Hillary Clinton asking for the release of her medical records.<ref>http://thehill.com/media/293704-cnn-edits-crooked-out-of-trump-tweet-on-hillary</ref><ref>http://nalert.blogspot.com/2016/09/cnn-blurs-out-guests-trump-t-shirt.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FwHtV+%28Newsalert%29</ref>

CNN abruptly cancelled the highly successful ''Dr. Drew'' show when Dr. Drew expressed concern on air about Hillary's health and the care and treatment she's been receiving from Dr. Lisa Bardack for post concussion syndrome. In 2012, when Hillary got a "cracked head" (her words ''per her email'') a blood clot, or thrombosis, was formed inside her skull.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Health/hillary-clinton-blood-clot-life-threatening-medical-experts/story?id=18101213</ref> Hillary ''was not'' hospitalized, according to CNN's reporting at the time.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/15/us/us-hillary-clinton-concussion/</ref> Dr. Drew criticized the use of outdated bloodthinners her physician prescribes.<ref>http://www.weeklystandard.com/hillary-im-probably-on-blood-thinners-for-life/article/794545</ref> Dr. Drew was threatened and harassed after his comments and CNN demanded he retract them. When he refused, he was fired.<ref>http://pagesix.com/2016/09/04/dr-drew-loses-show-after-discussing-hillarys-health/?_ga=1.33153086.1667858589.1472997909</ref>

CNN became increasingly deranged in its frothing hatred, alleging ''Pepe the Frog'' to be a symbol of white nationalism. CNN's relationship with the Clinton campaign machine reversed itself: rather than the campaign machine write talking points for the news network, the news network now was writing talking points for the campaign. Having sown the seeds of hate and violence, CNN blamed the victims of terrorism for CNN's own blithering hate when the Republican headquarters in NC was firebombed.<ref>[http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2016/10/16/cnns-stelter-blames-firebombing-nc-republican-office-trumps?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWTJWa00ySmlOR00wTnpjeSIsInQiOiJWRHU2MzNZSVhxTktPTkRoZ01JOWlwRWhTY2grVmV3cWpMV1J4TnVDelE1bFYzaDV0SE82NkZcL2tvZVIxSlVVQ3RqVTFENFZEdTRrVWkrd25EZlNPR05xck1YOUs5bkJDdU5pRWcwTnJURFU9In0%3D]</ref>

CNN forced journalist Amber Lyon to kill stories.<ref>https://youtu.be/BO-TyETzNO8</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/NzyyIb5_jXA</ref> Lyon had prepared a [[documentary]] about [[Bahrain]]'s bloody uprising during Hillary's ill-advised "[[Arab Spring]]" the network [[quash]]ed at the behest of Hillary's State Department.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/04/cnn-international-documentary-bahrain-arab-spring-repression</ref>

=====Dana Milbank=====
In June 2016 after Donald Trump had secured the Republican nominstion, ''Washington Post'' columnist Dana Milbank proposed a "media blackout" after alleging that eight top news outlets gave Trump the equivalent of $55 million of free advertising, about two-thirds of it being positive. Taken as a whole, Milbank reported, coverage was worth $2 billion and amounted to a "huge in-kind contribution to Trump." Milbank adopted a conspiratorial tone, proposing "[n]o more live, wall-to-wall coverage of Trump’s rallies and events."<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-right-response-to-donald-trump-a-media-blackout/2016/06/14/2868a0e0-3256-11e6-8758-d58e76e11b12_story.html?utm_term=.ad617f85321f</ref>

Milbank supported Hillary's use of the term, "deplorables", to describe American citizens and voters.<ref>http://www.postbulletin.com/opinion/dana-milbank-clinton-must-cast-aside-caution/article_332fbebf-4ca6-5679-958e-94b24789e6b1.html</ref>

Dana Milbank is a member of the Skull and Bones Society.<ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/871/000044739/</ref> Paranoid extreme [[leftist]]s consider Yale's Skull and Bones Society as an entry point for elitists into the [[New World Order]] and the [[Illuminati]].<ref>http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3888011</ref> New World Order conspiracy kooks are known for their racist and [[anti-Semitic]] sentiments.

=====Reuters and CBS=====
The live feed of a Trump rally at an [[African-American]] [[church]] in [[Detroit]] was blacked out in the midst of Trump receiving the blessing and presentation of a [[Jewish]] prayer shawl from the senior black pastor.<ref>https://youtu.be/MM7oPN2g1ig</ref> A hot mic captured the camera team ordering a blackout. [[Reuters]] was widely criticized for cutting the news feed. Typically, one news organization sets up a camera at a crowded event where space is limited and all broadcast organizations share the video feed. When the camera was cut, the blackout was universal. Reuters denied they issued the blackout and blamed [[CBS]]. CBS denied to comment but attacked the Trump campaign.

Trump received a standing ovation from members of thr black church after his moving speech on the importance of the black faith community in American life.

The issue was so widely reported Vladimir Putin asked Barack Obama about it at the G20 Summit in [[Beijing]] in early September 2016. Putin has been accused by Western reporters of impeding the campaigns of opposition challengers and murder of journalists critical of him. Obama is reported to have given Putin no answer.

====Pay to play====
:''Main article : [[Clinton Foundation conflicts of interest]]''
Clinton's critics claim that the sudden rise in the Clinton's net worth following their departure from the White House in 2001 was as a result of trading access for money.
=====Rosatom-Uranium One deal=====
In 'resetting' relations with [[Russia]], Secretary Clinton gave approval to a deal that allowed a Russian government enterprise to control one-fifth of all [[uranium]] producing capacity in the [[United States]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150509041803/http://nypost.com/2015/04/26/charity-watchdog-clinton-foundation-a-slush-fund Charity watchdog: Clinton Foundation a ‘slush fund’], Isabel Vincent, ''New York Post'', 26 April 2015</ref> Rosatom, the Russian company, acquired Uranium One, a Utah mining company owned by a [[Canadian]] firm and run by Frank Giustra (pron. ''Ju-stra''). Giustra is a member of the Clinton Foundation Board. The transaction required Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's approval. Giustra then donated over $130 million to the Clinton family non-profit foundation.<ref>[https://www.clintonfoundation.org/about/board-directors Board of Directors | Clinton Foundation], www.clintonfoundation.org</ref><ref>http://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2015/04/23/more-clinton-foundation-cronyism-the-deal-to-sell-uranium-interests-to-russia-while-hillary-was-secretary-of-state/</ref>

Rosatom is the 21st century [[free market]] inheritor of the [[Soviet]] system's command and control predecessor agency which operated the [[Chernobyl]] reactor. In the era of global corporate competition, Rosatom has taken the Soviet-style model of design, construction, and operation of nuclear power plants on the road for export. Rosatom does not just build power plants for anyone with the cash willing to pay, it can operate the plant with continuing contracts using its own technicians and employees. This includes supplying reactor grade [[plutonium]] and the more problematic and [[environment]]ally hazardous disposal of spent fuel rods. Syrian president [[Bashar al-Assad]] in May 2010 discussed with Russian President [[Dmitry Medvedev]] the possibility of Rosatom building nuclear power plants in [[Syria]].<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/russia-syria-medvedev-idUSLDE64A14S20100511 UPDATE 1-Russia says eyes atomic energy cooperation with Syria], ''Reuters'', May 11, 2010.</ref> In its report on Rosatom, [[Greenpeace|Greenpeace International]] cites cost-cutting and an historical culture of corruption as causes of concern.<ref>[http://www.greenpeace.org/hungary/PageFiles/636986/rosatom_risks.pdf Rosatom Risks: Exposing the troubled history of Russia’s state nuclear corporation], Greenpeace International, October 2014.</ref> Russia has now achieved near [[monopoly]] control globally in uranium enrichment for the worlds nuclear plants.

Rosatom builds more [[nuclear power plant]]s worldwide than anyone else, with projects currently underway in China, [[Vietnam]], [[India]], and [[Turkey]]. Rosatom built [[Iran]]’s [[nuclear reactor]] in Bushehr. With the purchase of Uranium One, Rosatom also bought uranium exploration rights in [[Arizona]], [[Colorado]], and [[Utah]].<ref>[http://www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/moscows-american-uranium/ Moscow’s American Uranium], By Matt Baker, 18th October 2013 - Politico. www.defenddemocracy.org</ref> Uranium is the only fuel right now that can reliably produce large amounts of [[electricity]] without the release of [[greenhouse gases]] and other [[hydrocarbon]] [[pollution|pollutants]].<ref>[https://www.caseyresearch.com/articles/putins-power-play-how-it-will-change-the-uranium-sector Putin’s Power Play – How It Will Change the Uranium Sector], Casey Research, May 15, 2013</ref> And under Russian law, contaminated waste must be returned to the country of origin.

According to the ''[[New York Times]]'' money began flowing into the Foundation before the transaction was complete.
{{quotebox|Canadian records show, a flow of cash made its way to the Clinton Foundation. Uranium One’s chairman used his family foundation to make four donations totaling $2.35 million. Those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite an agreement Mrs. Clinton had struck with the [[Obama]] [[White House]] to publicly identify all donors. Other people with ties to the company made donations as well. 

And shortly after the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, Mr. Clinton received $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Russian investment bank with links to the [[Kremlin]] that was promoting Uranium One stock.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/us/cash-flowed-to-clinton-foundation-as-russians-pressed-for-control-of-uranium-company.html?_r=0 Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal], By JO BECKER and MIKE McINTIRE, ''New York Times'', APRIL 23, 2015. nytimes.com</ref> }}

=====Toxicolgical agents for Bahrain=====
Emails reveal after the Kingdom of Bahrain donated $150,000 directly to the Clinton Foundation, plus another $32 million to the Clinton Global Initiative,<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3753487/How-Clinton-Foundation-donors-got-hotline-Huma-including-Bono-begging-link-International-Space-Station-concerts.html</ref> Hillary approved $630 million worth of direct arms sales to Bahrain's military, which included $700,000 for toxicological agents which were then used against the Gulf State's nation's own people, including women protestors demonstrating for women's rights.<ref>https://s3.amazonaws.com/PHR_Reports/Bahrain-TearGas-Aug2012-small.pdf</ref>

=====Blackwater=====
Blackwater is a private company that provides support services, including security, to the federal government, particularly in war zones. Five [[Blackwater]] guards were indicted by a U.S. grand jury on [[manslaughter]] and weapons charges stemming from a 2007 incident in [[Baghdad]] in which 17 Iraqis died. There was a huge public outcry not to renew Blackwater's contract. A donation of $10,000 to $25,000 was reported in late 2008; the State Department awarded a contract with a Blackwater subsidiary shortly after Sec. Clinton took office.<ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/news/money/top-donors-clinton-foundation-include-saudis-blackwater-article-1.357326 Top donors to Clinton foundation include Saudis, Blackwater], The Associated Press, Thursday, December 18, 2008, nydailynews.com</ref><ref>[http://www.iraqinews.com/baghdad-politics/u-s-extends-iraq-contract-for-blackwater-firm/ U.S. extends Iraq contract for Blackwater firm], Iraqi News, Sep 3, 2009. www.iraqinews.com</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/17/new-deal-for-blackwater-bucks-decision-by-iraq/ EXCLUSIVE: New deal for Blackwater], By Jim McElhatton - The Washington Times - Tuesday, March 17, 2009</ref>

=====Others=====
'''Laureate International Universities.''' Between 2010 and 2014 while Hillary Clinton served as Secretary of State, Bill Clinton made $16.5 million for his role as honorary chancellor of Laureate Education, a for-profit college company which operates in 30 countries.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-31/hillary-and-bill-clinton-paid-43-million-in-federal-taxes Hillary and Bill Clinton Made $139 Million in Eight Years],
Richard Rubin & Jennifer Epstein, ''Bloomberg'', July 31, 2015</ref> The [[State Department]] funneled $55 million in grants during Hillary Clinton’s tenure to groups associated with Laureate’s founder, Douglas Becker. The International Youth Federation, an organization connected to Laureate chairman Douglas Becker, received USAID funding.<ref>[http://www.iyfnet.org/people/douglas-l-becker Douglas L. Becker, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Laureate Education]. International Youth Foundation. www.iyfnet.org</ref> Becker is a major donor to the Clintons and the [[Clinton Foundation]].<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/laureate-a-for-profit-education-firm-finds-international-success-with-a-clintons-help/2014/01/16/13f8adde-7ca6-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html Laureate, a for-profit education firm, finds international success (with a Clinton’s help)], By Mina Kimes and Michael Smith. ''Washington Post'', January 18, 2014</ref><ref>[https://jonathanturley.org/2016/06/08/the-clintons-university-problem-laureate-education-lawsuits-present-problem-for-clintons/ The Clinton University Problem: Laureate Education Lawsuits Present Problem For Clintons [Updated] ] Jonathan Turley, June 8, 2016. jonathanturley.org</ref> In her first year as Secretary of State, Hillary is quoted as directly asking that Laureate be included in a high-profile policy dinner — just months before the lucrative contract was given to Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton references in an email “Laureate Universities, started by Doug Becker who Bill likes a lot".<ref>[http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/hillarys-emails-reveal-lucrative-ties-to-for-profit-colleges/ Hillary’s emails reveal lucrative ties to for-profit colleges], Ana Kasparian, ''RawStory'', 12 Mar 2016. www.rawstory.com</ref> “It’s a for-profit model that should be represented,” she wrote in the August 2009 email.<ref>[https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/09/02/clinton-sought-invite-laureate-state-dept-dinner Clinton Sought Invite for Laureate at State Dept. Dinner], Inside Higher Ed, September 2, 2015. insidehighered.com</ref><ref>[https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_JulyWeb/Web_031/DOC_0C05763085/C05763085.pdf UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-20439 Doc No. C05763085]</ref>

For-profit colleges have been criticized by [[education]] experts for low graduation rates and do little more than saddle students with insurmountable debt. In the case of Laureate, the scam has been spread to no less than 30 countries.

'''[http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/03/16/cbs-news-chinese-firm-pledged-2m-to-clinton-foundation-in-2013/ Rilin Enterprises]''', a Chinese firm run by Wang Wenliang, a member of the Chinese parliament with close security and intelligence connections to the Chinese government, has donated $2 million.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/chinese-company-pledged-2-million-to-clinton-foundation-in-2013/ Chinese company pledged $2 million to Clinton Foundation in 2013], Julianna Goldman, CBS News, March 16, 2015</ref><ref>''The Clintons' War on Women'', [http://epubbookonline.com/b/3035/roger-stone/the-clintons-war-on-women/33 CHAPTER 23 CONFLICT OF INTEREST], by Roger Stone, Skyhorse Publishing, 2015, pp. 341-342.</ref> After a meeting between Mr. Wenliang and former DNC chairman [[Terry McAuliffe]] in Hillary's [[Washington, D.C.]] home, McAuliffe has come under [[FBI]] investigation as well.<ref>[http://time.com/4348675/terry-mcauliffe-hillary-clinton-china-investigation/ Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe Invited Chinese Donor to Hillary Clinton’s Home], Michael Scherer, ''TIME'' magazine, May 25, 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/officials-feds-investigating-virginia-governor/2016/05/23/ef6c2ebe-2126-11e6-aa84-42391ba52c91_story.html Officials: Federal prosecutors investigating Virginia Gov. McAuliffe], By Matt Zapotosky, (Reuters), May 23, 2016. washingtonpost.com</ref>

'''Raj Fernando''' was appointed a seat on the State Department's International Security Advisory Board with a $250,000 donation to the Clinton Foundation. Fernando has no known association with the U.S. Intelligence Community nor expertise in national security affairs. Fernando also served as a 2016 unelected [[Superdelegate]] for Hillary Clinton to the Democratic Convention.<ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/06/10/abcs_brian_ross_do_newly_released_clinton_emails_show_quid_pro_quo.html ABC: Newly Released Emails Show Unqualified Clinton Foundation Donor Appointed to Sensitive Intelligence Board], Posted By Tim Hains, June 10, 2016. realclearpolitics.com</ref>

'''Union Bank of Switzerland''' ('''UBS'''), one of the world's largest, was fined $780,000,000 in February 2009 in a U.S. Federal Court on charges it helped thousands of Americans evade [[tax]]es.<ref>[http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20090219/FREE/902199983 ''UBS fined $780 million in [[tax evasion]] scandal,''] Investment News, February 19, 2009.</ref> The [[Department of Justice]] and the [[IRS]] were the lead agencies in the UBS investigation. After Sec. Clinton intervened, donations to the Clinton Foundation increased tenfold from $60,000 to $600,000. Additionally, Bill Clinton collected $1.5 million in speaking fees from UBS.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/30/ubs-donations-to-clinton-foundation-increased-after-hillary-intervention-in-irs.html Swiss bank's donations to Clinton Foundation increased after Hillary intervention in IRS dispute], FoxNews.com, July 30, 2015</ref>

====Health matters====
In late 2012 Hillary was reported to have suffered a concussion. Initial reports suggested it occurred after a "fainting" spell; other reports stated she suffered the concussion on board a C-12 Huron military aircraft which skidded off the runaway while in Iran to jumpstart negotiations on sanctions and the nuke deal.<ref>https://youtu.be/xTMw_w4IhBw</ref> The crash occurred on or about 8 December 2012; Hillary had a public "fainting" spell on 15 December 2012<ref>https://youtu.be/P885qYmxbE4</ref> which then led to reports she suffered a concussion. Reports say she was not hospitalized at that time. In a 24 December email she refers to having a "cracked head."<ref>https://70news.wordpress.com/2016/08/23/wikileaks-hillarys-crackhead-and-dementia-bombshell-hillary-clinton-used-drugs-for-dementia-and-parkinsons-disease-asked-nfl-chief-to-help-her-deal-with/</ref>

=====Neurological disorder=====
Significant concerns have arose in late summer 2016 about Hillary Clinton's mental and neurological fitness. The Clinton's have never complied with requests to disclose their medical records, which has led to widespread speculation among experts and laymen about both Clinton's health based on observation and what has been reported. In December 2011, a series of emails were passed between the staff and Hillary in which she inquired about the prescription medication, Provigil, which suggests [[Parkinson's disease]].<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2016/08/23/emails-top-hillary-aide-was-researching-drug-that-treats-parkinsons-alzheimers/</ref>

On the 2016 campaign trail it was obvious Hillary had trouble walking and keeping her balance. Other unusual occurrences in public medical experts described as a combination of brain freezes, blackouts, seizures or symptoms of post traumatic brain injury. Even while Secretary, Hillary began missing a series of important meetings, which included testifying before Congress and a [[national security]] briefing at the White House on the Benghazi attack. She canceled without notice her participation in the Friends of Syrian forum in Marrakesh when her presence was vitally needed as NATO was detecting suspicious movements of the Syrian army’s chemical weapons. Her assistant [[Huma Abedin]] noted in an email "she is often confused" because of her incapacitation.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3320900/Newly-released-email-shows-aide-Huma-Abedin-warned-colleagues-Hillary-confused-needed-hand-holding-calls-foreign-leaders.html#ixzz4Iu8Nujvw ]</ref>

What was particularly quixotic was the behavior of the Clinton campaign in spinning the story. Hillary's peculiar facial expressions at odd moments while talking to people could not go unnoticed. Or her coughing fits.

Typically a candidate, like a sitting president, travels with a press pool in tow. However the Clinton campaign has done everything imaginable to keep national reporters from getting too close to the candidate. When Hillary was rushed from the scene after collapsing at [[Ground Zero]] during a 9/11 commemoration, a 90-minute news blackout ensued. Repeated questions from reporters went unanswered.<ref>http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article101235582.html#emlnl=Morning_Newsletter</ref> When she emerged on an open street without a security detail, the person did not look at all like the Hillary we've come to know, nor the Hillary who had moments earlier been diagnosed with a serious illness. Nor the Hillary who broke down in an extended coughing fit two dsys earlier on national television on opening day of the general election.

One instance of an on camera freeze (see discussion on dyskinesia, below), it was speculated, was triggered by the cross-talk of several persons at once, such as regularly occurs in a press conference.<ref>https://youtu.be/OqbDBRWb63s</ref> Hillary did not have a press conference for 9 months in 2016. Hillary is accompanied in all public appearances by an attending physician who most mistake for part of her security detail. The physician, who is always at her side, has been photographed ready and armed with an auto-injector syringe carrying the anti-seizure medication, Diazepam.

All the speculation and rumors of course could be ended if the Clinton campaign would open up and be honest about a matter that is of no slight or insignificant purpose to the American people. During an interview with Erin Burnett on CNN, Dr. David Scheiner, President Obama’s former physician, insisted that a two-page note from Hillary's doctor was insufficient.<ref>http://www.inquisitr.com/3471504/hillary-clinton-needs-a-thorough-neurological-exam-obamas-doctor-says/</ref> Dr. Milton Wolf, President Obama's cousin, called the diagnosis of Lisa Bardack, one of Hillary's physicians, "pure fiction," noting the diagnosis does not appear in any medical tectbook.<ref>http://usdefensewatch.com/2016/09/dr-milton-wolf-obamas-cousin-catches-lie-in-hillary-clinton-medical-report/</ref>
Even more frightening, is that reporters who have discussed the matter publicly have been fired. Dr. Drew was fired by [[CNN]] after 6 years,<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/26/dr-drew-show-canceled-days-after-his-negative-speculation-about-hillary-clintons-health/</ref> and the [[Huffington Post]] terminated David Seaman who had written hundreds of articles over many years.<ref>http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/huffpo-writer-questions-hillary-health-happened/</ref><ref>[http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index2104.htm Hillary Clinton Colostomy Bag Cover-up Consumes US Media Giants, Puts Debates In Doubt], Sorcha Faal, August 30, 2016. www.whatdoesitmesn.com</ref> Seaman now lives in fear of his life and personal safety

=====Subcortical vascular dementia=====
A Twitter posting in August 2016 about Hillary's advanced medical condition was reportedly knocked down by Hillary's team and alleged Fact Checkers as a hoax and conspiracy. The reports are said to have been leaked possibly by the father of one of the physicians treating Hillary Clinton. The physician's name is Dr. Daniel Fleck. His father's name is Vincent Fleck. Vincent Fleck was found dead less than 24 hours after the reported leak. The leaked files are from the office of the physician who authored the two-page clean bill of health, and contradict what she distributed publicly. The clean bill of health is viewed as a whitewash by the Clinton campaign, intended to serve as the official response to requests for Hillary's medical records.<ref>http://www.eutimes.net/2016/08/father-of-doctor-treating-hillary-clinton-for-dementia-mysteriously-dies/</ref>

The two-page clean bill of health was written by Dr. Lisa Bardack, who claimed Hillary was in "excellant physical condition". Bardack said Clinton was diagnosed with a “transverse sinus venous thrombosis,” a type of blood clot in the brain. She was given blood thinners to dissolve the clot. Hillary experienced double-vision and had been given prism glasses to wear. Bardack wrote that by 2013 Hillary Clinton had "complete resolution of the effects of the concussion", which any [[NFL]] fan and layman can tell is complete nonsense. No mention was made of Hillary's persistent coughing fits or loss of balance. Bardack noted Hillary also suffered from deep vein thrombosis (blood clotting) in 1998 and 2009 and takes the medications Armour Thyoid and Coumadin (an anticoagulant blood thinner) daily. Armour Thyroid is an old fashion brand name remedy of desiccated thyroid extract from dried [[beef]] and [[pork]] [[thyroid]] glands.

The earliest leaked document from Dr. Bardack's office is dated February 5, 2014, stating the patient's present complaint is "Blacking out for short periods of time, uncontrollable twitching, memory loss, fatigue." It lists the [[diagnosis]] of "Complex Partial Seizures, Subcortical Vascular Dementia." Subcortical vascular dementia is caused by widespread microscopic damage to the brain resulting from hardening of the arteries that supply blood to the subcortical areas of the brain. The leak further notes "the patient is having signs of more frequent Complex Partial Seizures."<ref>http://allnewspipeline.com/Hillary_Clinton_Medical_Records_Released.php</ref>

Levadopa (L-dopa) is considered the most effective treatment of Parkinson's disease. Dyskinesia, or involuntary muscle movements, is a side affect of longterm treatment with levadopa.

{{Quotebox|"Dyskinetic movements look like smooth tics — sometimes like an uncoordinated dance. People who experience dyskinesia sometimes mask the involuntary movement with finalistic movements (if the arm starts moving on its own, they might bring it to their head and adjust their hair, as if it was planned)", according to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.<ref>https://www.michaeljfox.org/understanding-parkinsons/living-with-pd/topic.php?dyskinesia</ref>}}

Tinted blue sunglasses are considered a therapuetic remedy to alleviate symptoms of tardive dyskinesia.<ref>http://commons.pacificu.edu/pt/93/</ref><ref>http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5e6_1473703406</ref>

=====Cover-up of health problems=====
Following Hillary's high-profile collapse on Sunday morning September 11, 2016 at Ground Zero it was no longer possible to deny Hillary's debilitating condition as a [[vast right-wing conspiracy]]. Former [[MSNBC]] anchor Dan Schuster, while the blackout on Hillary's condition was still fresh, tweeted that DNC officials were pondering an emergency meeting to replace Hillary Clinton. By Monday afternoon discussions were confirmed by former DNC Chairman Dan Fowler who was appointed by President Bill Clinton to oversee his 1996 reelection. Fowler insists the open discussions were about process for replacing a nominee, not the actual replacement. A singular precedent exists, the 1972 replacement of Sen. Tom Eagleton with [[Sargent Shriver]] as VP on the Democrat ticket, an event many considered as sealing the fate of Sen. George McGovern's fledgling bid for the presidency.

====Jobs====
The Clintons’ support of [[NAFTA]] helped to destroy the economies of the four key industrial states of [[Michigan]], [[Ohio]], [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Wisconsin]].

Hillary expressed strong support for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a NAFTA-like free trade zone along the Pacific rim with China, Japan, South Korea and about a dozen other countries.<ref>https://youtu.be/Fju459PbqIc</ref> When Democrats defeated Obama's proposal to create the TPP Hillary flip-flopped to grab headlines in support of what public opinion polls were alresdy saying. Hillary publicly pitched the Trans Pacific Partnership no less than 45 times around the world as Secretary of State.<ref>Tapper, Jake et al. (June 15, 2015). [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2015%2F06%2F15%2Fpolitics%2F45-times-secretary-clinton-pushed-the-trade-bill-she-now-opposes%2F&ei=wC2CVeupMYO0oQTUj4HYCg&usg=AFQjCNEsFqVDafeOiL3RCS2RkzIM4yx07A&sig2=FjN1zCMVkBdQg3uHQ-cQvg "45 times Secretary Clinton pushed the trade bill she now opposes"]. CNN website/Politics.</ref><ref>Swenson, Michele (June 24, 2014). [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fmichele-swenson%2Fnafta-the-transpacific-clinton_b_5523327.html&ei=CzKCVfvNFoq1oQTkg6iQDA&usg=AFQjCNH8zZ2k0O_82qbQ4lDs25S0ZL7LUQ&sig2=PUwH5dxq_fcRw17Tw9x7SQ "NAFTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Clinton Global Initiative"]. Huffington Post/The Blog.</ref><ref>Shreckinger, Ben (February 21, 2014). [http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/how-obamas-free-trade-push-could-put-hillary-clinton-in-a-tight-spot/283958/ "How Obama's free trade push could put Hillary in a tight spot"]. ''The Atlantic'' website.</ref> Meanwhile, the Clintons revived their old, tired game: Bill came out in favor of TPP just to make sure all sides of an issue are covered. Rest assured, more jobs being destroyed are in the offing together with lower living standards, but donations to the Clinton Foundation seem secure.

====Divisive and dismissive comments====
Hillary branded half of Trump's supporters as "deplorables" and called them "irredeemable".
She has also called Roman Catholics "severely backwards" and charging that they don’t know "what the hell they’re talking about." [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/12/catholic-group-calls-clinton-spokeswomans-resignat/]

====Children's issues====
Hillary Clinton's only interest in children is as props for photo ops. She believes her dabbling in the [[occult]] and communion with dead [[spirit]]s makes her an appropriate role model for children.<ref>Book says Hillary talks to dead, CNN, Junne 22, 1996</ref>
=====Dead Iraqi children=====
Four years into the Clinton administration ''The Lancet'' British medical journal reported 567,000 Iraqi children had died under the sanctions. President Clinton made his position clear: "There is no difference between my policy and the policy of the [previous] administration."<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/15/world/clinton-affirms-us-policy-on-iraq.html CLINTON AFFIRMS U.S. POLICY ON IRAQ], By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, ''New York Times'', January 15, 1993</ref> By June 1993 Clinton began bombing Baghdad.

In a ''60 Minute'' interview CBS reporter Lesley Stahl had this exchange with Secretary of State Madelaine Albright: [[File:Iraq pop 2003.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Hillary considered Iraq to be a "business opportunity."<ref>https://youtu.be/sQq3hs_lXpY</ref>]]
{{quotebox|'''Stahl''' : We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in [[Hiroshima]]. And, you know, is the price worth it? 
'''Albright''' : I think this is a very ''hard choice'', but the price–we think the price is worth it.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omnskeu-puE Madeleine Albright says 500,000 dead Iraqi Children was "worth it" wins Medal of Freedom]. youtube.com</ref><ref>[http://fair.org/extra/we-think-the-price-is-worth-it/ ‘We Think the Price Is Worth It’], By Rahul Mahajan, FAIR, 1 Nov. 2001</ref>}}
They didn't deny it, the Clinton administration only toughened the sanctions in 1998, and now called for regime change. Hillary wrote in ''Living History'' after discussing how people were saying the Clinton's bombing and sanctions were a diversion from the sex charges against the President,
{{Cquote|as bombs fell on Iraq, the impeachment debate began. I had refrained from making any direct public statement for several months, but that morning I spoke to a group of reporters outside the White House. “I think the vast majority of Americans share my approval and pride in the job that the president’s been doing for our country.”<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=H78s9ZbLXCIC&pg=PA489&lpg=PA489dq=bombs+fell+on+Iraq+impeachment+debate+began+share+approval++pride++job&source=bl&ots=o3nVogt6So&sig=Ac21uLJL4SYV0xdzzLxHncrR7NA&hl=ensa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO_aCb_MTNAhWEJR4KHS70AiUQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepageq=bombs%20fell%20on%20Iraq%20impeachment%20debate%20began%20share%20approval%20%20pride%20%20job&f=false Living History], Hillary Rodham Clinton, Simon and Schuster, Apr 19, 2004, p. 489</ref>}}
In the lead-up to the [[Iraq War]] in 2002, Sen. Clinton reiterated her support for the Clinton policy and touted her leadership role in it.
{{quotebox|I know a little bit about what it's like on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue making these difficult decisions.<ref>[https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/flatview?cuecard=4136 "Clinton Supports Regime Change in Iraq."] [[Tim Russert]], correspondent. [[Meet the Press]]. NBCUniversal Media. 15 Sep. 2002.</ref>}}
Not surprisingly, Hillary entitled her memoirs as Secretary of State, ''Hard Choices'', recalling the Albright interview. [[Osama bin Laden]] later was to cite the deaths of Iraqi children under the Clinton's sanctions regime as motivation for the [[9/11 attacks]].<ref>https://www.thenation.com/article/hard-look-iraq-sanctions/</ref> Kevin Groenhagen noted in 2008, "Liberals who say Saddam was not a threat cannot explain why keeping him contained was worth the deaths of one half million Iraqi children."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZyFr2pFkbswC&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=bin+laden+death+o+f+iraqi+children&source=bl&ots=OjRO8Q-ENW&sig=WJ8shVsXboa8pfdR7iGrFfyfUf8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjogvbu95jPAhUCOz4KHd_sAR4Q6AEIdjAZ#v=onepage&q=bin%20laden%20death%20o%20f%20iraqi%20children&f=false What Really Happened: the Story of Clinton Inc. 's Efforts to Rewrite Bill Clinton's Record on Iraq and Terrorism,] Kevin Groenhagen, Lulu.com, Jul 16, 2008</ref>

=====Exterminated the children of Waco=====
Among the hard choices this advocate of children and women's rights made was the go-ahead to extinguish the lives of 17 children and 68 adults, the majority of which were women and minorities in the [[Waco massacre]].<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-really-happened-at-waco/ What Really Happened At Waco], CBSNews staff, ''CBS News'', Jan 25, 2000.</ref><ref>[http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2014/01/hillary-ordered-final-massacre-at-waco.html Hillary Ordered The Final Massacre At Waco], By Robert Morrow, January 27, 2014. www.economicpolicyjournal.com</ref> [[Vince Foster]] transmitted the order from Mrs. Clinton to [[Webster Hubbell]] who acted as White House liaison to the [[United States Department of Justice]],<ref name = "nytimesresignation">{{cite news
| title = A Clinton Friend Admits Mail Fraud and Tax Evasion
| work = New York Times
| url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A05E3DF1539F934A35751C1A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1
| accessdate = May 28, 2008
| first=Stephen
| last=Labaton
| date=December 7, 1994
}}</ref><ref name = "dojwacoreport">{{cite web
| title = Report to the Deputy Attorney General on the Events at Waco, Texas
| work = U.S. Department of Justice
| url = http://www.usdoj.gov/05publications/waco/waconine.html
| date = October 8, 1993
| accessdate = May 28, 2008
}}</ref> who relayed it to [[Attorney General]] [[Janet Reno]]. Foster, distraught over his role in the carnage, is said to have committed suicide.<ref name="Transcript: Larry King Live">[http://edition.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/02/09/tripp.lkl/ Transcript: Larry King Live], CNN, February 9, 2001.</ref>

Vince Foster was found dead with a bullet in his head allegedly, according to the ''Washington Post,'' because he was depressed over doing Hillary Clinton's tax return.<ref>"The 1993 suicide of White House counsel Vincent Foster, hard on the heels of the travel-office imbroglio and his filing of delinquent Whitewater Corp. tax returns." [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/whitewater/whitewater.htm Untangling Whitewater], By Dan Froomkin
Washingtonpost.com Staff.</ref>

=====Cluster bombs for children=====
On 6 September 2006 on an amendment to the Defense Appropriations act by Senator [[Dianne Feinstein]], Sen. Hillary Clinton voted against banning the use and sale of cluster bombs in areas with concentrated [[civilian]] populations. Sen. Feinstein argued,
{{quotebox|Innocent children think they are picking up a play toy in the field and suddenly their arm is blown off.<ref>[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/21/425303/-Hillary-Clinton-Voted-to-Continue-Cluster-Bombing-Civilians Hillary Clinton Voted to Continue Cluster Bombing Civilians], By DemocraticLuntz, ''DailyKos'', Dec 21, 2007.</ref>}}
Hillary voted to continue sales while the [[United Nations]] determined that 40% of those killed by cluster munitions are children.<ref>[http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00232 U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 109th Congress - 2nd Session], On the Amendment (Feinstein Amdt. No. 4882 ) Purpose of Bill:To protect civilian lives from unexploded cluster munitions. September 6, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://warisacrime.org/node/31173 Children Are Forty Percent of Cluster Bomb Casualties], BY TV 3 News (New Zealand)</ref> Many of the cluster bombs have been used in [[Yemen]] via the arms transfers Sec. Clinton approved to Saudi Arabia. Thousands of innocent [[children]] have died, or have been permanently disfigured and handicapped due to picking up unexploded cluster bomblets.<ref>[http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251413864 Hillary Clinton Voted to Continue Cluster Bombing Civilians], ''DailyKos'', Feb 15, 2016.</ref>

====National security====
Donald Trump said, "immigration security is national security." Hillary touted her record in respone saying, "We need a vigorous vetting process that includes people asking for visas. I know, I was a senator from New York. The people who ran those planes into the World Trade Center were here on visas. We have to have tougher, tighter controls. I've been an advocate for that for 16 years." What Hillary neglected to say was the hijackers entered the country before those 16 years when she was in the White House, or that 15 of the 19 hijackers received some form of [[entitlement]] under the Clinton administration.

Beginning in 1994, the Clinton administration paid [[North Korea]] $4 billion ''not to'' build a nuclear bomb while they were in the White House.<ref>https://youtu.be/6TcbU5jAavw</ref> It is unquestionable the money, aid, and resources the Clinton administration delivered to North Kores facilitated North Korea's ability to build a nuclear [[bomb]]. The Clinton's greatest fear, and only concern was, that a nuclear armed North Korea would become a foreign crisis during their term of office and disrupt the prosperity the country experienced in the immediate post-[[Cold War]] era. So they paid North Korea to build a bomb so long as North Korea didn't roll it out before Bill was reelected, or despoil his legacy in his second term.<ref>''Legacy of Ashes : The History of the CIA'', Tim Weiner, Random House, 2008, p. 439</ref> It was little surprise to observers when North Korea tested a bomb in 2002.<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5981265/</ref> Quite literally, the Clintons kicked the can down the road, showing no leadership, cynically allowing nuclear weapons to proliferate to advance their own ambitions and careers.

After witnessing the betrayal and murder of Muammar Gaddafi who became an ally in the War on Terrorism,<ref name="theatlantic.com">[http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/10/what-kim-jong-il-learned-from-qaddafis-fall-never-disarm/247192/ What Kim Jong-Il Learned from Qaddafi's Fall: Never Disarm], As the U.S. tries to restart multiparty talks with North Korea, it may find that the rogue state suddenly sees greater value in keeping its nuclear arsenal, Mira Rapp-Hooper and Kenneth N. Waltz, ''The Atlantic'', Oct 24, 2011.</ref> North Korea now vows it will never give up its nukes.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/12090658/North-Korea-cites-Muammar-Gaddafis-destruction-in-nuclear-test-defence.html North Korea cites Muammar Gaddafi's 'destruction' in nuclear test defence] Pyongyang says the fates of the late Libyan leader and Saddam Hussein show the need for a nuclear deterrent, By AFP, 2:49AM GMT 09 Jan 2016. www.telegraph.co.uk</ref> Gaddafi was murdered so that Hillary Clinton could pose as a decisive leader.<ref>https://youtu.be/Fgcd1ghag5Y</ref>

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama opposed deployment of the missile defense system and condemned the anti-Putin stance of Secretary of State [[Condolezza Rice]] who they portrayed as a [[feminist]] [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Uncle%20Tom Uncle Tom]. In office, Obama promptly cancelled the missile defense program and Hillary hit the Reset button on deteriorating US-Russian relations - at least until the Rosatom-Uranium One deal was completed. Then reality set in. Obama and Hillary started echoing George W. Bush and Condi Rice, the two people they heaped scorn on a few years earlier. In 2016 the two redirected their scorn at Donald Trump, as Trump's rhetoric about Putin and criticism of incumbents sounded like a mimeographed speech of either Hillary or Obama in the 2008 Democrat primaries.

Putin warned that the Russians do not view the missile defense system as a defensive system at all.<ref>https://youtu.be/kqD8lIdIMRo</ref> The system has the capability of a first strike launch to destroy the entire Russian land based nuclear arsenal when it's in range on Russia's borders. Deployment Putin would consider provocative. President Obama, after decades of trashing Ronald Reagan as a wreckless nuclear war hawk for his Star Wars fantasy, and Bush 41 for allegedly reigniting the Cold War, Obama ignored Putin's warning and deployed the missile defense system in Romania.<ref>http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/218188</ref> This was done, the administration said, to guard against Iranian nukes, despite the fact Obama said it would be at 13 years at a minimum before Iran had a nuke in the recently completed Iran nuke deal.

Hillary boasts of being the architect of the Iranian nuclear deal to "drive them to the negotiating table,"<ref>http://www.mrctv.org/videos/clinton-defends-iran-deal-thats-diplomacy</ref> despite the fact key players, notably Russia and Germany, had already violated the sanctions agreement.<ref>http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/iran-sanctions-the-german-control-problem</ref> In reality it was our own allies and Vladimir Putin who drove Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to the negotiating table by violating the agreement.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-calls-for-new-security-pact-with-russia-iran/</ref>

=====Origin of the international refugee crisis=====
In 2012 Hillary announced [[Syria]]n President Bashar Assad must go and committed the United States to supporting an odd assortment of militias, arms traffickers, narco-terrorists, gangsters and jihadis. The State Department and media used the [[oxymoron]]ic tag, 'moderate rebels' to describe them.<ref>[https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/02/18/the-media-are-misleading-public-syria/8YB75otYirPzUCnlwaVtcK/story.html The media are misleading the public on Syria], By Stephen Kinzer, ''Boston Globe'', February 18, 2016. "The Syrian war will be remembered as one of the most shameful episodes in the history of the American press."</ref><ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2749197/ISIS-arming-US-military-hardware-wage-jihad-Middle-East-seizing-weapons-Syrian-rebels-Iraqi-soldiers.html ISIS arming themselves with US-made military hardware to wage jihad across the Middle East after seizing weapons from Syrian rebels and Iraqi soldiers], By Ted Thornhill for MailOnline, 9 September 2014. www.dailymail.co.uk</ref> Congress appropriated $500 Million for Hillary's [[Free Syrian Army]]. The weapons supplied made their way to [[ISIS]].<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-sachs/hillary-clintons-foreign_b_5674467.html Hillary Clinton’s Foreign Policy Deception], Jeff Sachs, ''Huffington Post'', 08/13/2014 08:39 am ET | Updated Oct 13, 2014</ref> Four years later the Free Syrian Army is virtually non-existent, except as a front for arms traffickers. Any soldiers that were trained defected to the Islamic State with their weapons in 2013-14. Obama saw the scandal and cut back aid, but Hillary wants to continue dumping money and weapons on jihadis and the Clinton Foundation donors.<ref>[http://time.com/3097964/hillary-clinton-syria-isis-the-atlantic/ Hillary Clinton Criticizes Obama on Syria Policy], Sam Frizell, ''Time'', Aug. 10, 2014</ref>

By weakening Assad, the Clinton State Department effort opened up the space for the [[Islamic State]] to claim large swathes of territory in both Syria and Iraq.<ref>''HuffPo'', ibid.</ref>

Because of the enduring crisis there are 11,000,000 displaced persons - one third of the population. 7,000,000 are homeless internally, and 4,000,000 must be resettled worldwide. More than 600,000 alone entered [[Germany]] in the last 6 months of 2015 - more than the size of Germany's standing military of 400,000. Other estimates place the figure of Syrian refugees entering Germany in 2015 at over 1,000,000. Whatever the number, the impact is permanent.

By the time Hillary quit the State Department to raise more money and run for president, 300,000 Syrians had been killed and one third of the population displaced. Meantime Assad's position had been strengthened with the support of two powerful allies, [[Vladimir Putin]] of [[Russia]], and the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]], now with State Department acquiescence.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/syria-ceasefire-sham-helps-assad-cling-power-450832 Syria Cease-Fire Is a Sham That Helps Assad Cling to Power], By Faysal Itani and Hossam Abouzahr, ''[[Newsweek]]'', 4/24/16.</ref>

=====Libyan chaos=====
[[File:Mass beheading of Christians in Libya.jpg|right|350px|thumb|[[Christian]]s beheaded in Libya after Hillary's intervention.]]

The aftermath of the Libyan carnage Hillary engineered created what Putin calls a 'zone of chaos', with the [[Islamic State]] taking control of Derna, the site of the videotaped beheading of 21 [[Coptic]] [[Christians]] in February 2015.<ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/252615/hillarys-war-kenneth-r-timmerman Hillary’s War: Don’t believe Clinton’s claim she wants her emails released. She’s got too much to hide.] Kenneth R. Timmerman, Frontpage Magazine, March 5, 2015</ref> As Gaddafi had predicted, the Islamic State took credit for the November 2015 Paris attacks killing 137, wounding 368, and the February 2016 Brussels bombing killing 35 and injuring 340. Libya has now become a major stepping stone or drop off point for the European refugee crisis.

Hillary was the subject of a Congressional investigation after it had become evident that the deaths of four Americans during the [[Benghazi attack|September 11, 2011 terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi]] were caused by incompetence and malfeasance.<ref>Page, Susan (May 10, 2013). [http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/05/09/senator-lindsey-graham-hillary-clinton-testify-benghazi-subpoena/2147869/ Sen. Graham: Hillary Clinton should testify on Benghazi]. ''USA Today'' website.</ref>

In a moment of candor President Obama referred to Hillary's 'greatest moment' where she laughed about the 'sh*t show' she engineered<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgcd1ghag5Y Hillary Clinton on Gaddafi: We came, we saw, he died]. youtube.com</ref> as the 'worst mistake' of his presidency.<ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/04/12/libya-obama-admits-clintons-greatest-moment-was-his-worst-mistake Libya: Obama Admits Clinton's "Greatest Moment" Was His "Worst Mistake], Lauren McCauley, ''Common Dreams'', April 12, 2016.</ref>

====Bush donors====
:''For more see [[Jeb Bush donor list]]''
In the primary season [[Bernie Sanders]] supporters saw exactly what Clintonism is and what Clinton and surrogates are famous for-accusing your opponent with a straight face of the malfeasance and lack of ethics you yourself are guilty of. As the challenge from Bernie Sanders became more fierce, when Hillary needed the Sanders supporters more than ever, Hillary reached out to the big money donors who supported [[Jeb Bush]] saying, "I represent your values".<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/hilary-clinton-bush-donors-222872 Hillary forces target Bush donors], By Ben White, Politico, 05/05/16. politico.com</ref><ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/05/09/clinton-campaign-republican-donors-hillary-shares-your-values Clinton Campaign to Republican Donors: Hillary Shares Your Values], by Jake Johnson, ''Common Dreams'', May 09, 2016. commondreams.org</ref><ref>[http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/05/06/Clinton-targeting-former-Jeb-Bush-donors-on-Wall-Street/3811462559579/ Clinton targeting former Jeb Bush donors on Wall Street], By Eric DuVall, UPI, May 6, 2016. www.upi.com</ref>

====It's the stupid voters, stupid====
Hillary's chameleon like ability to adapt and survive is not based on a belief that people are good and willing to forgive, rather that they are stupid and forgetful. Her willingness to portray herself as a socio-pathological liar in front of a nation is intended to be divisive, to pit neighbor against neighbor, to set at odds people of goodwill and those who are guided by emotion, prejudice, and stereotype. The pattern is detectable and familiar.

Clinton 'talking points' are always shaped by focus groups, a process of distilling key buzzwords and phrases from sit-down discussions with small, usually uninformed groups of voters. Clintonism consists of accusing your opponent of what you yourself are culpable of, laughing at or denying accusations of wrongdoing, dismissing evidence within 24 hours as 'old news', and exhorting the media and country to 'move on' with nothing ever being resolved. The scandals only stack up, and since leaving the White House in 2001, have accrued into hundreds of millions of dollars to the Clinton's personal fortune.

Gwen Ifill, writing in the ''New York Times'' observed during the 1992 primaries, {{quotebox|Responding to a series of potentially damaging news reports, the Presidential campaign of Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas has crafted a multitiered plan to discredit and respond to accusations....The damage-control mechanism...operates on at least three levels. Mr. Clinton himself is the chief weapon. Backing him up is a crew of aides who scour every report for what they consider to be omissions and a group of advisers in Little Rock who search through public and private records and provide affidavits and statements that rebut the central conclusions of each new report...

...The strategy was put on its best display earlier this month when a New York Times article raised questions about Mr. Clinton and his wife, Hillary, and their business relationship with a developer who ran a failing savings and loan that was represented by Mrs. Clinton's law firm...

There have been constant, though undocumented, reports of articles that were never published because the Clinton damage controllers went on full alert before final publication decisions were made

This works "more often than you think," [Deputy campaign manager George] Stephanopoulos said.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/29/us/the-1992-campaign-political-memo-when-trouble-s-ahead-clinton-s-staff-is-ready.html</ref>}}

In 2016 we've seen ths system thwt Gwen Ifill described in detail with several examples, now being employed with Hillary's medical records, and before that in the email scandal.

Hillary accuses Donald Trump of cozying up to Moscow, yet Hillary hit the "Reset Button" to soften relations after the hardline approach of the Bush administration. She's happy to assume a hardline again now that the Rossatom-Uranium One Deal is complete and the Clinton family pocketed $500,000 in speaking fees from a Russian investment bank that was promoting Uranium One stock.

The Clinton's attempt at character assassination of Jennifer Flowers was predicated on the fact her story originally appeared in the supermarket tabloid ''Star''; now exculpatory evidence used to exonerate Bill Clinton of the claim he fathered an out of wedlock son is based on claims by Clinton surrogates the ''Star'' ran DNA tests proving Clinton is not the child's father.

Whitewater Independent Council was excoriated and vilified by the Clinton attack machine yet his ruling of Vince Foster's death as a suicide is held up as the gold standard of truth among several investigations into Foster's death. Yet no mention is made now that it was Starr who defended Clinton intimate and registered [[pedophile]] Jeffrey 'Joe' Epstein from a second conviction on child abuse and rape charges.

Hillary voted to send US troops into Iraq in 2003 but refused to pay them when she voted against a piece of compromise legislation in 2008 to issue their paychecks.

After trashing US intelligence for its unreliability, failures, and deception regarding Iraqi WMD in the prelude to the Iraqi war, Clinton mainstream surrogates, the Clinton campaign, and the Obama administration claim as an undeniable truth supposed US intellugence assessments that Vladimir Putin and Russia hacked DNC servers which resulted in the firing of Debbie Wasserman Schultz and that the [[Murder of Seth Rich]] is unrelated to Clinton and DNC operatives and surrogates.

Bill Clinton's deregulation of [[Wall Street]] and repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act has been roundly cited as one of the major causes of the Great Recession.<ref>[http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1877351_1877350_1877322,00.html Blameworthy: Bill Clinton. 25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis], ''[[Time magazine]]''.</ref><ref>[http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/14/448685233/fact-check-did-glass-steagall-cause-the-2008-financial-crisis Fact Check: Did Glass-Steagall Cause The 2008 Financial Crisis?], October 14, 2015. npr.org</ref> In an undignified moment while giving partisan supporters marching orders on how to respond to claims that the great recession was caused by ''too much'' regulation, Hillary began barking like a dog, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58rLBBpCE2M ARF ARF ARF ARF].

On the issue of the controversial, biased online encyclopedia, [[Wikipedia]], Clinton sent a message of congratulations that was read at the opening session of the Wikimania 2012 conference in Washington, DC.<ref>{{cite web|first=Nicholas Michael|last=Bashour|url=http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/07/17/wikimania-2012-swan-song/|title="Wikimania 2012 swan song"|publisher=Wikimedia blog website|date=July 17, 2012}}</ref>

==General election results==
===Results===
Trump won the election with an [[Electoral College]] majority of 306 to 232, prior to December 19, when the Electoral College voted.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/election/results|title=Election Results|accessdate=Nov. 12, 2016}}</ref> Clinton won the popular vote 65,844,954 (48.04 percent) to 62,979,879 (45.95 percent) for Trump, according to unofficial results.<ref name="NationalPopular" /> Trump received more votes than any other Republican candidate in history. By comparison, McCain got 60.0 million votes in 2008 and Romney got 60.9 million votes in 2012.<ref>"[http://heavy.com/news/2016/11/clinton-vs-trump-popular-vote-2016-margin-lead-latest-update-results-2012-2008-2000-hillary-gore-obama-electoral-college/ How Hillary Clinton’s 1.4 Million Popular Vote Lead Broke Records]"</ref> A total of 137,053,916 votes were cast,<ref name="NationalPopular" /> a 5.9 percent increase over 2012.<ref name="VoteTracker">"[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/133Eb4qQmOxNvtesw2hdVns073R68EZx4SfCnP4IGQf8/htmlview?sle=true#gid=19 2016 National Popular Vote Tracker]".</ref> Republican candidates to the House of Representatives received 49.9 percent of the vote compared to 47.3 percent for Democrats.<ref name=NationalHouse>"[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oArjXSYeg40u4qQRR93qveN2N1UELQ6v04_mamrKg9g/edit#gid=0 2016 National House Popular Vote Tracker]"</ref> Thus the Democrats were 1.8 points ahead in the popular vote for president, but 2.6 points behind in the popular vote for the House of Representatives. That is to say, congressional Republicans ran ahead of Trump by a four-point margin. In 2012, congressional Republicans ran ahead of Romney by a three-point margin.

Republican turnout in California, the most populous U.S. state, was exceptionally low in 2016 as this state had no major contested race.<ref>"[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/442141/donald-trump-election-dont-blame-electoral-college Why We Have an Electoral College].", ''National Review''</ref> Without California, Trump would have carried the national popular vote by 58.4 million votes to 57.1 million votes.<ref name="NationalPopular" /><ref name="VoteTracker"/><ref name=Calpop>"[http://heavy.com/news/2016/11/popular-vote-results-2016-clinton-trump-2012-2008-vs-electoral-college-california-uncounted-ballots-new-york-update-totals-final/ Popular Vote 2016: How California Drove Hillary Clinton’s Lead]"</ref> The results in the states with the most representative voting populations, or swing states, provide another way to estimate what a national popular vote might have looked like. In the thirteen swing states, Trump received a total of 22.2 million votes compared to 21.4 million for Clinton.<ref name="NationalPopular" /><ref name="VoteTracker"/> Both of these metrics correspond to a two-point edge for Trump in the popular vote. Viewed from another angle, California, New York and Massachusettes - the three most liberal states in the Union - gave Clinton a popular vote edge of 7 million. In the other 47 states combined she lost the popular vote by 4 million.

Lax voting integrity laws, including laws in twelve states that allow an illegal immigrant to obtain a drivers' license, most likely resulted in over 800,000 ballots being cast for Clinton by non-citizens.<ref name="Lucas800k"/><ref name="O'ReillyIA"/><ref name="Scarborough800k"/>

===Historic upset===
Trump's campaign was vastly outspent, outraised, and out-staffed by Clinton's.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/10/more-with-less-trumps-lean-machine-beats-clintons-big-bank-account.html More With Less: Trump's lean machine beats Clinton's big bank account]. ''Fox News''. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> The [[mainstream media]] was extremely biased against and unfair towards Trump.<ref>Kurtz, Howard (November 11, 2016). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/11/media-remain-hostile-to-donald-trump-even-as-some-pundits-admit-blew-it.html Media remain hostile to Donald Trump even as some pundits admit they blew it]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.billoreilly.com/b/Media-Bias-to-the-Extreme/39285014073786148.html Media Bias to the Extreme]. ''BillOReilly.com''. November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref> According to one study, 91% of the media coverage concerning Trump was negative and 96% of campaign contributions from the media went to Clinton.<ref>Bedard, Paul (March 19, 2017). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/anti-trump-media-91-coverage-negative-96-of-donations-to-hillary/article/2617828 http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/anti-trump-media-91-coverage-negative-96-of-donations-to-hillary/article/2617828]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref>

It was widely expected that Clinton would easily win the election, and the elite pollsters and "political insiders" all predicted a massive Clinton victory.<ref>Vogel, Kenneth P. & Isenstadt, Alex (November 9, 2016). [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/how-did-everyone-get-2016-wrong-presidential-election-231036 How did everyone get it so wrong?]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref><ref>Catanese, David (October 24, 2016). [http://www.usnews.com/news/the-run-2016/articles/2016-10-24/republicans-last-hope-the-polls-are-wrong Republicans’ Last Hope: The Polls Are Wrong]. ''U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> At least once, when a poll was released that actually showed Trump leading, Clinton's campaign dismissed it as "bad polling".<ref>Nelson, Louis (November 1, 2016). [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/clinton-campaign-bad-poll-abc-washington-post-230591 Clinton camp on new survey showing Trump ahead: It’s ‘bad polling’]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> Instead, Trump won the election in a massive, historical upset, winning even states such as [[Pennsylvania]], [[Michigan]], and [[Wisconsin]], which a Republican had not won for 20–30 years.<ref name="HistoricUpset">[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/08/first-polls-close-in-2016-race-trump-projected-to-win-ind-ky-clinton-wins-vt.html Trump wins presidency, defeats Clinton in historic election upset]. ''Fox News''. November 8, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref><ref>Blake, Aaron (November 9, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/08/donald-trumps-path-to-victory-is-suddenly-looking-much-much-wider/ Donald Trump just blew up the electoral map]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> The polling and predictions were off dramatically.<ref>Flint, Joe & Alpert, Lukas I. (November 9, 2016). [http://www.wsj.com/articles/bad-polling-in-hand-media-misses-mark-badly-with-election-predictions-1478710860 How the Media’s Election Predictions Badly Missed the Mark]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> Trump's election victory was described by ''[[Politico]]'' as "the most stunning upset in American history."<ref>Goldmacher, Shane & Schreckinger, Ben (November 9, 2016). [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/election-results-2016-clinton-trump-231070?lo=ap_c1 Trump pulls off biggest upset in U.S. history]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref>

===Electoral gains===
While the GOP increased its vote share across the entire nation, Trump made the largest gains in the rural [[Midwest]] and [[Rust Belt]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/08/us/elections/how-trump-pushed-the-election-map-to-the-right.html How Trump Reshaped the Election Map]. ''The New York Times''. November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref> He won more votes in the general election than any Republican candidate in U.S. history, and he won the largest number of electoral votes since [[George H. W. Bush]].<ref>Hoft, Jim (November 22, 2016). [http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/11/trump-breaks-record-votes-republican-candidate-history/ Trump Breaks Record for Most Votes by Republican Candidate in History]. ''The Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved November 22, 2016.</ref> In addition, Trump won 2,623 counties—the largest number for both a Republican or Democrat since [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1984—while the Democrats won only 489, something even the liberal [[PolitiFact]] admitted to be true.<ref>Jacobson, Louis (December 4, 2016). [http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/dec/04/mike-pence/mike-pence-says-donald-trump-won-most-counties-rep/ Mike Pence says Donald Trump won most counties by a Republican since Ronald Reagan]. ''PolitiFact''. Retrieved December 4, 2016.</ref> Geographically speaking, Trump accordingly won 85 percent of the nation,<ref>Wallace, Tim (November 16, 2016). [http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/16/us/politics/the-two-americas-of-2016.html?_r=0 The Two Americas of 2016]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved December 5, 2016.</ref> and he won 61 percent of the states (including Maine's 2nd district).

With the historic flip of Elliott County, Kentucky, every rural, white-majority Southern county voted for the Republican nominee for the first time in history.<ref>Simon, Jeff (December 9, 2016). [http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/elliott-county-kentucky-democratic-streak-broken-by-donald-trump/index.html How Trump ended Democrats' 144-year winning streak in one county]. ''CNN''. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref>

According to exit polling, Trump won 81 percent of evangelical Christians compared to 16 percent for Clinton, a record high and even more than [[George W. Bush]] won in 2004,<ref>O'Brien, Cortney (November 12, 2016). [http://townhall.com/tipsheet/cortneyobrien/2016/11/12/white-evangelical-voters-showed-up-this-time-n2243931 Evangelical Voters Showed Up Big Time For Trump]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref><ref>Lovett, Ian (November 9, 2016). [http://www.wsj.com/articles/evangelicals-back-donald-trump-in-record-numbers-despite-earlier-doubts-1478689372 Evangelicals Back Donald Trump in Record Numbers, Despite Earlier Doubts]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> even though some have disputed the accuracy of such exit polling methods.<ref>Showalter, Brandon (November 16, 2016). [http://www.christianpost.com/news/81-percent-evangelicals-vote-trump-eric-teetsel-joe-carter-171542/ Did 81 Percent of Evangelicals Really Vote for Trump? Not So Fast, Some Say]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> This is largely due to Trump's conservative policies that align well with the Bible, including opposition to abortion.

===Not an isolated victory===
In addition to Trump's defeat of Clinton, the Republican Party kept control of the House and Senate, outperforming expectations.<ref>Bresnahan, John (November 9, 2016). [http://www.politico.eu/article/republicans-on-cusp-of-keeping-the-senate/ Republicans hold the Senate in a stunner]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref><ref>Hughes, Siobhan (November 9, 2016). [http://www.wsj.com/articles/republicans-are-confident-about-retaining-control-of-the-house-1478634160 Democrats Gain Seats in House, But GOP Retains Majority]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref> In addition, the Republican Party performed well—much better than expected—in state races, winning trifectas in [[Kentucky]], [[Iowa]], [[Missouri]], and [[New Hampshire]], and Democrats only had six trifectas and total control in five states, a record low.<ref>Greenblatt, Alan (November 9, 2016). [http://www.governing.com/topics/elections/gov-republicans-add-dominance-state-legislatures.html Republicans Add to Their Dominance of State Legislatures]. ''Governing''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref><ref>Siegel, Josh (November 9, 2016). [http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/09/republicans-maintain-strong-control-of-state-capitols-what-that-means/ Republicans Maintain Strong Control of State Capitols. Here’s What That Means.] ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref> The GOP won 25 trifectas, the largest since 1952.<ref>Lieb, David A. (December 29, 2016). [https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20161229/281822873464433 GOP-Controlled States Aim to Reshape Laws]. ''Chicago Tribune'' (from the Associated Press). Retrieved December 30, 2016.</ref> In addition, after the election, the GOP controlled the highest amount of governorships since 1922,<ref>Lieb, David A. (November 9, 2016). [http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-11-09/republicans-expand-control-of-governorships-legislatures Republicans governorships rise to highest mark since 1922]. ''U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref> and it controlled the most state legislative chambers in history.<ref>Bosman, Julie & Davey, Monica (November 11, 2016). [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/us/republicans-expand-control-in-a-deeply-divided-nation.html Republicans Expand Control in a Deeply Divided Nation]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved November 14, 2016.</ref>

During Obama's eight years in office, Democrats lost 1,042 seats—including U.S. House, Senate, state governorship, and state legislative seats.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/12/27/democrats-lost-over-1000-seats-under-obama.html?refresh=true Democrats lost over 1,000 seats under Obama]. ''Fox News''. December 27, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.</ref>

===Aftermath===
====Economic upsurge====
With expectations that Trump's election victory would cause the markets to plunge, the [[Dow Jones Industrial Average]] actually performed very strongly, closing at the highest level it had ever reached in history after the second day.<ref name="MarketRally">La Monica, Paul R. (November 10, 2016). [http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/10/investing/markets-stocks-donald-trump-rally/index.html The 'yuge' Donald Trump market rally continues]. ''CNN Money''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> It is rare for the stock market to rise immediately after a U.S. presidential election regardless of the winner.<ref name="MarketRally"/> The stock market had its best week in five years due to optimism of a Trump presidency.<ref>Craig, Victoria (November 11, 2016). [http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/11/11/trump-optimism-propels-dow-to-best-week-in-five-years.html Trump Optimism Propels Dow to Best Week in Five Years]. ''Fox Business''. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref>

====Anti-Trump violence and hate crimes====
After the election, childish [[leftists]] and [[anarchists]], who could not accept the results of the election, strongly protested Trump's victory and committed outrageous and extreme acts of vandalism and violence.<ref name="Protests">Chiaramonte, Perry (November 10, 2016). [http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/10/trump-protests-intensify-as-doubts-swirl-about-spontaneity.html Trump protests intensify, as doubts swirl about spontaneity]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> Trump supporters were the victims of numerous targeted attacks, brutal violence, and [[hate crime]]s.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/10/video-emerges-group-beating-chicago-man-while-yelling-dont-vote-trump.html Video emerges of mob beating Chicago man while yelling 'don't vote Trump']. ''Fox News''. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref><ref>http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2016/11/trump-supporter-15-beaten-during-rockville-protest/slide/1/</ref> A tech company corporate CEO threatened to murder Donald Trump.<ref>http://bgr.com/2016/11/15/man-threatens-to-kill-trump-ceo-sniper/</ref> The brutal and disturbing anti-Trump hate crimes (or hate crimes closely related to Trump's election) continued to occur into the next year.<ref name="LatestAntiTrump">[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/05/facebook-live-attack-latest-in-string-anti-trump-assaults.html Facebook Live attack the latest in string of anti-Trump assaults]. ''Fox News''. January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.</ref> Democrat leaders, Obama and the Clinton machine refused to condemn the hate and violence. Ads for paid protesters appeared on Craigslist. Many of these protests were likely organized and coordinated, as many protestors were bused in by Coach buses.<ref name="Protests"/>

Despite these attacks, liberals and leftists only focused on alleged attacks by Trump supporters against minorities and others (the false leftist narrative, although being blatantly false and one-sided, fits their manufactured narrative that Trump supporters are "racist" and "evil" and that leftists are "tolerant" and "forgiving", despite the opposite being true). It was found that despite the number of real anti-Trump attacks, several of the "pro-Trump" attacks were found to be hoaxes.<ref name="LatestAntiTrump"/>

====Democrat blame and deception====
Despite the unholy collusion between the Clinton campaign and mainstream news organizations which had been documented by her emails, and polling organizations paid by the Clinton campaign,<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/10/11/media-polling-fully-exposed-about-that-nbcwsj-clinton-11-point-poll/</ref> liberal apologists blamed so-called "[[fake news]]" sites for the defection of Democrat voters to Trump, and Hillary's loss. Google, Twitter, and Facebook vowed to blacklist "fake news", a veiled reference to Breitbart TV, Infowars, the Drudge Report, conservative blogs and social media sites.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/15/technology/google-will-ban-websites-that-host-fake-news-from-using-its-ad-service.html?_r=0</ref> Throughout the election, fake news stories and polling by mainstream sources insisted only "stupid" people supported Trump whereas Clinton had the edge among people with higher education. In post-election analysis it was revealed Trump indeed carried a majority of people with a college education.

Then Clinton surrogates alleged that Trump was the agent of a foreign power. The Clintons would not exit the stage peaceably,<ref>http://www.theblaze.com/news/2016/12/14/colorado-judge-tells-faithless-electors-they-have-to-vote-for-clinton-or-face-jail-time/</ref> even with the anger expressed by some of her donors who had raised over one billion dollars on her behalf, and felt ripped off.<ref>http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/hillary-clinton-campaign-donors-post-mortem-232715</ref> Other Clinton donors dumped another $7 million trying to overturn the election result.<ref>http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/10/15/jill-stein-clinton-foundation-donors-in-corporate-media-prop-up-hillary-campaign/</ref>

====Certifying the victory despite leftist objections====
Progressives, media, and Hollywood surrogates tried to wheedle, cajole, and intimidate Electors,<ref>http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/310595-electoral-college-must-delay-vote-otherwise-putin</ref><ref>http://freebeacon.com/politics/group-using-celebrities-urge-electors-vote-trump-foreign-registered-website/</ref> going so far as to employ bribery and death threats on members of the Electoral College.<ref name="thehill.com">http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/310980-michael-moore-to-gop-electors-i-will-pay-your-fine-if-you-dont</ref> Ultimately, Trump lost two pledged Electors and Hillary Clinton lost five.<ref>Hughes, Clyde (December 20, 2016). [http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/electoral-college-monday-donald-trump/2016/12/20/id/764847/ Electoral College: Monday's Results Cement Trump's Presidency]. ''Newsmax''. Retrieved December 20, 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/revolt-fizzles-trump-easily-wins-electoral-college-vote/HsJeDsyNHYee1oH616qp1J/ Revolt fizzles as Trump easily wins Electoral College vote]. ''Dayton Daily News'' (from the Associated Press). December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.</ref><ref>Finnegan, Michael (December 19, 2016). [http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-electoral-college-vote-20161219-story.html With 304 votes, electoral college seals Donald Trump's election as president]. ''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved December 20, 2016.</ref>

The Electoral College results were certified on January 6, 2017 by the 115th U.S. Congress.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/06/dems-try-to-contest-trump-victory-on-house-floor.html ‘It is over’: Congress certifies Trump’s win, over last-ditch Dem objections]. ''Fox News''. January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref><ref>Nazarian, Adelle (January 6, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/06/it-is-over-joe-biden-shuts-down-democrats-electoral-college-challenge-to-trump/ ‘It Is Over’: Joe Biden Shuts Down Democrats’ Electoral College Challenge to Trump]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 6, 2017.</ref>

====The ''shattered'' Clinton campaign====
Clinton continued to blame "misogyny" (even from women) for her loss of the election, as well as supposed Russian meddling in the election, James Comey, and WikiLeaks.<ref>Breitman, Kendall (April 7, 2017). [http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-explains-why-she-really-lost-trump-n743581 Hillary Clinton Explains Why She Really Lost to Trump]. ''NBC News''. Retrieved April 8, 2017.</ref><ref>Kew, Ben (April 6, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2017/04/06/hillary-clinton-again-blames-misogyny-for-election-defeat/ Hillary Clinton Again Blames ‘Misogyny’ for Election Defeat]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 8, 2017.</ref>

In April 2017, journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes released the book ''Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign'' revealed that the Clinton campaign was a dysfunctional disaster and that numerous mistakes during the campaign contributed to her defeat.<ref>Adams, Becket; Weaver, Al (April 18, 2017). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/im-sorry-clinton-campaign-disaster-laid-bare-in-new-book/article/2620518 'I'm sorry': Clinton campaign disaster laid bare in new book]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref><ref>Geraghty, Jim (April 19, 2017). [http://www.nationalreview.com/article/446885/shattered-jonathan-allen-amie-parnes-clinton-campaign-dysfunction-revealed Shattered Illusions]. ''National Review''. Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref><ref>Kakutani, Michiko (April 17, 2017). [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/17/books/shattered-charts-hillary-clintons-course-into-the-iceberg.html?_r=0 'Shattered' Charts Hillary Clinton's Course Into the Iceberg]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref> The book reveals that Clinton did not plan on conceding the election until Obama told her to do so.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/4-excerpts-from-shattered-and-what-they-tell-us-about-clintons-loss/ Takeaways from the Clinton campaign autopsy "Shattered"]. ''CBS News''. April 18, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref> The book also revealed that within 24 hours after her loss, the Clinton campaign, particularly [[John Podesta]] and [[Robby Mook]], developed the claim of alleged collusion between Trump and Russia to give to the public as the center reason for the loss.<ref>Hudson, Jerome (April 21, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/21/shattered-revelation-clinton-campaign-hatched-russian-hacking-narrative-24-hours-after-hillarys-loss/ ‘Shattered’ Revelation: Clinton Campaign Hatched Russian Hacking Narrative 24 Hours After Hillary’s Loss]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref>

*Jonathan Allen & Amie Parnes (2017). ''[https://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Inside-Hillary-Clintons-Campaign/dp/0553447084 Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign]''. New York: Crown. ISBN: 978-0553447088.

== See also ==
*[[Presidential debates 2016]]
*[[Candidates on homosexuality]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P16/events.phtml?s=c List of primaries and debates]
{{DEFAULTSORT:2016, United States presidential election,}}
[[Category:United States Presidential Elections]]
[[Category:2016 presidential election]]

Donald Trump

2017-06-26T14:54:16Z

FDR:

{{Officeholder
|name=Donald John Trump
|image=Donald Trump official photo.jpg
|party=[[Republican]] (formerly [[Democrat]], [[Independent voter|Independent]], and [[Reform Party|Reform]])
|spouse=Ivana Trump Marla Maples [[Melania Trump]]
|religion=[[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian]]
|offices={{Officeholder/president
|country=the United States
|number=45th
|terms=January 20, 2017-Present
|vp=[[Mike Pence]]
|preceded=[[Barack Obama]]
|former=n
}}
}}
:''For his achievements as President-elect and President, see [[Donald Trump achievements]].''
'''Donald John Trump''' (b. [[Queens]], [[New York]], on June 14, 1946), nicknamed "'''The Donald'''", is a successful businessman, entrepreneur, outspoken politician, and [[television]] personality. He is the illegitimately-elected and fully-unqualified president of the United States as a result of winning the [[2016 presidential election]] as the [[Republican]] nominee.

==Financial worth & education==
Trump has engaged in many financial pursuits and estimated that his net worth was $10 billion, as of July 2015.<ref>LoGiurato, Brett (July 25, 2015). [http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-net-worth-2015-7 "We finally know a lot more about Donald Trump's 'massive' net worth"]. Business Insider website.</ref> ''Forbes'', however, estimates his net worth is $3.7 billion as of March 2017.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/profile/donald-trump/ "The world's most powerful people: #2 Donald Trump"]. (March 6, 2017). Forbes.com website.</ref> He graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964 and first attended college at [[Fordham University]] for two years before transferring to the more competitive [[University of Pennsylvania]] and completing his undergraduate studies at its Wharton School of Finance and Commerce.

Early media profiles of Trump claim he graduated "first in his class" from Wharton.<ref>Whitman, Alden (January 28, 1973). [http://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/28/archives/a-builder-looks-backand-moves-forward-builder-looks-back-but-moves.html "A builder looks back—and moves forward".] ''New York Times''. Retrieved from ''New York Times'' website.</ref> The evidence suggests otherwise and yet Trump has never sought to correct or clarify this potentially significant error.<ref>Geist, William E. (April 8, 1984). [http://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html "The expanding empire of Donald Trump".] ''New York Times Magazine''. Retrieved from ''New York Times'' website.</ref>

==Candidacy==
On June 16, 2015, he declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>Multiple references:
*[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/ "Trump announces White House bid, joins crowded GOP field"] (June 16, 2015). Fox News website/Politics. The front-runner in a record-breaking field of 17 [[Republican]] candidates, Trump announced that he did not anticipate "throwing punches" against his rivals in the first GOP debate.
*Chiacu, Donna and Torbati, Yeganeh (August 2, 2015). [http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/02/us-usa-election-debate-idUSKCN0Q70NI20150802 "Trump says won't be 'throwing punches' in U.S. Republican debate"]. Reuters/Politics. But at the debate the [[Fox News Channel]]—particularly its [[feminist]] non-journalist [[Megyn Kelly]]—ambushed Trump with out-of-context quotations designed to smear him as somehow being anti-women. This ignited a national controversy that lasted for days, and Trump called upon Kelly to apologize, which she refused to do.</ref> Unlike most other U.S presidential candidates, Trump sharply criticizes the media and talks about issues that no elected official dares touch. For example, Trump stands up against [[feminists]], unlike most politicians. In another example, in 2011 Trump persistently doubted whether [[Barack Obama]] had been born in the [[United States]], which caused Obama's approval ratings to drop below 40% until Obama finally caved in to Trump and produced what Obama claimed was his birth certificate. Trump then scoffed at Obama's conduct.

'''''In February 2011, Trump announced that he is [[pro-life]], and at the final presidential debate on Oct. 19, 2016, Trump gave the strongest endorsement of the pro-life position of any presidential nominee in history'''''.

Trump's central campaign theme has been to oppose [[illegal immigration]] and [[free trade]], and nominated Senator [[Jeff Sessions]] as [[Attorney General]] to enforce standing legislation on the issue. As reported by [[Breitbart News Network|Breitbart]], "Sen. Sessions, Chairman of the Senate’s Immigration Subcommittee, is widely regarded as the gold standard on immigration. Sessions has also become the intellectual thought leader in the Republican Party on appealing to the blue collar voters who have been abandoned by their political leaders." <ref>Hahn, Julia (August 14, 2015). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/08/14/game-change-trump-consults-with-sen-jeff-sessions-on-immigration-strategy/ "Game change: Trump consults with Sen Jeff Sessions on immigration strategy"]. Breitbart website/Big government.</ref> In the later campaign Trump focused more on [[ISIS]] and terrorism.

At the final presidential debate between [[Hillary Clinton]] and Trump on October 19, 2016, Clinton chastised Trump for running a newspaper advertisement in 1987 critical of the [[Reagan Administration]]. But Trump persuasively explained that he has always disagreed with Reagan's support of free trade, as many other [[conservatives]] disagree with Reagan on this issue.

==Religious beliefs==
{{Main|Donald Trump's religious views}}
Donald Trump attended the First [[Presbyterian]] Church in Jamaica, [[Queens]]. He told the [[Christian Broadcasting Network]] that he still considers himself a [[Presbyterian]] and attends services for all major holidays and Sundays, and that "The [[Bible]] is certainly THE book." He receives Bibles from fans in the mail, and he either stores them or gives them away to others.<ref>Haberman, Maggie (April 11, 2011). [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52942.html "Donald Trump talks about religion"]. Politico website.</ref>

In July 2015, Trump stated in an interview that "Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes?"<ref>Nothstine, Ray (July 23, 2015). [http://www.christianpost.com/news/trump-why-do-i-have-to-repent-or-ask-for-forgiveness-if-i-am-not-making-mistakes-video-141856/ Trump: 'Why Do I Have to Repent or Ask for Forgiveness If I Am Not Making Mistakes?' (Video)]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved March 13, 2017.</ref> He also stated that "I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't."<ref>Scott, Eugene (July 18, 2015). [http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/18/politics/trump-has-never-sought-forgiveness/ Trump believes in God, but hasn't sought forgiveness]. ''CNN''. Retrieved December 4, 2016.</ref> January 2016, Trump stated that "I have a great relationship with God," but that "I don’t like to have to ask for forgiveness."<ref>Key, Pam (January 17, 2016). [http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/01/17/trump-i-dont-like-to-have-to-ask-for-forgiveness-from-god/ Trump: ‘I Don’t Like to Have to Ask for Forgiveness’ from God]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 13, 2017.</ref> When confronted by [[Cal Thomas]] in an interview in mid 2016 about his not asking God for forgiveness, Trump stated that he would ask God for forgiveness.<ref>Chumley, Cheryl (August 6, 2016). [http://www.wnd.com/2016/06/trump-answers-question-who-do-you-say-jesus-is/ Trump answers question: 'Who do you say Jesus is?] ''WorldNetDaily''. Retrieved March 13, 2017.</ref> In October 2016, [[Ben Carson]] stated that Trump did ask forgiveness from God with [[James Robison]].<ref>Showalter, Brandon (October 10, 2016). [http://www.christianpost.com/news/ben-carson-donald-trump-asked-god-for-forgiveness-prayed-with-james-robison-170650/ Ben Carson: Donald Trump Asked God for Forgiveness, Prayed With James Robison]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved March 13, 2017.</ref>

According to exit polling in the 2016 election, Trump won 81 percent of evangelical Christians compared to 16 percent for Clinton, a record high and even more than [[George W. Bush]] won in 2004, showing strong support for Trump from evangelical Christians.<ref name="townhall.com">O'Brien, Cortney (November 12, 2016). [http://townhall.com/tipsheet/cortneyobrien/2016/11/12/white-evangelical-voters-showed-up-this-time-n2243931 Evangelical Voters Showed Up Big Time For Trump]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref><ref name="wsj.com">Lovett, Ian (November 9, 2016). [http://www.wsj.com/articles/evangelicals-back-donald-trump-in-record-numbers-despite-earlier-doubts-1478689372 Evangelicals Back Donald Trump in Record Numbers, Despite Earlier Doubts]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Trump business.jpg|right]]
Donald Trump began his career at [[Trump Organization]]. In his college years, he helped revitalize one of his father's failing real estate ventures. Trump began opening hotels and casinos, which provided him with the cash flow to engage in other ventures. He owns the world-famous [[Trump Tower]] and is the founder of the publicly traded Trump Hotel Casinos & Resorts. Trump also owns the Trump brand, which sells a variety of items, such as bottled water, steak, and even mortgages. Trump has authored a number of books and weathered changing business fortunes, but despite the challenges that he has encountered, he has continued to be a successful businessman and entrepreneur.

Trump [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2000|ran unsuccessfully]] for the nomination of the [[Reform Party]] in 2000. Trump considered [[presidential election 2012|running for President in 2012]] as a [[Republican]]. He, among others, questioned the citizenship of [[Barack Obama]], citing his failure to produce his birth certificate. After Obama produced his birth certificate, Trump and the other [[birther]]s continue to doubt its authenticity. Obama's approval ratings were around 40% during the peak of the controversy. Trump later exited the race, and gave the customary endorsement to [[Mitt Romney]] as the other [[Republican]] contenders did.

==Major properties==

*Trump World Tower: 845 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY.

*Trump Tower: 725 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10022 Personal Residence

*Bank of America Center (San Francisco)

*The Trump Building at 40 Wall Street

*Trump Park Avenue

*AXA Financial Center, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY

*Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago

*Trump International Hotel & Casino Las Vegas

*Mar-A-Lago Palm Beach

*Four golf courses in the U.S.

==Media==
[[File:Donald Trump star.JPG|thumbnail|left|Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
In 2003 Trump began as the host and executive producer of the reality [[television]] show ''The Apprentice'' and ''The Celebrity Apprentice'', where contestants compete for a position in Trump's organization. On this show, Trump popularized his catchphrase "You're fired!"

Trump used to own the un-Christian Miss Universe Pageant, which objectified the female body and promoted lust and infidelity. Controversy arose when one of the winners, Tara Conner, was caught breaking pageant rules by drinking and other activities. Trump gave her a second chance after personally speaking with her and allowed her to retain her crown as she attended rehabilitation. For several weeks after this, [[Rosie O'Donnell]] berated Trump for his decision on ''The View''. A bitter media war ensued with the two exchanging insults.

Trump has made many guest appearances, usually as himself, on many TV shows and in several movies.

Childish [[liberals]] are vandalizing Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame three times a day. A person asked about the vandalism said Trump has it coming.<ref>Press Association (April 8, 2016). [http://www.onenewspage.com/video/20160408/4211707/Donald-Trump-Hollywood-Walk-of-Fame-Star.htm "Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame Star vandalised three times a day"]. One News Page website article and video [0:37]. 0:15 advertising wall required to view.</ref>

==Political positions==

====Social Issues====
At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, Trump announced he is [[pro-life]].<ref>Rahn, Will (February 10, 2011). [http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/10/trump-at-cpac-points-to-white-house-run/ "Trump at CPAC points to White House run"]. The Daily Caller website.</ref> Trump would not fund Planned Parenthood and the government should not give funds to any organizations that perform abortions<ref>Carroll, Lauren (May 1, 2016) [http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/may/01/ted-cruz/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-planned-parenthood/ "Do Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton agree on Planned Parenthood funding?"] Politifact website.</ref> However, he supports abortion in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother or child.<ref>Ertelt, Steven (February 1, 2016). [http://www.lifenews.com/2016/02/01/mike-huckabee-defends-donald-trumps-abortion-conversion-he-is-pro-life-now/ "Mike Huckabee defends Donald Trump’s abortion conversion: 'He is pro-life now'"] LifeNews.com.</ref>

Trump says that the legalization of [[same-sex "marriage"]] doesn't matter because it's "settled law" now,<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20120831060550/http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_We/#Item3 "Republican platform: We believe in America"] (bef. August 31, 2012). GOP.com website. Archived at Internet Archive on August 31, 2012.</ref> even though five liberal members of the Supreme Court illegally made ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]'' into "law" via [[judicial activism]] based on their personal feelings about the issue. Trump believes that homosexual couples have the same adoption rights as straight couples,<ref>Guo, Jeff (August 10, 2016). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/08/10/how-donald-trump-is-slowly-teaching-republicans-to-embrace-gay-rights/ "Donald Trump is teaching the GOP a different way to embrace gay rights".] ''Washington Post'' website.</ref> Despite what the Left claims, Donald Trump has voiced open support the LGBTQ community, and was the first Republican President to do so.{{cn}} He has stated that he will do everything he can do to protect the LGBTQ community, from Islamic extremists.

Trump says that a business should be able to deny service to a customer if the request conflicts with the owner’s religious beliefs?<ref name="christiantoday.com">Hicap, Jonah (June 2, 2015). [http://www.christiantoday.com/article/donald.trump.vows.to.be.the.greatest.representative.of.christians.if.he.wins.white.house/55023.htm "Donald Trump: 'I will be the greatest representative of Christians if I win the White House'"]. Christian Today website.</ref> Trump would not require health insurance providers to offer free birth control.<ref>Associated Press (February 11, 2012). [http://web.archive.org/web/20151128095810/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-02-11/obama-birth-control-cpac/53046728/1 "GOP conservatives unite against birth control coverage"]. ''USA Today'' website/News/Washington. Retrieved from November 28, 2015 archive at Internet Archive.</ref>

Trump doesn't think that universities should provide “trigger warnings” and “safe spaces” for students.<ref>Hashmi, Siraj (November 10, 2016). [http://redalertpolitics.com/2016/11/10/safe-spaces-handed-election-donald-trump/ "Safe Spaces handed the election to Donald Trump"]. Red Alert Politics website.</ref>

Trump believes that marital rape be classified and punished as severely as non-marital rape?<ref>Diamond, Jeremy (July 28, 2015). [http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/28/politics/donald-trump-adviser-michael-cohen-rape/ "Trump distances himself from top aide's rape comment"]. CNN website/Politics.</ref>

Trump would not add "Gender Identity" to anti-discrimination laws.<ref>http://www.advocate.com/politics/2016/5/24/donald-trump-claims-accommodating-transgender-people-too-expensive</ref>

Trump wouldn't support a [[separation of church and state]] by removing references to God on money, federal buildings, and national monuments.<ref name="christiantoday.com"/>

Trump says that after a psychological examination to show they fully understand this choice, terminally ill patients be allowed to end their lives via [[assisted suicide]].<ref>http://wingspanonline.net/?p=2398</ref>

Trump supports the [[death penalty]].<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/01/nyregion/angered-by-attack-trump-urges-return-of-the-death-penalty.html</ref>

Trump thinks that the military should allow women to serve as long as they can pass the same physical tests as men.<ref>http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/donald-trump-women-combat-tricky/2015/12/06/id/704736/</ref> (Compare [[gender norming]].)

Trump says that board members of a business should be the most qualified regardless of gender.<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3269718/Trump-gives-young-feminist-brush-equal-pay-abortion-going-make-good-job-happen-pro-life.html</ref>

Trump does not believe that the government can show a confederate flag on public property.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-tees-off-on-the-confederate-flag/</ref>

Trump believes that women should be allowed to wear a Niqāb, or face veil, to civic ceremonies.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFVCZhFsNR8</ref>

====Healthcare Issues====
Trump does not support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and would open the markets so insurers can compete across state lines and reduce costs.<ref name="donaldjtrump.com">https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/healthcare-reform</ref><ref name=Educ>Breitbart.tv (February 9, 2011). [http://www.breitbart.com/video/2011/02/09/pro-life-donald-trump-would-eliminate-dept-of-education-impose-25-tax-on-china-imports-if-president/ "Pro-life Donald Trump would eliminate Dept of Education, impose 25% tax on China imports if president"]. Breitbart.com.</ref> However, he has also said, "I like the mandate."<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2016/02/19/trump-on-obamacare-i-like-the-mandate-video/ "Trump On Obamacare: ‘I Like The Mandate’"]</ref>

Trump thinks that the government should regulate the prices of life-saving drugs.<ref>http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/trump-backs-
medicare-negotiating-drug-prices-218215</ref>

Trump supports the legalization of marijuana for medical use.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2015/06/18/exclusive-donald-trump-on-what-made-him-run-for-president-on-hannity/</ref>

''Donald Trump has not yet answered if he supports the privatization of veteran's healthcare.''

Trump believes that the federal government increase funding of health care for low income individuals (Medicaid).<ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-09-15/trump-calls-for-expanded-medicaid-birth-control-without-doctor</ref>

====Controversy with Barack Obama====
[[File:Donald Trump Speaking in Fountain Hills.jpg|thumb|Trump speaking in Fountain Hills, Arizona in March 2016.]]
Trump has also questioned Barack Obama's constitutional eligibility to be President, in light of the ongoing questions surrounding his birth certificate.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=280533 "Trump: Obama spending millions to hide his past"] (March 28, 2011). WorldNetDaily website.</ref> Trump questioned whether the Obama Administration was successful in negotiating with foreign countries. Trump declared during the 2016 election that he no longer would question Obama's eligibility.

====Economic Issues====

Trump’s economic plan is designed to make the country more competitive by implementing policies that apply to all companies: cutting taxes, including the corporate tax rate, repealing and rolling back stifling regulations, including the biggest of them all, Obamacare and those clobbering the energy sector, renegotiating trade deals such as NAFTA, and killing off the nascent Trans-Pacific Partnership.<ref>Crowley, Monica (December 7, 2016). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/7/donald-trump-and-the-art-of-getting-it-done/ Donald Trump and the art of getting it done]. ''The Washingon Times''. Retrieved December 10, 2016.</ref>

Trump would not require employers be required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job as there are too many other variables such as education, experience, and tenure that determine a fair salary.

''Trump has not answered whether welfare recipients be tested for drugs.''

Trump said he would require businesses be required to provide paid leave for full-time employees during the birth of a child or sick family member.

Trump would raise the federal minimum wage.

Trump believes there should be more restrictions on current welfare benefits.

Trump would instate a 35% tariff on all imports from China even though he used Chinese steel to build all of his Trump Towers.<ref>http://www.newsweek.com/how-donald-trump-ditched-us-steel-workers-china-505717</ref>

Trump would also lower the corporate tax rate.<ref>https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/an-america-first-economic-plan-winning-the-global-competition</ref>

Trump says that the U.S. shouldn't continue to participate in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).<ref>http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/16/news/economy/donald-trump-nafta-mexico-china-tariff/</ref>

Trump would cut public spending in order to reduce the public debt.<ref>http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/donald-trump-believe-candidate-stands-10-issues/</ref>

Trump believes that the government is currently over-regulating private businesses and that it shouldn't require businesses to pay salaried employees, making up to $46k/year, time-and-a-half for overtime hours.<ref>http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-shift/2016/08/trump-v-overtime-rule-215883</ref>

Trump thinks that the government should prevent “mega mergers” of corporations that could potentially control a large percentage of market share within its industry.<ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-10-22/trump-would-block-proposed-at-t-time-warner-merger-if-elected</ref>

Trump said that labor unions, in theory help the economy but have recently become corrupt and should have their powers limited.<ref>http://projects.newsday.com/opinion/newsday-editorial-board-interviews-donald-trump/#nypd</ref>

Trump would increase the tax on profits from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4I5QUGRf-Q&feature=youtu.be</ref>

Trump believes economic stimulus will aid the country during times of recession.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/03/us/politics/trump-clinton-infrastructure.html?_r=0</ref>

Trump thinks the Federal Reserve Bank should be audited by Congress.<ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-election-trump-fed-idUSL1N12Y1ZG20151103</ref>

Trump doesn't support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as this will incentivize companies to move U.S. jobs overseas.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/07/us/politics/transcript-of-the-republican-presidential-debate-in-new-hampshire.html</ref>

Trump would eliminate the estate tax.<ref>http://thehill.com/policy/finance/290825-clinton-to-criticize-trumps-plan-to-repeal-the-estate-tax</ref>

Trump would end all government subsidies and let the free market run its course.<ref>http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/17cfa1a0-0b9e-11e5-a06e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3e0UlsdmX</ref>

''Trump has not answered if pension payments be increased for retired government workers.''

Trump favors an increased sales tax in order to reduce property taxes even though sales tax would not provide a steady stream of income.<ref>http://www.taxjusticeblog.org/archive/2015/06/donald_trumps_regressive_and_r.php#.VYr8_hNViko</ref>

Trump supports pension plans for federal, state, and local government workers be transitioned into privately managed accounts.<ref name="donaldjtrump.com"/>

Trump said that the U.S. government should not bailout Puerto Rico.<ref>http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=c89b639c-07de-4a0f-a634-dda08e3de95a</ref>

Trump believes citizens should not be allowed to save or invest their money in offshore bank accounts as too many wealthy citizens are abusing loopholes in offshore banking laws to evade taxes.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-puts-his-money-in-companies-that-stash-cash-abroad/</ref>

Trump would not apply an in-state sales tax apply to online purchases of in-state buyers from out-of-state sellers.<ref>http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ce65fe3f0bbd43c19cf17c5c8da8d958/trump-amazons-bezos-uses-washington-post-avoid-taxes</ref>

Trump thinks that the government classify Bitcoin as a legal currency.<ref>https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/trump-presidency-boost-bitcoin-price/</ref>

====Department of Education====
At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, he stated that he wants to eliminate the Department of Education.<ref name=Educ/>

====Foreign policy====
In July 2015 Trump explained he wants to improve relationships with [[Russia]]n president [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>Johnson, Simon (July 31, 2015). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11775145/Donald-Trump-Id-get-on-very-well-with-Putin-if-I-were-president.html "Donald Trump: I'd get on 'very well' with Putin if I were president"]. The Telegraph [U.K.] website.</ref> In an interview with [[ABC]] he said that Putin won't make a military move into [[Ukraine]]. Furthermore, Trump argued in a tweet that the conflict over [[Crimea]] was the fault of the Obama administration.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/31/politics/donald-trump-russia-ukraine-crimea-putin/ Trump says Putin is 'not going to go into Ukraine,' despite Crimea]</ref> Trump later accused Russia of taking [[Crimea]] by force and asked whether Obama was too soft on Russia.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-russia-latest-tweet-accuse-crimea-obama-too-soft-distance-campaign-team-white-house-a7581511.html Donald Trump accuses Russia of taking Crimea by force in attempt to distance himself from campaign allegations]</ref>

Trump says the [[Iran]] deal is bad, but as president, he would enforce it anyway.

After his election as U.S. president, [[Israel]]i prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] called Trump "a true friend of the State of Israel."<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/netanyahu-trump-israel-true-friend-231094?lo=ap_c4 Netanyahu calls Trump 'a true friend' of Israel]. ''Politico''. November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref> On February 2, 2017, however, Trump stated that building new settlements in the [[West Bank]] "may not be helpful" to achieving peace in the [[Middle East]], and he appeared to shift his formerly strong stance on moving the U.S. embassy to [[Jerusalem]] as he had previously stated.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/03/trump-to-israel-settlements-may-not-help-achieve-peace-in-middle-east.html Trump to Israel: Settlements ‘may not help’ achieve peace in the Middle East]. ''Fox News''. February 3, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.</ref>

Trump had stated that [[NATO]] was obsolete, but in April 2017, he changed his position, stating that it was "no longer obsolete."<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/news/the-latest-trump-says-nato-no-longer-obsolete/ The Latest: Trump says NATO ‘no longer obsolete’]. ''Breitbart News'' (from the ''Associated Press''). Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref><ref>Hagen, Lisa (April 21, 2017). [http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/328558-trump-nato-is-no-longer-obsolete Trump: NATO is ‘no longer obsolete’]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref>

====Global warming====
Trump does not believe in the [[Climate Change]] hysteria, once stating the "Nobel committee should take the Nobel Prize back from [[Al Gore]]."

====Second Amendment rights====
Trump is strongly pro-[[Second Amendment]] and against [[leftist]] [[gun control]] and gun free zones. As president, Trump has promised to re-arm military personnel on all American military bases as well as [[ROTC]] recruitment centers, which were disarmed by the [[Clinton Administration]] policy.<ref name=Educ/> Trump was strongly endorsed by the [[National Rifle Association]] in one of its earliest endorsements in an election campaign.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/20/nra-to-endorse-trump.html# Trump wins NRA endorsement, blasts Clinton on gun stance at forum]. ''Fox News''. May 20, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.</ref>

====Homosexual agenda====
For all practical purposes, Trump seems to be on the side of the [[homosexual agenda]]. He supports the creation of new law by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], as in a new right to [[homosexual marriage]], and declares it the "law of the land" even though Congress passed no such law.

Trump has attended multiple [[same-sex marriage]] ceremonies, but has also said in the past that he opposes same-sex marriage. Trump's views are not yet known on other aspects of the [[homosexual agenda]], such as whether Trump would ban [[conversion therapy]] for minors as [[Chris Christie]] did. The [[Fox News Channel]] debate in August avoided these issues, but future debates will probably require Trump to declare his position.

====Immigration====
See the discussion in the introduction above. This is Trump's main campaign issue.

A central part of his immigration plan is to build a giant wall on the border with Mexico. Trump estimates it will cost $8 billion, approximately 35 to 40 feet high and stretch 2000 miles.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/09/donald-trump-the-wall-is-probably-8-billion Trump Border Wall]</ref> During the campaign, Trump promised that Mexico will pay for the wall, but after taking office, he clarified that payment could be in the form of a tax on Mexican imports or other revenues measures after the Mexican government showed opposition towards Trump's plan.

Trump has also proposed to temporarily ban [[Muslims]] from entering the United States, until "our leaders figure out what the hell is going on," in order to protect Americans from the threats posed by [[Islamic]] [[refugee]]s (and those pretending to be<ref>[http://m.washingtonexaminer.com/isis-fighters-infiltrating-syrian-refugees-uk-is-warned/article/2572051 ISIS fighters infiltrating Syrian refugees, UK is warned]</ref>) entering the country.<ref>[http://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/donald-trump-insists-muslim-ban-is-about-safety-not-religion Donald Trump Insists Muslim Ban Is About Safety, Not Religion]</ref>

Efforts have been made by hostile journalists to paint Trump as advocating a [[Muslim registry]], but what he actually proposed was a [[database for Syrian refugees]].

====Political contributions====
He has been criticized for his substantial contributions to [[Democrat]] lawmakers; the majority of those lawmakers are located in the states he resides in: New York and Florida. The amount he has donated since 2008 is $25,000, which is insignificant considering his wealth.<ref>Allin, Olivia (April 30, 2011). [http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Donald-Trump-calls-nations-leaders-stupid-people-and-blood-sucking-politicians/8104644 "OTRC: Donald Trump calls nation's leaders 'stupid people' and 'blood-sucking politicians'"]. OnTheRedCarpet [news]. Retrieved from ABC7 [KABC Television, Los Angeles] website.</ref>

Trump is not known to be beholden to any big-money donors.

====Tariffs====
[[File:Donald Trump RNC July 2016.jpg|thumb|Trump accepting the GOP nomination in Cleveland on June 21, 2016.]]
At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, he stated that he supports a 25% tariff on Chinese goods.<ref name=Educ/> The number floated around in 2016 is a 45% tariff. Trump was speaking in regards to China and the [[World Trade Organization]],<ref>[http://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-finance-ministerlou-jiwei-takes-aim-at-donald-trumps-trade-policies-1460892988 Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei Takes Aim at Donald Trump’s Trade Policies, WallStreetJournal, April 17, 2016]</ref>

{{cquote|In a statement from his campaign, Mr. Trump charged that [[China]] was “in total violation of WTO regulations” and that the U.S. “has incompetently allowed them to get away with this” and has failed to impose “equal or greater taxes and tariffs” on China. If he is elected president, Mr. Trump said, China “will learn to deal fairly and justly or we will not deal at all” with Beijing.}}

====Vaccines====
Trump believes that [[vaccines]] cause [[autism]]<ref>Ferris, Sarah (September 16, 2015). [http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/253980-trump-links-vaccines-to-autism-epidemic "Trump links vaccines to autism 'epidemic'"]. The Hill website/Policy/Healthcare.</ref> and has argued against requiring that so many vaccines be given to infants.

==== Eminent domain====
Trump believes that the government has the right to take private property upon paying just compensation for both infrastructure and to promote economic development.

==== Supreme Court====
Trump opposed filling the Supreme Court seat held by [[Antonin Scalia]] before the next President takes office. When asked who he might select to the Supreme Court, he said that his sister, a sitting federal court judge, would make a great Supreme Court justice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/423196/trump-praises-his-sister-pro-abortion-extremist-judge-ramesh-ponnuru|title=Trump Praises His Sister, a Pro-Abortion Extremist Judge|date=Aug 27, 2015|accessdate=February 21, 2016}}</ref>

==Hillary Clinton==
Trump had pledged, if elected president, to appoint a special prosecutor to further investigate [[Hillary Clinton]]'s use of a private email server whilst Secretary of State, but Hillary took her crushing defeat so hard that Trump charitably softened his stance after winning.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/us/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-investigation.html Donald Trump Drops Threat of New Hillary Clinton Investigation] New York Times - Nov. 22, 2016</ref> A few of Trump supporters, such as [[Ann Coulter]] and [[Breitbart]], expressed disappointment but Trump rose in overall public approval.<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/ann-coulter-slams-trump-clinton/2016/11/22/id/760220/ Ann Coulter Slams Trump's Decision on Clinton] Newsmax.com - Nov. 22, 2016</ref><ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/radio/2016/11/23/peter-schweizer-letting-hillary-off-hook-definition-rigged-system/ Peter Schweizer: Letting Hillary off the Hook Is ‘Definition of a Rigged System’] Breitbart.com - Nov. 23, 2016</ref>

==2016 presidential election==
[[File:Donald Trump (29273256122) Phoenix.jpg|thumb|250px|Donald Trump on August 31, 2016.]]
{{Main|2016 U.S. presidential election}}
===Path to the Nomination===
In the 2015 [[Value Voters Debate|Value Voters]] poll, Trump performed poorly, coming in fifth, indicating many [[Christian]] [[conservatives]] had not yet warmed up to him.<ref>Flores, Reena (September 26, 2015). [http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-conservative-poll-donald-trump-could-not-win/ "The conservative poll Donald Trump could not win"]. CBSNews website.</ref> Trump is a big supporter of [[gambling]], which most Christians, other religious groups, and [[conservatives]] oppose. But by 2016 Trump was winning more support from [[evangelical]]s than any other Republican candidate.

Trump won the Republican primary, receiving more votes than any other Republican primary candidate in history.<ref>Hoft, Joe (June 7, 2016). [http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/06/trump-trumps-wins-historic-race-record-fashion/ HISTORY! Trump Shatters Republican Primary Vote Record by 1.4 Million Votes]. ''The Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref>

===General election===
Trump faced former liberal Democrat Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] in the general election. Trump's campaign was vastly outspent, outraised, and out-staffed by Clinton's.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/10/more-with-less-trumps-lean-machine-beats-clintons-big-bank-account.html More With Less: Trump's lean machine beats Clinton's big bank account]. ''Fox News''. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> The [[mainstream media]] was extremely biased against and unfair towards Trump.<ref>Kurtz, Howard (November 11, 2016). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/11/media-remain-hostile-to-donald-trump-even-as-some-pundits-admit-blew-it.html Media remain hostile to Donald Trump even as some pundits admit they blew it]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.billoreilly.com/b/Media-Bias-to-the-Extreme/39285014073786148.html Media Bias to the Extreme]. ''BillOReilly.com''. November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref> According to a study, 91% of the media coverage concerning Trump was negative and 96% of campaign contributions from the media went to Clinton.<ref>Bedard, Paul (March 19, 2017). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/anti-trump-media-91-coverage-negative-96-of-donations-to-hillary/article/2617828 http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/anti-trump-media-91-coverage-negative-96-of-donations-to-hillary/article/2617828]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref>

It was widely expected that Clinton would easily win the election, and the elite pollsters and "political insiders" all predicted a massive Clinton victory.<ref>Vogel, Kenneth P. & Isenstadt, Alex (November 9, 2016). [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/how-did-everyone-get-2016-wrong-presidential-election-231036 How did everyone get it so wrong?]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref><ref>Catanese, David (October 24, 2016). [http://www.usnews.com/news/the-run-2016/articles/2016-10-24/republicans-last-hope-the-polls-are-wrong Republicans’ Last Hope: The Polls Are Wrong]. ''U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> At least once, when a poll was released that actually showed Trump leading, Clinton's campaign dismissed it as "bad polling".<ref>Nelson, Louis (November 1, 2016). [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/clinton-campaign-bad-poll-abc-washington-post-230591 Clinton camp on new survey showing Trump ahead: It’s ‘bad polling’]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> Instead, Trump won the election in a massive, historical upset, winning even states such as [[Pennsylvania]], [[Michigan]], and [[Wisconsin]], which a Republican had not won for 20–30 years.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/08/first-polls-close-in-2016-race-trump-projected-to-win-ind-ky-clinton-wins-vt.html Trump wins presidency, defeats Clinton in historic election upset]. ''Fox News''. November 8, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref><ref>Blake, Aaron (November 9, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/08/donald-trumps-path-to-victory-is-suddenly-looking-much-much-wider/ Donald Trump just blew up the electoral map]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> The polling and predictions were off dramatically.<ref>Flint, Joe & Alpert, Lukas I. (November 9, 2016). [http://www.wsj.com/articles/bad-polling-in-hand-media-misses-mark-badly-with-election-predictions-1478710860 How the Media’s Election Predictions Badly Missed the Mark]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> Trump's election victory was described by ''[[Politico]]'' as "the most stunning upset in American history."<ref>Goldmacher, Shane & Schreckinger, Ben (November 9, 2016). [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/election-results-2016-clinton-trump-231070?lo=ap_c1 Trump pulls off biggest upset in U.S. history]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref>

While the GOP increased its vote share across the entire nation, Trump made the largest gains in the rural [[Midwest]] and [[Rust Belt]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/08/us/elections/how-trump-pushed-the-election-map-to-the-right.html How Trump Reshaped the Election Map]. ''The New York Times''. November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref> Although Clinton won the popular vote 65,515,369 (48.05%) to 62,853,327 (46.09%), according to unofficial results, the large vote totals came from states which have resisted voter identification reforms.<ref>[http://www.inquisitr.com/3719036/3-million-illegal-immigrants-voted-gregg-phillips-votestand-donald-trump-final-popular-vote-count-2016-predictions/ 3 Million Illegal Immigrants Voted, Claims Gregg Phillips Of VoteStand: Donald Trump’s Final Popular Vote Count Alleged To Be Better Than 2016 Predictions], Patrick Frye, ''The Inquisitr'', November 15, 2016</ref> Trump won the [[electoral college]] vote, 306 to 232, with the incomplete vote count reported.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/election/results|title=Election Results|accessdate=Nov. 12, 2016}}</ref> Trump won more votes in the general election than any Republican candidate in U.S. history, and he won the largest number of electoral votes since [[George H. W. Bush]].<ref>Hoft, Jim (November 22, 2016). [http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/11/trump-breaks-record-votes-republican-candidate-history/ Trump Breaks Record for Most Votes by Republican Candidate in History]. ''The Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved November 22, 2016.</ref> In addition, Trump won 2,623 counties—the largest number for both a Republican or Democrat since [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1984—while the Democrats won only 489, something even the liberal [[PolitiFact]] admitted to be true.<ref>Jacobson, Louis (December 4, 2016). [http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/dec/04/mike-pence/mike-pence-says-donald-trump-won-most-counties-rep/ Mike Pence says Donald Trump won most counties by a Republican since Ronald Reagan]. ''PolitiFact''. Retrieved December 4, 2016.</ref> Geographically speaking, Trump accordingly won 85 percent of the nation<ref>Wallace, Tim (November 16, 2016). [http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/16/us/politics/the-two-americas-of-2016.html?_r=0 The Two Americas of 2016]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved December 5, 2016.</ref> and 61 percent of the states (including Maine's 2nd district). With the historic flip of Elliott County, Kentucky, every rural, white-majority Southern county voted for the Republican nominee for the first time in history.<ref>Simon, Jeff (December 9, 2016). [http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/elliott-county-kentucky-democratic-streak-broken-by-donald-trump/index.html How Trump ended Democrats' 144-year winning streak in one county]. ''CNN''. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref>

According to exit polling, Trump won 81 percent of evangelical Christians compared to 16 percent for Clinton, a record high and even more than [[George W. Bush]] won in 2004,<ref name="townhall.com"/><ref name="wsj.com"/> even though some have disputed the accuracy of such exit polling methods.<ref>Showalter, Brandon (November 16, 2016). [http://www.christianpost.com/news/81-percent-evangelicals-vote-trump-eric-teetsel-joe-carter-171542/ Did 81 Percent of Evangelicals Really Vote for Trump? Not So Fast, Some Say]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> This is largely due to Trump's conservative policies that align well with the Bible, including opposition to abortion.

While liberal, establishmentarian world leaders made generally nuanced statements in response to Trump's election upset, conservative, right-wing leaders, including the leaders of insurgent parties in European nations, reacted positively to Trump's election.<ref>Ashkenas, Jeremy; Aisch, Gregor (December 5, 2016). [http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/05/world/europe/populism-in-age-of-trump.html?_r=0 European Populism in the Age of Donald Trump]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved December 5, 2016.</ref>

In addition to Trump's defeat of Clinton, the Republican Party kept control of the House and Senate, outperforming expectations.<ref>Bresnahan, John (November 9, 2016). [http://www.politico.eu/article/republicans-on-cusp-of-keeping-the-senate/ Republicans hold the Senate in a stunner]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref><ref>Hughes, Siobhan (November 9, 2016). [http://www.wsj.com/articles/republicans-are-confident-about-retaining-control-of-the-house-1478634160 Democrats Gain Seats in House, But GOP Retains Majority]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref> The Republican Party performed well—much better than expected—in state races, winning trifectas in [[Kentucky]], [[Iowa]], [[Missouri]], and [[New Hampshire]], and Democrats only had six trifectas and total control in five states, a record low.<ref>Greenblatt, Alan (November 9, 2016). [http://www.governing.com/topics/elections/gov-republicans-add-dominance-state-legislatures.html Republicans Add to Their Dominance of State Legislatures]. ''Governing''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref><ref>Siegel, Josh (November 9, 2016). [http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/09/republicans-maintain-strong-control-of-state-capitols-what-that-means/ Republicans Maintain Strong Control of State Capitols. Here’s What That Means.] ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref> The GOP won 25 trifectas, the largest since 1952.<ref>Lieb, David A. (December 29, 2016). [https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20161229/281822873464433 GOP-Controlled States Aim to Reshape Laws]. ''Chicago Tribune'' (from the Associated Press). Retrieved December 30, 2016.</ref> The GOP now controlled the highest amount of governorships since 1922,<ref>Lieb, David A. (November 9, 2016). [http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-11-09/republicans-expand-control-of-governorships-legislatures Republicans governorships rise to highest mark since 1922]. ''U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref> and it controlled the most state legislative chambers in history.<ref>Bosman, Julie & Davey, Monica (November 11, 2016). [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/us/republicans-expand-control-in-a-deeply-divided-nation.html Republicans Expand Control in a Deeply Divided Nation]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved November 14, 2016.</ref>

Despite expectations that Trump's election victory would cause the markets to plunge, the [[Dow Jones Industrial Average]] actually performed very strongly, closing at the highest level it had ever reached in history after the second day.<ref name="MarketRally">La Monica, Paul R. (November 10, 2016). [http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/10/investing/markets-stocks-donald-trump-rally/index.html The 'yuge' Donald Trump market rally continues]. ''CNN Money''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> It is rare for the stock market to rise immediately after a U.S. presidential election regardless of the winner.<ref name="MarketRally"/> The stock market had its best week in five years due to optimism of a Trump presidency.<ref>Craig, Victoria (November 11, 2016). [http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/11/11/trump-optimism-propels-dow-to-best-week-in-five-years.html Trump Optimism Propels Dow to Best Week in Five Years]. ''Fox Business''. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref>

After the election, childish [[leftists]] and [[anarchists]], who could not accept the results of the election, strongly protested Trump's victory and committed outrageous and extreme acts of vandalism and violence,<ref name="Protests">Chiaramonte, Perry (November 10, 2016). [http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/10/trump-protests-intensify-as-doubts-swirl-about-spontaneity.html Trump protests intensify, as doubts swirl about spontaneity]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> even brutally attacking and beating at least one alleged Trump supporter.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/10/video-emerges-group-beating-chicago-man-while-yelling-dont-vote-trump.html Video emerges of mob beating Chicago man while yelling 'don't vote Trump']. ''Fox News''. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> Many of these protests were likely organized and coordinated, as many protestors were bused in by Coach buses.<ref name="Protests"/> This occurred on the heels of Hillary Clinton, the Clinton campaign, and major mainstream media condemning in the harshest terms Trump and his supporters' complaints of a "rigged election," and failure to accept the results would damage democracy. Clinton, President Obama, and the media highlighted the protests and failed to condemn the leftist violence and protests as detrimental to democracy.

==President of the United States==
:''See also: [[Donald Trump achievements]] and [[Trump Supreme Court]]''
===Transition===
The day after being elected president, Trump released a solidly conservative agenda for his first 100 days in office, even though ending the [[abortion|legalized murder of the unborn]] was not on the agenda.<ref>Kelly, Amita & Sprunt, Barbara (November 9, 2016). [http://www.npr.org/2016/11/09/501451368/here-is-what-donald-trump-wants-to-do-in-his-first-100-days Here Is What Donald Trump Wants To Do In His First 100 Days]. ''NPR''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref>

On November 30, 2016, before Trump had finalized all his cabinet appointments, it was still described by Politico as "a conservative dream team that has Republicans cheering and liberals in despair" due to the many strong conservatives Trump had appointed, in contrast to moderates like [[George W. Bush]].<ref>Restuccia, Andrew; Cook, Nancy; Woellert, Lorraine (November 30, 2016). [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trump-conservative-dream-team-231972 Trump's conservative dream team]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 30, 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/11/30/politico-donald-trump-cabinet-conservative-dream-team/ Politico: Donald Trump’s Cabinet a ‘Conservative Dream Team’]. ''Breitbart News''. November 30, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> Accordingly, ''[[Newsweek]]'' called Trump's incomplete cabinet the most conservative cabinet in U.S. history.<ref>Cooper, Matthew (December 9, 2016). [http://www.newsweek.com/trump-cabinet-picks-nominees-conservative-530477 Donald Trump Is Building the Most Conservative Presidential Cabinet In U.S. History]. ''Newsweek''. Retrieved December 10, 2016.</ref> ''[[The Washington Times]]'' noted how Trump was defying Washington establishment norms in his cabinet picks.<ref>Hurt, Charles (December 6, 2016). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/6/donald-trumps-cabinet-picks-define-business-as-not/ Trump defines business as not-usual for D.C.] ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved December 10, 2016.</ref>

''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' stated that "it’s nearly impossible to identify a clear ideological bent" in Trump's appointments.<ref>Seib, Gerald (December 5, 2016). [http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-shuffles-the-ideological-deck-1480955194 Donald Trump Shuffles the Ideological Deck]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved December 5, 2016.</ref> However, this can be easily explained by the fact that Trump has used some of his cabinet nominations to unite the GOP by appealing to most of its factions, even though Trump's appointments are still very conservative.

During the transition period, the Obama Administration engaged in surveillance and information-gathering of Trump, in order to investigate any alleged ties to Russia. This was confirmed by GOP U.S. Representative [[Devin Nunes]] on March 22, 2017,<ref>Derespina, Cody (March 23, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/23/trump-basks-in-nunes-surveillance-news-so-that-means-im-right.html Trump basks in Nunes surveillance news: 'So that means I'm right']. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 23, 2017.</ref> and by Evelyn Farkas, the deputy assistant secretary of defense under Obama, on March 29, 2017.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/29/former-obama-official-discloses-rush-to-get-intelligence-on-trump-team.html Former Obama official discloses rush to get intelligence on Trump team]. ''Fox News''. March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.</ref><ref>Poor, Jeff (March 29, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/03/29/fmr-obama-official-reveals-pre-inauguration-effort-to-gather-intel-on-incoming-trump-team/ Fmr Obama Official Reveals Pre-Inauguration Effort to Gather Intel on Incoming Trump Team]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 30, 2017.</ref>

===Inauguration===
[[File:Donald Trumpswearing in.jpg|thumb|200px|Trump being sworn in, January 20, 2017.]]
Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017, giving one of the strongest inauguration addresses in American history.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (January 20, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/20/america-first-president-donald-trump-brings-the-rain-in-inauguration-address/ ‘America First’: President Donald Trump Brings the Rain in Inauguration Address]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref><ref>McCaskill, Nolan D. (January 20, 2017). [http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/key-points-of-trumps-inaugural-speech-233900 Key moments from Trump's inauguration speech]. ''Politico''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref><ref>Scott, Patrick; Midgley, Robert (January 20, 2017). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/20/donald-trump-just-delivered-american-inauguration-speech-ever/ Donald Trump just delivered the most 'American' inauguration speech ever]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref> His first bill signed as president was to allow retired general and Defense Secretary nominee [[James Mattis]] to be confirmed.<ref>Kopan, Tal (January 20, 2017). [http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/donald-trump-first-law-actions/ President Donald Trump signs first bill into law]. ''CNN''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref> That same day, Trump instituted a national day of patriotism,<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-measures-idUSKBN1542IH Trump takes first actions on Cabinet, declares day of patriotism: spokesman]. ''Reuters''. January 20, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref> and a few days later Trump officially designated his inauguration day the '''''National Day of Patriotic Devotion'''''.<ref>[https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/24/2017-01798/national-day-of-patriotic-devotion National Day of Patriotic Devotion -- Proclamation 9570 of January 20, 2017]. ''Federal Register''. January 24, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.</ref><ref>Shelbourne, Mallory (January 23, 2017). [http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/315735-trump-declares-inauguration-day-national-day-of-patriotic-devotion http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/315735-trump-declares-inauguration-day-national-day-of-patriotic-devotion]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved February 2, 2017.</ref>

Despite the fact that leftists knew for two months that Trump would be inaugurated president, hateful, anti-American, and immature leftists engaged in violent protests and did major acts of vandalism and even injuring the police who were sent in.<ref>Vargas, Theresa; Hartz, Taylor; Hermann, Peter (January 20, 2017). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/protesters-bring-shouts-skirmishes-and-shutdowns-to-inauguration-celebration/2017/01/20/00ea4c72-df11-11e6-acdf-14da832ae861_story.html?utm_term=.c4443fa64f5a Inauguration protesters vandalize, set fires, try to disrupt Trump’s oath, as police arrest 200]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref><ref name="LimoFire">Lawler, David (January 20, 2017). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/20/anti-donald-trump-activists-try-block-access-inauguration/ Donald Trump protests: Limo 'set on fire' and 217 arrested as police use tear gas on black-clad activists]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref> At least 217 protesters were arrested.<ref name="LimoFire"/><ref>Weber, Joseph (January 20, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/20/trump-supporters-protesters-rally-before-sunrise-on-inauguration-day.html Hundreds of protesters arrested in Inauguration Day clashes]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 31, 2017.</ref><ref>Noble, Andrea; McDermott, Ryan M. (January 20, 2017). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/20/donald-trump-inauguration-protests-begin-turn-viol/ D.C. police report 217 arrested during Inauguration Day riots]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved March 31, 2017.</ref>

Despite having no power to block Trump's cabinet nominees and having no reason to delay the process,<ref>Pergram, Chad (January 20, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/20/senate-battle-erupts-over-dem-delay-confirming-trump-nominees.html Senate battle erupts over Dem 'delay' confirming Trump nominees]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref> liberal Senate Democrats delayed confirmation of Trump's nominees, so that only two were confirmed on Trump's first day in office.<ref>Dinan, Stephen (January 22, 2017). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/22/trumps-cabinet-picks-delayed-by-democrats-only-two/? Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks delayed by Democrats, only two confirmed]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref> This was a large difference from other recent presidents,<ref>Phillips, Amber (January 21, 2017). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/20/donald-trump-will-start-his-presidency-with-the-smallest-confirmed-cabinet-in-decades/?utm_term=.9d7692169687 Donald Trump is starting his presidency with the smallest confirmed Cabinet in decades]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved Janaury 23, 2017.</ref> who, with the exception of [[George H. W. Bush]], had much larger numbers confirmed in the first week.<ref>Bluey, Robert (January 22, 2017). [http://dailysignal.com/2017/01/22/trumps-nominees-face-unprecedented-democrat-obstructionism/ Trump’s Nominees Face ‘Unprecedented’ Democrat Obstructionism]. ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref>

===Tenure===
Due to his promotion and support of conservative, America First policies, President Trump faced large opposition from the Left, including from within the government bureaucracy.<ref>Singman, Brooke (January 1, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/31/trump-faces-bureaucratic-battle-in-implementing-agenda.html Trump faces bureaucratic battle in implementing agenda]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 1, 2017.</ref><ref>Kurtz, Howard (February 3, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/03/empire-strikes-back-why-trumps-private-talks-with-foreign-leaders-were-leaked.html The empire strikes back: Why Trump's private talks with foreign leaders were leaked]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 3, 2017.</ref> (The fact that members of the Deep State have grown visibly scared of reports stating such confirms this view;<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/03/22/politico-obama-admin-bureaucrats-panicked-by-breitbart-spotlight-dont-question-our-loyalty/ POLITICO: Obama Admin Bureaucrats ‘Panicked’ by Breitbart Spotlight: Don’t Question Our Loyalty!] ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 22, 2017.</ref> in May 2017, it was reported that 60% of [[National Security Council]] employees were Obama-Administration holdovers<ref>Wong, Kristina (May 17, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/17/trump-under-siege-more-than-60-percent-of-nsc-employees-placed-by-obama/ Trump Under Siege: More than 60 Percent of NSC Employees Placed by Obama]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref>) Additionally, Senate Democrats continued to unduly delay Trump's cabinet nominees at historic and unprecedented proportions—by February 8, 2017, only [[George Washington]] had fewer cabinet nominees confirmed by this length of time into his presidency.<ref>Singman, Brooke (February 8, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/08/trump-facing-historic-delays-in-confirmation-push.html Trump facing historic delays in confirmation push]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 8, 2017.</ref>

On January 23, 2017, Trump signed an order which withdrew the United States from the globalist [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]].<ref>Chakraborty, Barnini (January 23, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/23/trump-signs-executive-order-withdrawing-us-from-tpp-trade-deal.html Trump signs executive order withdrawing US from TPP trade deal]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref> That same day, Trump signed an order reinstating the [[Mexico City Policy]], which defunded International Planned Parenthood and other organizations that promote foreign abortions.<ref>LaBarbera, Peter (January 23, 2017). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-trump-signs-order-defunding-international-planned-parenthood-forei BREAKING: Trump signs order defunding International Planned Parenthood, foreign abortions]. ''LifeSite News''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref><ref>Hellman, Jessie (January 23, 2017). [http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/abortion/315652-trump-signs-executive-order-reinstating-global-gag-rule-on Trump reinstates ban on US funds promoting abortion overseas]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref>

Trump was very busy and productive in his first week and showed he was serious about his campaign promises, undoing Obama's illegitimate legacy and instituting conservative executive orders.<ref>Davenport, David (January 27, 2017). [http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddavenport/2017/01/27/how-trump-managed-to-undo-obamas-legacy-in-one-week/#3ae6bcba5bbf How Trump Managed To Undo Obama's Legacy In One Week]. ''Forbes''. Retrieved January 27, 2017.</ref><ref>Said-Moorhouse, Lauren (January 26, 2017). [http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/politics/executive-orders-presidents-actions-presidential-memoranda/ What's Trump done so far? His productive first week and how it stacks up to previous presidents]. ''CNN''. Retrieved January 27, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/28/president-trumps-first-week-action President Trump's First Week of Action]. ''whitehouse.gov''. January 28, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2017.</ref> This caused the [[stock market]] to increase, and the [[Dow Jones]] passed 20,000 points for the first time in history.<ref>Imbert, Fred (January 25, 2017). [http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/25/us-markets.html Dow closes above 20,000 for first time as Trump orders send stocks flying]. ''CNBC''. Retrieved January 25, 2017.</ref><ref>Craig, Victoria (January 25, 2017). [http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/25/dow-races-past-20k-in-reinvigorated-trump-rally.html Dow Races Past 20K in Reinvigorated Trump Rally]. ''Fox Business''. Retrieved January 25, 2017.</ref> On March 1, 2017, the day after Trump made his first address to a joint-session of Congress, the stock market rose dramatically again, with the Dow Jones passing the 21,000 mark for the first time in history.<ref>Witkowski, Wallace; Mahmudova, Anora (March 1, 2017). [http://www.marketwatch.com/story/wall-street-stocks-set-to-resume-rally-on-fed-rate-hike-hopes-trump-relief-2017-03-01 Dow closes above 21,000 as stocks soar after Trump speech]. ''MarketWatch''. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref><ref>Holcomb, John (March 1, 2017). [https://townhall.com/tipsheet/justinholcomb/2017/03/01/stock-market-booms-past-21000-for-the-first-time-in-history-n2292388 The Trump Bump: Stock Market Hits 21,000 for the First Time in History]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref><ref>DeSoto, Randy (March 1, 2017). [http://www.westernjournalism.com/stock-market-hits-new-high-follow-trumps-speech-to-congress/ Stock Market Hits New High Following Trump’s Speech To Congress]. ''Western Journalism''. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref>

As evidence of this intense [[mainstream media]] opposition to President Trump, a study published close to the 100th-day mark of Trump's presidency showed that 89% of media coverage regarding Trump was negative.<ref>
* Harper, Jennifer (April 19, 2017). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/19/donald-trump-media-coverage-is-89-percent-negative/ As first 100 days in office approaches, media coverage of Trump is 89% negative: Study]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
* Noyes, Rich; Ciandella, Mike (April 19, 2017). [http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2017/04/18/honeymoon-hell-liberal-media-vs-president-trump Honeymoon from Hell: The Liberal Media vs. President Trump]. ''NewsBusters -- Media Research Center''. Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref> Additionally, Trump was on track to become the most mocked president on late-night comedy TV in at least 25 years.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2017/05/04/study-trump-track-mocked-president-late-night-25-years/ Study: Trump On Track to Be Most Mocked President on Late-Night TV in 25 Years]. ''Breitbart News''. May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.</ref>

On April 26, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security, acting under an executive order established by President Trump, established the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE), created to help support victims of illegal immigrant crime, and it established the DHS-Victim Information and Notification Exchange, which was created to help those victims track the custody status of the illegal criminals.<ref>
* Singman, Brooke (April 26, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/26/dhs-announces-office-for-victims-illegal-immigrant-crime.html DHS announces office for victims of illegal immigrant crime]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
* McHugh, Katie (April 26, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/26/dhs-kelly-voice-victims-illegal-alien-criminals/ DHS Kelly Creates VOICE For Many Victims of Illegal Alien Criminals]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
* McHugh, Katie (April 25, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/25/dhs-unveil-voice-office-victims-illegal-alien-crime/ DHS to Unveil VOICE Office for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 26, 2017.</ref> However, leftists took to pranking the phone line created, showing disrespect to the victims of illegal immigration.<ref>Singman, Brooke (April 27, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/27/ice-rips-pranksters-jamming-hotline-to-report-space-aliens.html ICE rips pranksters jamming hotline to report space aliens]. '' Fox News''. Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref>

====Temporary immigration and refugee suspensions====
Trump received criticism from liberals and [[establishment]] Republicans<ref>McHugh, Katie (January 31, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/31/establishment-republicans-bash-trumps-executive-order-on-immigration-refugee-resettlement/ Establishment Republicans Bash Trump’s Executive Order on Immigration, Refugee Resettlement]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> when he signed an executive order temporarily banning immigration from certain high-risk Islamic countries as well as refugee entry. Despite this criticism, 49 percent of the American public supported the decision compared to 41 percent opposed, according to the "mainstream" Reuters,<ref>Kahn, Chris (January 31, 2017). [http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-poll-exclusive-idUSKBN15F2MG Exclusive: Only a third of Americans think Trump's travel ban will make them more safe]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> and 57% percent of likely American voters supported the ban according to Rasmussen.<ref>[http://m.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/january_2017/most_support_temporary_ban_on_newcomers_from_terrorist_havens Most Support Temporary Ban on Newcomers from Terrorist Havens].'' January 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.</ref> Additionally, while the leftist [[establishment]] European leaders opposed the ban, a strong majority—55% average—of Europeans support the ban, according to a poll in 10 [[European Union]] nations.<ref>Shaw, Adam (February 9, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/09/majority-europeans-in-favor-trump-style-muslim-ban-poll-shows.html Majority of Europeans in favor of a Trump-style Muslim ban, poll shows]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Jamieson, Alastair (February 8, 2017). [http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/europes-border-crisis/majority-leading-eu-nations-support-trump-style-travel-ban-poll-n718271 Majority in Leading EU Nations Support Trump-Style Travel Ban: Poll]. ''NBC News''. Retrieved February 9, 2017.</ref> On March 6, 2017, Trump signed a second executive order concerning the temporary suspension of refugees and others from certain high-risk countries after the first one was blocked by the courts. The second order made some clarifications and minor improvements over the first, such as exempting green card holders from the ban and excluding [[Iraq]] from it as it had developed an acceptable vetting process.<ref>Munro, Neil (March 6, 2016). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/06/trump-new-refugees-executive-pushes-back-judges/ Donald Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Travel from Six Terror-Tied Countries]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved March 6, 2017.</ref><ref>Chakraborty, Barnini (March 6, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/06/trump-signs-new-immigration-order-narrows-scope-travel-ban.html Trump signs new immigration order, narrows scope of travel ban]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 6, 2017.</ref>

Trump showed he would not tolerate incompetent leftist administration officials when he fired acting [[United States Department of Justice|Attorney General]] Sally Yates (a left-wing Obama holdover) when she refused to defend his refugee and immigration ban executive order.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/30/acting-ag-tells-justice-department-staff-not-to-defend-trumps-refugee-order.html Trump fires acting AG after Justice Department staff told not to defend refugee order]. ''Fox News''. January 30, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/30/statement-appointment-dana-boente-acting-attorney-general Statement on the Appointment of Dana Boente as Acting Attorney General]. ''whitehouse.gov''. January 30, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> Trump emulated [[Ronald Reagan]]'s firing of the striking PATCO workers in 1981 by doing so,<ref>Boyle, Matthew (January 30, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/30/trumps-patco-moment-emanating-reagan-president-takes-control-federal-government-protect-country-citizens/ Trump’s PATCO Moment: Emanating Reagan, the President Takes Control of Federal Government to ‘Protect the Country and Its Citizens’]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> contrary to the [[mainstream media]] spin.<ref>Kurtz, Howard (February 1, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/01/trumps-firing-defiant-obama-holdover-why-hes-no-richard-nixon.html Trump's firing of a defiant Obama holdover: Why he's no Richard Nixon]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 1, 2017.</ref> That same night, Trump replaced the acting director of [[Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] (another Obama holdover) with a more competent official who had a reputation for enforcing immigration laws.<ref>Chamberlain, Samuel (January 31, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/31/trump-names-thomas-homan-acting-director-ice-replacing-obama-holdover.html Trump names Thomas Homan acting director of ICE, replacing Obama holdover]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref><ref>Berman, Mark; Zapotosky, Matt (January 30, 2017). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/01/30/trump-appoints-new-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-director-noted-for-his-work-deporting-illegal-immigrants/?utm_term=.addf12ae690a Trump appoints new Immigration and Customs Enforcement director noted for his work deporting illegal immigrants]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref>

====Reducing regulations and government====
:''For more information, see [[Donald Trump achievements#Size of Government]]''
In the first six weeks of Trump's presidency, over 90 regulations were repealed, whether through executive orders, Acts of Congress, or other means.<ref>Farand, Chloe (March 6, 2017). [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-federal-state-regulations-month-oval-office-white-house-us-president-deregulate-a7614031.html Donald Trump disassembles 90 federal state regulations in just over a month in White House]. ''The Independent''. Retrieved March 7, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3480299-10-Examples-Industries-Push-Followed-by-Trump.html#document/p60/a341284 Trump-Era Trend: Industries Protest. Regulations Rolled Back. A Dozen Examples]. ''The New York Times'' (through ''DocumentCloud''). Retrieved March 7, 2017.</ref> Trump also signed numerous executive actions promoting a smaller government.

====Supreme Court====
On January 31, 2017, Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]].<ref>Klukowski, Ken (January 31, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/31/trump-nominates-judge-neil-gorsuch-supreme-court/ Trump Nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch to Supreme Court]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref><ref>Hurley, Lawrence; Holland, Steve (January 31, 2017). [http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-trump-idUSKBN15F1OW Trump picks conservative judge Gorsuch for U.S. Supreme Court]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> The nomination was well received by many conservatives.<ref>Chamberlain, Steve (January 31, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/31/reaction-to-trumps-supreme-court-pick-split-along-partisan-lines.html Conservatives hail Trump's Supreme Court pick]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref><ref>Ertelt, Steven (January 31, 2017). [http://www.lifenews.com/2017/01/31/president-donald-trump-nominates-pro-life-friendly-judge-neil-gorsuch-to-the-supreme-court/ President Donald Trump Nominates Pro-Life-Friendly Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court]. ''LifeNews.com''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> Others, most notably [[Andrew Schlafly]], disagreed with the nomination due to concerns about Gorsuch's position on abortion.<ref>Dannenfelser, Marjorie (January 31, 2017). [http://townhall.com/columnists/marjoriedannenfelser/2017/01/31/the-truth-about-trumps-prolife-scotus-list-n2279232 The Truth about Trump’s Pro-life SCOTUS List]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved February 1, 2017.</ref><ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Mainpageright&diff=1302133&oldid=1301962</ref>

====Public trust====
According to a poll conducted by [[Emerson College]] on February 5–6, 2017, more Americans trust the Trump Administration than the media.<ref>McHugh, Katie (February 9, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/02/09/poll-voters-trust-trump-administration-media/ Poll: Voters Trust Trump Administration More Than Media]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved February 9, 2017.</ref>

====Economic progress====
In May of 2017, the unemployment rate fell from 4.4% from 4.3%, the lowest since May 2001, as the number of unemployed persons was little changed at 6.9 million and the labor force participation rate fell to 62.7 percent.<ref>[https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate United States Unemployment Rate]. ''tradingeconomics.com''. Retrieved June 14, 2017.</ref>.

According to a Rasmussen survey, consumer confidence is the second-highest it’s been in the index’s history. The market cap of the U.S. stock market has risen more than $3 trillion since Mr. Trump was elected. Small-business confidence has surged to a 12-year high.

==Books==
*''Trump: The Art of the Deal'' with Tony Schwartz (1987)
*''Trump: Surviving at the Top'' with Charles Leerhsen (1990)
*''Trump: The Art of the Comeback'' with Kate Bohner (1997)
*''The America We Deserve'' with Dave Shiflett (2000)
*''Trump: How to Get Rich'' with Meredith McIver (2004)
*''Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know about Success, Real Estate and Life'' with Meredith McIver (2005)
*''Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message'' with Meredith McIver and Robert T. Kiyosaki (2006)
*''Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life'' with Bill Zanker (2007)
*''Trump: Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success'' with Meredith McIver (2008)
*''Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life'' with Meredith McIver (2009)
*''Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich—and Why Most Don't'' with Robert T. Kiyosaki (2011)
*''Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again'' (2011)
*''Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again'' (2015)

==Quotes==
===Quotes as U.S. President===
====Inaugural address====
*"....today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people."<ref name="InaugTransc">[http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/full-text-donald-trump-inauguration-speech-transcript-233907 Full text: 2017 Donald Trump inauguration speech transcript]. ''Politico''. January 20, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref>
*"We assembled here today our issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power, from this day forward: a new vision will govern our land, from this day forward, it's going to be only America first. America first."<ref name="InaugTransc"/>
*"[We will] unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth."<ref name="InaugTransc"/>
*"When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice."<ref name="InaugTransc"/>

====Other====
*"In America we don’t worship government, we worship God."<ref>Miller, S.A. (May 13, 2017). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/13/donald-trump-tells-liberty-university-graduates-we/ Trump at Liberty University: ‘We don’t worship government, we worship God’]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 13, 2017.</ref><ref>Moons, Michelle (May 13, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/13/president-donald-trumps-1st-commencement-speech-america-dont-worship-government-worship-god/ President Donald Trump’s First Commencement Speech: ‘In America We Don’t Worship Government, We Worship God’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 13, 2017.</ref>
*"I didn’t get elected to serve the Washington media—I got elected to serve the forgotten men and women and that’s exactly what I’m doing."<ref>Spiering, Charlie (May 17, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/17/donald-trump-vows-to-fight-on-no-politician-in-history-has-been-treated-worse-or-more-unfairly/ Donald Trump: ‘I Didn’t Get Elected to Serve the Washington Media’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 17, 2017.</ref><ref>Singman, Brooke (May 17, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/17/trump-takes-on-media-during-coast-guard-commencement-speech.html Trump takes on media during Coast Guard commencement speech]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 17, 2017.</ref>

===Quotes from the 2016 campaign for President===
[[File:Donald Trump and Mike Pence RNC July 2016.jpg|thumb|Trump and his running-mate, [[Mike Pence]], at the 2016 Republican National Convention.]]
Trump's tactics of naming and shaming candidates has been proven very effective. He called Jeb Bush 'low-energy Jeb' and it stuck. Then came Marco Rubio as 'Little Marco.' Next came 'Lyin' Ted' for Ted Cruz. For the Democrats, he calls Hillary Clinton 'Crooked Hillary'. He doesn't give Bernie Sanders the same treatment though he has referred to him as a Communist.

*“We will no longer surrender this country or its people to the false song of [[globalism]].”
*"I think we have a president who, as a president, is totally incompetent, and he doesn’t know what he’s doing. I think he has no idea what he’s doing. And our country is going to [[hell]]."<ref>http://time.com/4210983/republican-debate-barack-obama-incompetent/</ref>
*"I will be the greatest jobs president that [[God]] ever created."
*"I’m using my own money. I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich."
*"Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people."
*"Nobody would be tougher on ISIS than Donald Trump. Nobody. Within our military, I will find the General Patton, or I will find General MacArthur, I will find the right guy."
*"I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have [[Mexico]] pay for that wall."
*"I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct."<ref>http://video.foxnews.com/v/4406746003001/watch-a-replay-of-fox-news-prime-time-presidential-debate/?#sp=show-clips</ref><ref>https://www.google.com/search?q=a+big+problem+with+our+country+is+too+politically+incorrect&oq=a+big+problem+with+our+country+is+too+politically+incorrect&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64l3.8295j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8</ref>
*"Becoming the nominee of the party of [[Abraham Lincoln]] has been the greatest honor of my life.<ref>http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/294401-trump-claims-party-of-lincoln-mantle-in-speech-at-black</ref>

====General election debate quotes====
*"Because you would be in jail." (Trump in response to Clinton saying that it would be a good thing that he "is not in charge of the law in our country")<ref name="2ndTranscript">[http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/2016-presidential-debate-transcript-229519 Full transcript: Second 2016 presidential debate]. ''Politico''. October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.</ref>
*"Now she’s blaming the lie on the late great Abraham Lincoln. ...Honest Abe never lied. That’s the good thing. That's the big difference between Abraham Lincoln and you." (Trump in response to Clinton's excuse for having "'a public and private position on certain issues.'")<ref name="2ndTranscript"/>
*"Hillary has experience, but it’s bad experience."<ref>Goodenough, Patrick (September 27, 2016). [http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/ Trump: 'Hillary Has Experience, But It's Bad Experience']. ''cnsnews.com''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref>

===Quotes from Twitter===
[[File:Screenshot 2015-09-28-12-11-31-1.png|right|300px|Thumb|Tweet from Billionaire Carl Icahn]]

{{Cquote| '''Somebody said I’m the Ernest Hemingway of 140 characters.'''}}

* "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (August 6, 2012, 1:23 pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/232572505238433794 "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
* "It’s amazing how people can talk about me but I’m not allowed to talk about them."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (November 13, 2012, 12:23pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/268449146711703553 "It’s amazing how people can talk about me but I’m not allowed to talk about them."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
* "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (January 1, 2014, 4:39pm). [http://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/418542137899491328 "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>

====2015====
* "So many 'politically correct' fools in our country. We have to all get back to work and stop wasting time and energy on nonsense!" (August 8, 2015)
* "Notice that illegal immigrants will be given ObamaCare and free college tuition but nothing has been mentioned about our VETERANS #DemDebate" (October 13, 2015)
* "They laughed at me when I said to bomb the ISIS controlled oil fields. Now they are not laughing and doing what I said." (November 13, 2015)
* "President Obama said 'ISIL continues to shrink' in an interview just hours before the horrible attack in Paris. He is just so bad! CHANGE." (November 14, 2015)
* "Refugees from Syria are now pouring into our great country. Who knows who they are - some could be ISIS. Is our president insane?" (November 17, 2015)
* "Eight Syrians were just caught on the southern border trying to get into the U.S. ISIS maybe? I told you so. WE NEED A BIG & BEAUTIFUL WALL!" (November 19, 2015)

====2016====
* "Hillary said that guns don't keep you safe. If she really believes that she should demand that her heavily armed bodyguards quickly disarm!" (January 3, 2016)
* "I wonder if President Obama would have attended the funeral of Justice Scalia if it were held in a Mosque? Very sad that he did not go!" (February 20, 2016)
* "The organized group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energized America!" (March 12, 2016)
* "Why is it that the horrendous protesters, who scream, curse punch, shut down roads/doors during my RALLIES, are never blamed by media? SAD!" (March 20, 2016)
* "Do you all remember how beautiful and safe a place Brussels was. Not anymore, it is from a different world! U.S. must be vigilant and smart!" (March 22, 2016)
* "For the 1st time in American history, America’s 16,500 border patrol agents have issue[d] a presidential primary endorsement—me! Thank you." (April 1, 2016)
====2017====
*"The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!"<ref>Greenwood, Mark (February 17, 2017). [http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/320168-trump-the-media-is-the-enemy-of-the-american-people Trump tweets: The media is the 'enemy of the American people']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved February 27, 2017.</ref>
* "Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!" (March 31, 2017)
* "That's right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won't help us protect our people!" (June 5, 2017, while the Dept. of Justice was arguing in court that his Executive Order was not a "travel ban")
* "Fake News is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of the incorrect stories???" (June 13, 2017)

===Other quotes===
* "[T]he country is going to hell."<ref>Cassidy, Chris (March 19, 2015). [http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2015/03/country_is_going_to_hell_claims_donald_trump "'Country is going to hell,' claims Donald Trump"]. BostonHerald.com website.</ref>
* "We have no leader in this country.”<ref>Reisner, Hiram (April 22, 2011). [http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/donaldtrump-karlrove-gop-birther/2011/04/22/id/393742 "Trump: I'd just take Libyan oil"]. NewsMax website.</ref>
* "Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people."<ref>Pierce, Tony (April 29, 2011). [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/04/donald-trump-in-vegas-our-leaders-are-stupid-they-are-stupid-people.html "Donald Trump in Vegas: 'Our leaders are stupid; they are stupid people'"]. Los Angeles Times website/Top of the Ticket blog.</ref>
* "I can tell you I am [the 2012 Obama campaign's] worst nightmare."<ref>Mooney, Alexander (April 11, 2011). [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/trump-says-he-is-obama-campaigns-worst-nightmare/comment-page-6/ "Trump says he is Obama campaign's worst nightmare"]. Cable News Network website/politicalticker blog.</ref>
* "Obama has no solutions."<ref>Coz, Steve (August 19, 2012). [http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/trump-gibbs-fox-obama/2012/08/19/id/449050/ "Trump fires back at Obama campaign smear"]. Newsmax website/Newsfront.</ref>

== Liberal denialism and Donald Trump ==

:''See also:'' [[Liberal denialism and Donald Trump]] and [[Liberal denial]]

Post the 2016 U.S. Presidential election many liberals were in denial that Donald Trump was going to be president of the United States. Before the election, many liberal media outlets took the line that Donald Trump could not win the [[Republican]] primary and could not win the presidential election.<ref>
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/09/the-wrongest-media-predictions-about-donald-trump/?utm_term=.febb2623a89f The wrongest media predictions about Donald Trump The wrongest media predictions about Donald Trump], ''Washington Post'', 2016</ref>

=== Political scientists, denialism and Donald Trump ===

{{See also|Atheism and science}}

Few, if any, [[Political science|political scientists]] predicted early on that Donald Trump would win the Republican primary and then would subsequently be elected president of the United States. Furthermore, most pollsters indicated that Trump would lose the election.

27 percent of American political scientists believe in the existence of God while 76 percent of American doctors said they believe in God.<ref>
*[http://www.livescience.com/379-scientists-belief-god-varies-starkly-discipline.html Scientists belief in God varies starkly by discipline], Livescience.com
*[http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8318894/ns/health-health_care/t/survey-most-doctors-believe-god-afterlife/ Most doctors believe in God], NBC News</ref> Most American [[atheism|atheists]] lean to the left politically (see: [[Atheism and politics]]). Compared to [[medical science]], which has many effective medicines and surgical procedures, the social science of political science is often unreliable.

===Trump and the mainstream media===
{{See also|Mainstream media and Donald Trump}}
The leftist [[mainstream media]] despises Trump and fails to report objectively when covering him.

=== Angry secular leftists and Donald Trump ===

:''See also:'' [[Donald Trump and American atheists]] and [[Secular leftists and psychogenic illness]]

American [[secular left]]ists were extremely angry and upset in the aftermath of Donald Trump's election victory (see: [[Donald Trump and American atheists]]).

In certain cases, it became debilitating (see:: [[Secular leftists and psychogenic illness]]). The website Marketwatch reported concerning the aftermath of the 2016 presidential race: ''Trump’s win is causing a surge in demand for mental health services''<ref>[http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trumps-win-is-causing-a-surge-in-demand-for-mental-health-services-2016-11-10 Trump’s win is causing a surge in demand for mental health services], Marketwatch 2016</ref>

The ''Religion News Service'' reported:
{{Cquote|For the last decade, [[Atheism|atheists]], [[secular humanism|humanists]] and others [[secular]]ists have worked hard to organize a “secular vote” that would counter the political clout of the [[religious right]].

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s victory dealt that movement a body blow when he garnered 81 percent of the white [[Evangelical Christians|evangelical]] vote and 60 percent of the white [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] vote. [[Mormonism|Mormons]], too, voted overwhelmingly for Trump...

[Trump's] platform was seen as anti-secular in many atheist and humanist circles. He said he would appoint religiously conservative Supreme Court justices, ban [[Islam|Muslim]] immigrants, favor [[Christianity]] and repeal the [[Johnson Amendment]], which prohibits certain tax-exempt organizations from endorsing political candidates — issues antithetical to organized atheism and [[humanism]].<ref>[http://religionnews.com/2016/11/09/dealt-a-body-blow-atheists-and-humanists-regroup/ Dealt a body blow, atheists and humanists regroup] by Kimberly Winston, ''Religion News Service'', November 9, 2016</ref>}}

==See also==
* [[Donald Trump's religious views]]
* [[Trump Administration]]
* [[Essay:Donald Trump One Two Body Blow]]
* [[The Chalkening]]
* [[Trump University]]
* [[Kathryn Steinle]]
* [[Sarah Root]]
* [[Alveda King]]
* [[Trump effect]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.greatagain.gov Presidential transition website GreatAgain.gov]
* [http://www.trump.com Official website]
* [http://www.LyingCrookedHillary.com LyingCrookedHillary.com]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw8c2Cq-vpg The Untruth About Donald Trump] by [[Stefan Molyneux]], Published on Jan 18, 2016
* [http://www.untruthaboutdonaldtrump.com UntruthAboutDonaldTrump.com]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yyoauXmzjg Do Emotions Trump Facts?] [[Thomas Sowell]] on Donald Trump - Rebutted! by Stefan Molyneux
* [http://shouldtrumprun.com/ Should Donald Run? Polling]
* [http://gop12.thehill.com/2011/04/trump-explains-conversion-on-abortion.html Trump explains his pro-life conversion]
* [https://www.donaldjtrump.com Donald Trump 2016 campaign website]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZq3iCn2y74 Inside of Trump's Boeing 757]
* 100 groups have signed [http://www.pseagles.com/Coalition_letter_Supreme_Court this coalition letter] re: Trump's [[Trump Supreme Court|nomination to the Supreme Court]].
{{USPresidents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trump, Donald}}

[[Category:Donald Trump]]
[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:American Authors]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Best Selling Authors]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Pro Second Amendment]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Liberal Conservatism]]
[[Category:Billionaires]]
[[Category:United States Presidential Election, 2016]]
[[Category:2016 presidential election]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]

Essay:Worst Liberal TV Shows

2017-06-26T14:52:55Z

FDR: My Little Pony? Really?

Starting with the infamous "Rural purge" of the early-1970s (when [[CBS]] cancelled most of its Western dramas and all of its rural/family-themed sitcoms and variety shows in favor of "socially relevant" urban-themed shows) and increasingly into the present, liberal-leaning television series creators, producers, and writers have put shows on the air that appeal more to their own personal viewpoints than to the tastes of most of the general public. As a result, (and also partly due to the increase in TV channels since that period), many TV shows currently on the air have undergone decreases in viewership and the declining ratings that go with them. To liberals in the media, however, declining TV ratings and unsatisfied audiences mean less to them than pushing [[liberal ideology]] (including playing up [[socialism]], [[witchcraft]], [[feminism]] and the [[homosexual agenda]] and depicting them in a positive light while denigrating [[religion]], the [[family]] and [[traditional values]]) and forcing public acceptance of it does. Shown below is a list of some of the worst liberal TV shows, past and present.

==The worst liberal television shows==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Title
!Original run
!Network
!TV rating
!Description
|-
|''[[2 Broke Girls]]''
|2011-2017
|[[CBS]]
|
|Promotes homosexuality and feminism while mocking conservative ideals and leaders. The show constantly attempts to push the limits of blue jokes, racial stereotypes and sexual references. One of the show's titular girls, Max Black, a proudly rude, unprofessional, unmotivated, immoral, aggressive and promiscuous woman with a drug and alcohol problem, is portrayed as a positive role model for modern women. Plus, the character Sophie Kachinsky, who is even more immoral and promiscuous, is always given a very loud canned applause upon every one of her entrances in order to indicate her as the show's "best" character. The show, which posted 19.37 million viewers at its premiere in 2011, fell to less than a quarter of that number (hitting a low of 4.57 million viewers) by the time of its cancellation in May 2017.
|-
|''[[30 Rock]]''
|2006-2013
|[[NBC]]
|TV 14
|Pushes several left-wing agendas, and most infamously included a slam against [[Sarah Palin]]. In addition, throughout its airing from 2006 to 2013, despite being very popular among the Liberal elites, it consistently received extremely low ratings, with its first season ranking only at #102, its subsequent seasons consistently ranking low (the best it got was Season 3 with a ranking of #69), and Season 6 having such a low performance overall (and a very poorly-received season finale, ranking at 3.2 and 1.6 million viewers, respectively) that they were forced to cancel the show at one more season.
|-
|''All American Muslim''
|2011-2012
|TLC
|
|Reality program that essentially censors and whitewashes the true face of Islam, a terroristic and supremacist political ideology masquerading as a "religion", depicting the lives of five Islamic families in the [[Detroit]] suburb of [[Dearborn]], Michigan. The show drew criticism for depicting Islam in a favorable light, despite its reality being far different, and it was cancelled after one season due to low ratings. Controversy also erupted when home improvement retail chain Lowe's withdrew its sponsorship of the show, leading liberal celebrities Russell Simmons, Mia Farrow and Kal Penn, Internet activist group [[Anonymous]] and Islamic congressman [[Keith Ellison]] and other liberal politicians to call for a boycott of Lowe's and demanded apologies from the chain in response, which led in turn to Lowe's ignoring their demands and other companies joining Lowe's in withdrawing sponsorship of the program, while the threatened boycott itself largely fizzled.
|-
|''[[All in the Family]]''
|1971–1979
|[[CBS]]
|
|American adaptation by liberal TV producer [[Norman Lear]] of the [[BBC]] series ''Till Death Us Do Part''. In this series, Lear inaccurately depicted Archie Bunker, a blue-collar conservative and head of the Bunker family, with liberal traits like [[bigotry]] and ignorance while depicting his son-in-law, socially liberal and politically [[leftist]] [[hippie]] and [[Democrat Party|Democrat]] supporter Mike Stivic (referred to as "Meathead" by Archie), as the "voice of reason" (in the original British series, Mike's counterpart on that show, Mike Rawlins, was a [[Trotskyism|Trotskyist]]), with many episodes focusing on the political, philosophical and cultural clashes between Archie and Mike while Archie's wife Edith and their daughter Gloria tried to keep the peace. Followed by a sequel, ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which ran from 1979 to 1983.
|-
|''Anderson Cooper 360°''
|2003-present
|CNN
|
|Liberal-biased news show hosted by openly [[homosexual]] [[Anderson Cooper]].
|-
|''Annoying Orange''
|2009-2011
|YouTube
|TV-Y7 (should be TV-14)
|Promotes lack of effective communication skills via being annoying. The Annoying Orange does nothing but harass other anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables, and several episodes promote Hollywood values. This show is also loaded with adult humor.
|-
|''Barney and Friends''
|1992-2008
|PBS
|TV-Y
|An "educational" children's television series where a big, purple, anthropomorphic dinosaur named Barney teaches kids about environmentalism, multiculturalism, and a bunch of other unimportant issues. The title character also pampers children excessively instead of teaching them how to maturely confront negative emotions and feelings, which is often cited as contributing to the entitlement problem affecting numerous American millennials, a generation known for its prominent secular liberal population, who grew up watching the show as children.
|-
|''Becoming Us''
|2015
|ABC Family/Freeform
|
|Reality show glamorizing and exploiting [[gender confusion]]. Two families with fathers claiming to be "women" are highlighted in this series, which debuted at a low-rated 81st place and dropped out of the top 100 shows entirely the following week, eventually finishing the season at less than a third of its already-low debut viewership numbers. The show subsequently ended production and was later removed from Freeform's schedule without fanfare.
|-
|''[[The Big Bang Theory]]''
|2007-present
|[[CBS]]
|
|No family values, instead some of the main characters are rooming together and some of them are not married. In addition the key character Sheldon Cooper is an unforgiving [[Atheism|atheist]]. The show has also been considered a rip-off to the TV sitcom ''Friends''.<ref>http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/1110963/the-big-bang-theory-and-friends-similarities</ref><ref>http://whatculture.com/tv/15-similarities-friends-big-bang-theory</ref><ref>http://www.looper.com/10501/big-bang-theory-lot-like-friends/</ref>
|-
|''[[Black Jesus]]''
|2014-present
|Adult Swim
|TV MA
|A blasphemous television series that focuses on the Messiah, Jesus Christ, living in Compton, California in the modern day. Despite the show's questionable portrayal of Christ and the black community, reviewers claim that the character's method of spreading the Lord's message of love and compassion is present and may actually act as a way to reach the young and rebellious modern audience of today, however the continued usage of illegal substances on the show may impede that.
|-
|''[[Black-ish]]''
|2014-present
|[[ABC]]
|
|The plots of most episodes are usually only promotions of liberal ideologies such as gun control, vaccinations, and even abortion. In trying to subvert black racial stereotypes, as the show frequently claims to do, it only furthers the stereotypes.
|-
|''Bojack Horseman''
|2014-present
|Netflix
|TV-MA
|Show that disgustingly promotes [[Hollywood values]], [[sexual immorality]], and drug use. One episode promotes [[abortion]], saying that women who get them are "heroes". The show also seems to promote bestiality, as there are both human and anthropomorphic animals as characters, some of whom are in relationships. Another episode of the series disrespects veterans and implies they are not real heroes.
|-
|''Brave New Girls''
|2014
|E! (Canada)
|
|Canadian reality series exploiting and glorifying gender confusion, featuring gender-confused male model Walter "Jenna" Talackova, who gained infamy for his attempt to become a contestant in the woman-only Miss Universe Canada pageant in 2012 and was initially disqualified after his true gender was discovered (he had lied about who he really was to get in); he got back in after liberal [[feminism|feminist]] lawyer Gloria Allred got involved on his behalf, but he still failed to make the pageant's final five contestants. Only eight episodes of this series were produced, but the Canadian E! channel has not officially announced that the show has been cancelled.
|-
|''Bridezillas''
|2004-2013
|WE tv
|
|Brides-to-be are encouraged to display their worst behavior in this staged "reality" series. They rant, scream, throw tantrums, and treat their wedding staff, spouse-to-be, family, and friends terribly.
|-
|''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''
|1997-2003
|The WB
|TV-14
|Pro-feminist supernatural-themed show, loosely based on the 1992 comedy horror film of the same name but with a more serious tone than the original movie, that depicts homosexual characters as "normal".
|-
|''Charmed''
|1998-2006
|The WB
|
|Disturbingly glorifies witchcraft as well as feminism. Planned for a reboot in 2018.
|-
|''[[The Colbert Report]]''
|2005-2014
|Comedy Central
|TV 14
|Stephen Colbert is a liberal who parodies conservative pundits such as [[Bill O'Reilly]] and conservative news shows, such as ''[[The O'Reilly Factor]]''. Also features alcohol use, profanity, and jokes related to intercourse.
|-
|''Commander in Chief''
|2005-2006
|ABC
|TV-PG
|Nothing more than [[Hillary Clinton]] propaganda.
|-
|''[[Countdown with Keith Olbermann]]''
|2003-2011 ([[MSNBC]]), 2011-2012 ([[Current TV]])
|[[MSNBC]], Current TV
|TV PG
|Hosted by left-wing commentator [[Keith Olbermann]]. Featured vehement attacks against conservatives.
|-
|''[[The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]]''
|1996-2015
|[[Comedy Central]]
|TV 14
|Jon Stewart mocks conservative politicians and media stars much more than his occasional jab at liberal Democrats. A year after he left the show, Stewart turned up as a surprise guest on former castmate Stephen Colbert's late-night CBS talk show and made a fool of himself by lambasting the [[Donald Trump]] Republican presidential campaign for Trump's stands against illegal immigration and Islamic terrorism and his criticisms of [[Barack Obama]]'s "presidency" and Hillary Clinton's character.
|-
|''Degrassi''
|2001-2015
|[[CTV]] (Canada) TeenNick, Netflix (US)
|TV 14
|Tasteless high school drama show which portrays drug use, [[homosexuality]], [[sex change theory|gender confusion]] and [[abortion]] in a positive light. Previous versions of the ''Degrassi'' franchise, ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'' (1979–1986), ''Degrassi Junior High'' (1987–1989) and ''Degrassi High'' (1989–1991) (the latter two of which had similar themes), aired on Canadian network CBC Television.
|-
|''Dinosaurs''
|1991-1994
|ABC
|TV PG
|Promotes [[environmentalism]] and [[feminism]].
|-
|''Doubt''
|2017
|CBS
|TV-14
|Courtroom drama featuring gender-confused male actor Roderick "Laverne" Cox, it was touted by CBS as the first network primetime drama to feature a gender-confused actor in a starring role in an attempt to push gender confusion on its viewing audience. Because of this, viewers wanted no part of the show, which was cancelled after just two episodes.<ref name="Rise Failure">[http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/matt-philbin/2017/03/06/does-when-we-rises-failure-signal-end-cultures-long-gay-moment Does ‘When We Rise’s’ Failure Signal End to the Culture’s Long ‘Gay Moment?’] at NewsBusters</ref>
|-
|''[[Full Frontal with Samantha Bee]]''
|2016–present
|TBS
|TV MA
|An offshoot of ''The Daily Show'' featuring dimwitted former correspondent and alleged "comedienne" [[Samantha Bee]], who liberally uses foul language, bigotry and projection in her frequent, pathetic and unfunny mischaracterizations of conservative politicians, public figures and the public when they refuse to embrace liberal agendas. Bee often takes to behaving like a middle-aged teenybopper during her reports while slagging those she opposes.
|-
|''The Future Is Wild''
|2002
|BBC, Arte, ZDF, ORF, Mediaset, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel
|
|
|-
|''GCB''
|2012
|ABC
|TV 14
|Extremely blasphemous against [[Christianity]], as evidenced simply by its provocative title. Was also so ill-received by various mainstream Christians that they demanded a boycott of anyone who sponsored the show, which ultimately contributed to its ultimately lasting a single season.
|-
|''Girls''
|2012-2017
|HBO
|TV MA
|Is a strong supporter of feminism and the [[homosexual agenda]]. There is an arc in the second season in which the main character begins to date a young conservative, only to break up with him, reasoning that his views were "immoral". The show also glamorizes [[Hollywood values]], such as marrying someone on the basis of boredom, having multiple sexual partners, and glamorizing abortion. Creator Lena Dunham, a self-proclaimed feminist, has defended these wrongs in interviews, claiming it is a representation of what it is like to be a woman in her twenties, when really it most certainly isn't.
|-
|''The Girls Next Door''
|2005-2010
|The Playboy Channel
|
|Promotes the [[pornography|pornographic]] magazine ''[[Playboy]]'', which exploits women.
|-
|''Good Witch''
|2015-present
|Hallmark Channel
|TV-PG
|Another show attempting to glorify witchcraft even worse, the daughter also does witchcraft and the show brushes it off like no big deal.
|-
|''Gotham''
|2014-present
|FOX
|TV-14
|Originally a prequel to Batman's superhero career, it unfortunately turned into homosexual propaganda. Two of the main villains, the Penguin and the Riddler, are portrayed as homosexual, even though they were never like that in the comics, and in the case of the latter, had previously been depicted as straight in the previous two seasons. To a lesser extent, Barbara Kean is also depicted as being bisexual despite not being that in the comics.
|-
|''Hardball with Chris Matthews''
|1994-1996; 1997-1999; 1999- (changed stations at 1996 and 1999)
|Originally America's Talking, later [[CNBC]], later MSNBC
|
|Non-stop liberal propaganda by its titular host.
|-
|''Hip Hop Harry''
|2006-2008
|TLC, Discovery Kids, Retro Television Network
|TV-Y
|Exposes young minds to mainstream rap and promotes them as "good role models" as the titular character is an anthropomorphic bear who belongs to that culture.
|-
|''[[How I Met Your Mother]]''
|2005-2014
|[[CBS]]
|
|Includes womanizing, alcoholism, and gambling. Some episodes include fornication without consequence.
|-
|''The Howard Stern Show''
|
|First-run syndication
|TV MA
|Features very vulgar and crass discussions and language.
|-
|''I Am Cait''
|2015-2016
|E!
|
|An offshoot of [[reality television]] series ''Keeping Up With the Kardashians'', this series exploits and glamorizes gender confusion while indulging Bruce "Caitlyn" Jenner in his delusion of pretending to be a "woman". Despite losing half its ratings after its first week due to few people wanting to watch the LGBT agenda being pushed on them, E! announced it would be bringing the show back for a second season. Its viewership, which had been at 2.73 million viewers at its premiere but dropped by more than half after that, fell to less than a fifth of that number (about 480,000 viewers) at one point during its second season, which finished with less than a third of its debut numbers and led to its cancellation on August 3, 2016 (although E! initially publicly denied that the show was cancelled).<ref>[http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/tv/caitlyn-jenners-i-cait-cancelled-e-just-2-seasons/ (Bruce) Jenner’s 'I Am Cait' cancelled at E! After just 2 seasons?]</ref> The cancellation was eventually officially announced by E! on August 16, 2016.<ref>[http://deadline.com/2016/08/caitlyn-jenner-i-am-cait-canceled-keeping-up-with-kardashians-e-1201804380/ ''I Am Cait'' Canceled By E! As (Bruce) Jenner Back On ''Kardashians'']</ref>
|-
|''I Am Jazz''
|2015-present
|The Learning Channel
|
|Another reality series exploiting gender confusion, this one focusing on a teenage boy (real name: Jaron Bloshinsky<ref>[https://gendertrender.wordpress.com/tag/jaron-bloshinsky/ Gender, Patriarchy, and All That Jazz : Mary Lou Singleton] (Warning: Contains feminist rhetoric and nonsense)</ref>) who claims to be a "girl" using the name "Jazz Jennings". Like ''I Am Cait'', its ratings plummeted after its debut episode for similar reasons.
|-
|''Incorporated''
|2016
|SyFy
|
|Par for the course of showrunners [[Matt Damon]] and [[Ben Affleck]], the show has a severe anti-corporation bent, and also has hints at a "global warming" agenda.
|-
|''Inside Amy Schumer''
|2013-
|Comedy Central
|TV-14
|Liberal "comedienne" Amy Schumer (who only is famous because she is a cousin of Democrat Party senator [[Chuck Schumer]]) does nothing but smother her liberal agenda onto the show's viewers. Her show is also infamous for stealing jokes from other comedians.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q064UWEwEP8</ref> Its fifth season has been placed on hiatus.<ref>http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/18/media/amy-schumer-show-canceled/index.html</ref>
|-
|''Jersey Shore''
|2009-2012
|MTV
|TV 14
|Infamous and schlocky "reality" TV series that revolves around immoral and obscene behavior characteristics of its cast on the shores of New Jersey. Behavior depicted includes obscene dancing, innuendo, public drunkenness, and domestic violence.
|-
|''[[Last Week Tonight with John Oliver]]''
|2014-present
|HBO
|
|Late-night talk/news satire show hosted by British "comedian" and former ''Daily Show'' correspondent [[John Oliver]]. Like Samantha Bee on her show ''Full Frontal with Samantha Bee'', the liberal Oliver engages in bigotry and projection while mischaracterizing and attacking conservatives in the public spotlight and their supporters. Following [[Donald Trump]]'s winning the U.S. Presidency, he shifted a vast majority of his humor on verbally accosting the POTUS however possible. Talk about disproportionate retribution for a few insignificant and irrelevant mistakes Trump made on the campaign trail.
|-
|''Looking''
|2014-2016
|HBO
|TV MA
|Exists solely as propaganda for the homosexual agenda. Lasted only for two seasons.
|-
|''Lucifer''
|2016-present
|FOX
|TV-14
|Nope, you're not reading that wrong. They not only made a TV show with [[Satan]] as the main character but also made him the "good guy" too, despite history and the Bible proving otherwise. Then again, the show is based off of graphic novels by atheist British author Neil Gaiman, whose works sometimes portray Satan as good and God as evil.
|-
|''Madam Secretary''
|2014-present
|CBS
|
|A "political drama" that's just [[Hillary Clinton]] propaganda.
|-
|''Mary Tyler Moore''
|1970-1977
|CBS
|TV-PG
|Made way for the feminist agenda, was made following the Rural Purge.
|-
|''The Mick''
|2017-present
|FOX
|
|Anti-family sitcom about an irresponsible young woman who takes over the raising of her niece and two nephews after the kids' parents are arrested for tax evasion and fraud. Pushes liberal values such as gender confusion by children (and the mind warping that results from it, as shown in the episode "The New Girl"<ref>[http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/culture/lindsay-kornick/2017/02/28/transgender-boy-asks-lesbian-fox-mick Gender Confused Boy Asks If Liking a Girl "Makes Me a Lesbian" on Fox's ''The Mick''] at Newsbusters</ref>) and the use of women's washrooms by gender-confused males (also from "The New Girl").
|-
|''Modern Family''
|2010-present
|[[ABC]]
|TV 14
|It mocks family values and promotes dysfunction and same-sex parenting among families. Three "families" are depicted in the show, two of which are dysfunctional and the third of which is a male homosexual couple with an adopted child. Gloria Pritchett (born Delgado), the Colombian second wife of main character Jay Pritchett, also sometimes displays a [[racism|racist]] attitude toward her husband and other characters.
|-
|''The New Normal''
|2012-2013
|NBC
|
|Pro-gay anti-Christian show about a homosexual couple that wants to have a baby, contains many liberal agendas, and portrays the one main conservative of the show from a stereotypically negative liberal viewpoint. One NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City refused to air the show because of its offensive content. Few people watched the show and it was cancelled after one season, sending the message that almost no one finds liberal agendas or mockery of conservatives and traditional values funny.
|-
|''[[The Newsroom]]''
|2012-2014
|HBO
|
|Yet another forum for Aaron Sorkin to promote his liberal views. Promotes the view that making the news "moral" means bashing Republicans and airing one-sided opinion pieces masquerading as "news". Strange liberal morality. Ultimately was short lived, being cancelled barely two years into its airing.
|-
|''The Oprah Winfrey Show''
|1986-2011
|First-run syndication
|
|Daytime talk show frequently promoting liberal and [[feminism|feminist]] viewpoints.
|-
|''Orange is the New Black''
|2013-present
|Netflix
|
|Decadent show that glamorizes the homosexual agenda and prison life. The main moral of the show, as claimed by series creator Jenji Kohan, is that it is not normal to be straight and following in the path of God, and practicing Christianity will lead to horrible punishments. Additionally, it inadvertently supports abortion, as it is revealed that the Christian "villain" in the show wound up in prison for killing a bunch of abortionists after receiving one. Every woman in prison, with the exception of the villain, is in a lesbian relationship with one of their fellow inmates (even the nun!).
|-
|''Piers Morgan Tonight''/''Piers Morgan Live''
|2011–2014
|[[CNN]]
|
|British talk show host and [[gun control]] advocate [[Piers Morgan]] lectures his guests and his audience on the issues of the day and puts a liberal spin on his viewpoints. After drawing about 2.1 million viewers for his debut episode, viewership for the show fell steadily until reaching only a fraction of its original numbers, with an average low of 81,000 viewers in the age 25-54 demographic for the week of July 30-August 5, 2012.

|-
|''Pretty Little Liars''
|2010-2017
|ABC Family/Freeform
|TV 14
|Depicts a homosexual teen as "normal".
|-
|''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills''
|2010-present
|BRAVO
|
|Physical altercations, verbal arguments, and name calling are routinely displayed. The show focuses on the cast's lack of effective interpersonal communication skills and promotes pointless drama.
|-
|''The Real O'Neals''
|2015-2017
|ABC
|TV PG
|Anti-Catholic (and anti-family) "sitcom" featuring a teenaged character who "came out" as homosexual to his family members. This show, based on the life of foul-mouthed homosexual activist and anti-Christian, anti-conservative, [[heterophobia|heterophobic]] and [[misogyny|misogynistic]]<ref>[http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kristine-marsh/2017/03/09/dan-savage-i-f-ing-hate-melania-trump Dan Savage: ‘I ******* Hate' 'Ugly on the Inside' Melania Trump] at NewsBusters</ref> bigot [[Dan Savage]] (who also serves as its executive producer). As one of ABC's lowest-rated and least-watched shows because of its offensive content, it was finally cancelled in May 2017.
|-
|''[[Real Time|Real Time with Bill Maher]]''
|2003-present
|[[HBO]]
|TV MA
|Political talk show that typically features a liberally slanted panel. Routinely mocks conservatives and conservative values (including religion, with Maher even going so far as to deny the existence of [[Jesus Christ]], in a manner similar to [[Holocaust denial]], despite historical accounts and evidence of His existence proving otherwise). Maher himself smears conservative women in a vulgar and sexist manner.
|-
|''RuPaul's Drag Race''
|2009-present
|Logo TV
|
|Radically pro-[[gay]] reality show hosted by homosexual cross-dresser [[RuPaul]]. The show is a blatant promotion for transvestism.
|-
|''Salem''
|2014-2017
|WGN America
|TV-MA
|Based very loosely on the Salem witch trails, liberals once again change history to suit their agenda by demonizing Christians and portraying satanic witches as "martyrs".
|-
|''[[Sex and the City]]''
|1998-2004
|HBO
|TV MA
|The show has no basis other than the sexual "adventures" of four women in their mid-thirties who live in New York City. Was created by the openly homosexual Darren Star, with this also being suspected for why the women in the show were depicted as sexually loose,<ref>http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/sex-and-the-city-portrays-women-as-sluts/news-story/936f2363706b887ca40e6f27ba8f7ccc</ref> with Star and the other writers admitting the original premise involved four homosexual men and just changed them to women for marketing purposes and subtly push the homosexual agenda.<ref>http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/09/1076175068807.html</ref>
|-
|''[[Shake it Up]]''
|2010-2013
|[[Disney Channel]]
|
|Poor family values, the show about teenage girls on a dancing show, who are not very friendly to one another.
|-
|''Siskel & Ebert''
|1986-2010
|
|
|Liberal critics Gene Siskel and [[Roger Ebert]] give biased reviews to movies, telling other people what to think.
|-
|''Skins''
|2011
|[[MTV]]
|TV MA
|Portrays teenage sex in a positive light. This show was also accused of being in violation of child pornography laws. Ironically a much more sexually explicit version of the show had aired for years in the UK with absolutely no controversy. Like with ''GCB'', it ultimately lasted for a single season largely because of the controversy.
|-
|''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''
|1993-1999
|First-run syndication
|TV PG/14
|While every ''Star Trek'' series touches upon liberal themes, ''DS9'' is without a doubt the most left-wing of all the ''Star Trek'' series. One episode, "Rejoined", contains a lesbian kiss, one episode shows a male character being transformed into a female, and many episodes contain anti-Christian and anti-American jokes. Also, the ever-present relationships between human and non-human characters serve as a promotion of bestiality. In addition, many of the characters possess the smarter-than-thou personality that's all too common among liberals. This was even acknowledged by the showrunner for DS9, Ira Steven Behr, by stating that "I know they got a lot of negative feedback, which only goes to prove a point I always believed in, which is that science fiction fans and Star Trek fans are much more conservative than people want to believe, and this whole Gene Roddenberry liberal Humanistic vision is truly not shared by a significant portion of them."
|-
|''Supergirl'' (Second season onward)
|2016–present
|The CW
|
|Although initially more politically neutral during the first season when it aired on CBS (See [[Essay:Greatest Conservative TV Shows#Debatable whether Conservative|its entry within the "Debatable whether Conservative" section of Greatest Conservative TV Shows]] for more information.), it went hard-left when it was moved to the CW, including promoting the homosexual agenda by making Alex Danvers, the adoptive sister of Kara Zor-El, the titular character, a lesbian (and, as of the Season Two finale, having her propose to get "married" to her girlfriend, police detective Maggie Sawyer). In addition, the current season has several pot-shots against any attempts at cutting down illegal immigration (such as the main villain Cadmus's ultimate plan essentially being to relocate aliens back to their home planet), and also featured (especially after the 2016 election cycle) several pot shots against Donald Trump (with one episode, "Exodus", indirectly alluding to Trump's election and his being falsely labeled a "fascist" with the character Snapper Carr telling Kara when firing her that leaving out one fact will likely result in "A fascist being elected president"), with the beginning of the season also having the president being female (played by Lynda Carter, most well known for her role as the title character in the live-action ''[[Wonder Woman]]'' in the 1970s) in an obvious attempt at predicting Hillary Clinton as being president, even explicitly being called a Democrat in the penultimate episode of the second season (it also shows the president as an alien in human disguise, which may be a veiled reference to [[Barack Obama]] and the background he has attempted to hide via sealing of his records). Regarding the Trump burns, the penultimate episode of the second season even has the audacity to compare Rhea, the evil and tyrannical ruler of the planet Daxam, and her Daxamites' invasion of Earth to Donald Trump via Cat Grant paraphrasing Trump's "Make America Great Again" statement and attributing it to the Daxamite invaders, even though the overall methods they used to invade Earth were far closer to that of the illegal immigrants that Trump was trying to deport, including their explicitly trying to remake Earth upon invasion to resemble Daxam. In addition, the liberal infiltration into all aspects of ''Supergirl'' even reflects in the titles of the second season's final two episodes: "Resist" (a Democrat code word, derived from Hillary Clinton's message to her supporters on the Left to "resist" the Trump administration by any means necessary following her defeat in the 2016 Presidential election, and to a lesser extent derived from a similar codeword used by student radicals during the 1960s, most infamously used by the 500 students occupying the amphitheater at the University of Vincennes on January 1969.) and "Nevertheless, She Persisted" (which relates to an incident in the Senate where Democrat Senator [[Elizabeth Warren]] persisted, despite being told several times to cease, in denouncing [[Jeff Sessions]] during the vote to confirm him as Attorney General<ref>[http://ew.com/tv/2017/05/01/supergirl-season-2-finale-title/ ''Supergirl'' boss reveals timely finale title] at Entertainment Weekly</ref>).
|-
|''Teletubbies''
|1997-2001
|CBeebies
|TV-Y
|A British program that exposed many young minds to environmentalism as well as LGBT-related material, as Tinky Winky was purple and carried a purse (Tinky Winky's actress also was a porn-star and a lesbian).
|-
|''These Friends of Mine''/''Ellen''
|1994–1998
|ABC
|
|Initially presented as a clone of the sitcom ''Seinfeld'', the show changed direction near the end of its fourth season when series star Ellen DeGeneres announced that she was a lesbian and decided to make her character, Ellen Morgan, lesbian as well. The show's ratings plummeted after the announcement and never recovered, leading to its cancellation by ABC in May 1998.
|-
|''Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman''
|2010-2017
|Science TV
|TV-PG
|Do we really need to explain?
|-
|''Torchwood''
|2006-2011
|BBC
|TV-14
|Another sci-fi series which obsesses itself with promoting the homosexual agenda. Nearly every character is homosexual or bisexual. Very graphic for a TV series.
|-
|''Transparent''
|2014-present
|Amazon Video
|
|Scripted series focusing on gender confusion, the LGBT agenda and [[professor values]] which misguidedly portrays all in a positive light. Former college professor Morton Pfefferman, the patriarch of the Pfefferman family, starts claiming to be a "woman" named "Maura" in the pilot episode. Later episodes explore the Pfeffermans' efforts to enable and indulge Morton in his delusion (in one episode, Morton gets offended and walks out on a family portrait shooting when the photographer correctly calls him "sir"), while oldest daughter Sarah leaves her husband to enter a lesbian relationship.
|-
|''[[Two and a Half Men]]''
|2003-2015
|[[CBS]]
|
|Pre-Season 8: The main character Charlie Harper's series of casual sexual relationships is portrayed as admirable, while his younger brother Alan, a chiropractor who is more moral and hard-working by comparison, is more prone to misfortune. There is a lack of positive female role models. The main character has an antagonistic and dysfunctional relationship with his mother, which is passed off as humorous.
Post-Season 8: One of the episodes depicts Alan's ex-wife and current girlfriend implied to have undergone a lesbian one-night-stand. Jake, Alan's son, also comments about getting an STD as if it were a badge of honor in another episode. In addition, Angus T. Jones, Jake's actor, labeled the show as filth after his famous conversion to Christianity.
|-
|''Van Helsing''
|2016-present
|SyFy
|TV-14
|Nothing more than more feminist nonsense. Van Helsing's daughter now fights vampires in a post-apocalyptic world, and not surprisingly the Christian part of Helsing's character is completely absent.
|-
|''[[The View]]''
|1997-
|ABC
|
|Talk show with liberal activists such as [[Barbara Walters]], [[Joy Behar]], Rosie O'Donnell and [[Whoopi Goldberg]].
|-
|''Weeds''
|2005-2012
|Showtime
|
|A show just about selling and the use of marijuana.
|-
|''[[The West Wing (TV show)|The West Wing]]''
|1999-2006
|NBC
|
|Just a platform for the control-freak [[Aaron Sorkin]]'s liberal talking points.
|-
|''When We Rise''
|2017
|ABC
|TV-14
|Docudrama miniseries glorifying both the homosexual agenda and its history, starting from the 1969 Stonewall riot. Stars liberal actors Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O'Donnell and Rob Reiner and homosexual actor David Hyde Pierce in featured roles. Contains a great deal of historical revisionism<ref>[http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/culture/alexa-moutevelis-coombs/2017/02/28/abcs-gay-propaganda-we-will-rise-falls-flat ABC Gay Series 'Rise': 'Get Rid of All the Heterosexuals'] at NewsBusters</ref> (including demonizing and deliberate mischaracterization of conservatives who opposed homosexuality, as well as making the homosexuals and the gender-confused look like "victims" when, in reality, they were and still are the aggressors<ref name="When We Rise">[http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/culture/karen-townsend/2017/03/03/when-we-rise-hates-republican-presidents-shows-love-hillary 'When We Rise' Hates on Republican Presidents, Shows Love to Hillary] at NewsBusters</ref>) and whitewashing of the history of the LGBT movement (particularly [[Homosexuality and Health|what happens to those who practice homosexuality and engage in homosexual sex]]) as seen through the far-Left viewpoint of the miniseries' producers, all in an attempt to pander to a specifically targeted audience.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NynBiB73E8I "When We Rise" - a dumb leftist dystopian fantasy] at the Rebel Media YouTube channel</ref>

The miniseries claims the homosexual agenda began as an offshoot of the [[Civil Rights Movement]], but such a claim would be considered offensive to blacks due to the agenda's attempt to compare sexual preference to skin color (a person's skin color and race are traits they are born with, but homosexuality is not), as well as a cheap attempt by the LGBT movement to hitch their wagon onto legitimate civil rights for blacks. As expected, liberal media reviewers heaped unwarranted praise on the miniseries, while conservative website [[NewsBusters]] was far more critical of it and called the miniseries, its producers and writer/creator Dustin Lance Black all out for their revisionism and lies.<ref name="When We Rise"/> Not surprisingly, few TV viewers were willing to watch the miniseries because of its pushing of the homosexual agenda, liberal ideology, historical revisionism, and whitewashing, making it the lowest-rated show to air on the Big Four broadcast networks each night it aired, putting ABC in fourth place behind CBS, NBC and FOX while barely tying with the CW.<ref name="Rise Failure"/><ref>[http://www.dailywire.com/news/14020/backlash-gay-and-transgender-tv-die-ratings-john-nolte BACKLASH: Gay and Transgender TV Die In the Ratings] at ''The Daily Wire''</ref>
|-
|''Witches of East End''
|2013-2014
|Lifetime
|
|Short-lived TV show attempting to glorify witchcraft.
|-
|''The Wonder Years''
|1988-1993
|ABC
|
|Although it promotes traditional family values, ''The Wonder Years'' has a politically liberal undertone. Despite the father, Arnold family patriarch Jack Arnold, being a veteran of the [[Korean War]], the second season episode "Walkout" has Jack's son Kevin Arnold and other students walk out of school to protest the ongoing [[Vietnam War]]. The only person who tries to stop it is the school's vice-principal (who is depicted as strict and villainous), who threatens to suspend any participants in the walkout and put those suspensions on their permanent records. The show makes other jabs at the war, such as characters (like Kevin's rebellious teenage hippie sister Karen) going to vigils and displaying the peace sign constantly.
|}

==Liberal Cartoons==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Title
!Original run
!Network
!TV rating
!Description
|-
|''Almost Naked Animals''
|2011-2013
|YTV (Canada)
|TV-Y7 (should be TV-MA)
|The Left's device in order to promote bestiality and disorderly conduct at a younger audience. In this cartoon, animals are furless and walk around in their underwear, and it is completely ignored except by the audience.
|-
|''The Ambiguously Gay Duo''
|1996-????
|ABC, later NBC
|Unknown
|Originally a clip from ''The Dana Carvey Show'' before moving over to ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', the [[Batman]] ripoff, as implied by its name, had a homo-erotic subtext of its main characters, with it being portrayed humorously when, if anything, it was filth.
|-
|''[[American Dad]]''
|2005-
|[[Fox Network|FOX]], later TBS
|
|Don't let the patriotic-sounding title fool you: Like all Seth MacFarland animated productions, it supports liberalism and homosexuality and mocks conservative values. In a case of truth in advertising, one of the main characters, Hayley Smith, is depicted as a far-left hippie who is shrewish, hateful and sometimes violent while stridently promoting her liberal views and, like Brian Griffin on ''Family Guy'', is used as Seth MacFarlane's sounding board for his viewpoints on the show.
|-
|''Breadwinners''
|2014-
|Nickelodeon
|TV-Y7
|A stoner cartoon about two anthropomorphic ducks (who look nothing like their species anyway) who deliver bread and promote disorderly conduct. It is very racy for a Nickelodeon show as there is a lot of vulgar jokes.
|-
|''Caillou''
|1997-2010
|Teletoon
|TV-Y
|This Canadian cartoon promotes a lack of effective communication skills and whiny tantrums among youth and only teaches young children that behavior of that nature can get them what they want.
|-
|''[[Captain Planet and the Planeteers]]''
|1990-1996
|TBS
|TV-Y7
|A pro-environmentalism cartoon created by liberal elitist [[Ted Turner]].
|-
|''[[The Cleveland Show]]''
|2009-2013
|FOX
|TV 14
|A spin-off from the extremely liberal cartoon ''Family Guy''. It's a raunchy comedy that includes many racist and sexual jokes, mostly against Caucasians.
|-
|''Codename: Kids Next Door''
|2002-2008
|Cartoon Network
|TV-Y7
|Kids form militia forces around the world to fight adults ([[nihilism]]), also many of the leaders are girls ([[feminism]]).
|-
|''[[Dora the Explorer]]''
|2000-2014
|Nick Junior
|TV-Y
|Pro-multiculturalist cartoon that teaches young children Spanish. Multiple characters can't speak a word in English and the audience has to speak Spanish to them.
|-
|''Drawn Together''
|2004-2007
|Comedy Central
|TV MA
|Animated show containing explicit crude and vulgar humor. During Season 2, Princess Clara (a devout "Christian") is depicted as a "bigot" and a [[Hypocrites|hypocrite]], as if that's what Christianity is about.
|-
|''Fanboy and Chum Chum''
|2009-2014
|Nickelodeon
|TV-Y7
|Promotes disorderly conduct and the titular characters harass other characters within the show. Not only that but they're children and their parents are never shown nor mentioned.
|-
|''[[Family Guy]]''
|1999-2003, 2005-
|[[Fox Network|FOX]]
|TV 14
|Notorious for its shock tactics, this show routinely employs willful tastelessness for comedic shock value. Examples include one regular character who is a homosexual pedophile, as well as constant Hitler jokes and clips of television shows as seen through the eyes of main character Peter Griffin, who sees them with a warped and twisted viewpoint. Brian Griffin, the Griffin family's talking pet dog, is frequently used by series creator Seth MacFarlane as a sounding board for his liberal political and social views.
|-
|''Glenn Martin DDS''
|2009-2011
|[[Nickelodeon]]
|TV PG
|A racy stop motion cartoon that mocks the role of fatherhood and also promotes liberalism with many demented sexual jokes. One episode blatantly portrays [[Barack Obama]] as the "messiah" and [[Dick Cheney]] as the devil. Created by [[progressive]] former Disney CEO [[Michael Eisner]].
|-
|''Gravity Falls''
|2012-2016
|Disney XD
|TV-Y7
|This show's message seems to state that capitalism corrupts; as all the rich characters are either jerks or bad guys. One of the main characters, Grunkle Stan, portrays poor family values to his nephew Dipper and niece Mabel, and the show implies that is because he's trying to make money for his business.
|-
|''Johnny Test''
|2005-2014
|Cartoon Network
|TV-Y7
|A knockoff of ''Jimmy Neutron'', ''Fairly OddParents'', and ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that mocks friendship and family values. Its titular main protagonist is very arrogant and selfish. Unlike Timmy Turner and Jimmy Neutron, he almost never learns his lesson in the end.
|-
|''The Legend of Korra''
|2012-2014
|Nickelodeon
|TV PG
|Liberals pushed it on children since it features one of the if not the first children's shows to feature a homosexual protagonist and strongly advocates feminism.
|-
|''Love Hina''
|2000
|TV Tokyo
|N/A (only released on DVDs outside Japan);
|A pro-feminist [[anime]], as the show treats the girls abusing a man for "perversion" when he, in reality, was just at the wrong place at the wrong time as "funny" to such an extent that it was frequently used as a running gag, with the man often having to apologize for the "bad behavior" despite it not actually being his fault. The man in question, Keitaru Urashima, later ends up marrying Naru Narusegawa, who was the main offender regarding the abuse. Also seems to promote [[Professor Values]] as well, since most of the cast, in particular, Naru Narusegawa and Keitaru Urashima, only seemed to care about getting into college in order to meet their loved ones over actually studying.
|-
|''Marvin Marvin''
|2012-2013
|Nickelodeon
|TV-Y7
|It mocks family values and contains extremely vulgar humor. One of the actors, [[Lucas Cruikshank]], is gay.
|-
|''Mr. Pickles''
|2013 (pilot) 2014-
|Adult Swim
|TV-MA
|A Satanic cartoon about a border collie who is an embodiment of the Devil and engages in a lot of violent, bloody, and gory behavior. Not only that, but the show stereotypes [[heavy metal]] music.
|-
|''The Powerpuff Girls''
|1998-2005, 2016–
|Cartoon Network
|TV-Y7
|Pro-feminist superhero show that portrays law enforcement officers and public officials as idiots. Also filled with innuendoes.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIUnIUWdw5I</ref> An anime version of this series, ''Powerpuff Girls Z'', aired in Japan on TV Tokyo in 2006. Was revived in 2016 containing more innuendoes than before.
|-
|''Sanjay and Craig''
|2013-
|Nickelodeon
|TV-Y7
|It promotes disorderly conduct, contains a stereotypical Indian boy with a pet snake (who are the two titular characters), and has lots of vulgar jokes.
|-
|''Steven Universe''
|2013-
|Cartoon Network
|TV-PG
|On the surface, it looks like a harmless show promoting family unity among a half-human-half-alien child, his loving human father, and his extra-terrestrial friends who teach the boy how to use his superpowers. However, looks are deceiving—it's really a show that exposes children to filth. First, the series promotes gender confusion, as the alien characters, while they look like women, are actually androgynous, and it tries to use their androgyny to justify their lesbian and bisexual behavior (which is based on [https://www.autostraddle.com/rebecca-sugar-is-bisexual-steven-universe-creator-comes-out-at-comic-con-346094/ the series creator's bisexual lifestyle]). As a result of these sexless aliens looking like women, the series is extremely [[Feminism|feminist]], with the female-looking aliens and even genuinely female humans portrayed as much more powerful or at least more competent than the male characters, many of whom are weak, silly, or incompetent. When male characters show some form of competence, such as the hero's father's skills with construction, the feminists who rule the show give said male characters less credit than they deserve. Some episodes feature the title character going from being male to being "fused" with his female love interest to make a disturbingly androgynous hybrid. Lastly, innuendoes are peppered throughout. The fan base of this show is one of the most aggressive on the Internet, and it infamously [http://www.dailydot.com/parsec/steven-universe-fanartist-bullied-controversy/ bullied another fan to attempt suicide after she drew fan art that didn't depict the boy's obese mother, who died before the series began, as obese]. All we can say is thank goodness this show is definitely not rated TV-Y.
|}

Please add to this list!

== References ==
<references />

==See also ==
*[[Essay:Greatest Conservative TV Shows]]
*[[Essay:Worst Liberal Movies]]
*[[Essay: Worst Liberal Songs]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-angus-t-jones-20121127,0,870446.story Angus T. Jones: 'Two and a Half Men' star, calls show 'filth']

''"If you watch 'Two and a Half Men', please stop watching 'Two and a Half Men, I'm on 'Two and a Half Men' and I don't want to be on it. You cannot be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that." - Angus T. Jones, actor on Two and a Half Men''

*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462085/ Bridezillas imdb]

[[Category:Essays]]
[[Category:Liberalism]]
[[Category:Hollywood]]
[[Category:Television]]
[[Category:Worst Liberal TV Shows]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Worst Liberal TV Shows}}

Liberal bias

2017-06-26T14:51:53Z

FDR:

{{See also|Liberal media bias}}
'''Liberal bias''' is a term used by conservatives to refer to anything that does not suit their agenda, even if it is true

'''''The essence of liberal bias is to dismiss or even to censor opposing views'''''. For liberals, to allow the airing or publishing of an opposing view creates the risk that people might discover errors in the liberal viewpoint. On the other hand, [[conservative]]s typically uphold freedom of ideological expression, with many expressing that although they may oppose a liberal view with every fiber of their being, they will defend to the death their right to say it, because they believe that in the [[marketplace of ideas]] the true will always win over the false. (At ''Conservapedia'' we are not afraid to mention and even to summarize anti-conservative arguments.)

It is clear that the mainstream media is extremely biased towards the left-wing, and this was the case since at least the 1960s, with a strong leftist monopoly on the news which promotes false conclusions.<ref name="NationalReview">Hanson, Victor Davis (December 22, 2016). [http://www.nationalreview.com/article/443263/ The Trump Nail in the Media Coffin]. ''National Review''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref> The [[2016 U.S. presidential election|2016 election]] of Republican businessman [[Donald Trump]] prominently displayed the blatant leftist bias of the media.<ref name="NationalReview"/><ref>Brown, Michael (October 19, 2016). [http://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbrown/2016/10/19/the-undeniable-glaring-bias-of-the-mainstream-media-n2234678 The Undeniable, Glaring Bias of the Mainstream Media]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Riddell, Kelly (November 8, 2016). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/8/mainstream-media-maligned-10-examples-blatant-bias/ Mainstream Media Maligned: 10 Examples of Blatant Bias]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Goodwin, Michael (November 14, 2016). [http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/11/14/trumps-victory-is-about-change-and-our-biased-mainstream-media-must-change-too.html Trump's victory is about change. And our biased mainstream media must change, too]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref> Trump found a way to get his message out to the public without needing to go through the lens of the leftist media, and some liberals suggested ways in how to force Trump to have to deal with the corrupt media.<ref>[https://www.rt.com/usa/372026-donald-trump-twitter-cnn/ MSM shouldn’t cover Trump's tweets, forcing him to rely on media to communicate – CNN anchor]. ''RT''. December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref>

==Vision of the anointed==
[[Image:Thomassowell.jpg‎|thumbnail|150px|right|[[Thomas Sowell]]]]
Economist [[Thomas Sowell]], in his 1996 book ''The Vision of the Anointed'', discusses the anointed vision of liberals and liberalism to promote their agenda.
<blockquote>
Desperate evasions of discordant evidence, and the denigration and even demonizing of those presenting such evidence, are indicative of the high stakes in contemporary [[culture war]]s, which are not about alternative policies but [[Values clarification|alternative worlds]] and of alternative roles of liberals in these worlds. Opponents must be shown to be not merely mistaken but morally lacking. This approach replaces the intellectual discussion of arguments by the moral extermination of persons. This denigration or [[demonizing]] of those opposed to their views not only has the desired effect of discrediting the opposition but also has the unintended effect of cutting off the path of retreat from positions which become progressively less tenable with the passage of time and the accumulation of discordant evidence. The very thought that those dismissed as simplistic or maligned might have been right–even if only on a single issue–is at best galling and potentially devastating. Their last refuge in this situation are their good intentions.<ref>Thomas Sowell, [http://www.li.suu.edu/library/circulation/Lewis/ba2350tlVisionoftheAnointedShortVersion.pdf ''The Vision of the Anointed''], New York: Basic Books, 1996.</ref>
</blockquote>

[[Roger Ailes]], a GOP political operative who founded and led [[Fox News Channel]], described the liberal media elite:
{{Cquote|They just believe what they believe and they think their job is to drag the rest of the redneck morons toward the light. They don’t understand that the so-called redneck morons, the people they don’t like, are the people that grew up with values, patriotism, all those things. And they hate all those words.<ref name="GiveVoice">[http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/05/18/roger-ailes-i-built-fox-to-give-voice-to-patriotic-average-americans-hated-by-media-elites/ Roger Ailes: I Built Fox to Give Voice to Patriotic Average Americans Hated by Media Elites]. ''Breitbart News''. May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.</ref>}}

Jon Meacham, editor of the overly liberal weekly magazine, ''Newsweek'', in justifying its activist journalism, stated, “Let me say this, I don’t think we’re the only catcher in the rye between democracy and ignorance, but I think we’re one of them, and I don’t think there are that many standing on the edge of that cliff.”<ref>http://www.commentarymagazine.com/printarticle.cfm/press-man--don-t-give-readers-what-they-want-15488</ref>

In March 2010, liberal [[evolution]]ary magazine ''National Geographic'' postulated that [[liberals]] and [[Atheism|atheists]] may be more evolved than [[conservatives]], according to conclusions by Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary psychologist. Kanazawa states "people with higher levels of intelligence are more likely to adopt social values and behaviors that are relatively new to human life—liberalism, atheism, staying up late, and (for men) monogamy, for example." Kanazawa also defines ''liberalism'', in part, as caring about the well-being of vast numbers of people you'll never meet, and states that this "is a very new thing for humans."

However, in response it is argued that such an definition of liberalism would render [[Jesus Christ]] a liberal, who clearly taught "love thy neighbor as thyself", and who came to be the Savior of the world - to those who believe and so follow Him - and which obedience is contrary to what liberalism promotes. And that, in contrast to Biblical conservative morality, history shows that liberalism, as overall manifest today, has adopted such "new" but essentially old ways of rebellion against beneficial moral values, promoting [[Hollywood values]], [[San Francisco values]], adultery, anarchy, and atrocities such as are seen by such intelligent atheists as [[Mao]] and [[Pol Pot]], whose objectively baseless moral reasoning allowed them to justify their evils, as pragmatically reasonable to achieving their "enlightened" ideals.

In a response to the ''National Geographic'' pretensions, James Lewis in the ''American Thinker'' notes that the vast majority of "educated people before the 20th century in Western countries were conservatives", but that "IQ doesn't predict street smarts or (obviously) political success on Capitol Hill."

Lewis goes on to ask,
<blockquote>
Why has the Left ended up killing 100 million people in the 20th century, according to French Marxist historian Courtois and his team? That's the real question the Left must always be made to answer: Why does its blind "idealism" and its unquenchable power-craving lead to such disastrous results, over and over again?
</blockquote>

His conclusions are that
{{cquote|The National Geographic headline is therefore characteristically absurd, but it's also typical of the cultural Left today -- and of its hopeless cravings to validate itself as being smarter, better-educated, and of course, more compassionate than those conservative throwbacks to a brute past. Somehow the Left always needs to boast, and like any other compulsive boaster, it is compensating for its own feelings of inferiority...

High IQ is no guarantee of goodness. It's not even a guarantee of common sense, or of genuine intelligence outside a few limited parts of life. It's no protection against evil.
<ref>[http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/03/are_liberals_atheists_more_evo.html James Lewis, ''Are Liberals, Atheists More Evolved than Conservatives?''], American Thinker, March 14, 2010</ref>}}

Princeton Theological Seminary theologian and noted Bible commentator Albert Barnes (1798-1870) comments on [[Romans 1]]:22, ''Professing themselves to be wise they became fools'', that
<blockquote>
this was the common boast of the philosophers of antiquity. The very word by which they chose to be called, “philosophers,” means literally “lovers of wisdom.” That it was their boast that they were wise, is well known..[but] they became really foolish in their opinions and conduct.
</blockquote>

The famous Bible commentator [[Matthew Henry]] adds, "As a profession of wisdom is an aggravation of folly, so a proud conceit of wisdom is the cause of a great deal of folly."

Ultimately, the function of the so-called liberal press is to dig the grave for the American People and [[American Values]]. No mention need be made of the closely associated lying Marxist Press. To them the spreading of falsehood is as much a vital necessity as the mouse is to a cat. Their sole task is to break the national backbone of the people, thus preparing the nation to become the slaves of international finance and its masters, the Liberals.

== Liberal bias in media ==

=== History ===

==== Where does Liberal media bias come from? ====
Prior to the era of "objective journalism", many journalist and muckraker outlets alike were rather open and known for which side of the aisle that they stood. For example, both ''Harper's Weekly'' as well as the [[Los Angeles Times]] were considered to be [[Republican]] publications.<ref>[http://spartacus-educational.com/USAharpers.htm Harper's Weekly]</ref><ref>[http://ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/2011/04/20/the-fall-and-rise-of-partisan-journalism/ The Fall and Rise of Partisan Journalism]</ref> Other papers had a [[Democrat]] bent.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=w2osAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA553&lpg=PA553&dq=albany+atlas+democrat Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography, Volume 1]</ref> During the partisan era, both sides had ample representation. There was no one sided media monopoly and the beliefs of the papers were known.

===== Bias cloaked as objectivity =====
Liberal bias in objective news goes back much further than most people realize, and most journalists would want anybody to know. [[Walter Lippmann]], who is considered by many to be the Father of Modern Journalism,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Schudson |first=Michael |authorlink=Michael Schudson |date=2008 |title=The "Lippmann-Dewey Debate" and the Invention of Walter Lippmann as an Anti-Democrat 1985-1996 |journal=International Journal of Communication |volume=2 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Carey |first=James W. |authorlink=James W. Carey |date=March 1987 |title=The Press and the Public Discourse |journal=The Center Magazine |volume=20 }}</ref> was on the front lines of the development of so-called "objective journalism" around the 1920s.<ref name=meaning>[https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/bias-objectivity/lost-meaning-objectivity/ The lost meaning of 'objectivity'], American Press Institute</ref>

Lippmann wrote that you could use selective keywords<ref name=keywords>Walter Lippmann, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=eLobn4WwbLUC&pg=PA355]'', p. 355</ref> in order to demonize one group of people or to praise other groups, solely based on the journalist's prerogative. He concluded that after the journalist set the tone of who was to be praised and who was to be castigated, the role of editorials was to reinforce the message.<ref name=keywords />

Lippmann opens his highly influential book ''Public Opinion'' with an anecdote about a small group of people on a distant island, and until a new copy of newspaper was brought in by ship the people on the island would continue their same arguments in perpetuity.<ref>Public Opinion, page 1.</ref> ''Public Opinion'' offers a rare glimpse inside the journalistic mind about the means and ability to manipulate readers to achieve a desired outcome.

Lippmann also called for journalism to be more closely associated with universities,<ref name=meaning /> with the end result that all journalists would be trained by left wing college professors. This ensures that journalism graduates would be of only one mindset.

=== Modern ===
A 2005 report<ref>[http://www.polisci.ucla.edu/faculty/groseclose/Media.Bias.pdf A MEASURE OF MEDIA BIAS]</ref> by Tim Groseclose and Jeffrey Milyo, political scientists at UCLA, concluded that based on estimated ideological scores, all of the news outlets they examined except [[Fox News]]’ Special Report and the [[Washington Times]] showed a strong liberal bias (scores to the left of the average member of Congress). Of the 20 major media outlets studied, 18 scored left of center, with [[CBS]]' "Evening News," The [[New York Times]] and the [[Los Angeles Times]] ranking second, third and fourth most liberal behind the news pages of [[The Wall Street Journal]]. Only Fox News' "Special Report With Brit Hume" and The Washington Times scored right of the average U.S. voter.<blockquote>
"I suspected that many media outlets would tilt to the left because surveys have shown that reporters tend to vote more Democrat than Republican," said Tim Groseclose, a UCLA political scientist and the study's lead author. "But I was surprised at just how pronounced the distinctions are." <ref>http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/page.asp?RelNum=6664</ref>
</blockquote>

[[ABC]], CBS, and [[NBC]] together have unloaded more than a thousand stories on Obama’s presidential campaign but not a single story devoted to examining Obama’s abysmal abortion record.<ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-bozell/2008/10/14/bozell-column-whos-fierce-abortion Bozell Column: Who's 'Fierce' on Abortion?] NewsBusters.org, October 14, 2008</ref>

Billionaire ultra liberal atheist investor [[George Soros]], who spent $27 million trying to defeat President Bush in 2004, is a very substantial supporter of liberal media.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/05/11/dont-hear-george-soros-ties-30-major-news-organizations/print</ref>

Liberals believe that most mainstream media sources do not have a bias towards liberal views, and that the idea of a "liberal media" is a myth fabricated by conservatives who are upset when reported facts do not support conservatives' opinions, beliefs, interests, or preconceived notions.

====Notable examples====
*A New York Times piece claimed Energy Secretary-designate [[Rick Perry]] had no idea a key purpose of the Department of Energy is to maintain US nuclear security. But Perry’s statement '''on the day he was nominated''' says flatly he looks forward to "safeguarding our nuclear arsenal." [http://nypost.com/2017/01/19/newsrooms-latest-low-blows-against-team-trump/]
*There have been numerous times where both Republicans and Democrats have made the same or similar gaffes, but the media only focuses on, or criticizes, the gaffe when the Republican says it.<ref>Shaw, Adam (March 10, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/10/four-times-republicans-faced-outrage-for-things-dems-did-first.html Four times Republicans faced outrage for things Dems did first]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 13, 2017.</ref>

=====Liberal to Conservative Ratio=====
Talk to any Fox News hating liberal and you'll here the same old regurgitated talking point - ''Fox is not Fair & Balanced.'' One network, Fox News, has twice the number of opposing commentators than does all media sources combined. If you add up the major media properties of ABC, NBC, CBS, [[MSNBC]], [[CNN]], [[PBS]], New York Times, Washington Post, and Newsweek, you get a total of five so-called conservative personalities among hundreds of liberals. At the least, Fox News employs the following liberals:

*[[Bob Beckel]]
*[[Juan Williams]]
*[[Alan Colmes]]†
*[[Kirsten Powers]]
*[[Shepard Smith]]
*[[Geraldo Rivera]]
*[[Mara Liasson]]
*[[Bill Schulz]]
*[[Susan Estrich]]
*[[Ed Henry]]

=====Cuban revolution=====
Prime media sources as ''The New York Times'' believed and embraced [[Fidel Castro]], who used them in his propaganda to foster acceptance in the Western world.

In a letter to a revolutionary colleague in 1954, Fidel Castro is reported as stating, "We cannot for a second abandon propaganda. [[Propaganda]] is vital -- propaganda is the heart of all struggles."

Likewise, [[Che Guevara]], once labelled "Castro's brain," and who swore by [[Joseph Stalin]] and once boasted "I am all the contrary of a Christ" (and who was an early role model for [[Christopher Hitchens]],<ref>Sean O'Hagan, ''Just a Pretty Face?,'' The Observer, July 11, 2004</ref>) stated, "A foreign reporter -- preferably American -- was much more valuable to us at that time (1957) than any military victory. Much more valuable than rural recruits for our guerrilla force, were American media recruits to export our propaganda."<ref>Ernesto "Che" Guevara in his diaries</ref>

"Castro is honest," reported Newsweek magazine on April 13, 1959. "And an honest government is something unique in Cuba....Castro is not himself even remotely a Communist."

Herbert Matthews of the New York Times reported in July 1959 that "This is not a Communist Revolution in any sense of the term. Fidel Castro is not only not a Communist, he is decidedly anti-Communist."<ref>http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/when_fidel_castro_dictated_to.html</ref>

In an interview with [[Bill O'Reilly]] of Fox News, [[Ted Turner]], the atheist and liberal founder of CNN, denied that Fidel Castro's Stalinist regime ever killed anyone, as "that's never been proven." <ref>http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/12/ted_turners_lies_about_cuba.html</ref>

CNN, which was the first foreign media network to obtain a Havana bureau, promoted Cuba's Healthcare as model for the U.S. While it did mention accusations of serious problems, nearly all of the report was positive.<ref>http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090808024640.aspx</ref>

=====Vietnam War=====
The [[Vietnam War]], in which America was the victor in military battles, is perhaps the most manifest modern example of how propaganda affected the outcome of a war, with much of the mainstream media being an all too willing instrument of such, especially CBS News with [[Walter Cronkite]].

In an exchange during one of his liaison trips to Hanoi, Colonel Harry G. Summers, Jr. told his North Vietnamese counterpart, Colonel Tu, "You know, you never beat us on the battlefield," Colonel Tu responded, "That may be so, but it is also irrelevant."<ref>On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War, Harry G. Summers</ref>

The Tet Offensive was portrayed by the New York liberal media as a defeat for the U.S., while in fact, it was an almost disastrous defeat for the North Vietnamese, as General Westmoreland and historians agree. The Viet Cong not only lost half of the 90,000 troops they had committed to battle, but it was virtually destroyed as an army.<ref>http://news-california.com/?p=700</ref>

British "Encounter" journalist Robert Elegant stated, <blockquote>
For the first time in modern history, the outcome of a war was determined not on the battlefield but on the printed page and television screens - never before Vietnam had the collective policy of the media sought, by graphic and unremitting distortion, the victory of the enemies of the correspondent's own side.<ref>[http://www.wellesley.edu/Polisci/wj/Vietnam/Readings/elegant.htm How to Lose A War: The Press and Viet Nam]; Encounter (London), vol. LVII, No. 2, August 1981, pp. 73-90</ref>
</blockquote>

Some journalists have admitted that their reporting was decidedly biased, and had profound effects on history. West German correspondent Uwe Siemon-Netto confessed, "Having covered the Viet Nam war over a period of five years for West German publications, I am now haunted by the role we journalists have played over there." In relation to not reporting the true nature of the Hanoi regime and its actions resulting from the American withdrawal, he asked,

What prompted us to make our readers believe that the Communists, once in power in all of Viet Nam, would behave benignly? What made us, first and foremost Anthony Lewis, belittle warnings by U.S. officials that a Communist victory would result in a massacre?... Are we journalists not in part responsible for the death of the tens of thousands who drowned? And are we not in part responsible for the hostile reception accorded to those who survive?...However, the media have been rather coy; they have not declared that they played a key role in the conflict. They have not proudly trumpeted Hanoi's repeated expressions of gratitude to the mass media of the non-Communist world, although Hanoi has indeed affirmed that it could not have won "without the Western press."<ref name="ReferenceA">Uwe Siemon-Netto in the International Herald Tribune, reprinted in Encounter, October 1979</ref>

''CBS Evening News with [[Walter Cronkite]]'' regularly carried news reports from its [[Moscow]] Bureau Chief, [[Bernard Redmont]]. When peace negotiations commenced with North Vietnam in Paris, Redmont became ''CBS News'' [[Paris]] Bureau Chief. What Redmont never reported during the ten year conflict was that he had been a [[KGB]] operative since the 1930s, and member of the notorious [[Silvermaster group]].<ref name="KGB file 43173 vol. 2 v pp. 46-55">[http://hnn.us/articles/11581.html KGB file 43173 vol. 2 (v) pp. 46-55], Alexander Vassiliev, Notes on A. Gorsky’s Report to Savchenko S.R., 23 December 1949. Original document from KGB Archives [http://www.johnearlhaynes.org/page46.html].</ref> Redmont was the only journalist to whom his fellow [[Comintern]] party member, and North Vietnamese chief negotiator, Mai Van Bo, granted an interview to bring the Communist point of view into American living rooms in what has been called "the living room war."

The single most explicit example of such biased reporting is typically seen to be the portrayal of the Tet offensive, as mentioned above, in which Western media was charged with inspiring and aiding the propaganda war of the communists.

Truong Nhu Tang, a founder of the National Liberation Front, and a minister of justice for the Viet Cong Provisional Revolutionary Government - one of the most determined adversaries of the US during the war - stated years later,
<blockquote>
The Tet Offensive proved catastrophic to our plans. It is a major irony of the Vietnam War that our propaganda transformed this debacle into a brilliant victory. The truth was that Tet cost us half our forces. Our losses were so immense that we were unable to replace them with new recruits. (Truong Nhu Tang, The New York Review, October 21, 1982)
</blockquote>
In addition to Cronkite's biased reporting, FBI documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by Yahoo! News offer evidence that legendary CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite collaborated with anti-Vietnam War activists in the 1960s, going so far as to offer advice on how to raise the public profile of protests and even promising that CBS News would rent a helicopter to take liberal Senator Edmund Muskie to and from the site of an anti-war rally.<ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts2067/print</ref>

=====Donald Trump=====
{{See also|Mainstream media and Donald Trump}}
The leftist mainstream media has been very biased against President [[Donald Trump]].

==Liberal media outlets==
[[Image:Liberal Bias.png|none|500px]]
'''The following media outlets described below frequently display liberal bias:'''

* The [[Associated Press]]
* [[CBS]] News<ref>Townhall.com, [http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MarvinOlasky/2001/12/04/enabling_media_bias Enabling media bias], Marvin Olasky, December 4, 2001.</ref>
* The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
* [[MSNBC]]
* ''[[Newsweek]]''
* The ''[[New York Times]]''<ref>Reporters and editors today are overwhelmingly liberal politically, as studies of the attitudes of key members of the press have repeatedly shown. Should you doubt these findings, recall the statement of Daniel Okrent, then the public editor at the New York Times. Under the headline, "Is the New York times a Liberal Newspaper?," Mr. Okrent's first sentence was, "Of course it is." [http://www.opinionjournal.com/federation/feature/?id=110009203]</ref>
* The [[Public Broadcasting Service]]

=== Associated Press, The ===
In 2009, instead of pursuing major unanswered questions such as where the "stimulus" money was spent, the true nature of Obamacare's health care takeover costs, or US Army Major Hasan's terror associations, the Associated Press assigned 11 people to fact check all 432 pages of Sarah Palin's book ''Going Rogue.'' While the objective of good political journalism is to hold all public figures accountable, the AP did no fact checking of books by liberal politicians appearing at the same time such those by [[Joseph Biden|Joe Biden,]] [[Barack Obama]], [[Hillary Clinton|Hillary]] and [[Bill Clinton]], and the late Senator [[Ted Kennedy]].<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/17/ap-turns-heads-devoting-reporters-palin-book-fact-check/ AP Turns Heads for Devoting 11 Reporters to Palin Book 'Fact Check', FoxNews, November 17, 2009]</ref>

===CBS News===
[[Image:Bio-pic.jpg|right|thumb|180px|[[Bernard Goldberg]]]]
CBS insider [[Bernard Goldberg]] wrote the definitive book on liberal bias in the media, simply entitled ''[[Bias (book)|Bias]]''.
*He asserts that an ''"inability to see liberal views as liberal views ... is at the heart of the entire problem."''
*He wrote: "[[Pauline Kael]], for years the brilliant film critic at the ''New Yorker'', was completely baffled about how [[Richard Nixon]] could have beaten [[George McGovern]] in 1972: 'Nobody I know voted for Nixon.' Never mind that Nixon carried 49 states. She wasn't kidding." <ref>(''Bias (book)'', page 222-223)</ref>

Goldberg also suggested liberals don't even see their liberal values as "liberal":
*"Their views on all the big social issues ... aren't liberal views at all. They're simply reasonable views, shared by all the reasonable people the media elites mingle with ..." <ref>(''Bias (book)'', page 222)</ref>

The ''CBS Evening News with [[Walter Cronkite]]'''s intervention with the Vietnam War is a classic example of liberal bias. For more details, [[Liberal bias#Vietnam War|see above]].

===Los Angeles Times, The===
The mainstream media, including the ''LA Times'', had been guilty of being silent regarding the [[John Edwards]] affair that the ''National Enquirer'' had broke in October 2007. The ''Enquirer'' followed up with a publication in December 2007. Then, in July 2008, the ''Enquirer'' had confronted Edwards at the Beverly Hilton hotel after he spent the entire day with his mistress. After Edwards admitted the affair on Friday, August 8, the [[mainstream media]] finally reported the [[scandal]], including the ''[[LA Times]]''. In an article titled "Mainstream media finally pounce on Edwards' affair", the LA Times declared that they had been pursuing the story prior to Friday.,<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-na-edwardsmedia9-2008aug09,0,7463269.story Mainstream media finally pounce on Edwards' affair] LA Times, August 9, 2008</ref> but they gave no excuse for hiding this from the American public. They have showed their true liberal bias by not reporting the story earlier, then making an attempt to further fool the public by saying they were pursuing the story, when in fact 10 months had lapsed. Plus, nowhere in the article does it mention that Edwards is a Democrat. To the credit of the ''LA Times'', they do mention that Democratic Party strategists say Edwards needs to address the story, at the very bottom of the article. Protection of fellow [[liberal]] [[Democrats]] by the ''LA Times'' is more important than being an honest news organization.

===MSNBC===
While it is well known that MSNBC's [[Keith Olbermann]] is the most viciously liberal voice to host a news program within the mainstream media, he usually tones down his anti-conservative, anti-Republican vitriol when anchoring special events like election results. But during MSNBC’s coverage of the [[Massachusetts]] special Senate election, Olbermann's presentation was more rabidly partisan than if the Democratic National Committee itself were producing the show.<ref>[http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100120084741.aspx Olbermann Renews 'Teabagging' Attack on Scott Brown, Cuts His Victory Speech]</ref>

===New York Times, The===
Peter D. Feaver of the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' noted on the sixth anniversary of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks]] that [[MoveOn.org]] ran a full-page advertisement in the ''[[New York Times]]'' accusing General [[David Petraeus]] of activities befitting a traitor. The advertisement alleges, without [[evidence]], that Petraeus would not give an honest, professional assessment of [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]. Feaver noted, "The MoveOn.org ad is vicious ... a deliberate attack on the senior Army commander, in a major daily newspaper, with the intention of destroying as much of his [[credibility]] as possible...part of an elaborate effort to undermine public support for the [[Iraq war]], and was foreshadowed by an unnamed [[Democratic]] senator who told a reporter, 'No one wants to call [Petraeus] a liar on national TV . . . The expectation is that the outside groups will do this for us.' The effort is funded by powerful [[special interest]]s, and has all the trappings of a major political campaign."<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/09/11/moveons_mccarthy_moment/ MoveOn's McCarthy moment], By Peter D. Feaver, ''Boston Globe'', September 11, 2007.</ref> Within a day it was discovered the ''New York Times'' gave MoveOn.org a “hefty discount” for its ad questioning Petraeus’ integrity. According to the director of public relations for the ''New York Times'', “the open rate for an ad of that size and type is $181,692.” A spokesman for MoveOn.org confirmed that the [[liberal activist group]] paid only $65,000 for the ad - a reduction of more than $116,000 from the stated rate.<ref>[http://www.nypost.com/seven/09132007/news/nationalnews/times_gives_lefties_a_hefty_di.htm Time Gives Lefties a Hefty Discount for "Betray us" Ad], Charles Hurt, ''New York Post'', September 13, 2007.</ref>
In July 2008, the New York Times rejected an opinion piece written by [[John McCain]], which was responding to earlier piece written by [[Barack Obama]].<ref>http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/07/21/mccain-campaign-says-new-york-times-blocked-op-ed-response-to-obama/</ref> This came after the New York Times had previously published at least seven op-ed pieces by [[McCain]] since 1996, and endorsed him in the 2008 Republican Presidential primaries. The reason the New York Times cited for the July 2008 rejection was that they were asking the McCain campaign to provide a more substantive piece which would contrast his positions with the details of the Obama piece on a point-by-point basis.<ref>http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/the-times-and-the-mccain-op-ed/</ref>

===Newsweek Magazine===
Seen as perhaps the most liberal weekly news magazine, ''[[Newsweek]]'' merged in 2010 with the ultra-liberal ''Daily Beast'', and often impugns evangelical Christianity. As far back as April 8, 1996, a ''Newsweek'' article promoted skepticism concerning the resurrection of Christ, presenting various theories countering the Biblical record,<ref>Rethinking The Resurrection, by Kenneth L. Woodward, Apr 8, 1996</ref> and the transformational results of faith in such,<ref>[http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing]</ref> while failing to provide scholarly evangelical responses which refute their theories.<ref>[http://www.tektonics.org/TK-J.html See under Jesus-Resurrection]</ref><ref>[http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/_PDFArchives/theological-dictionary/TD1W0401.pdf Alternate Theories of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ— Part Two]</ref><ref>[http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/docs/bodily.html The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Dr. William Lane Craig]</ref>

Insidious attempts to marginalize evangelical Christianity continue to be replicated, most recently with the article by editor Jon Meacham (who recently compared President Obama to being like God) writing "The End of Christian America" (Apr 4, 2009), in which he opined that it was "a good thing" that America was "less influenced by movements and arguments of an explicitly Christian character than they were even five years ago."

In addition, on Nov. 13, 2006, ''Newsweek'' featured an article by atheist Sam Harris, who sees Christianity as "incompatible with genuine morality",<ref>A Case Against Faith, ''Newsweek'', Nov. 13, 2006</ref> based upon his own objectively baseless and mutable moral authority.<ref>[http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/Atheism1.html Atheism versus Christ]</ref>

As noted by Don Feder<ref>[http://www.donfeder.com/articles/0611GodComplex.pdf In culture war, Newsweek tells evangelicals – bring the troops home, November 27, 2006]</ref> in response to a ''Newsweek'' article titled “America’s God Complex – Like George W. Bush, The Religious Right Is At The Crossroads”<ref>November 13, 2006</ref> Newsweek advocates a faith that does not take moral stands or become involved in changing moral policy.

Consistent with this ethos, Newsweek proactively attacked historical Biblical morality in regards to [[homosexuality and biblical interpretation]],<ref>“Our Mutual Joy", Dec 15, 2008 by religion editor Lisa Miller</ref> which attempts have resulted in extensive refutation by evangelical scholars and writers.<ref>[http://www.robgagnon.net/NewsweekMillerHomosexResp.htm More than “Mutual Joy”: Lisa Miller of Newsweek against Scripture and Jesus]</ref><ref>[http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/Homosex_versus_the_Bible.html Homosexual relations and the Bible]</ref><ref>[http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2881 Turning the Bible on its Head -- Newsweek Goes for Gay Marriage]</ref>

===Public Broadcasting Service===
The taxpayer-funded Public Broadcasting Service has become a left-leaning channel for the liberal viewpoint. This despite the 1985 rule that all PBS shows must be "noncommercial, nonpartisan and nonsectarian." Their tax-subsidized programming includes celebrating [[lesbian]]-feminist choirs, "transgender" riots, and a liberal teenager fighting against [[abstinence]] education. As part of its wave of secular fundamentalism, PBS celebrates even late-term abortionists with a fanaticism. The PBS show ''NOW'' was devoted to smearing the pro-life movement as "terrorists".<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/524/index.html Abortion Providers Under Siege] PBS, June 12, 2009</ref> In a fake display of following the rules, 300-plus PBS stations have been instructed to avoid any kind of religious programming.

===Other liberally biased outlets and media figures===
* [[ABC]] News
* [[Al-Jazeera]]
* [[BBC]] News
* The ''Boston Globe''
* ''[[The Daily Show]]''
* The ''Daily Wrap'' news radio show, with Michael Castner
* The [[Guardian (UK)]]
* [[NBC]] News
* [[Michael Moore|Moore, Michael]], documentary film maker
* [[PZ Myers]], professor and blogger
* [[Dan Rather]], former news anchor<ref>During a phone conversation, [[Bernard Goldberg]] asked him, "What do you consider the ''New York Times''? Rather answered, "Middle of the road." (''[[Bias (book)|Bias]]'', page 221)</ref>
* [[Real Time]] with [[Bill Maher]]
* [[Univision]], openly anti-Trump
* The ''[[Washington Post]]''

==Presidential coverage==
Many conservative and a few liberal commentators have remarked on the seeming extraordinary favor shown toward Barack Obama during his candidacy, and presidency.<ref>Dan Gainor, ''ONE YEAR LATER: Journalists' Love for Obama Still Going Strong'', FOXNews.com November 06, 2009</ref> A 2008 comprehensive analysis conducted by the Media Research Center<ref>[http://www.mrc.org/SpecialReports/2008/obama/obama.asp]</ref> of every evening news report by the NBC, ABC and CBS television networks showed that positive stories about Obama since he came to national prominence outnumbered negative stories 7 to 1.<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=72914 Study: ABC, NBC, CBS strongly support Obama August 20, 2008]</ref> During the President's candidacy, MSNBC ''Hardball'' host Chris Matthews stated, "Yeah, well, you know what? I want to do everything I can to make this thing work, this new presidency work,..."

In November 2008, Mark Halperin of ''Time'' and ABC News criticized the media coverage of the 2008 presidential race, stating "It's the most disgusting failure of people in our business since the Iraq war." and "It was extreme bias, extreme pro-Obama coverage."<ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/11/halperin-decrie.html Political Punch, November 24, 2008 8:06 AM]</ref>

''Newsweek'' editor Evan Thomas is seen by some to confirm the lack of objectivity and tendency to give undue exaltation they see the mainstream media often displaying toward the new leader of the United States. Referring to his perception of the President after his recent speeches overseas, Thomas stated

"I mean, in a way Obama's standing above the country, above the world. He's sort of God."<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37B_nOdRTAA June 5, 2009, MSNBC interview with Chris Matthews]</ref>

== Liberal media - apostles of atheism ==
''See also:'' [[Atheism and the media]] and [[Atheism and public relations]] and [[Atheism and politics]]

The Media Research Center released a study in 2008 reporting pro-[[atheism]] bias by major press outlets in the [[United States]].<ref name="youtube.com">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTxORumTarg "Smoking gun proof that there is an atheist media bias"] (July 17, 2008). YouTube video, 2:56, posted by Atheism Sucks! Retrieved on July 25, 2014.</ref> The study found that 80% of mainstream media coverage of atheism was positive and that 71% of Christian-themed stories had an atheist counterpoint or were written from an atheist perspective.<ref name="youtube.com"/>

==Liberal bias in education==
[[Education]] in [[America]], especially at its higher levels, is typically seen by conservatives as promoting liberalism and helping to promote [[moral decline]]. A most egregious example is the continued use of ''A People's History of the United States'', by [[Howard Zinn]], which is a radical [[left-wing]] revision of history. Zinn explicitly stated that "objectivity is impossible and it is also undesirable," as he advocated and practiced making the writing of history a polemic for change.

Liberals are evidenced to make up a disproportionate amount of college faculty. A study showed that 50% of American college faculty identified themselves as [[Democrats]] and only 11% as [[Republicans]] (with 33% being [[Independent]], and 5% identifying themselves with another party). 72% described themselves as "to the left of center," including 18% who were strongly left. Only 15% described themselves as right of center, including only 3% who were "strongly right."<ref name="American Academic Study Survey 1999">North American Academic Study Survey (NAASS) of students, faculty and administrators at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada 1999. The Berkeley Electronic Press</ref><ref>http://www.bepress.com/forum/vol3/iss1/art2</ref><ref>http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/17963/liberal_bias_in_our_schools.html</ref> When they are in the faculty they then discriminate against the hiring of conservative professors.<ref>http://www.baylorpress.com/Book/235/Compromising_Scholarship.html</ref>

This liberal bias has even made its way to subjects that make up the very heart of America: [[The Constitution]], and [[Christianity]]. Their venerable age no longer protects them from being criticized in the light of modern exigencies. Moreover, in this view the first duty laid upon the State is to guarantee the economic well-being of the individual citizens. Hence it is judged from the practical standpoint and according to general principles based on the idea of economic returns. The chief representatives of this theory of the State are to be found among the average American socialist, especially our liberal Democrats.

Research on the political leanings of their university professors by members of The George Washington University Chapter of Young America’s Foundation (GWYAF) found substantial liberal bias in the academy. The school’s faculty gave 92 percent of their political donations ($221,490) to Democratic candidates versus only 8 percent ($20,500) to Republicans in the 2008 primary election. Consistent with this, in the presidential election the ratio was 91 percent to 9 percent.

Similarly, the ratio of Yale faculty donations in the 2004 presidential election between Kerry and Bush was 150:3. The ratio at Princeton was 114:1, and at Harvard, 406:13.<ref>http://www.academia.org/george-washington-slanted-here/</ref>

Law professor Richard D. Parker, after 35 years at [[Harvard University]], noted, "On this faculty, there are around 100 professors or assistant professors, and of that 100, I think you’d have to estimate there would be maybe eight registered Republicans... I’m a registered Independent…and there’s no one else in the 100 who would identify as a populist."<ref>http://www.academia.org/harvard-still-hates-america</ref>

Textbooks used in schools of all ages have also been exposed as promoting a decidedly liberal bias against the nation of Israel.<ref>[http://www.academia.org/textbook-bias-against-israel]</ref> A landmark book called ''The Trouble with Textbooks'', by Dr. Gary A. Tobin and Dennis R. Ybarra, described results of a comprehensive study they conducted of the 28 most widely used Social Studies textbooks in the United States. The researchers found that U.S. textbooks often contain "repeated misrepresentations that cross the line into bigotry.” Examples included Jesus being called a [[Palestinian]], Islam being "treated with a devotional tone in some textbooks, less detached and analytical than it ought to be. Muslim beliefs are described in several instances as fact, without any clear qualifier such as 'Muslims believe...'" The Islamic empire of the Middle Ages was presented as “a time of unqualified glory without blemishes”, while various aspects of the wars of Arab states against Israel were misrepresented.

In the glossary of one book, ''World History: Continuity and Change'', the entry on the Ten Commandments skeptically describes them as "Moral laws Moses '''claimed''' to have received from the Hebrew G-d Y-hweh on Mount Sinai," while the very same glossary states the [[Qu'ran]] is a "Holy Book of Islam containing revelations received by Muhammad from G-d.”<ref>http://www.israelnationalnews.com/SendMail.aspx?print=print&type=0&item=127797</ref>

One textbook publisher, ''Teachers Curriculum Institute'', has agreed to rewrite its unit on the Middle East after being challenged, and consulting many scholars. The San Francisco-based Jewish Community Relations Council found that the textbooks were so filled with inaccuracies and biased that they should not be used.<ref>San Francisco Jewish Community Publications, Friday, February 13, 2004</ref>

Professor Larry Schweikart notes that most textbooks tend to come from New York, Boston, Washington and Philadelphia, all liberal bastions. As concerns American history, Schweikart sees the "Reagan test" as a consistent indicator of whether a book is politically slanted. The majority of books he has examined credit former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev with ending the Cold War, while marginalizing Reagan.<ref>[http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/03/11/president-reagan-gets-the-shaft-in-textbooks/print/ Fox News, March 11, 2010]</ref>

==Conservative opposition to liberal bias==
{{See also|Conservative media|Alternative media}}
[[Ann Coulter]] wrote:
"To obscure the overwhelming liberal dominance of the media, the few designated media '[[conservatives]]' are cited tirelessly in testimonies to the [[ideological]] diversity in the nation's [[newsroom]]s. Democrats in the media are [[editors]], national [[correspondent]]s, [[news anchor]]s, and [[reporter]]s. Republicans in the media are 'from the right' [[polemic]]ists grudgingly tolerated within the liberal behemoth. Republican views must be accompanied by a conspicuous warning: '[[Partisan]] Conservative Opinion Coming!' [[Neutral]] news slots are reserved for Democrats exclusively. 'Balance' is created by having a liberal host a debate between a liberal and a moderate Republican."<ref>''[[Slander (book)|]]'', P. 60</ref>

In June 2009, [[Republican]]s in the House of Representatives created the Media Caucus to fight the Democrat-aligned media propaganda.

==Left-wing defense of liberal bias==
The managing editor of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' Magazine dismissed the need for [[objectivity]] altogether, saying:

:"I have felt that we have to actually say, ‘We have a point of view about something and we feel strongly about it, we just have to be assertive about it and say it positively.'"<ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2008/04/22/time-editor-objective-journalism-fantasy-justifies-greening-iwo-jima-phot Time Editor: Objective Journalism a 'Fantasy']</ref>

A ''Boston Globe'' editor, Peter Accardi, adamantly proclaimed that he would not publish reader's replies in the Globe's Letters to the Editor critical of homosexuality, erroneously equating such with racism:

:"I won't run any letter that promotes bigotry against any group. You'd be surprised how many anti-Semitic letters we get, but not one will see the light of day on a letters page I handle. Same with anti-black, anti-Italian, etc."<ref>http://www.cultureandfamily.org/articledisplay.asp?id=4324&department=CFI&categoryid=cfreport</ref>

Note the convoluted logic which assumes that any criticism of the behavior of members of a group must be due to "bigotry," which is itself a bigoted attack on the critics designed to prevent any consideration of the principles or facts supporting their arguments.

==Left-wing denial of liberal bias==
''New York Times'' publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr. has denied that the ''New York Times'' has a liberal viewpoint and has stated the ''New York Times'' has an "urban" viewpoint.<ref name="nytimes.com">http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/25/weekinreview/25bott.html?ei=5088&en=452926dcb11511a3&ex=1248667200&pagewanted=all&position=</ref> However, in the summer of 2004, the newspaper's then public editor (ombudsman), Daniel Okrent, published a piece on the ''Times''' liberal bias and cited the example of their coverage of [[Homosexuality and Marriage|homosexual marriage]].<ref name="nytimes.com"/><ref>http://www.cnsnews.com/facts/2007/facts2007914.asp</ref> Although the ''New York Times'' has a particularly heavy bias when it comes to the [[homosexuality]] issue, the ''New York Times'' is not unusual in regards to the media having a liberal bias when it comes to the subject of homosexuality; see [[Homosexuality in the Media]]. [[John Stossel]] is an author, consumer reporter, and a co-anchor for the [[ABC|ABC News]] show [[20/20]]. [[Cybercast News Service]] states the following regarding regarding the influence of the ''New York Times'' and ''[[Washington Post]]'':
{{cquote|While the newspapers reach only a fraction of people compared to the television networks, he said radio and television producers rely heavily on their contents.

"The reason the Times, and to a lesser extent the Post, are so important, and they are, is because the TV and radio - all of the media - copy it sycophantically," he [John Stossel] said. "That's how bias at the ''Times'' becomes bias in other media."<ref>http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200401/CUL20040128a.html</ref>}}

==Statistical data==
In 2008, John Perazzo, writing in FrontPageMagazine.com, presented major research findings <ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=32928 In the Tank: A Statistical Analysis of Media Bias By John Perazzo FrontPageMagazine.com | Friday, October 31, 2008]</ref><ref>[http://www.mrc.org/biasbasics/pdf/BiasBasics.pdf Mostly from Media Research Center, The Liberal Media Exposed]</ref> regarding the underlying beliefs of news media professionals.

* Between 90 and 97 percent of news media professionals have consistently affirmed themselves to be pro-choice on the matter of abortion, with more than half of the respondents agreeing that abortion should be legal under any and all circumstances.<ref>Robert Lichter and Stanley Rothman’s 1981 survey of 240 journalists at top media outlets; Los Angeles Times 1985 survey of 2,700 journalists at 621 American newspapers; Robert Lichter and Stanley Rothman’s 1986 study of the media’s attitudes and their influence on society, as published in the National Federation for Decency’s Journal; Indiana University journalism professors David Weaver and G. Cleveland Wilhoit’s 1992 survey of 1,410 newspaper, magazine, television, and radio journalists; Stanley Rothman and Amy Black’s 1995 study of the media elite.</ref>
* Between 6 and 8 percent attended religious services regularly, a tiny fraction of the corresponding rate for the public at large.<ref>Robert Lichter and Stanley Rothman’s 1986 study of the media’s attitudes and their influence on society, Op. cit.; David Weaver and G. Cleveland Wilhoit’s 1992 survey of 1,410 journalists, Op. cit.; Annenberg Public Policy Center and Annenberg Foundation Trust’s 2005 survey of 673 journalists from newspapers, television, magazines, radio, and Internet; Pew Research Center’s 2008 survey of 222 journalists and news executives.</ref>
* Fully 81 percent of news media professionals favor affirmative action in business and academia.<ref name="ReferenceB">Los Angeles Times 1985 survey of 2,700 journalists at 621 American newspapers, Op. cit.</ref>
* More than half of respondents said that adultery could be acceptable under certain circumstances; only 15 percent said it was always wrong.<ref name="ReferenceC">Robert Lichter and Stanley Rothman’s 1981 survey of 240 journalists at top media outlets, Op. cit.</ref>
* Between 67 and 76 percent were opposed to prayer being permitted in public schools.<ref>Los Angeles Times 1985 survey of 2,700 journalists at 621 American newspapers; Journalist and Financial Reporting’s 1988 poll of 151 business reporters from 30 major publications.</ref>
* In 1964, 94 percent of media professionals voted for Democrat Lyndon Johnson over Republican Barry Goldwater.<ref name="ReferenceC"/>
* In 1968, 86 percent voted for Democrat Hubert Humphrey over Republican Richard Nixon.<ref>Ibid.</ref>
* In 1972, 81 percent voted for Democrat George McGovern over the incumbent Nixon.<ref>Ibid.</ref>
* In 1976, 81 percent voted for Democrat Jimmy Carter over Republican Gerald Ford.<ref>Ibid.</ref>
* In 1980, twice as many cast their ballots for Carter rather than Republican Ronald Reagan.<ref>California State University survey of reporters from the 50 largest U.S. newspapers.</ref>
* In 1984, 58 percent supported Democrat Walter Mondale, whom Reagan defeated in the biggest landslide in presidential election history.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
* In 1988, White House correspondents from various major newspapers, television networks, magazines, and news services supported Democrat Michael Dukakis over Republican George H.W. Bush by a ratio of 12-to-1.<ref>U.S. News & World Report writer Kenneth Walsh’s 1995 study of 28 White House correspondents.</ref>
* In the 1992 Presidential election, among Washington bureau chiefs and congressional correspondents, the disparity was 89 percent vs. 7 percent, in Clinton’s favor over the incumbent Bush.<ref>1996 Freedom Forum survey of 139 Washington bureau chiefs and congressional correspondents, Op. cit.</ref>
* All told, White House correspondents during the late ’80s and early ’90s voted for Democrats at 7 times the rate at which they voted for Republicans.<ref>U.S. News & World Report writer Kenneth Walsh’s 1995 study of 28 White House correspondents, Op. cit.</ref>
* In a 2004, poll of campaign journalists, those based outside of Washington, D.C., supported Democrat John Kerry over Republican George W. Bush by a ratio of 3-to-1. Those based inside the Beltway favored Kerry by a 12-to-1 ratio<ref>.New York Times columnist John Tierney’s 2004 survey of 153 campaign journalists covering the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.</ref>
* In a 2004 nationwide poll of 300 newspaper and television journalists, 52 percent supported Kerry, while 19 percent supported Bush.<ref>University of Connecticut Department of Public Policy’s 2005 survey of 300 television and newspaper journalists nationwide.</ref>
* In a 2008 survey of 144 journalists nationwide, journalists were 8 times likelier to make campaign contributions to Democrats than to Republicans.<ref>MSNBC investigative reporter Bill Dedman’s study of the campaign contributions of 144 journalists.</ref>
* A 2008 Investors Business Daily study put the campaign donation ratio at 11.5-to-1, in favor of Democrats. In terms of total dollars given, the ratio was 15-to-1.<ref>William Tate’s July 2008 report in Investor’s Business Daily.</ref>

*In a 1988 survey of business reporters, 54 percent of respondents identified themselves as Democrats, 9 percent as Republicans.<ref>Journalist and Financial Reporting’s 1988 poll of 151 business reporters, Op. cit.</ref>
* In a 1992 poll of journalists working for newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, 44 percent called themselves Democrats, 16 percent Republicans.<ref>David Weaver and G. Cleveland Wilhoit’s 1992 survey of 1,410 journalists, Op. cit.</ref>
* In a 1996 poll of 1,037 reporters at 61 newspapers, 61 percent identified themselves as Democrats, 15 percent as Republicans.<ref>American Society of Newspaper editors 1996 survey of 1,037 reporters at 61 newspapers of all sizes nationwide.</ref>
* In a 2001 Kaiser Family Foundation poll, media professionals were nearly 7 times likelier to call themselves Democrats rather than Republicans<ref>.Kaiser Family Foundation 1996 poll of 301 “media professionals,” 300 “policymakers,” and 1,206 members of the general public.</ref>
* In a 1981 study of 240 journalists nationwide, 65 percent identified themselves as liberals, 17 percent as conservatives.<ref>Robert Lichter and Stanley Rothman’s 1986 study of the media’s attitudes and their influence on society, Op. cit.</ref>
* In a 1983 study of news reporters, executives, and staffers, 32 percent identified themselves as liberals, 11 percent as conservatives.<ref>David Weaver and G. Cleveland Wilhoit’s 1982-83 study of more than 1,000 reporters, executives, and staffers nationwide.</ref>
* In a 1992 study of more than 1,400 journalists, 44 percent identified themselves as liberals, 22 percent as conservatives.<ref>David Weaver and G. Cleveland Wilhoit’s 1992 survey of 1,410 journalists, Op. cit.</ref>
* In a 1996 study of Washington bureau chiefs and congressional correspondents, 61 percent identified themselves as liberals, 9 percent as conservatives.<ref>1996 Freedom Forum survey of 139 Washington bureau chiefs and congressional correspondents, Op. cit.</ref>
* In a 1996 study of 1,037 journalists, the respondents identified themselves as liberals 4 times more frequently than as conservatives. Among journalists working for newspapers with circulations exceeding 50,000, the ratio of liberals to conservatives was 5.4 to 1.<ref>American Society of Newspaper editors 1996 survey, Op. cit.</ref>
* In a 2001 Kaiser Family Foundation study of media professionals, the ratio of self-identified liberals to conservatives was 4.2 to 1.<ref>Kaiser Family Foundation 1996 poll of 301 “media professionals,” 300 “policymakers,” and 1,206 members of the general public, Op. cit.</ref>
* In a 2004 Pew Research Center study of journalists and media executives, the ratio of self-identified liberals to conservatives was 4.9 to 1.<ref>Pew Research Center 2004 poll of 547 journalists and media executives, including 247 at national-level media outlets.</ref>
* In a 2005 University of Connecticut study of 300 journalists, the liberal-to-conservative ratio was 2.8 to 1.<ref>University of Connecticut Department of Public Policy’s 2005 survey of 300 television and newspaper journalists nationwide, Op. cit.</ref>
* In a 2005 Annenberg Public Policy Center poll of nearly 700 journalists, the liberal-to-conservative ratio was 3.4 to 1.<ref>Annenberg Public Policy Center and Annenberg Foundation Trust’s 2005 survey of 673 journalists, Op. cit.</ref>
* In a 2007 Pew Research Center study of journalists and news executives, the ratio was 4 liberals for each conservative.<ref>Pew Research Center’s 2007 survey of 222 journalists and news executives at national outlets.</ref>

A similar landmark study was conducted in 1990, examining the political leanings of the individuals, rather than the organizations, who were most often cited or quoted as experts on various topics in the news. The examination showed that on the subject of welfare and related issues, liberal experts were quoted 75 percent of the time, conservatives 22 percent. On consumer issues, the liberal-conservative ratio was 63 percent to 22 percent. On environmental issues, the ratio was 79 percent to 18 percent. And regarding nuclear energy, the ratio was 77 percent to 20 percent.<ref>Robert Lichter, Stanley Rothman, and Linda Lichter, The Media Elite: America’s New Power Brokers (New York: Hastings House, 1990).</ref>

The decidedly liberal majority in news media is similar to that seen in American colleges and faculty, which most journalists were influenced by. A major study showed that 50% of American college faculty identified themselves as Democrats and 11% as Republicans (with 33% being Independent, and 5% identifying themselves with another party). 72% described themselves as "to the left of center," including 18% who were strongly left. Only 15% described themselves as right of center, including only 3% who were "strongly right."<ref name="American Academic Study Survey 1999"/><ref>[http://montages.blogspot.com/2005/04/conservatives-underrepresented-in.html Conservatives: Underrepresented in Academia?]</ref>

== Liberal American entertainment industry, bestiality and other sexual immorality ==
[[File:NBC Tower.jpg|thumbnail|200px|[[LifeSiteNews]] reported: "In 46 hours of programming, NBC contained only one reference to marital sex, but 11 references to non-marital sex and one reference to [[adultery]] were made. References to incest, pedophilia, partner swapping, prostitution, threesomes, transsexuals/transvestites, [[bestiality]], and necrophilia combined outnumbered references to sex in marriage on NBC by a ratio of 27 to 1."<ref name="lifesitenews.com">[http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2008/aug/08080602 Study Finds TV Treats Marital Sex as Burdensome, Adultery as Positive]</ref> See also: [[Liberalism and bestiality]] ]]
''See also:'' [[Liberalism and bestiality]] and [[Liberal American entertainment industry and bestiality]]

=== American Television and bestiality ===
On August 6, 2008 [[LifeSiteNews]] reported:
{{cquote|The Parents Television Council released a new study, ''Happily Never After: How Hollywood Favors [[Adultery]] and [[Promiscuity]] Over Marital Intimacy on Prime Time Broadcast Television'', which revealed that broadcast networks depict sex in the context of marriage as either non-existent or burdensome, while showing positive depictions of extra-marital or adulterous sexual relationships with alarming frequency....

According to the PTC study, some of the once-taboo-for-TV sexual behaviors that are now found on prime time television include threesomes, partner swapping, pedophilia, necrophilia, bestiality, and sex with prostitutes...

In 46 hours of programming, [[NBC]] contained only one reference to marital sex, but 11 references to non-marital sex and one reference to adultery were made.

References to incest, pedophilia, partner swapping, prostitution, threesomes, transsexuals/transvestites, [[bestiality]], and necrophilia combined outnumbered references to sex in marriage on NBC by a ratio of 27 to 1.<ref name="lifesitenews.com">[http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2008/aug/08080602 Study Finds TV Treats Marital Sex as Burdensome, Adultery as Positive]</ref>}}

== Endangerment of the public due to liberal media bias ==
Because of their now-blatant ideological bias and disregard for all things conservative, the liberal media has abandoned any and all pretense of being on the side of the public in its news coverage and basically no longer serves the public interest. In covering stories on Islamic terrorist attacks, the liberal media has refused to reveal the [[Islam]]ic ideology which motivated the terrorists to kill and destroy, refusing to even identify them as Islamic terrorists. For that same reason, the liberal media has now even begun endangering the public by refusing to cover stories on natural disasters in areas of the United States which are considered "[[red state]]s" or have a majority conservative population, such as the recent wave of tornadoes which struck the Midwestern states of Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois (particularly the town of Oak Grove, Missouri, which was hardest-hit by tornado activity) on March 7, 2017, all because it considers that area of the country and its population to be the "wrong demographic".<ref>[http://www.conservativenewsandviews.com/2017/03/15/accountability/news-media/tornadoes-victims-wrong-demographic/ Tornadoes, victims and "wrong demographics"] at Conservative News and Views</ref> Because of this willful and conscious media blackout decision due to liberal bias, much-needed aid for the victims of the tornado in Oak Grove and other affected areas has been slow in arriving.

== See also ==
*[[Credibility]]
*[[Anti-Defamation League]]
*[[Previous Breaking News/Liberal bias|Examples of liberal bias from previous "Breaking News" articles]]
*[[More News/Liberal Bias|Articles about '''Liberal Bias''' from "More News"]]
*[[Homosexuality and the Media]]
*[[Conservative Links]]
*[[Professor values]]
*[[Journalistic malpractice]]
*[[Anti-Conservative bias]]
*[[Media hypocrisy]]

{{Examples of liberal bias}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

*[http://www.mediaresearch.org/biasbasics/biasbasics2admissions.asp Media Bias Basics] - Admissions of Liberal Bias
*[http://www.ihatethemedia.com IHateTheMedia.com] - Pointing out Liberal Bias daily
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=fH5H492nmtMC&pg=PA271&lpg=PA271&dq=newsweek+war+against+christianity&source=bl&ots=x8qHuakjQh&sig=sDfIvPwS9893hYoJVO8Tfz8DDrE&hl=en&ei=jUY6SrCIG9G_twfgg6HjDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#PPP1,M1 Persecution, By David Limbaugh]

{{liberalism}}
[[Category:Deceit]]
[[Category:Liberalism]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]

Mainstream media

2017-06-26T14:50:40Z

FDR:

[[Image:N.jpg|350px|right]]
:'''''For a more in-depth analysis of the leftist bias ingrained in the mainstream media, see [[Media bias]] and [[Liberal bias]]'''''
The '''mainstream media''' ('''MSM'''), at times referred to as the '''lamestream media''' for satirical purposes, are print and broadcast news organizations that report on news events. The mainstream media dates back to the start of the nation where politicians and printers would prepare "broadside" news sheets. The format of the media has evolved to include multi-page newspapers printed on high-speed offset presses, radio, television and online websites. Traditionally, media has been supported by a combination of subscriptions, newsstand sales and advetising. These revenues pay the cost of distribution as well as the journalist who write the content.

Because news gathering is expensive, over time the mainstream media has found ways to share content and to distribute the cost of journalism over a wider set of customers. Radio and television stations formed networks to share content. Print media formed organizations like United Press International and the Associated Press to share coverage and photos. Some newspapers share printing operations, and other media organizations such as Copley and Gannett have purchased a large number of newspapers resulting in shared administrative costs. Although media started with a large number of competing news outlets operated locally, over time, media ownership and control has become more centralized in large organizations. The increasingly [[conservative]] media organs that censor the dissemination of honest news and repeatedly applies conservative [[double standard]]s.

The common denominator of the "mainstream media" is their [[censorship|censoring]] or downplaying stories that would lead viewers to [[liberal]] conclusions, and their use of [[photo bias]], [[placement bias]] and other forms of deception to mislead viewers into drawing incorrect [[conservative]] conclusions. The term '''mainstream media''' usually refers to how the majority of commercial-based or taxpayer-funded news reporting and commentary consist of [[conservative media|conservative bias]], while falsely pretending to be objective providers of information.

Examples include:

*Without any evidence of church attendance or Bible-reading by the [[Anders Behring Breivik|defendant]] accused of murdering 92 people in Norway, the headline of the leading Australian newspaper declared, "Norway suspect 'fundamentalist Christian.'"<ref>[http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/norway-suspect-fundamentalist-christian-20110724-1huqg.html Norway suspect 'fundamentalist Christian']</ref> The headline appears to be based in part on a [[Facebook]] page that was likely not even authentic.

It is clear that the mainstream media is extremely biased towards the left-wing, and this was the case since at least the 1960s, with a strong leftist monopoly on the news which promotes false conclusions.<ref name="NationalReview">Hanson, Victor Davis (December 22, 2016). [http://www.nationalreview.com/article/443263/ The Trump Nail in the Media Coffin]. ''National Review''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref> The [[2016 U.S. presidential election|2016 election]] of Republican businessman [[Donald Trump]] prominently displayed the blatant leftist bias of the media.<ref name="NationalReview"/><ref>Brown, Michael (October 19, 2016). [http://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbrown/2016/10/19/the-undeniable-glaring-bias-of-the-mainstream-media-n2234678 The Undeniable, Glaring Bias of the Mainstream Media]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Riddell, Kelly (November 8, 2016). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/8/mainstream-media-maligned-10-examples-blatant-bias/ Mainstream Media Maligned: 10 Examples of Blatant Bias]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Goodwin, Michael (November 14, 2016). [http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/11/14/trumps-victory-is-about-change-and-our-biased-mainstream-media-must-change-too.html Trump's victory is about change. And our biased mainstream media must change, too]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref> Trump found a way to get his message out to the public without needing to go through the lens of the leftist media, and some liberals suggested ways in how to force Trump to have to deal with the corrupt media.<ref>[https://www.rt.com/usa/372026-donald-trump-twitter-cnn/ MSM shouldn’t cover Trump's tweets, forcing him to rely on media to communicate – CNN anchor]. ''RT''. December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref>

== Fairness Doctrine ==
In 1987, the [[Federal Communications Commission]] voted 4-0 to revoke the [[Fairness Doctrine]]. The Fairness Doctrine mandated that if any opinion considered "controversial" were ever discussed on the public airwaves, the station over which that opinion aired was required to give [[Censorship|equal time]] to any person wishing to reply. However, the FCC never set a standard about ''interpretations'' of current events that might be disputable, or even examined that issue.

With the revocation of the Fairness Doctrine, [[radio]] and [[television]] stations were now permitted to air any opinion or interpretation of the news, no matter how "controversial," without regard to the giving of "equal time."

On August 1, 1988, a new radio commentator named [[Rush Limbaugh]] began [[broadcast]]ing in national [[syndication]].

== List of mainstream media organs ==
[[File:MSMbyTEA.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Protest sign expressing [[Tea Party Movement]]'s attitude toward MSM]]
Mainstream media outlets are based in New York, Washington and Los Angeles.<ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/1/liberal-media-distort-the-gun-debate-loaded-langua/ Liberal media distort the gun debate; loaded language misleads the public] - [[Emily Miller]], ''[[Washington Times]]''</ref>
Significant mainstream media outlets include:

'''Newspapers'''
* ''[[The New York Times]]''
* ''[[The Washington Post]]''
* ''[[The Boston Globe]]''
* ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]''
* ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]''
* ''The [[Los Angeles Times]]''
* ''[[The San Francisco Chronicle]]''
* ''[[USA Today]]''
* ''The Rolling Stones'' (magazine)
* ''The [[Wall Street Journal]]''<ref>The inclusion of ''The Wall Street Journal'' might strike some media observers as strange, until one remembers that, though its editorial board is [[conservative]] on most issues (except for immigration), its [[city room]] is definitely [[liberal]] in orientation and coverage of the news.</ref>
* All major, standard-newspaper-format dailies that have existed since before the Fairness Doctrine repeal.

'''News Syndication Agencies'''
* [[Associated Press (AP)|Associated Press]]
* [[UPI|United Press International]]
* [[Reuters]]

'''Television'''
* [[CBS]]
* [[NBC]]
* [[ABC]]
* [[National Public Radio]]
* [[PBS|Public Broadcasting Service]]
* The [[CNN|Cable News Network]]
* [[Fox News]] (see below).

Some media consumers do not consider [[Fox News Channel|Fox News]] to be part of the "mainstream media" as Fox News frequently presents viewpoints that do not fall in line with other mainstream outlets. For example, in 2007, the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[2008 Presidential Election#Declared Democratic Party Candidates|presidential candidates]] declared that they would not appear in debates hosted by Fox News, but they did appear on other MSM news outlets.

However, ratings indicate that because of its massive popularity, Fox News could be considered to be part of the mainstream media by definition. According to ratings organization [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen]]:
:* Fox News has the 10 most viewed cable TV news shows (as of Dec 2009).
:* Fox News mean prime-time viewing figures are triple that of [[MSNBC]], and double that of CNN, and exceed the total ratings of CNN, MSNBC and [[CNBC]] combined.
:* "In 2006, more than half the people watching cable news were watching Fox News" <ref>Authors unknown. "[http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2007/narrative_cabletv_audience.asp?cat=2&media=6 The State of the News Media 2007]." ''Project for Excellence in Journalism,'' 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.</ref>
[[File:Leftist News.gif | right]]
===CNN===
In 2006 CNN.com ran an article by columnist R. Emmett Tyrell Jr. entitled "Tyrell: Goodbye MSM... and good riddance!" <ref>[[R. Emmett Tyrell|Tyrell, R. Emmet]]. "[http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/03/02/tyrrell.msm/index.html?iref=newssearch Goodbye MSM... and good riddance!]" Creators' Syndicate, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2007, from [http://www.cnn.com CNN].</ref> Examining the relationship between the [[alternative media|alternative press]] and the MSM, Tyrell writes:

<blockquote> So we hear this week that President George W. Bush is taking delight in the spread of the "alternative press" (read conservatives on the Internet, in talk radio, in print, and at Fox) and the gentle detumescence of "mainstream media" (read liberal media, or more precisely, Democratic media). Well I join him in his satisfaction. </blockquote>

=='Alternative Media'==
Differing opinions also exist over the definition of a similar term - '''Alternative Media'''. Although some consider, for example, [[Rush Limbaugh]]'s launch to be the birth of 'alternative media', so too do the left consider publications like [[The Nation]] to be 'alternative media.'<ref>Albert, Michael. "[http://www.zmag.org/whatmakesalti.htm Alternative Media: What Makes Alternative Media Alternative?]" ''[http://www.zmag.org/ Z]'' Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2007.</ref> In fact, many would view the [[Village Voice]] group to be the most widely published 'alternative media' outlet in the United States.

By whatever definition, most media watchers would classify as "alternative media" any media organ that is primarily hosted on the [[Internet]] rather than printed and delivered or mailed to subscribers. The alternative media ''is not'' exclusively conservative. It includes [[liberal]] organs as well. Some writers on these organs have suggested that the mainstream media has a ''conservative'' bias—by which they actually mean that mainstream-media organs are not as revolutionary, or as radical, in their thinking as are the writers themselves.<ref>[[Peter Dreier|Dreier, Peter]]. "[http://alternet.org/workplace/58108/ For a Brief Moment, The Media Rediscover Poverty]." [http://alternet.org AlterNet.org], July 26, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.</ref><ref>[[Rory O'Connor|O'Connor, Rory]]. "[http://alternet.org/mediaculture/55915/ The Future of Citizen Journalism]. [http://alternet.org AlterNet.org], July 3, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.</ref><ref>[[Sheldon Rampton|Rampton, Sheldon]]. "[http://alternet.org/story/54339/ Has the Internet Changed the Propaganda Model?]" [http://alternet.org AlterNet.org], June 22, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.</ref>

At least one MSM organ, [[CBS]] News, attempted in 2006<ref>Pogue, David. "[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/09/sunday/main1786520.shtml?source=search_story Brave New Blogging World: David Pogue Ventures Into The Blogosphere]." [http://www.cbsnews.com/ CBSNews.com], July 9, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2007.</ref> to describe what a particular alternative-media segment (i.e., [[blog]]s) thinks of the MSM:
{{Cquote|They don't believe that you are unbiased, objective, fair a lot of times. And so what they want is they want to read a lot of different sources themselves. because they don't trust the mainstream media..that would be [you].}}

It is worth noting that liberal blog activity on the internet declined after the election of [[Barack Hussein Obama]],<ref>http://bloggasm.com/blog-traffic-for-liberal-blogs-down-58-in-three-months-following-election-conservative-blogs-down-36</ref> and continued to decline after his reelection. This shows that the distaste for bias in the liberal MSM is spreading to the alternative media.

==See also==
*[[Liberal media]]
*[[Advocacy journalism]]
*[[Journalistic malpractice]]
*[[Deaths directly attributed to the liberal media]]
*[[Alternative media]]
*[[Biased journalists of the Obama administration]]
*[[Left-wing smear machine]]
*[[Government by Journalism]]
*[[Media hypocrisy]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.mediaresearch.org/biasbasics/biasbasics1.asp Media Bias Basics.]
*[http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/Media-Bias-Is-Real-Finds-UCLA-6664.aspx Media Bias Is Real-Finds UCLA Political Scientist.]
*[http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/archive.aspx Bias Alert.]
*[http://www.nowfoundation.org/issues/communications/tv/mediacontrol.html Who Controls the Media?]
*[http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main Ownership Chart: The Big Six.]
*[http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=626979 Media Lies on Libya Ongoing.]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Liberalism}}

[[Category:Media]]
[[Category:Political Terms]]
[[Category:Newspapers]]
[[Category:United States Newspapers]]
[[Category:Broadcasters]]
[[Category:Liberal Organizations]]
[[Category:Liberal Media]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]

Black hole

2017-06-26T14:48:49Z

FDR:

[[Image:Iu8969hu.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Artist's conception of a binary system consisting of a black hole (upper left) and a main sequence star (lower right). The black hole is drawing matter from the star via an ''accretion disk'' (blue) around it, and some of this matter forms a gas jet (also blue).]]
A '''black hole''' is a theoretical formation in space which has such an incredible density that it draws all nearby matter into it with strong gravitational forces. The word "black" is in the name because these formations also theoretically draw in [[photon]]s and prevent them from escaping, thus making a black hole appear completely dark. They are assumed to come into existence from extremely large stars that collapse into a state of high density when they run out of fusion fuel. An object becomes a black hole when it lies entirely inside the Schwarzschild radius (see below) determined by its mass. For most objects, the Schwarzschild radius is very tiny compared with its size (for Earth it is about 1 centimeter), so the object could not lie inside that radius.

Black holes are increasingly promoted by [[liberal]] publications, such as the science page of the ''[[New York Times]]'', glossy magazines, and the movies the ''Event Horizon'' (1997), ''The Black Hole'' (TV, 2006), and ''Interstellar'' (2014). As with the related theoretical concept of a "[[wormhole]]",<ref name="nytimes.com">The prediction of the existence of wormholes, and its naming in 1957, predates the prediction and naming (1967) of a black hole.[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/science/14wheeler.html?pagewanted=print]</ref> it is impossible to prove that no black hole exists anywhere, and thus they fail the [[falsifiability]] requirement of science.

Because of [[quantum mechanics|quantum-mechanical]] phenomena involving Hawking Radiation, discussed later in the article, black holes must emit radiation and thus are a logical contradiction at the microscopic level.

Black holes have never been directly observed, and there is no direct evidence for their existence. However, scientists have observed several factors, including a black hole sucking matter from a nearby star, in a binary system. Even believers in black holes should admit that there are far fewer than predicted by theory, and they lose credibility when they fail to address that undisputed truth. They will cite evidence of observations of radiation from accretion disks, motion of stars near the center of the galaxy, and "gravitational lensing," around places where there are no visible objects. But at most the evidence for the existence of black holes is circumstantial, with heavy reliance on speculation.

Black holes are conceptually associated with "[[wormhole]]s",<ref name="nytimes.com"/> which never caught on with the public, perhaps due to its unattractive terminology.
==Mathematical description==
A '''black hole''' is any object that lies entirely inside its own Schwarzschild radius, given by
:<math>r=\frac{2G}{c^2}\ m</math>
where
*G is Newton's gravitational constant;
*c is the speed of light;
*m is the mass of the object.

Numerically,
:<math>r=1.5 \times 10^{-27}\ m</math>
in meters and kilograms.

This is a concept of gravity, under [[General Relativity]]. For any normal object, from things one would see on Earth up to stars that are not extremely massive or dense (much more massive or dense than the Sun), the Schwarzschild radius is very tiny relative to the object. This means that the object does not lie inside that radius, and cannot be a black hole. For example, the Schwarzschild radius of the Earth is about one centimeter, and that of the Sun is about three kilometers. The Earth could only become a black hole if it were compressed into a radius of one centimeter.

What makes the Schwarzschild radius significant is that the behavior of gravity, under General Relativity, is determined by the Schwarzschild metric, and is (not surprisingly) nearly identical to the behavior given by Newton's law of gravity. The difference only shows up at distances at or near the Schwarzschild radius. If the Earth were compressed to a radius of one centimeter or less, the behavior of gravity would become radically different as one approached that distance. Normal world-lines would cease to be "time-like", and such world-lines would be unable to make progress from inside the Schwarzschild radius to outside of it. This is a rather paradoxical situation when viewed in the way we normally view the way the universe works. In short, no object, and no light, can actually pass from inside the radius to outside. The surface at this radius is called the '''event horizon'''.

The concept of the Schwarzschild radius was worked out by Karl Schwarzschild in 1916, as part of his solution (the first solution ever worked out) of Einstein's field equation for General Relativity. At first, neither Einstein nor Schwarzschild believed that something could be so dense that these objects could exist.

==Pre-history==
The notion of something that has gravity so strong that light can't escape actually dates back to the 18th century, when scientists became aware of the finite speed of light and the concept of escape velocity. The [[corpuscular theory of light]] held that light was made up of invisibly small particles, and that these particles moved along ballistic trajectories, like tiny bullets. In this framework, it was believed possible that a distant star could be so massive that light emitted from its surface would be dragged back down again. This theory was first advanced by John Michell, who wrote in 1783, "If the semi-diameter of a sphere of the same density as the Sun in the proportion of five hundred to one, and by supposing light to be attracted by the same force in proportion to its [[Mass (science)|mass]] with other bodies, all light emitted from such a body would be made to return towards it, by its own proper gravity."<ref name="r1">http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200911/physicshistory.cfm</ref>

Suggesting the same possibility independently, Pierre-Simon Laplace wrote in 1796, "It is therefore possible that the greatest luminous bodies in the universe are on this account invisible."<ref name="r1" />

This appeared to depend on the corpuscular theory of light, which gave way to the [[wave theory of light]] in the early 19th century, so the idea of "dark" or "invisible" stars fell from favor. It was believed that light, being a wave and having no mass, might be unaffected by gravity. Research into [[quantum mechanics]], however, reignited interest in the light-as-particles view, ultimately resulting in the modern notion of [[wave-particle duality]]. Under this theory, light could be affected by gravity, so the question of whether light could be emitted from extraordinarily massive bodies was once again open.

But the wave-versus-particle nature of light turned out to be a [[red herring]]. Under the "equivalence principle", it is known that anything, wave, particle, or whatever, that can be construed to have a trajectory, will have that trajectory bent by a gravitational field.

But none of this mattered at the time. A star (or other body) large enough to show this effect was utterly inconceivable. A sphere of Uranium at its normal density would have to weigh 10 million times the mass of the Sun, and be as large as the Earth's orbit, to lie inside its Schwarzschild radius. (Though such a large block of Uranium would not have its normal density.)

And the term "black hole" was unheard-of.

==20th century history==
By the mid-20th century, the physics of stellar dynamics and quantum mechanics had advanced to the point that it was possible to conceive of incredibly dense objects. Stars such as the Sun are actually "inflated" to their current size by the radiation pressure from the fusion reactions going on within them. When stars have consumed all their fuel, that pressure stops, and the material collapses to a much smaller size. The normal interatomic spacing, with electrons orbiting the nuclei, no longer applies. A variety of things can occur, including the electrons combining with the protons to make a "neutron star". Various phenomena were formulated, such as neutron stars, supernovas, pulsars, and magnetars. Before long these objects were actually observed. (Pulsars were observed before the theory had been worked out, and supernovas had been observed since antiquity.)

Stellar evolution and dynamics are quite complicated. Once a star has burned up all its Hydrogen, it may, depending on its size, burn Helium, and then heavier elements, all the way up to Iron. (Iron is the most stable nucleus; fission or fusion of Iron nuclei is not energetically favored.) As the material becomes more compressed, it is held up by the "electron degeneracy pressure" instead of the normal radiation pressure. The normal atomic structure, with orbiting electrons, is replaced by a collection of nuclei and unbound electrons, obeying the rules of quantum mechanics, particularly the Pauli exclusion principle. This pressure generally stops further collapse, leading to a [[white dwarf]]. White dwarfs may continue accreting matter from nearby objects. If the mass is over the "Chandrasekhar limit" of 1.4 solar masses, the gravitational force is too strong even for the degeneracy pressure, and the star becomes a supernova, neutron star, or black hole. The theory of this gravitational collapse was worked out in the 1930's.

If the mass is greater than the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit of about 1.5 solar masses, the neutron star becomes a black hole.

The properties of these objects (the "event horizon", and matter and information may only pass through the event horizon in one direction) were worked out in the 1950's. The exact solutions to Einstein's equation were worked out in the 1960's for rotating black holes (the Kerr solution), electrically charged black holes (the Reissner-Nordström solution), or both (the Kerr-Newman solution). Various theorems relating to thermodynamics were worked out by Stephen Hawking in the 1970's.

The term "black hole" was coined by John Wheeler in 1967. The term caught on very quickly in both the scientific community and the public at large, helped by the catchy nature of the phrase. Because of the remarkable nature of black holes, the concept quickly became a staple of science fiction stories, "popular" science magazines, television shows, and movies such as ''Event Horizon'' (1997), ''The Black Hole'' (TV, 2006), and ''Interstellar'' (2014). The latter movie put a lot of effort into making the visual depiction of the black hole scientifically accurate.

This was all theoretical at the time. There was no evidence that a black hole actually existed until the early 1970's, when scientists began to suspect that the radio source "Cygnus X1" was an actual black hole, and the 1990's, when scientists began to suspect that there was a black hole near the radio source "Sagittarius A*" at the center of our galaxy. (The name is pronounced with the word "star".) Since then evidence has accumulated that enormous black holes lie at the center of many galaxies.

==Methods of Observation==
Black holes are literally invisible by traditional means of observation (that is, emission or reflection of some sort of radiation) and so cannot be directly observed, their nature is determined by other means. The evidence that a black hole provides is its extraordinarily strong gravity, which can be deduced from its effect on the motions of nearby stars.
<ref name="Gillessen">{{cite journal
|last1=Gillessen |first1=S.
|last2=Eisenhauer |first2=F.
|last3=Trippe |first3=S.
|last4=Alexander |first4=T.
|last5=Genzel |first5=R.
|last6=Martins |first6=F.
|last7=Ott |first7=T.
|display-authors=3
|title=Monitoring Stellar Orbits around the Massive Black Hole in the Galactic Center
|journal=The Astrophysical Journal
|volume=692
|issue=2|page=1075|date=2009
|doi=10.1088/0004-637X/692/2/1075
|arxiv=0810.4674
|bibcode=2009ApJ...692.1075G
|ref=harv
}}</ref> Since 1995, astronomers have tracked the motions of 90 stars orbiting an invisible object coincident with the radio source in the center of our galaxy, Milky way. The astronomers were able to infer that a 2.6 million sollar mass object must be contained within the radius of 0.02 [[light-year]]s to cause the motions of those stars.<ref name="Ghez1998">{{cite journal
|last1=Ghez |first1=A. M.
|last2=Klein |first2=B. L.
|last3=Morris |first3=M.
|last4=Becklin |first4=E. E.
|display-authors=3
|title=High Proper‐Motion Stars in the Vicinity of Sagittarius A*: Evidence for a Supermassive Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy
|journal=The Astrophysical Journal
|volume=509
|issue=2|page=678|date=1998
|doi=10.1086/306528
|arxiv=astro-ph/9807210 |bibcode=1998ApJ...509..678G
|ref=harv
}}</ref>

Colliding black holes should produce gravitational waves, possible to detect experimentally. On 24 September 2015 the [[LIGO]] observatory made the first-ever successful observation of such event.<ref name="PRL-20160211">{{cite journal |author=Abbott, B.P. |title=Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger |url=http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102 |journal=[[Phys. Rev. Lett.]] |volume=116 |pages=061102 |year=2016 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102 |display-authors=etal|arxiv = 1602.03837 |bibcode = 2016PhRvL.116f1102A }}</ref><ref name="NYT-20160211-db">{{cite news |last=Overbye |first=Dennis |authorlink=Dennis Overbye |title=Physicists Detect Gravitational Waves, Proving Einstein Right |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/12/science/ligo-gravitational-waves-black-holes-einstein.html |date=11 February 2016 |work=[[New York Times]] |accessdate=11 February 2016 }}</ref> The signal was consistent with theoretical predictions. The gravitational wave signal suggests that the separation of the two holes prior to merger was just 350 km, hence they must be small in size, leaving black holes as the most plausible interpretation.

While matter and energy, even light, may not escape a black hole, Stephen Hawking has shown that when described by quantum mechanics, they should emit [[Hawking radiation]], which absent of an influx of mass-energy would lead to the evaporation of the black hole in a burst of gamma rays. This radiation may be possible to observe. However all results obtained to date remain unverified and debatable.<ref name="Milanoguys">{{cite journal|title=Hawking radiation from ultrashort laser pulse filaments |first1=F. |last1=Belgiorno |first2=S. L. |last2=Cacciatori |first3=M. |last3=Clerici |first4=V. |last4=Gorini |first5=G. |last5=Ortenzi |first6=L. |last6=Rizzi |first7=E. |last7=Rubino |first8=V. G. |last8=Sala |first9=D. |last9=Faccio |arxiv=1009.4634 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.203901 |date=2010 |journal=Phys. Rev. Lett. |volume=105 |page=203901}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ultrafast Laser Pulse Makes Desktop Black Hole Glow|newspaper=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=September 29, 2010|first=Lisa|last=Grossman|url=http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/hawking-radiation-in-the-lab/|accessdate=April 30, 2012}}</ref>

==History of the idea==

===General Relativity===
As it happened, the question became unavoidable shortly after the publication in 1915 of Einstein's [[general theory of relativity]]. Karl Schwarzschild solved the Einstein field equations in a way that describes the geometry of spacetime outside a spherically symmetric, uncharged, non-rotating distribution of mass. Well away from the center of this distribution of mass, the Schwarzschild solution closely matches the Newtonian model of a gravitational field; only close to the mass, where the curvature of spacetime is large, do significant differences between the two models appear. But if the diameter of the mass distribution is taken to be arbitrarily small, then the region of spacetime immediately surrounding the mass appears to take on extremely curious properties, properties so curious that many questioned whether they had any physical interpretation at all. Therefore, Schwarzschild showed that black holes were possible under the theory of [[general relativity]].

[[File:Cygnusx1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Jet-powered nebula formed from the accretion disk of the binary star Cygnus-X1]]
However, neither Schwarzschild himself nor [[Albert Einstein]], who developed the theory of relativity, believed that black holes actually existed.<ref name="amazing-space.stsci.edu">http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/blackholes/lesson/whatisit/history.html</ref> Einstein even tried to re-work general relativity to render these [[Singularity|singularities]] impossible. However, Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking proved the first of many Singularity Theorems, which states that singularities must form if certain conditions are present. This demonstrated that, rather than mathematical oddities, singularities are a fairly generic consequence of realistic solutions to relativity: any mass with radius less than its Schwarzschild radius is a black hole. Since then, support for black holes among the scientific community has grown.

==Nature of a Black Hole==
===Mathematics===

There are several solutions of the Einstein field equations that are used to model black holes. The simplest of these is the Schwarzchild metric. From this metric, one can calculate the Schwarzschild radius, which defines the boundary (event horizon) of the black hole, to be
:<math>r_s=\frac{2GM}{c^2}</math>,
where
* rs is the Schwarzschild radius;
* G is the gravitational constant;
* M is the mass of the gravitating object;
* c is the speed of light in vacuum.

If the black hole has a nonzero electric charge, it is modeled by the Reissner-Nordström metric. Astronomical objects are generally electrically neutral, since otherwise they would attracted charged particles of opposite sign and quickly become neutral. Therefore, the Reissner-Nordström metric is largely of theoretical interest.

A far more realistic situation occurs when the black hole is spinning (i.e. has nonzero angular momentum). Then the Schwarzschild solution is insufficient (as it was for the charged case), and instead one turns to the Kerr metric. Since astrophysical black holes are generically believed to have angular momentum, this is the solution that best describes them. Among the more interesting consequences of the Kerr metric is the phenomenon of frame dragging, in which the rotating black hole literally pulls nearby spacetime along with it.

If one wishes to consider a black hole that is both charged and spinning, one employs the Kerr-Newman metric, which combines the Reissner-Nordström and Kerr metrics. Since the no-hair theorem states that (non-quantum) black holes are unique up to mass, charge, and angular momentum, the Kerr-Newman metric is sufficient to describe any classical black hole.

===Time and Distance===
Within a certain distance from an arbitrarily small distribution of mass — a distance now known as the [[Schwarzschild radius]] — the curvature of spacetime becomes so great that no paths leading away from the mass exist. That is to say, a test particle released inside the Schwarzschild radius will inevitably move in toward the mass, not because the force of gravity is great as in the Newtonian approximation, but because spacetime is curved to such an extent that ''no other directions exist.'' A particle within the Schwarzschild radius can no more move further from the central mass than it can go backwards in time. In fact, from the frame of reference of an infalling observer beyond the Schwarzschild radius, all directions that once pointed away from the central mass now point backwards in time. Once inside the Schwarzschild radius, further motion toward the central mass is as inevitable as further motion through time is for any other observer.

For some time after the publication of the Schwarzschild solution, the validity of these results was hotly debated. In the solution's original coordinate frame, some terms in the equations ''diverged,'' or became infinite, at the Schwarzschild radius, leading physicists to wonder whether the results of the equations in that region had any valid physical interpretation. One proposed interpretation was that at the Schwarzschild radius, all time for the infalling observer would stop. This led to the use of the term "frozen stars;" it wasn't believed frozen stars were cold, but rather that they were literally frozen in time.

Later refinement of the Schwarzschild solution demonstrated that the apparent infinities were merely an artifact of the coordinate frame chosen, and that an infalling observer in fact can pass beyond the Schwarzchild radius. In fact, the equations predicted he would notice no effects when doing so. But any attempt on the part of that infalling observer to communicate with the outside universe, say by sending a radio message, would be doomed to failure, as the radio waves would traverse geodesics through the severely curved spacetime and end up bent toward the central mass. From this, we can say that nothing that occurs within the Schwarzschild radius can ever affect events outside the Schwarzschild radius. This gives the Schwarzschild radius of a non-rotating black hole its other name: the [[event horizon]].

===Inside the Event Horizon===
What actually exists inside the event horizon of a black hole is a question physics is unable to answer. Some postulate that within the event horizon exists a point of zero (or nearly zero) volume but infinite energy density, a point sometimes referred to as a ''gravitational singularity,'' after the notion of a mathematical singularity (a term referring to a point in an equation at which one would have to solve by dividing by zero, a feat presently impossible in mathematics) in a field equation. Others suspect that infinite energy density is a physical impossibility, and that a black hole contains actual finitely-dense matter compressed into a [[degenerate matter|degenerate]] form, such as quark-degenerate matter. Since all black holes are surrounded by an event horizon which prevents any information or messages from leaving, all these theories are non-[[falsifiable]]; we can never be sure what the interior structure of a black hole is like.

===Properties of Black Holes===

Black holes described with classical mechanics only have three intrinsic properties by which one differs from another: mass, electric charge, and angular momentum. Mass describes the amount of matter inside the event horizon. Angular momentum refers to whether the black hole is stationary or rotating around an axis. While the singularity of a non-rotating black hole may be an infinitely small point, the singularity of a rotating black hole would be in the shape of an infinitely thin ring. Quantum mechanics, which postulates that information loss cannot occur in a black hole, suggests properties beyond the three suggested by classical physics. Using this description, information must also be emitted by black holes. This radiation, referred to as Hawking Radiation, is thermal radiation that has currently only been described mathematically.

Although radiation from inside the event horizon has not yet been observed, there is much phenomenon that occurs outside the horizon due to the black hole. Matter entering a spinning black hole is first swirled around by the black hole’s gravity, causing it to heat up and emit x-rays, which can be used to detect the black hole. In the supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, some of the matter does not fall into the black hole. Instead it is blasted into space in twin jets of hot gas perpendicular to the accretion disc, in a phenomenon known as an Active Galactic Nucleus.

==Origins of Black Holes==
[[Image:Hs-2005-02-e-web.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The [[red supergiant]] star V838 Monocerotis, an example of one type of star which may become a black hole.]]
Stellar-mass black holes are said to form when stars more than ten times the mass of the Sun run out of fuel and die. The process of death occurs when stars that have fused the products of their own fusion into larger and larger elements, up to iron. The star then tries to fuse the iron core that forms as a result, but this does not produce enough energy to hold the outer layers of the star apart against the pull of gravity. When this happens, the iron core at the center of the star implodes in a supernova, and the outer layers of the star are blasted into space in one of the most energetic events in the universe—one star going out in a supernova can give off as much light as an entire galaxy. Not all supernovae result in black holes, but if the mass of the core is large enough, about 1.5-3.0 times the mass of the Sun (this value is termed the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit, and its value is not yet known to great precision), the leftover gravity of the shrinking core stalls the outward rush of the initial blast, and crushes the core into a point of infinite density: a black hole.

Extremely small black holes, with masses of around 1015 grams, have been theorized to have formed in the early universe. Any sufficiently small primordial black hole would be expected to evaporate within the lifetime of the universe, but the rate of evaporation is not currently known with any certainty.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, objects with the characteristics of supermassive black holes, millions or billions of times more massive than the sun, have been detected at the centers of many [[galaxies]], including our own [[Milky Way]]. In our galaxy, the hypothesized supermassive black hole is in the constellation Sagittarius, and is known as Sagittarius A* (pronounced "A star"). Based on the extraordinary angular velocity of stars near the galactic center, Sagittarius A* is believed to be on the order of two to three million solar masses. It is unknown how supermassive black holes form, though several models have been proposed. One hypothesis simply begins with a black hole of stellar mass which grows over the lifetime of the galaxy that surrounds it. Another proposal describes supermassive black holes as a natural, in fact nearly unavoidable, consequence of galactic formation. To date, no one theory of supermassive black hole formation is favored over all others.

Physicists trying to understand the theory of black hole formation have once again hit a dead end.<ref>http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/new-research-mathematically-proves-quantum-effects-stop-formation-black-holes/</ref>

==Speculative Future Exploration==

Scientists have speculated that if a rotating black hole is large enough, a person could pass through the center of the ring-shaped singularity and possibly enter a wormhole. However, it would have to be a very large hole, for if it were not, the hypothetical astronaut would never survive to reach the event horizon due to tidal forces.

Matter coming close to the event horizon of a small black hole undergoes a process called spaghettification, a term coined by Stephen Hawking in his book ''A Brief History of Time'' to describe extraordinarily strong tidal forces. Because the mass at the center of the black hole is so dense, the gravitational pull on the near end of an object is much greater than the pull on the object’s far end. This causes the object to be stretched out in a way resembling a piece of spaghetti, and generally torn in two.

==White Holes==
Because the [[Quantitative Introduction to General Relativity|general relativity equations]] are symmetric with respect to time, one can reverse the time parameter to yield an equation describing a hypothetical object which expels, rather than attracts, matter and energy.<ref>http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/BHfaq.html#q10</ref> As this is the exact opposite of a black hole, it is called a '''white hole'''.

However, there is no evidence white holes actually exist. If they generate new matter and energy, this would violate the [[Law of the conservation of mass]]. Therefore, some scientists have proposed that matter falling into black holes goes through a [[wormhole]] to emerge at a white hole. While such wormholes are allowed by general relativity, they would be extremely unstable,<ref>http://casa.colorado.edu/~ajsh/schww.html</ref> and there is no evidence that they exist.

Scientists, who have been extremely eager to promote the idea of black hole existence, have shown a strong aversion to the white hole theory, even though, like a white hole, a black hole has never been observed directly. This may reflect an anti-creation bias on the part of scientists who are uncomfortable with the idea that matter and energy can be created outside of what scientific theories dictate should happen.

Fundamentalists and creationists have used white holes to attempt to solve the cosmic time problem. Dr. [[Russell Humphreys]] used a white hole in his model of the universe during [[Creation week]] to allow millions of years to pass in outer space while only three days passed on Earth.

==In Popular Culture==
Black holes are increasingly promoted by [[liberal]] publications, such as the science page of the ''[[New York Times]]'', glossy magazines, and the movies the ''Event Horizon'' (1997), ''The Black Hole'' (TV, 2006), and ''Interstellar'' (2014). They are sometimes seen as [[sacred cow]]s of [[atheistic science]], and used to be commonly mentioned in atheistic propaganda. However both proving or disproving of the actual existence of black holes does not very obviously support any religion-related view.

Black holes have been a device in science fiction ever since their prediction. Many sci-fi books, movies, and television shows use black holes as a method of travel (see the Potential Future Exploration section above) or as a threat to a space-going vessel. In at least one season of the show ''Star Trek: the Next Generation'' by Gene Roddenberry, artificially created miniature black holes are used as power sources for spaceships and natural ones as incubators for the young of an alien race. Neither of these uses has much of a basis in reality, of course.

Contrary to popular myth, a black hole is not a cosmic vacuum cleaner. In other words, a one-solar-mass black hole is no better than any other one-solar-mass object (such as, for example, the Sun) at "sucking in" distant objects. However, a one-solar-mass black hole has the same amount of matter as any other one-solar-mass object but compressed into a much smaller space, making it impossible to move fast enough to leave a black hole once there. If a spaceship could land on a black hole, it would never be able to take off again.

The term "black hole" is also used as a metaphor for a place that it is hard to get out of, generally containing a high concentration of something unpleasant. Ex: "The inner city is a black hole of crime and drug use." The "Black Hole of Calcutta" long predates the celestial use of the term; it was a horrible underground prison in [[Calcutta]], India.

==See also==
*[[Black hole firewall]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/black_holes.html Black Holes]
*[http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/BHfaq.html Black Holes (Frequently Asked Questions)]

{{Relativity}}
[[Category:Relativity]]
[[Category:Black hole]]

God

2017-06-26T14:46:39Z

FDR:

''This article is about the biblical God. For the term as used to refer to any divine being, see [[Other gods]]''
[[Image:Alphaomega.jpg|thumb|200px|God is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last, the beginning and the ending <ref>Revelation 22:13</ref>]]
{{trinity}}
{{cquote|'''Genesis 1:1''' In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.}}
'''God''' is the main character in the [[Bible]] and alleged creator of the universe. Although there is no evidence against his existence, there is none for his existence, and as such the burden of proof lies on the theist for making the claim.
== God is Revealed: How we know about God ==

Other than creation itself, God is revealed in several ways, including [[theological correlates]], conscience, and special revelation (the [[Bible]], and prophets). Most importantly though, God is revealed in [[Jesus Christ]], who is the Son of God.

[[File:Mezquita Catedral Cordoba.jpg|frame|center|[[Cathedral]] Cordoba, Spain.]]

== Attributes or Character of God ==
[[File:Rembrandt Ascension.jpg|thumb|[[Rembrandt]], Ascension.]]
The attributes of God are things that describe who He is. Similar to the way one might describe a close friend to another individual, so too do these attributes describe God's character and nature. Attributes of God include but are not limited to [[Wisdom]], [[Infinitude]], [[Sovereignty]], [[Holiness]], [[Trinity]], [[Omniscience]], [[Faithfulness]], [[Love]], [[Omnipotence]], Self-existence, Self-sufficiency, [[Justice]], [[Immutability]], [[Mercy]], [[Eternal]], [[Goodness]], Graciousness, and [[Omnipresence]]. These attributes all work in complete and perfect harmony with one another.

God exercises eternal and righteous judgment of the wicked in [[hell]], because of an inherent problem in the human heart, namely [[Sin]]. According to the [[Bible]], the sacrifice of [[Jesus Christ]] on the cross of [[calvary]] and then [[resurrection]], is God's merciful and gracious response to the problem of the human heart.

=== God is Triune ===
{{main|Trinity}}

Although the Bible does not use the term, it is clear that God is a triune God, or three in one.
These are sometimes referred to as ''God the Father'', ''God the Son'' ([[Jesus Christ|Jesus]]), and the ''[[Holy Spirit]]''.

The first hint of the Trinity is in {{Bible ref|Genesis|1|26}} which relates God saying, "Let us make man in our image", indicating that God is a plurality.

The three persons of God are treated as equivalents in these words of Jesus shortly after His resurrection:
{{Bible quote|Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.|book=Matthew|chap=28|verses=19|version=NIV}}

==== Jesus is God ====
[[Image:Pieta.jpg|thumb|270px|[[Pieta]], [[Michelangelo]].]]

The first verse of the [[Gospel of John]], in which Jesus is referred to as the "Word", makes clear that Jesus is synonymous with God:
{{Bible quote|In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.|book=John|chap=1|verses=1|version=NIV}}
This verse not only says that "the Word" (Jesus) is synonymous with God, but also says that the Word was "in the beginning", which means that He existed before all else existed, something that is only true of God.

This is reinforced two verses later, in which Jesus is described as the creator.
[[Genesis]] refers to God as being the Creator.
{{Bible quote|Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.|book=John|chap=1|verses=3|version=NIV}}

==== The Holy Spirit is God ====

In the following passage, the [[Holy Spirit]] is referred to as God:
{{Bible quote|Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."|book=Acts|chap=5|verses=3-4|version=NIV}}

=== God is omniscient ===
{{main|omniscience}}

God knows everything:
{{Bible quote|This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.|book=1_John|chap=3|verses=19-20|version=NIV}}

Because God is outside of [[time]], He can see and knows the [[past]] and the [[future]] as well as the present.

== "God" sometimes used to refer to God the Father ==
[[Image:Velasco Padre Eterno.jpg|thumb|left|180px|God the Father by [[Jose Maria Velasco]] (1840-1912).]]
In the Bible, the word "God" (θεός) does not always refer to God's being as a whole, but more specifically refers to the Person of the Father (God the Father). Here are some verses which demonstrate this:
{{cquote|'''John 3:16''' (NASB) For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.}}
{{cquote|'''1 John 4:10''' (NASB) In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.}}
Notice how in each case, "Father" can be substituted for "God." For example, "For the ''Father'' so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son," and "not that we loved the ''Father'', but that He loved us and sent His Son."
{{Clear}}

== Terminology ==

The Bible uses several different words to refer to God.
"God" itself is not a name, but an [[Old English]] word meaning ''supreme being, diety'',<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=god God] Online Etymology Dictionary.</ref> which the translators who translated the Bible in to English chose as the appropriate English word for the [[Hebrew]] ''elohim'' and the [[Greek]] ''theos'' used in the [[Old Testament]] and [[New Testament]] respectively.<ref name="DPK">Kruse, Dale P.,[http://www.layevangelism.com/advtxbk/sections/sect-10/sec10-9.htm More on the ''Names'' of God In the Bible], Advanced Training Program of Evangelism.</ref>

The other main term for God is the Hebrew ''adonai'', usually translated ''Lord''.
There are various compound words also used in the Bible, such as ''el shaddai'', which means ''God Almighty'' ("''el''" is a short version of ''elohim'').<ref name="DPK" />

''YHWH'' is given in the Bible as God's actual name. In most English Bibles it is translated as ''Lord'', in small capitals. The name has various other English versions, including Yehovah, Jehovah, and Yahweh.<ref>McHyde, Tim, [http://www.escapeallthesethings.com/yahweh.htm God’s Name: LORD, Yahweh, Yahveh, YHWH, YHVH, Jehovah or Yehovah?]</ref>
== Resources on becoming a Christian ==
[[File:Hoffman Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.jpg|thumbnail|170px||Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane by Heinrich Hofmann.]]

''see also:'' [[Resources on becoming a Christian]]

'''Below are some resources on becoming a [[Christian]]:'''

*[http://www.jesusfilm.org/film-and-media/watch-the-film Jesus film - free access]

*[http://www.thewordfortoday.org/?page=C2000 Free audio Bible and Bible audio streaming]

*[http://www.gotquestions.org/repentance.html Repentance]

*[http://www.allaboutgod.com/ AllAboutGod.com]

*[[Video testimonies of Christians]]

'''Tips on choosing a Christian church:'''

*[http://www.allaboutreligion.org/choosing-a-christian-church-faq.htm Choosing a Christian Church]

'''Spiritual growth as a Christian:'''

*[http://www.navpress.com/product/9781576839324/The-Pursuit-of-Holiness-Jerry-Bridges The Pursuit of Holiness] by Jerry Bridges
*[http://www.navpress.com/product/9780891099413/The-Practice-of-Godliness-Jerry-Bridges The Practice of Godliness] by Jerry Bridges
*[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529785.The_Complete_Book_of_Discipleship The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ]

==See also==
*[[Other gods]]
*[[Atheism]]
*[[Christianity in Conservapedia]]
*[[Bible Art Gallery]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/who-is-God.html Who is God?], at [[GotQuestions]]
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-God.html What is God?], at [[GotQuestions]]
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/is-there-a-God.html Is there a God?], at [[GotQuestions]]

*[http://www.theopedia.com/God Theopedia - God]
*[http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/god.html ChristianAnswers.net - God]
*[http://wikible.org/en/God Wikible.org - God]

[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Divine Beings]]

Bible

2017-06-26T14:44:59Z

FDR: added facts

[[Image:800px-Crop Book of Isaiah 2006-06-06.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Holy Bible, opened to the Book of Isaiah.]]
{{Bible}}

The '''Bible''' is a collection of fables and stories written by Bronze-Age sheep herders. As such, it holds little value in today's world, and does not provide any sort of predictions or facts.

The Bible is unique in the literature of the world,<ref name=LiteraryCriticism>See [[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)]], in particular the findings of the following supportive sources of literary criticism:
*The Bible’s message is both ‘divine’ and ‘human’. —[http://www.saintjohnsabbey.org/liturgy-answers/bibles-message-both-divine-and-human/ St. John's Abbey: ''The Bible’s message is both ‘divine’ and ‘human’.'' Friday, January 17th, 2014, Benedictine Father Michael Kwatera, a monk of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, MN.]
*The more conservative theologians who employ the historical-critical method believe that the Scriptures are more than the writings of mortal men. —[http://www.wlsessays.net/files/BeckerHistorical.pdf The Historical-Critical Method of Bible Interpretation, By Siegbert W. Becker], page 4.
*Unique among all the world's literature, the Bible is really God's word in human language. —[http://bibleasliterature.wordpress.com/lesson-1/ The Bible as Literature: The Bible ~ A Literary Work and an Artistic Presentation of Human Experience].</ref> and was extensively studied by the greatest modern thinkers, including [[Isaac Newton]], [[Louis Pasteur]], [[Bernhard Riemann]], [[Alexander Hamilton]], [[John von Neumann]], and [[Kurt Godel]].

Shorter than you might think, the Bible consists of two parts: 27 short books and letters of the [[New Testament]] of the [[Christian]] [[faith]], and 39 Hebrew and Aramaic books recognized by both Christianity and Judaism, which are included among the collection of 46 writings known as the [[Old Testament]].<ref>Christianity includes a few additional books with the Jewish [[Old Testament]], which have always been accepted as inspired scripture since the time of the apostles by the Orthodox and Catholic Churches which constitute the majority of Christianity, and later rejected as [[apocrypha]]l by the [[Reformation]]. See [[Biblical Canon]].</ref> The text of the Old Testament was originally written in [[Hebrew]] and [[Aramaic]], and was later translated and expanded in [[Greek]] by rabbinical scholars in the [[Septuagint]] Bible of the Greek-speaking Jews which was the Bible of the [[Apostles]].<ref>"Bible of the apostles". See the following four sources:
*[http://www.scripturecatholic.com/septuagint.html Septuagint Quotes in the New Testament]
*[http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/septuagint.html The Septuagint (LXX): History of the Septuagint]
*[http://www.crivoice.org/canonot.html Canons of the Hebrew Bible]
*[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/ Official King James Bible online: Apocrypha Books]</ref> The [[New Testament]] itself was originally written in Greek and was soon afterward added to the Septuagint, forming the Greek Bible of the ancient [[Christian]] church. The Bible has been translated into more than 2,000 languages.

The Bible is the best selling book in history, a testament to the number of world Christians.<ref>The Bible continues to be the best-selling book ever. Americans alone buy 25 million Bibles a year, according to Publisher's Weekly. Bible sales are now reaching $609 million a year, with specialty Bibles available for myriad "niche" audiences, from motorcycle riders to campers, brides and archaeologists. "Immerse," a water-resistant Bible for troops overseas, is now available from publisher Bardin & Marsee. [http://www.washtimes.com/national/20070529-111815-7952r.htm Polls: Most believe Bible as God's word] - Jennifer Harper, ''The Washington Times'' - May 30, 2007</ref> In addition, the Bible has had an immense, positive influence on literature, culture, and history. According to the website Guinness World Records, "A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies [of the Bible] were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the number at more than 5 billion."<ref>[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction/ Best-selling book of non-fiction], Guinness World Records</ref>

[[Jesus Christ]] himself may have authored the perfectly written [[Epistle to the Hebrews]], which was composed in magnificent Greek and which discloses information that could have been known only to Jesus.<ref>The [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] contains an explanation of the stature of Jesus relative to angels. For a contrary view that fails to discuss the likelihood that Jesus wrote the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] or the information in that book which would be known only to Jesus, one commentator suggests that [[Barnabas]] or [[Apollos]] may have been the author (see [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2018:24-28&version=KJV Acts 18:24-28]). [http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/hebrews.htm Judaism versus Christianity. The Book of Hebrews. Who wrote the Book of Hebrews?] (judaismvschristianity.com). See also [https://bible.org/article/argument-hebrews The Argument of Hebrews] (bible.org).</ref>

Most [[Christians]], Protestant and Catholic, agree on the 27 books of the [[New Testament]], and while the Old Testament of the Orthodox Bible includes 50 books, for a total of 77, and the Old Testament of the Catholic Bible includes 46 books, for a total of 73, the Protestant Bible includes only the 39 books of the [[Old Testament]] which entirely correspond to the [[Biblical Canon#Palestinian canon (A.D. 4th century)|24 books of the Hebrew canon of the Jews]], for a total of 66.<ref>The Protestant Bible excludes the following books which have always been included in the Catholic Bible, the same books excluded from the canon by the Jews after the rise of Christianity in the 1st century:
# The Wisdom of Solomon
# Tobit
# Sirach
# Judith
# 1st Maccabees
# 2nd Maccabees
# Baruch [http://www.catholicbible101.com/theholybible.htm]
The Orthodox Greek Bible since the 1st century has always included Psalm 151 as appended to Psalm 150, and the Third Book of the Maccabees, and, in an appendix to the Old Testament, the Fourth Book of the Maccabees, a treatise on the superiority of wisdom. These were never included among the Protestant Apocrypha in the 16th century—but they also have never been included among the books of the Old Testament in Protestant Bibles. Martin Luther and the leaders of the Reformation did not address their canonical status, and did not discuss them. The Book of 1 Esdras has always been included in the Orthodox Bible among the Historical Books between 2 Chronicles and Ezra, but is regarded since the Council of Trent by both Catholics and Protestants as non-canonical and apocryphal and is not included by them in the Old Testament. The Latin apocalyptic 2 Esdras, which was never part of the Greek Old Testament, but was included in the Vulgate, is not included in the canon of standard Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Bibles, and is included with 1 Esdras and Prayer of Manasseh in the Protestant Apocrypha. The same 2 Esdras is included as ''Ezra Sutuel'' in the canon of the Ethiopic Bible of the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Orthodox Ethiopian Church]], which as a whole differs both in the Old and New Testament from that of any other churches. The Ethiopic canonical books, written in the [[Geez language]] and on parchment, are numerous. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has 46 books of the Old Testament and 35 books of the New Testament, bringing the total of canonized books of the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible to 81. The canon of the Ethiopic Bible appears to date back to the 5th century. See [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1292150/Worlds-illustrated-Christian-bible-discovered-Ethiopian-monastery.html World's first illustrated Christian bible discovered at Ethiopian monastery, By Daily Mail Reporter. Updated: 11:33 EST, 5 July 2010] Carbon dating gives a date between 330 and 650.</ref> The English King James Version of the Protestant Bible has 593,493 words in the Old Testament and 181,253 words in the New Testament.<ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/about.html ChristianAnswers.Net. About the Bible] (christiananswers.net)</ref>

==Name==
The word "Bible" had its origins in an ancient [[Phoenicia]]n seaport called [[Byblos]], which was so-named as a result of the trade and manufacture of writing material based on the [[papyrus]] or byblos reed, used extensively in antiquity for making [[scroll]]s and [[book]]s. The [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''biblos'' was based upon this, and it came to be the word for ''book'' (a small book was termed ''biblion''), and by the 2nd century A.D. Greek [[Christianity|Christians]] had called the Scriptures ''ta Biblia'' ('''τα βιβλία''' ''the books''), which was transferred to [[Latin]] by dropping the ''ta''; the word made its way to Old French where the plural was dropped in favor of the singular, hence becoming the [[English]] word ''Bible''.<ref>Unger, pg 143; Moulton; Blass</ref>

==Unique witness to truth==

The Bible is the most ancient collective document of writings in antiquity witnessing to the revelation of the one living God to the community of the people he has chosen and formed to be his priests and witnesses to all the peoples of the earth. This people chosen and called out from every nation and language on earth testifies that God is one being of three Persons, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, who loves all that he has created, and that there is nothing in all the whole created universe that he did not create through the power of his Word. The Bible is the collective testimony of this community of people chosen out of all the peoples of the earth that God is the one original cause of all existence, creator of the universe and all that it contains both visible and invisible. They have borne witness in the several sacred scriptures contained in the Bible that this one unique God has acted and continues to act in history.

The Bible is unique in antiquity in its witness that God has made one of his creations, the whole human race, to be above the physical animal nature of the body and be like himself with dominion over the whole earth and all its creatures. The Bible testifies that God himself has called this human creature, male and female, to a personal relationship with him as a whole community of love and goodness and mercy in his image as his living temple and dwelling place on earth and to give evidence of his reality and to acknowledge him in all they do and say.

The Bible is unique in all of ancient literature in that it testifies to the rebellion and fall of the human race, to the reality of sin and its effects, to the facts of evil and of righteousness, to objective physical and moral standards of right and wrong, of justice and judgment, and to the reality of invisible intelligent beings, both those who have rebelled against God and those who perpetually serve him.

The Bible contains the only stable, reliable written witness of his own community to the rest of the world that the '''Word''' of this one God is the perfect image of his own divinity, his only-begotten Son, who became one with us, in solidarity with each human being and the whole of the fallen human community, as a sinless flesh-and-blood man whose act of complete renunciation and self-sacrifice made perfect reparation for the offense of the whole of the human community, to save us from the merited ruin which is going to come on the whole rebellious, resistant, fallen human community occupied with its own selfishness. The Bible is the witness of God's people that his Word is his Son, that his name is Jesus, and that he is the supreme Anointed One ("''Christos''") of the people of Israel. The Bible is the unique written witness of the people he has called to himself that he established his Church as the holy temple of his Holy Spirit, with the divine commission to testify to him to the whole world and make disciples of those who are willing to come to him and worship in word and deed. The Bible is their unique written record that in the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ God the Father has called all humanity to partake in a share of his own divinity, in selfless goodness, mercy and love, in eternal, everlasting life, as the gift of his love.

The Bible is the first book in antiquity to declare the revelation that death is not final, and that there will be a physical resurrection of all the dead at the end of time. In its collected writings the people of God have testified to the revelation of the total condemnation of the wicked who have chosen to reject both him and the gift of communion with him, and in it they have collectively testified to the revelation of the total salvation from ruin and the gift of communion with him of those who have not resisted him and his way of living and acting and whom he has made holy by his own power alone. No other book is like it. The whole community of believers past and present in its leadership has discerned and testified to this day that the whole collection of the books of the Bible is inspired by God, and that God is their true author. The Bible is the Word of God expressed in the written form of human language. Its chief value is as a stable unchanging resource for understanding the mind of God, for establishing a just society with just laws and true justice, for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that each leader of the community (each "''man of God''") may be fully equipped for every good work as a witness to the one true God. [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2timothy%203:16-17&version=KJV 2 Timothy 3:16-17]

But just as Jesus has appeared to many to be no more than an ordinary human being, and just as Christianity has appeared to many to be no more than a merely human institution of religion, so the Bible too has appeared to many to be no more than a traditional collection of ordinary human literature. However, even the tools of [[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)|ordinary literary criticism]] have clearly shown the Bible to be more than a collection of merely human literature, and its scriptures to be much more than ordinary human writings.<ref name=LiteraryCriticism/>

==Books of the Bible==
===The Old Testament===
{| border="1" align="right" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="360" style="margin-left:5px" class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: tan no-repeat scroll top left;"|Old Testament layout
|-
!align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|Jewish
!align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|Christian Protestant
|-
|1 Genesis
|Genesis
|-
|2 Exodus
|Exodus
|-
|3 Leviticus
|Leviticus
|-
|4 Numbers
|Numbers
|-
|5 Deuteronomy
|Deuteronomy
|-
|6 Joshua
|Joshua
|-
|7 Samuel
|Judges
|-
|8 Kings
|Ruth
|-
|9 Isaiah
|1st Samuel
|-
|10 Jeremiah
|2nd Samuel
|-
|11 Ezekiel
|1st Kings
|-
|12 The Minor Prophets
|2nd Kings
|-
|13 Psalms
|1st Chronicles
|-
|14 Proverbs
|2nd Chronicles
|-
|15 Job
|Ezra
|-
|16 Song of Songs
|Nehemiah
|-
|17 Ruth
|Esther
|-
|18 Lamentations
|Job
|-
|19 Ecclesiastes
|Psalms
|-
|20 Esther
|Proverbs
|-
|21 Daniel
|Ecclesiastes
|-
|22/23 Ezra (with Nehemiah)
|Song of Solomon
|-
|24 Chronicles
|Isaiah
|-
|
|Jeremiah
|-
|
|Lamentations
|-
|
|Ezekiel
|-
|
|Daniel
|-
|
|The Minor Prophets
|-
!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: tan no-repeat scroll top left;"|Dates of each Book
|-
!align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|Protestant Old Testament
!align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|New Testament
|-
|Genesis, 1440-1400 B.C.
|Matthew, A.D. 60-65
|-
|Exodus, 1440-1400 B.C.
|Mark, A.D. 60-65
|-
|Leviticus, 1440-1400 B.C.
|Luke, A.D. 58-65
|-
|Numbers, 1440-1400 B.C.
|John, A.D. 95
|-
|Deuteronomy, 1440-1400 B.C.
|Acts, A.D. 58-65
|-
|Joshua, 1400-1360 B.C.
|Romans, A.D. 58
|-
|Judges, c. 1020 B.C.
|1st Corinthians, A.D. 57
|-
|Ruth, c. 1090 B.C.
|2nd Corinthians, A.D. 57
|-
|1st Samuel, c. 931–722/21 B.C.
|Galatians, A.D. 56
|-
|2nd Samuel <ref>[https://bible.org/article/introduction-book-first-samuel Bible.org Introduction to First Samuel]</ref>
|Ephesians, A.D. 62-63
|-
|1st Kings, 609-600 B.C.
|Philippians, A.D. 58-60
|-
|2nd Kings, 609-600 B.C.
|Colosians, A.D. 61-63
|-
|1st Chronicles, c. 400 B.C.
|1st Thessalonians, A.D. 52
|-
|2nd Chronicles, c. 400 B.C.
|2nd Thessalonians, A.D. 53
|-
|Ezra, c. 400 B.C.
|1st Timothy, A.D. 62-65
|-
|Nehemiah, c. 400 B.C.
|2nd Timothy, A.D. 65-66
|-
|Esther, 464-425 B.C.
|Titus, A.D. 65
|-
|Job, 1440-1400 B.C.
|Philemon, A.D. 65
|-
|Psalms, 1004-965 B.C.
|Hebrews, A.D. 63-64
|-
|Proverbs, 965-925 B.C.
|James, A.D. 63-64
|-
|Eccleisiastes, 965-925 B.C.
|1st Peter, A.D. 64
|-
|Song of Solomon, 965-925 B.C.
|2nd Peter, A.D. 65
|-
|Isaiah, 785-697 B.C.
|1st John, A.D. 90-100
|-
|Jeremiah, 587-538 B.C.
|2nd John, A.D. 90-100
|-
|Lamentations, 587-538 B.C.
|3rd John, A.D. 90-100
|-
|Ezekiel, 592-572 B.C.
|Jude, c. A.D. 70-75
|-
|Daniel, 539-520 B.C.
|Revelation, A.D. 96-98
|-
|Hosea, 753-731 B.C.
|
|-
|Joel, 835-796 B.C.
|
|-
|Amos, 787-747 B.C.
|
|-
|Obadiah, 848-841 B.C.
|
|-
|Jonah, 771-754 B.C.
|
|-
|Micah, 715-687 B.C.
|
|-
|Nahum, 661-612 B.C.
|
|-
|Habbakuk, 625-608 B.C.
|
|-
|Zephaniah, 621-608 B.C.
|
|-
|Haggai, 520 B.C.
|
|-
|Zechariah, 520 B.C.
|
|-
|Malachi, 455 B.C.
|
|}
The Hebrew Old Testament of the Bible, also called Tanakh, consists of twenty-four books. The books themselves were originally written in [[Hebrew]], and later on in the [[Aramaic]] language of Palestine (the original texts of the Hebrew books of Daniel and Ezra, for example, have major portions written in Aramaic). The Greek language version written after the conquest of [[Alexander the Great]] is known as the [[Septuagint]], and to it the Jews added more texts that they also valued for their piety, wisdom and history, most of them translated from Hebrew or Aramaic originals. By A.D. the 1st century this Septuagint collection had become the Greek Old Testament Bible of the apostles.<ref>Most Protestant Christians are unaware that the overwhelming majority of Old Testament quotations and references in the New Testament are numerous quotations from the Septuagint including the books Martin Luther separated as [[Apocrypha]]. See the following four sources:
*[http://www.scripturecatholic.com/septuagint.html Septuagint Quotes in the New Testament]
*[http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/septuagint.html The Septuagint (LXX): History of the Septuagint]
*[http://www.cresourcei.org/canonot.html Canons of the Hebrew Bible]
*[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/ Official King James Bible online: Apocrypha Books]
Biblical researchers in the 20th and 21st centuries have also discovered manuscripts and linguistic evidence that appear to prove that most of the Apocrypha, except the Book of Wisdom (originally written in Greek?), were originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic (Syriac) prior to the Christian era. [http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/apocrypha/ Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Apocrypha] [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/apocrypha.html The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha] (jewishvirtuallibrary.org)</ref> [[Melito]],<ref>[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1017 Catholic Online: St. Melito of Sardis], [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/melito.html Early Christian Writings: Melito of Sardis]</ref> a bishop of [[Sardis]] in [[Lydia]] (in what is now [[Turkey]]), is said to have coined the phrase ''Old Testament'' about A.D. 170. The Greek Old Testament has been a continuous part of the Christian Bible in the eastern Churches in Palestine, Greece, Turkey, and the whole of the [[Levant]] since the 1st century.

The Hebrew Old Testament is divided in three parts within the Jewish community: the [[Torah|'''T'''orah]] ("Law"), or [[Pentateuch]], the five books of [[Moses]]; the [[Nevi'im|'''N'''evi'im]] ("Prophets"), and the [[Ketuvim|'''K'''etuvim]] ("Writings,” or [[Hagiographa]]) (abbreviated '''T'''a'''N'''a'''K'''h, hence, "Tanakh", ). Here the arrangement of the books differs somewhat from the Old Testament as used by Christians, with three of the twenty-four (Samuel, Kings, Chronicles) each being divided into two books, and Ezra being divided into Ezra and Nehemiah; however the actual writing of each book remains the same. The Christian order of the books of the Bible follows the Chronology of the events and the personages being related, according to their arrangement in the Septuagint, while in the Jewish order, though there is a chronological framework, the order follows more the importance, influence, "weight of usage" within Judaism. Thus, for orthodox Judaism, The Torah of [[Moses]] comes first (the 5 books of Moses), and is the most authoritative of all Scripture. Under the [[Pharisee|Pharasaic]] theory that Moses was also given the Oral law, explicating how the Written law was to be applied, at the same time as he was given the written law contained in the Bible, the Oral Law too was passed on through the generations, and was later in A.D. the 3rd century first put into writing in the Mishna (compiled by [[Judah haNasi]] <ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/hanasi.html Yehudah HaNasi (Judah the Prince) (A.D. 135 - 219)], [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8963-judah-i Jewish Encyclopedia: Judah I]</ref>) and the Gemara (gathered by the [[Amoriam]] <ref>Amoraim (Aramaic: plural אמוראים [ʔamoʁaˈʔim], singular Amora אמורא [ʔamoˈʁa]; "those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen"), were renowned Jewish scholars who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral Torah, from about 200 to 500 CE in Babylonia and the Land of Israel. See [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0002_0_01018.html Jewish Virtual Library: AMORAIM]</ref>) finally composing the [[Talmud]], and is regarded as equally authoritative with the Torah of Moses.<ref>There is a similar teaching in the Christian New Testament, in the Second Letter to the Thessalonians ([http://biblehub.com/multi/2_thessalonians/2-15.htm 2:15]) and in the First Letter to the Corinthians ([http://biblehub.com/multi/1_corinthians/11-2.htm 11:2]). This seems to be the Biblical justification for the Catholic and Orthodox teaching that the fullness of the Christian faith is contained in both scripture and tradition, "letter" and "word". See [[Sola scriptura]]</ref> Then the Prophets come next in authority. But the category of the Hebrew Prophets for the Jews is much broader than the category of the Prophets as considered by the Christian ordering. The "Prophets" in the Tanakh includes what Christians consider "History" - such as the books of the Kings - but it also includes what Christians call the Former and the Latter, or the Major and the Minor prophets. The last in authority for every day life of the Jew, in terms of "regulation", actually form a great influence in the Synagogue worship - the Writings, with a heavy emphasis on the Psalms.

====Torah====
The Five books of Moses, in their Hebrew and English names:
*<big>בְּרֵאשִׁית</big> Bereisheet ("in the beginning"), or [[Genesis]]
*<big>שְׁמוֹת</big> Shemot (“names”), or [[Exodus]]
*<big>וַיִּקְרָא</big> Vayikra (“and God called”), or [[Leviticus]]
*<big>בְּמִדְבַּר</big> Bemidbar (“in the Wilderness”), or [[Numbers]]
*<big>דְּבָרִים</big> Devarim (“words”), or [[Deuteronomy]]

The first eleven chapters of ''Genesis'' provide the account of the [[Creation]], the history of God's early relationship with humanity, and the [[Deluge]] of [[Noah]]. The remaining thirty-nine chapters detail the account of God's covenant with the early Hebrew nation, led by the patriarchs [[Abraham]], [[Isaac]] and [[Jacob]] (or Israel), and one of Jacob's children, [[Joseph]]. It tells the beginnings of God's chosen people, of how God commanded Abraham to leave his family and home to settle in the land of [[Canaan]], and how the Children of Israel later moved to Egypt. The remainder of the Torah, beginning with ''Exodus'' and ending with ''Deuteronomy'', tells the story of the great Hebrew leader [[Moses]], and of the Hebrews through their sojourn and slavery in Egypt, their escape from bondage, and their wanderings in the desert until finally they stand ready to enter the Promised Land.

====Nevi'im====
The [[Nevi'im]] ("Prophets") is the story of the rise toward, and ultimately reaching, the Hebrew monarchy; the sad period of anarchy and revolt leading to the division into the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel; and the prophets who judged the kings of both in God's name. It ends with the conquest and dissolution of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and its Assyrian exile, and then the conquest of the Kingdom of Judah, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Babylonian exile. The Minor Prophets are considered a single book in the Nevi'im; in Christianity they have been split into twelve separate books and named for their authors.
*<big>יְהוֹשֻׁעַ</big> [[Joshua (Biblical book)|Joshua]]
*<big>שׁוֹפְטִים</big> [[Judges (Biblical book)|Judges]]
*<big>שְׁמוּאֵל א</big> [[I Samuel]]
*<big>שְׁמוּאֵל ב</big> [[II Samuel]]
*<big>מְלָכִים א</big> [[I Kings]]
*<big>מְלָכִים ב</big> [[II Kings]]
*<big>יְשַׁעְיָהוּ</big> [[Isaiah (Biblical book)|Isaiah]]
*<big>יִרְמְיָהוּ</big> [[Jeremiah (Biblical book)|Jeremiah]]
*<big>יְחֶזְקֵאל</big> [[Ezekiel (Biblical book)|Ezekiel]]
* [[The Minor Prophets]]
**<big>הוֹשֵׁעַ</big> [[Hosea (Biblical book)|Hosea]]
**<big>יוֹאֵל</big> [[Joel (Biblical book)|Joel]]
**<big>עָמוֹס</big> [[Amos (Biblical book)|Amos]]
**<big>עֹבַדְיָה</big> [[Obadiah (Biblical book)|Obadiah]]
**<big>יוֹנָה</big> [[Jonah (Biblical book)|Jonah]]
**<big>מִיכָה</big> [[Micah (Biblical book)|Micah]]
**<big>נַחוּם</big> [[Nahum (Biblical book)|Nahum]]
**<big>חֲבַקּוּק</big> [[Habakkuk (Biblical book)|Habakkuk]]
**<big>צְפַנְיָה</big> [[Zephaniah (Biblical book)|Zephaniah]]
**<big>חַגַּי</big> [[Haggai (Biblical book)|Haggai]]
**<big>זְכַרְיָה</big> [[Zechariah (Biblical book)|Zechariah]]
**<big>מַלְאָכִי</big> [[Malachi (Biblical book)|Malachi]]

====Ketuvim====
The [[Ketuvim]], or "Writings," contain lyrical poetry, philosophical reflections on life, and the writings of the prophets and other Jewish leaders during the exile in [[Babylon]].
*<big>תְּהִלִּים</big> [[Psalms]]
*<big>מִשְׁלֵי</big> [[Proverbs]]
*<big>אִיּוֹב</big> [[Book of Job]]
*<big>שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים</big> [[Song of Songs]], also called [[Song of Solomon]] in the Protestant Christian Bible.
*<big>רוּת</big> [[Book of Ruth]]
*<big>אֵיכָה</big> [[Lamentations]]
*<big>קֹהֶלֶת</big> [[Ecclesiastes]]
*<big>אֶסְתֵּר</big> [[Esther]]
*<big>דָּנִיֵּאל</big> [[Daniel (Biblical book)|Daniel]]
*<big>עֶזְרָא</big> [[Ezra]], divided into the two books of <big>עֶזְרָא</big> Ezra and <big>נְחֶמְיָה</big> [[Nehemiah]] in the Christian Bible.
*<big>דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים א</big> ''and'' <big>דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים ב</big> [[Books of Chronicles]]

[[David]] has been named as the author of the ''Psalms''; [[Solomon]] is traditionally believed to have written ''Song of Songs'' in his youth, the ''Proverbs'' in his prime, and ''Ecclesiastes'' during his old age. The prophet [[Jeremiah]] is thought to have written the aptly-named ''Lamentations'' at the beginning of the exile to Babylon. The ''Book of Ruth'' is the only biblical book that centers entirely on a non-Jew, a [[Moabite]] who married a Jew and became an ancestor of both David and [[Jesus Christ]]. ''Esther'' is unique as it is the only book in the Hebrew Tanakh not to mention God. Moses is traditionally considered to be the author of ''Job''.

===The melodies of the Old Testament===
The Hebrew of the present day Old Testament is composed of the Hebrew consonants and, added on by the [[Masoretic Text|Masoretes]] at a later stage, the vowels. Along with these two elements, other signs were added which indicated the melodies that were sung along with the words or phrases. Some of the signs were positioned above the individual consonants, some below, and some to the side. Some of these melody signs were associated with others providing a musical pattern that corresponds with the opening of a thought, similar to the beginning of a sentence (ex. "merkha"), the continuation of a thought (ex. "munakh"), tying in one word with the following, as one melody flowed into the next, the "resting" or completion of a thought, much in "the same way that a comma (ex. "azla"), though not ending a sentence, makes for the "semi"-ending or minor completion of a thought, a major break in the run of thoughts ("etnachta"), though the run of thought would be resumed until the major completion ("sof pasuq"), much in the same way the a period brings to a stop and a completion as a sentence ends. Thus the musical signs in the Hebrew text also provide an interpretation of the text current to the times in which the signs were incorporated as part of the text, the Masoretic vowel-pointing excluding those former tonal readings which clearly represented Christian textual interpretations. The signs that tie one word to another providing one thought are called "conjunctive" signs and the signs that separate words and the thought of them are called "disjunctive". An example of the use of these signs to interpret the Hebrew text is the well known prophesy of the One to come. The Hebrew letters can either be understood to read "His name shall be called Wonderful counsellor of (''from, sent by, representing'') the mighty God", or "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God". The melody signs (called in Hebrew "Ta'mei HaMikra) decide for the latter. After "Wonderful" there is a disjunctive, after "Counsellor" there is a disjunctive, and after "Mighty" (but adj. after the noun in Hebrew order) there is a conjunctive. It is possible to reconstruct to some extent the melody and the interpretation of the Old Testament current in the first century and therefore the melody and the interpretation used by Jesus Himself.<ref name=Steinberg>[http://www.adath-shalom.ca/history_of_hebrew2a.htm History of the Ancient and Modern Hebrew Language, By David Steinberg. Phonemic Structure of Hebrew] David.Steinberg@houseofdavid.ca. http://www.houseofdavid.ca Home page
http://www.adath-shalom.ca/history_of_hebrewtoc.htm</ref> This is because of the following: the present day melodies of the various dispersions of the Jews are to a great extent different one from the other. Some of these dispersions are the Ashkenazi, representing the Jews exiled from Israel by the Romans in A.D. 70 and then on to the Rhine Valley, and then onto parts of Eastern Europe, Western Europe, America, etc., the Sephardim who saw the beginnings of their dispersion from Spain in the 15th Century and then on to Greece, Turkey, North Africa. Holland, and America, the Yemenites, the Bnei Israel of India, the Jews of Ethiopia, etc. etc., Yet, with the diversity in melodies of the Scriptures, there are certain features which are either identical or strikingly similar. Musicologist, [[Joel Segal]], pointed out over 40 years ago, that this could only have been possible if these dispersions were at one time together in the same place. The only time that all these dispersions were together in the same place was prior to the great dispersion of the first century and the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

===Old Testament Apocrypha===
The deuterocanonical books and others that the Reformation designated [[Apocrypha]] were written during the four hundred years between the time of Ezra and Malachi and the birth of Christ (one of them, 2 Esdras, possibly in A.D. the 1st century). The term itself comes from the Greek word ''apokruphos'' ("hidden" or "concealed") which was first applied to them by Jerome according to the opinions of the Jewish sources he consulted in Palestine, and although the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, among others, have always included the deuterocanonical Apocrypha in their versions of the Bible, considering them to be canonical (and they do have an actual history and literary value) the fourteen texts (10 books and portions of 2 others) which make up the whole of the Protestant Apocrypha have been rejected as non-canonical by both the Jewish faith since the 2nd century and by most Protestant denominations of the Christian church since the 16th century due to what, according to Reformation doctrine, they consider to be "''historical, geographical, or literal inaccuracies; the teaching of doctrines which contradict inspired Scripture; and a lack of elements and structure which give genuine Scripture its unique characteristic''" (Unger, pg. 70<ref>See also the following sources for more extensive expression of this Evangelical Christian opinion: Unger, Merril F. Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Press, Chicago, IL (1966; new edition 2006); Unger, Merril F. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, (2006); 1416pp; Unger, Merril F. Unger's Bible Handbook, Moody Press, Chicago, IL (1967).</ref>). Three of the Apocrypha, 1 and 2 Esdras and Prayer of Manasseh, although part of Jerome's Vulgate, were not included among the canonical books listed at the Council of Trent and are considered by Catholics to be apocryphal works, and as not among the accepted deuterocanonicals. See [[Biblical Canon]].

Protestants do not include Psalm 151 and 3 and 4 Maccabees among the Apocrypha, but they also do not include these in their Bibles. The Reformation did not address the question of their canonical status. The Catholic Church did not include them in the canon of the Council of Trent, and they do not appear in regular editions of the Catholic Bible. They continue to be part of the [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox Bible]].

The Apocryphal books had been used in both Israel and Egypt and (except the Latin 2 Esdras which was part of the Vulgate) are part of the Old Testament in the Greek language used by Jews all over the Greek speaking world - particularly Alexandria, Egypt. This version is called the Septuaginta. The Septuaginta after the 1st century fell into disuse among Jews for two reasons -
:1. Greek speaking Christians were using the Septuaginta in their efforts to bring Jews to faith in Jesus Christ
:2. A number of the Apocryphal books were also apocalyptic, that is, focusing on the last days, the Kingdom of God in battle against the kingdoms of this world and the downfall of this world's empires. This was considered dangerous and liable to provoke Rome against the Jews.
Alternative Greek translations to the Septuaginta, which was considered "loose" by the Rabbis, were adopted. These were the translations of three proselytes to Judaism, Theodosious, Aquillas, and Symmachus. The Jewish Rabbinic "Council" of Jamnia (Yavneh on the Mediterraenian coast of Israel) in A.D. 90, under the leadership of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, effectively excluded the Apocryphal books (along with the Septuaginta) from the Jewish Canon by requiring, for a book to be considered canonical, that it have been written in Hebrew (and Aramaic). This immediately excludes ''all'' of the Christian scriptures included in the entire New Testament, since they were written in Greek and in the 1st century. Actually, a number of the apocryphal books, or portions thereof, had been written originally in Hebrew, most notably, the Book of Ben Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) found in Hebrew at Qumran with the rest of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but this was unknown to Yohanan Ben Zakkai and the Council of Jamnia in the first century. Under the impetus of Renaissance learning, Protestant scholars went directly to the Hebrew text and began to translate the Bible directly from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, instead of having to go through the Latin Vulgate. But they consulted the Hebrew text of the Talmudic rabbinical version of the synagogue (eventually to be called the "Masoretic text") of the canon of books that had been recommended by the Council of Jamnia and afterward consistently authorized by subsequent rabbinical authorities representing Judaism. They also disregarded the witness of the canonical listing of the books of the Christian Orthodox Greek Bible, which had not been determined by the Council of Trent under the Roman Pontiff but had always been the traditional Old Testament as read from the time of the apostles and the most ancient Christian Church. In this way, most Protestant churches came to not include the Apocryphal books in their Canon of Scripture. One of the reasons the Roman Catholic Church held to the Vulgate was because it had been translated by Jerome from the Hebrew text before the text had been revised and altered by the Masoretes, and today it is considered a valuable witness to the earlier Hebrew Bible.
:"It has also proved of primary importance as an early and excellent witness to the sacred text."
::—The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)<ref>[http://www.bible-researcher.com/vulgate1.html The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) The Vulgate, by Samuel Angus.]</ref>

The following are the books which are most frequently referred to by the title ''Apocrypha'':
*[[1 Esdras]]
*[[2 Esdras]]
*[[1 Maccabees]]
*[[2 Maccabees]]
*[[Book of Tobit]]
*[[Book of Judith]]
*[[Book of Wisdom]]
*[[Book of Sirach|Ecclesiasticus]], also known as Sirach
*[[Book of Baruch]]
:*[[Epistle of Jeremiah]] is sometimes listed as separate book or the last chapter of Baruch
*[[Prayer of Manasseh]]
*Greek language additions to the [[Book of Esther]]

Additions to the book of Daniel
*[[The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children]]
*[[Story of Susanna]]
*[[Bel and the Dragon]]

With the exception of 1 and 2 Esdras and Prayer of Manasseh, the remaining 7 books and parts of Esther and Daniel listed here are regarded as apocryphal by less than a third of Christian believers. With the exception of 1 and 2 Esdras and Prayer of Manasseh, these 7 books and parts of Esther and Daniel are accepted as divinely inspired, canonical scriptures in the Holy Bible by the majority of Christian believers in the United States and throughout the world.<ref>The '''Catholic Church''' is the world's largest [[Christianity|Christian]] body comprised of several distinct [https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/catholic_rites_and_churches.htm "Rites"]. The [[Catholic Church|Catholic Church (Latin Rite)]] is the largest religious body in the United States, with over 60 million adherents (4 times as large as the second largest church, the Orthodox). [http://www.pewforum.org/2013/02/13/the-global-catholic-population/ “The Global Catholic Population,” © 2011, Pew Research Center.] [http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_romcath.html The Largest Catholic Communities] 
The '''Eastern Orthodox Church''', officially called the '''Orthodox Catholic Church''', and also referred to as the '''[[Orthodox Church]]''' and '''Orthodoxy''', is the second largest [[Christianity|Christian church]] in the world, with an estimated 225–300 million adherents, most of whom live in [[Eastern Europe]], the [[Middle East]], and [[Russia]]. {{cite web |last1=Calivas |first1=Rev. Alciviadis C. |title=The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church |publisher=Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Of America |year=1983 |url=http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7061 |accessdate=7 May 2014 |ref=none }} {{cite web |last1=Fairchild |first1=Mary |title=Christianity:Basics:Eastern Orthodox Church Denomination |publisher=about.com |url=http://christianity.about.com/od/easternorthodoxy/p/orthodoxprofile.htm |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }} {{cite web |title=Christianity |work=Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents |publisher=adherents.com |url=http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}</ref><ref name=Prot>See [http://www.888c.com/worldChristianDenominations.htm Percentage of Christians in Protestant Denominations (29.5%)].</ref>

====The problem with rabbinical authority defining the biblical canon====

According to the ordinary reading of the New Testament and the consensus of the majority of Christians from the 1st century to this day, the authority of the kingdom of God had been wholly taken away from the Jews in the 1st century and given to the leaders of the Gentiles and Jews in Christ long before the Council of Jamnia. See:
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2015:13-14&version=KJV Matthew 15:13-14]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:18-19&version=KJV Matthew 16:18-19]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2018:17-18&version=KJV Matthew 18:17-18]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2021:43&version=KJV Matthew 21:43]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2028:18-20&version=KJV Matthew 28:18-20]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%201:32-33&version=KJV Luke 1:32-33]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2010:16&version=KJV Luke 10:16]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2022:29-30&version=KJV Luke 22:29-30]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%207:51-53&version=KJV Acts 7:51-53]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1corinthians%204:1&version=KJV 1 Corinthians 4:1]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1corinthians%206:2-3&version=KJV 1 Corinthians 6:2-3]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1timothy%203:14-15&version=KJV 1 Timothy 3:14-15]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%2013:17&version=KJV Hebrews 13:17]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1john%204:2-6&version=KJV 1 John 4:2-6]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2john%201:9-11&version=KJV 2 John 9-ll]

Between A.D. 90-95, long after the descent of the Holy Spirit of God at Pentecost and the spread of Christianity and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the devastation of the city and the expulsion of the Jews, the Jewish [[Council of Jamnia]] revised the canon of the Old Testament, by ensuring that the books involved conformed to the Torah, were written in the Hebrew language, written in Palestine, and written before 400 B.C. As a result, the Apocrypha was excluded from the Hebrew canon.<ref>[https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/canon1.html The Jewish Canon and the Christian Canon] (web.cn.edu) Linguistic evidence shows that other Septuagint books which were excluded by rabbinical authority after A.D. 90 certainly had an original Hebrew or Aramaic text. See
*[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/apocrypha.html Jewish Virtual Library. Jewish Holy Scriptures: The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, by Michael E. Stone]
*[http://archive.churchsociety.org/crossway/documents/Cway_102_ApocryphaBackground.pdf BACKGROUND AND HISTORY TO THE APOCRYPHA, By David Phillips] Article reprinted from Cross†Way Issue Autumn 2006 No. 102 (archive.churchsociety.org)
*[http://churchsociety.org/issues_new/doctrine/misc/apocrypha/iss_doctrine_misc_apocrypha_origin.asp The Origin of the Apocrypha]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=dtlDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA203&lpg=PA203&dq=apocryphal+books+having+evidence+of+hebrew+or+aramaic+origin&source=bl&ots=CkMPwQMciG&sig=y6w4tnI_wvIqyzCWqCoN3xo8mvQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VGGcVP2RH4r2yQT7toKYAw&ved=0CFMQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=apocryphal%20books%20having%20evidence%20of%20hebrew%20or%20aramaic%20origin&f=false The Apocrypha of the Old Testament: With Historical Introductions, a Revised Translation, and Notes Critical and Explanatory, by Edwin Cone Bissell. Scribner, 1890. 680 pages], page 208ff, citing evidence that the "additions to Esther" were also translated from the Hebrew. (Google eBook)</ref> The books excluded by this criteria were relatively recent Jewish contributions of the 3rd through the 1st centuries before Christ which had become part of Jewish culture. The rabbinical authorities simultaneously excluded as condemned and false the writings of the "heretics" (the ''minim'', including Christians, called nozrim, no§rim, "Nazarenes"), and cursed Christians in a synagogue service "benediction" against them and others. Palestinian texts of the Eighteen Benedictions from the Cairo Genizah <ref>[http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/treasures-in-the-wall The New Yorker: Page-Turner. March 1, 2013 Treasures in the Wall, by Emily Greenhouse] (newyorker.com) [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Genizah.html Jewish Virtual Library: Modern Jewish History: The Cairo Genizah, by Alden Oreck]</ref> present a text of the benediction which identifies the minim:<blockquote>"''For the apostates may there be no hope unless they return to Your Torah. As for the no§rim and the minim, may they perish immediately. Speedily may they be erased from the Book of Life, and may they not be registered among the righteous. Blessed are You, O Lord, Who subdues the wicked.''"</blockquote>While other specimens of the Palestinian liturgy show slight variation, the no§rim, (usually translated “Christians”) and minim are included in the best texts of this benediction. The fact remains that the no§rim were included with apostates and heretics and the wicked in the Genizah documents.<ref>[http://lawrenceschiffman.com/?s=the+benediction+against+the+minim Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman: The Benediction Against the Minim] (lawrenceschiffman.com) [http://www.defendingthebride.com/bb/curse.html DEFENDING THE BRIDE. THE CURSE AGAINST CHRISTIANS AT JAMNIA ABOUT 90 AD] (defendingthebride.com) [http://www.academia.edu/6811953/The_Jewish_Council_of_Jamnia_and_Its_Impact_on_the_Old_Testament_Canon_and_New_Testament_Studies The Jewish “Council” of Jamnia and Its Impact on the Old Testament Canon and New Testament Studies, Tim Gordon October 20, 2007] (academia.edu/6811953)</ref> Martin Luther and the leaders of the [[Reformation]] cite as authoritative and determinative the canon of the Hebrew Bible as defined by rabbinical authorities who excluded and condemned as false the entire New Testament scriptures and Jesus as the Messiah <ref name=Luther>Luther rejected the seven books of the Old Testament, citing the Palestinian Canon as his authority. Clearly his reasons were doctrinal. However, his decision poses serious difficulties. What authority from God would Jews have in the Christian era to determine which books of the Old Testament were or were not divinely inspired? In 1529, Luther proposed adoption of the 39-book canon of rabbinic Judaism as the Old Testament canon of the Christian Bible. He justified his decision to exclude seven books from the Old Testament canon of 46 books by an appeal to precedent, citing Jerome who, around A.D. 400 had expressed concerns also voiced by his rabbinical sources that these books in Greek had no Hebrew counterparts. Research into the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran has discovered Hebrew copies of some of the disputed books, which makes their rejection on this ground unsupportable. Luther's principal reason for opposing these Old Testament books seems to be that they contain textual support for doctrines he had rejected, such as praying for the dead (2 Maccabees 12:42-45). See [http://www.totustuus.com/luther Luther and the Canon of the Bible, by Jim Seghers] [http://www.olswahiawa.org/uploads/2/1/8/4/21845996/session_3.pdf The Canon of the Bible] [http://catholicdefense.blogspot.com/2011/07/can-protestants-rely-upon-council-of.html Wednesday, July 20, 2011. Can Protestants Rely Upon the "Council of Jamnia" for Their Bible?]</ref> because "''unto them were committed the oracles of God.''" (see [http://biblehub.com/multi/romans/3-2.htm Romans 3:2]). This is an historical fact, and it presents a serious problem, known in logic ''as [[non sequitur]]''. If the Jews have been so entrusted with the word of God that they had therefore been given the divine authority to also determine the ''canon'' of sacred scripture, as Luther and the Reformation Protestants maintain, then the whole New Testament is excluded from the canon of the holy Bible because it does not meet the four established rabbinical criteria for what is sacred inspired scripture. See [[Logical fallacy]]

===The New Testament===
The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven books and letters, written by the early Christian community, and written primarily in [[Greek]]. The emphasis of the New Testament is the life, teachings, and gift of salvation from the central figure of the whole work, Jesus of Nazareth. These books are grouped into the following:

====[[Gospels|The Gospels]]====
The ''Gospels'' contain the history of Jesus. The ''Acts of the Apostles'' are a continuance of the Gospels, documenting the history of the early church, beginning immediately following Jesus' death and resurrection. Of the authors, only Matthew and John had met Jesus; they were among His disciples during His earthly ministry. Eusebius, in his ''Ecclesiastical History'', says:<blockquote>"Matthew and John are the only ones that have left us recorded comments, and even they, tradition says, undertook it from necessity. Matthew also, having '''first proclaimed the Gospel in Hebrew''' when on the point of going also to other nations, '''committed it to writing in his native tongue''', and thus supplied the want of his presence to them by his writings. But after, when Mark and Luke had already published their Gospels, they say that John, who during all this time was proclaiming the gospel without writing, at length proceeded to write it on the following occasion. The three Gospels previously written, having been distributed among all, and also handed to him, they say that he admitted them, giving his testimony to their truth; but that there was only wanting in the narrative the account of the things done by Christ, among the first of his deeds, and at the commencement of the Gospel. And this was the truth." —Book III, Chapter XXIV.<ref>''The Ecclesiastical History Of Eusebius Pamphilus: Bishop Of Caesarea, In Palestine'', translated from the Greek, by the Rev. C. F. Crusé, A.M., assistant professor in the University of Pennsylvania. With Notes from the Edition of Valesius. London: George Bell and Sons, York Street, Covent Garden. 1874. ''Legacy Reprint Series''. Book III, Chapter XXIV The order of the Gospels. page 97</ref> (''book in the public domain. Boldface emphasis added'') .</blockquote> Eusebius relates the already-existing tradition in his day that Matthew wrote the first Gospel. In every manuscript of the New Testament, Matthew is always placed first, and for almost 1900 years the traditional view prevailed unchallenged that Matthew was the first Gospel written. This is called the [[Augustinian hypothesis]], which holds that Matthew was the first Gospel, written by Matthew the Evangelist. Mark, according to tradition a Roman, and a companion of Peter, was author of the second Gospel, but beginning in the 19th century [[Heinrich Julius Holtzmann]] together with other German scholars, abusing the literary tools of [[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)|historical-critical methods]] in opposition to Christian tradition, declared on their authority as German scholars that Mark's gospel was the first to be written down, about A.D. 50. This theory is called "Marcan priority", and it was aggressively spread as part of [[Otto von Bismarck|Bismarck's]] anti-Catholic 'Kulturkampf' policy.<ref>[http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/KULTGOS.TXT Kulturkampf and the Gospel, by John Beaumont] [http://www.churchinhistory.org/pages/booklets/farmer%28n%29.htm Church in History. The ChurchinHistory Information Centre. BISMARCK AND THE FOUR GOSPELS 1870 - 1914, by William R. Farmer (University of Dallas) Editor of A NEW CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY. The theory that Mark's Gospel was published before Matthew's is widely held in German and English speaking countries. This article shows how this theory, with little supporting evidence, came to be spread as part of Bismarck's anti-Catholic 'Kulturkampf' policy. BIBLIOTHECA EPHEMERIDUM THEOLOGICARUM LOVANIENSIUM. THE FOUR GOSPELS. 1992] (churchinhistory.org)</ref> This view is widely held by liberal biblical scholars in German and English speaking countries. In the United States acceptance of Marcan Priority has often been a test of the "academic competency" of those faculty members who teach Biblical Studies.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UYKvAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA282&lpg=PA282&dq=academic+persecution+regarding+Augustinian+hypothesis&source=bl&ots=iDysvbe5ii&sig=oNOrQku42-Tx-n-yBzhQtzAeQls&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VHKkVNa7IceiyAStsYKYAw&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=academic%20persecution%20regarding%20Augustinian%20hypothesis&f=false Mark's Gospel--Prior or Posterior?: A Reappraisal of the Phenomenon of Order, By David Neville]</ref> Luke is traditionally considered to be the author of both the third Gospel and the ''Acts''.
*[[Gospel of Matthew]]
*[[Gospel of Mark]]
*[[Gospel of Luke]]
*[[Gospel of John]]
*[[Acts of the Apostles]]

====[[Pauline Epistles]]====
The Pauline Epistles are letters (epistles) written to early Christian communities written by the [[Apostle Paul]].
*[[Epistle to the Romans]]
*[[First Epistle to the Corinthians]]
*[[Second Epistle to the Corinthians]]
*[[Galatians|Epistle to the Galatians]]
*[[Epistle to the Philippians]]
*[[Epistle to Philemon]]
*[[First Epistle to the Thessalonians]]
*[[Second Epistle to the Thessalonians]]
*[[Ephesians|Epistle to the Ephesians]]
*[[Epistle to the Colossians]]
*[[First Epistle to Timothy]]
*[[Second Epistle to Timothy]]
*[[Epistle to Titus]]
*''Possibly the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]]''

[[Liberal]] Bible scholarship over the last two centuries has denied that Paul wrote Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus; and doubted that he wrote Colossians and 2 Thessalonians. However, all the epistles listed above except Hebrews say they are written by Paul. As they are authoritative Scripture which "cannot lie", their claims should be believed.

There is speculation that Paul may have written the ''Epistle to the Hebrews'', which does not mention an author; however, under the pure divine power of the Holy Spirit of God the Father through Jesus Christ himself—"he has spoken through the Prophets"—it could easily have been written by any early Christian except for Timothy, who is mentioned by name in the final chapter. The controversy, however, does not affect the genuineness of the epistle.<ref>Unger, pg. 748; Eusebius ''The History of the Church'' 3:3</ref>

The Council of Trent (1546) dogmatically affirmed that the Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the fourteen genuine epistles of Paul.
:—[http://www.bible-researcher.com/trent1.html Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent. The Fourth Session. Celebrated on the eighth day of the month of April, in the year 1546. English translation by James Waterworth (London, 1848)]

====[[General Epistles]]====
*[[Epistle of James]]
*[[First Epistle of Peter]]
*[[Second Epistle of Peter]]
*[[First Epistle of John]]
*[[Second Epistle of John]]
*[[Third Epistle of John]]
*[[Epistle of Jude]]

====Revelation====
The [[Book of Revelation]] is the last work in the New Testament as well as the whole Bible, written close to A.D. 100 by the [[Apostle John]] during his exile on the Greek island of [[Patmos]]. Revelation is concerned with the condition of the [[Seven Churches of Asia]] before going deeply into a description of the [[Last Days]] prior to the beginning of the [[Millennial Age]].

Most [[Fundamentalism|Fundamentalists]] hold to "[[Dispensationalism]]", an interpretive theory of the meaning of Revelation and other prophecies that was developed in the 19th century by British theologian [[John Nelson Darby]] (1800–82) and the [[Plymouth Brethren]], and is summarized in the ''[[Scofield Reference Bible]]'' edited and [[Christian Zionism#Dispensationalism|annotated]] by [http://poweredbychrist.homestead.com/files/cyrus/scofield.htm Cyrus I. Scofield] (1909, 1917). See [http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/scofield-reference-notes/ Scofield's Reference Notes]

==Non-uniformity of language and style of original Scriptures==

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament, in the original languages of Hebrew (and Aramaic) and Greek, exhibit a non uniformity of style and language. This is in sharp contrast to most modern translations which treat the Scriptures throughout as if they are one book instead of the many books they are. Modern translations can be erudite, dignified, folksy and common, clear and geared for the "common man", or replete with language resonant with literary associations for the "accomplished" reader. But they are that way throughout. The Biblical originals, on the other hand, for example, embedded in the Hebrew within the narrative of the deeds of the prophetess Debora, have in the Song of Deborah (Judges chapter 5) a much more ancient and even archaic Hebrew than that of the main text of the book, probably emanating from a chant from the time of Deborah herself, plainly evident to any person who has studied Hebrew language. The same with the narrative and poetic portions concerning Moses. The human authors, inspired by God, were careful to preserve the integrity of the original inspired songs which they had faithfully recorded or otherwise copied and included in their narratives. There are even different Hebrew languages (rather dialects) from the same historical period but from different authors living during the same time, having come from different origins and cultural levels.<ref name=Steinberg/>

For the New Testament, an example of non-uniformity can be found in the stark differences of language in the Gospel of Luke, written by Luke the physician. The early accounts, those concerning the birth of Jesus and early life, are written in a stilted and often crude Greek while the rest of the Gospel is written in fine Greek befitting of the background and ability of a learned physician. But when the stilted and crude Greek is retranslated, word for word and phrase for phrase, into the Hebrew current in the first century in most parts of Israel (a technique called "back translation"), it becomes excellent Hebrew - Mishnaic Hebrew. This is because of the intent and fastidiousness of Luke, who derived his material, as he says, from people that had been "on the scene", and his success in transmitting it faithfully as he had received it. Both the Old and New Testaments, for various reasons, exhibit little or no concern to "level through" or override the content of what they are saying by stylistic considerations.

===Inspiration===
Although the Old Testament is written by many [[homo sapiens|human]] authors, New Testament authors know that these men were writing under the inspiration of God.

The apostle [[Paul]] wrote that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).
Similarly the apostle [[Saint Peter|Peter]] wrote, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21).

====Formation of New Testament and Jewish technical transmission====
In the first century and prior, the ear was more important than the eye, as far as retaining in memory. Jews would receive orally, that is, from hearing, the laws that they believed originated with Moses and then passed them on to others, down through the generations. It was important to link the present rabbis by names who taught it with the rabbis by name who had passed it on to them, on back as far as possible to Moses on Mt. Sinai. This was the startling difference of Jesus. By saying "You have heard it said, but I say unto you...", He was by-passing Moses and the others after and getting His teaching direct from the Father.

This Jewish way of receiving (QBL) and handing on (MSR) is summed up in the lead saying of the "Ethics of the Fathers" tractate of the [[Mishna]], "Moses received Torah from God at Sinai. He transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, the elders to the prophets, the prophets to the members of the Great Assembly [Sanhedrin] (1:1)." The teaching thus transmitted was memorized word for word by groups of disciples (Talmidim) together, thereby minimizing, by the common knowledge and public repetitions, all innovations and errors, though there might well have been "stylizing" for ease of retention and recall, receiving and handing on (transmission).

This methodology, with its technical Hebrew terminology appears in the New Testament with the same technical meaning and purpose, for how the earliest Christian teaching was carried on prior to the formation of the New Testament and during the time of its formation. This ensured the validity of the teaching and its authenticity going back, not to Moses, but to the time of Jesus Himself. "For I handed over (Gk. pare'doka, Heb. MSR) to you at the first what I also received (Gk. pare'labon, Heb. QBL) that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures..." l Cor. 15:3. Paul knew all of the "deposit of faith" three ways, in the usual "collaborative" way of God - from Scriptures (the Old Testament), from experience (seeing the living Christ on the road to Damascas), and from authenticated oral tradition/transmission involving "receiving" and "handing on".

==Authority of Bible in religious communities==
The role of the Bible in the life of differing communities varies widely by both the inner tenents of the community and the outer influences bearing on the community.
===Judaism===
Orthodox Judaism through the centuries, while it was only marginally affected by growing secularization and modern learning, held to a "differing levels of authority" understanding of the authority of the Hebrew Bible. This did not imply different levels of inspiration, but rather that importance to the regulation of life was prime for the Torah of Moses, the 5 books of the Law. But the Pharasaic teaching also posited an Oral Law given to Moses by God that was passed on through the centuries through Joshua, the prophets, pairs of Rabbis, until this day. The Oral law is found in the Talmud (Mishna and the Gemara together). The oral law became the decisive interpreter, teacher and regulator of the Written Law and determined the course of Jewish Orthodox life. The second section of the Old Testament, the Prophets, is known to the Jewish Community primarily through the synagogue readings of the prophets, the Haftorah, that are assigned to conclude the weekly reading of the Law. The Psalms, the most formative of all the Writings, besides being common throughout the synagogue services, are used in various devotional prayer contexts. Orthodox Judaism has little been affected by modern Higher Criticism of the Bible. Reformed Judaism, originally developed in Germany, and Conservative Judaism, to a lesser extent, have been greatly affected.

===Mainline Protestants===
Mainline Protestantism, represented in the major Protestant churches, denominations, sects and their seminaries, has greatly been affected by "modernism" based on advanced scholarly research, especially from Germany in the 19th century. Those who abused the legitimate tools "Higher Criticism" chose as a fundamental liberal [[premise]] to ignore God's participation in the production of Scripture. Prime among these theories is the Documentary theory of Penteteuch origins (Wellhausen-Graff) that posits that Moses wrote little or nothing. Instead, they propose that the Bible originated in four unknown hypothetical sources coming from various periods. These four sources are termed J (for the use of "Jehovah" for the name of God), E (for the use of "Elohim"), P (priestly), and D (Deuteronomic). The "spirit" of the New Testament (according to their understanding of what they think is the probable main attitude of the writers, derived from the overall impression gained from a generally humanist religious point of view) is far more important than the text of either Testament for modern Protestant theology.

====Orthodox Jewish critique of Documentary theory====
Jewish Orthodox scholars have pointed to flaws in the Documentary Hypothesis. For instance, Orthodox Jewish Scholar Cassuto has pointed out that rather than the names for God varying according to author and period, they vary according to emphasis from the same period, that of Moses - "Jehovah" being used for God in his dealing with His covenental people Israel, and "Elohim" being used when His dealings with mankind are emphasized. Likewise the two terms usually translated "making a covenant", ''lkhrot brit'' (to "cut" a covenant) and ''lehaqim brit'' (to "raise" a covenenat) are not from two sources but mean two different things - to initiate a covenant and to fulfill a covenant.

===Evangelical Protestants===
Evangelical Protestantism believes strongly in the divine inspiration and inerrancy of the whole Bible and has been the most receptive of the doctrine of the full sufficiency of Biblical Authority. Believing in full inspiration of the whole of Scripture does not mean to evangelicalism the equal importance of all Scriptures for the healthy growth of the Christian community. This is because Evangelicalism, following Scripture's own self-disclosure, believes in progressive revelation throughout Biblical time, culminating in Jesus Christ, and no further (thus obviating the role of Tradition). Thus Evangelicalism, does not hold to the application of Mosaic Legislation, and other biblical elements that Orthodox Judaism holds to. This applies to faith and to morals. The Mosaic regulation on executing a rebellious child does not present a problem for evangelical thought as, according to Paul and Hebrews, the Law has been rendered obsolete by the New Covenant. The Destruction of the Temple and of the place for sacrifice of all kinds, present no problem for evangelicalism, as they did for Judasim, as Christ's sacrifice on the cross has now "fulfilled" the prescriptions of the Law and the ceremonials attached. Thus there is a sort of "levels of authority" understanding for evangelicalism similar to the levels of authority of Judaism (but for different reasons).

Evangelical Churches vigorously promote the reading of Scripture through Sunday sermons and Bible study programs. Emphasis is placed on "each one understanding". Coupled with American individualism, and lack of traditional vehicles of authority, this sometimes leads to splintering of worshiping communities and the insistence that each man's interpretation "is as good as any other". Nevertheless, "The Fundamentals" defined in 1910 are strongly retained by the Evangelical Churches - the divinity of Christ, His death for sins and Resurrection from the dead, His second coming.<ref>''[http://web.archive.org/web/20030101082327/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/6528/fundcont.htm The Fundamentals: A Testimony To The Truth'', 1910–1915, 4 Vol.] [http://www.biola.edu/about/history/ Bible Institute of Los Angeles,] ed. [http://www.dbts.edu/journals/1996_1/ACDIXON.PDF A. C. Dixon], [[Reuben Archer Torrey]].</ref>

===Eastern Orthodox===
The Orthodox Churches throughout the world, whether Greek, Russian, Romanian, the various middle eastern varieties, emphasize the role of the synod (Council) of Bishops, based on the example of the "Council" of Jerusalem in the book of Acts, as the divinely authorized agent of interpretation and application of the Scriptures. Understanding that Jesus' words, "He (the Holy Spirit) will lead you into all truth", Orthodoxy believes that the synod of bishops, no one of whom is held to be individually infallible, are given guidance from the Holy Spirit so that the Scriptures are rightly applied to the Christian Community, enabling the Church to never stray from Christ, that is, the Church is given "indefectability". A minority of Orthodox Church thought holds to "infallibility" in synodal decision rather than, or instead of, "indefectability". The Scriptures in the Orthodox churches are buttressed by creedal formulations, the decisions of belief of past synods, and are less susceptible to the liberalist abuses of the legitimate methods of modern Higher Criticism. The Resurrection of Christ, virgin birth, return of Christ from Heaven to Earth, are all part and parcel of these churches. Individual interpretation of Scripture and manner of life are limited, then, by the teaching authority (the magisterium) granted to the Episcopate - the Synod of bishops.

===Roman Catholic===
The Roman Catholic Church, like the Orthodox Churches, has a strong sense of the Authority ([[Magisterium]]) given to the Bishops by Christ to teach, interpret, defend the Faith and therefore to exercise the responsibility to interpret to the Faithful both Holy Scripture and Apostolic Tradition. But since Vatican II, there has been an increased effort to bring Scriptural knowledge to the laity, and now there has been an increase of Scripture reading and study programs throughout most sections of the Church. This as been abetted by the Catholic Charismatic movement which has had the effect of promoting individual appropriation of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, and with that, the correlate devotional and intellectual use of Holy Scriptures. However, the role of "Magisterium", that is the Teaching Authority, sets firm limits to individual interpretation. The Roman Catholic church understands that, though Magisterial authority is given to all the bishops, the definitive exercise of the Magisterium is limited to one bishop - the bishop of Rome, the Pope, and to the bishops in communion together with him. Further, Catholicism teaches that the Pope, when he declares dogma (teaching) ''[[Ex cathedra|ex-Cathedra]]'' (from the chair), he speaks infallibly (on matters of faith and morals). The first time the Pope promulgated dogma ''ex-cathedra'' formally was to promulgate the doctrine itself of Papal Infallibility, based on Scripture, history, and reason.<ref>[http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum20.htm Papal Encyclicals Online. Decrees of the First Vatican Council] [http://www.catholic.com/tracts/papal-infallibility Catholic Answers. Papal Infallibility]</ref> The Pope, through the Vatican prelates and all the bishops can regulate much of Catholic community life, and some of the regulation is based on the interpretation of Scripture or the application of the traditional interpretation of Scripture. An example of this is the prohibition of abortion. The Church has accepted in a fundamentally modified form most of the legitimate modern [[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)|Higher Critical methodology]] of studying Scripture, including the [[Documentary Hypothesis]] of origins first developed within German Protestantism. But the effects of this on the tenets of the Christian Faith are profoundly mitigated due to the creedal affirmations of the Church developed centuries ago and to the discernment of Papal authority. Thus the Roman Catholic Church does not waver on the Deity of Christ, the Trinity, the death and resurrection of Christ, and the Second Coming.

==Evangelical Understanding of the History of the Bible==
Rejecting the "Higher Criticism" accepted by the mainline Protestant denominations, Evangelicals and many Catholics hold to a more traditional history of the Bible. This section summarizes their views.

[[Image:Gospel of Luke in Arab.gif|thumb|This tenth-century Egyptian codex was donated to Pope Eugenius IV by the Coptic delegates at the Council of Ferrara-Florence. Translated from a Coptic original, it is one of the earliest Arabic versions of any part of the New Testament, none of which can be dated before the late eighth or ninth centuries.]]

Traditionally, the oldest books of the Bible are certainly the five books of the Torah and the Book of Job. In 1st Kings 6:1, Solomon is stated to have begun building the Temple "''in the 480th year after the children of Israel were come up out of the land of Egypt''". It has been established by a majority of conservative scholars and historians that Solomon had begun building the Temple in the fourth year of his reign, apparently in 961 B.C., making the probable [[date of the Exodus]] under Moses 1441 B.C. During the following forty years Moses wrote the Torah and the Book of Job, completing them before his death at [[Mt. Nebo]] about 1400 B.C. According to Biblical scholar and historian Robert D. Wilson the Torah as it stands dates from the time of Moses, the five books constitute one continuous work, and was written by a single individual, Moses himself (Wilson, pg 11).<ref>Wilson, Robert D. ''A Scientific Investigation of the Old Testament'', Sunday School Times, Inc, Philadelphia, PA (1926)</ref>

The remaining books of the Old Testament were written at various times since the death of Moses, with ''Malachi'', the last Hebrew Old Testament book, being written about 455 B.C. During this period each of the books was written and re-written on parchment or papyrus, with editors taking great care in their work; a single Biblical book hand-written today can take weeks to complete. The older scrolls were disposed of by burial or storage in a ''Geniza'' room when worn from normal usage (the Cairo Geniza is famous for the antiquity of the scrolls discovered within it) because the Jews have a devout horror of destroying the sacred script containing the transmitted revelation of God; as a result, the oldest surviving examples of Biblical manuscripts are those which have been carefully preserved either by direct actions of people (such as monasteries), or by removal from forces of decay. Currently, the oldest surviving manuscripts are those found carefully stored in clay jars within the caves of Qumran in 1948 and known as the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]], dating between 250 B.C. to A.D. 70; the complete ''Isaiah'' scroll of this collection dates to 150 B.C.

Around 200 B.C. the Septuagint, a Greek-language version of the Old Testament, was completed. This was due to the Hellenization of large areas of the Middle East after the conquest of Alexander the Great, making Greek the de facto language for everyday communications and business. The Septuagint marks the first time in history that the Bible was translated into a foreign language. An ancient fragment of the Septuagint containing the Tetragrammaton (Greek, "four letters", that is, of the name of God, YHWH) has been dated between 50 B.C. and A.D. 50.<ref>[http://www.eliyah.com/lxx.html Tetragrammaton Found in Earliest Copies of the Septuagint]</ref>

See [[Literalist Bible chronology]].

===Early New Testament history===
In 1st Timothy 5:8, Paul quoted as scripture ''"the laborer is worthy of his hire."'' This line is found nowhere else in the Bible except Matthew 10:10 and Luke 5:7. In 2nd Peter 3:15-16, Peter classes Paul's letters with "other scriptures". Both lines are indicative of the writing down and general use of the New Testament prior to A.D. 60 (Halley, pg. 741-742).<ref>Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI (1965)</ref> Spurious "gospels" which are known to have appeared by A.D. 100, make references to the New Testament. [[Clement of Rome]], writing in his own letter to the Corinthians in A.D. 95, refers to ''Matthew'', ''Luke'', ''Corinthians'', ''Hebrews'', ''1st Timothy'', and ''1st Peter'' (Halley, pg. 743).

The oldest surviving New Testament fragment of which there is a reliable date is the [[John Rylands Fragment]] (P52) of the ''Gospel of John'', dating from 117-138 A.D., just decades from when the Gospel was first written.<ref>[http://www.biblefacts.org/history/oldtext.html N.T. Ancient Manuscripts]</ref> The time span between the writing of the New Testament and the oldest surviving fragments are well under two hundred years. By comparison, Greek classics such as [[Herodotus]], [[Plato]], [[Euripides]], and [[Homer]] have a time span well over a thousand years each between the date of the oldest known fragment of writing and the time period they were first written.

==Translations==
===The Peshitta===
The second translated version of the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament (after the Greek Septuaginta) was in the Aramaic language, the Peshitta (Aram. "''simple, common''"). In A.D. 36, both the Queen of Adiabene (the last existing Province of that Assyrian Empire hated and feared by the Jews), known in Greek as Queen Helena (not the mother of Constantine), and known to the Jews as Queen Shlom Zion ("Peace of Zion"), and her son King Ezad were converted to Judaism. Queen Helena's conversion, as well as others of the Kingdom, furthered the already developing translation of the Hebrew Scriptures in her Kingdom's language -Aramaic. That developing translation came to be known as the Peshitta - meaning simple or common speech, in much the same way as the Hebrew Bible would be translated into Latin by Jerome, with extensive help from a Rabbi, and the resultant translation would be called the Vulgate - meaning simple or common speech. The Peshitta, retaining elements of the then Jewish "[[Targum]]ic" (interpretive) and other Jewish understandings of the Hebrew Bible (see [[Midrash]]), is primarily based on the Pre-Masoretic Hebrew Scriptures - though certain books, such as the Prophet Isaiah, are translations primarily from the Septuagint. The development of the Old Testament Peshitta translation is held by some to have taken place alternatively in Adiabene's nearby neighbor Edessa.

As Thomas and his followers went to India, others (possibly Adai [Thaddeus] among them, the Galilean from Caesarea Phillipi) arrived in [[Adiabene]]. Having gone probably to the synagogues first, as did the Apostle Paul, they found already there, if not a populous citizenry, then an elite governmental element, conversant with the Biblical message in Aramaic. From these people, hearing the preaching of the messengers from Israel, came believers in Jesus Christ, and soon after, came the translation of the Greek New Testament Scriptures into Aramaic, and so the Peshitta was increased by inclusion of the New Testament in Aramaic. Most of the deuterocanonical and apocryphal books of the Old Testament are found in the Syriac, held to have been translated from the Hebrew and not from the Septuagint. The rest of the Old Testament known to the early Syrian church was substantially that of the Palestinian Jews but it arranged them in a different order. First there was the Pentateuch, then Job, Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Book of Sirach and most of the deuterocanonical and apocryphal books of the Old Testament, Ruth, Canticles, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah followed by the Twelve Minor Prophets, Jeremiah and Lamentations, Ezekiel, and lastly Daniel. Unlike the Greek canon of the New Testament Scriptures, the Peshitta originally did not include the following books: the Second Epistle of Peter, the Second Epistle of John, the Third Epistle of John, the Epistle of Jude and the Book of Revelation. But these books translated into the Syriac (as Christian Aramaic is known) are now part of the Peshitta and used by the Aramaic-based churches today, primarily in India and the Middle East - the Syrian Catholic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East (Holy Apostolic and Catholic Church of the East), the Indian Orthodox Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Maronite Church, the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, the Syro-Malabar Church and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.<ref>See the following articles and resources:
*[http://www.bible-researcher.com/syriac-isbe.html International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) Article: Syriac Versions. Thomas Nicol]
*[http://www.peshitta.org/initial/peshitta.html History of the Peshitta]
*[http://www.peshitta.org/ Aramaic/English Interlinear New Testament]
*[http://scrollandscreen.com/syriac/index.htm Biblical Studies and Technological Tools. Syriac Tools and Resources] ''access to Syriac Old and New Testaments''
*[http://aramaicnt.org/articles/problems-with-peshitta-primacy/ Problems with Peshitta Primacy]
*[http://madenkha.net/holy_bible/ Index of Holy Bible] ''online access to Aramaic Text of Old and New Testaments of Peshitta''</ref>

Adiabene and its surroundings then became the sending center for a mission to the East that would eventually take advantage of the newly rediscovered monsoon winds blowing for months across the Arabian sea, making it possible for ships' pilots to no longer hug the coasts. And taking advantage of the "[[Silk Road]]" all the way from Antioch in Syria to China, they took the message of Jesus Christ to India (bringing about the Aramaic [Syriac] language churches of Kerala) and even to China itself. And so, the Peshitta, written in the Middle East, for a while became the Scriptures of the Far East Churches of Jesus Christ, particularly in India.

See [[Monophysite]]

===The Vulgate===
[[Jerome]], a Latin scholar deeply interested in the study of the Scriptures, completed the second edition of the Bible in the Latin language. The ''[[Vulgate]]'' was meant to replace the inaccuracies of the earlier ''[[Vetus Latina]]'' (the Old Latin version), the standard Bible of the early Catholic Church in Latin. Jerome had moved to [[Jerusalem]] in 382, and set to work on what eventually became a fresh Latin translation of the Old Testament from the Greek of the ''Septuagint'' and a translation of the Greek New Testament into Latin; then from 390-405 he decided to re-translate his Old Testament directly from the Hebrew text then in use by the Jewish community, which pre-dated the revision of the [[Masoretic Text|Hebrew text]] later written by the Masoretic Hebrew scholars of Judaism between the 7th and 10th centuries. The ''Vulgate'' Bible of 76 books (49 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books) had a marked influence in church history, and it remained the standard Latin Bible in the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. After the Council of Trent defined the canon of the holy Bible as 73 books of scripture "with all their parts", and 1 and 2 Esdras and Prayer of Manasseh had been placed in an appendix to the definitive Clementine Vulgate critical edition, the Vulgate was henceforth the dogmatically defined canonical Bible of the Catholic Church. After 1450 years of use the Vulgate was finally replaced by the ''[[Nova Vulgata]]'' in 1979. The earliest surviving complete manuscript of the entire Latin Bible is the Codex Amiatinus, produced in eighth century England at the double monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow.<ref>The Codex Amiatinus is the most celebrated manuscript of the Latin Vulgate Bible, remarkable as the best witness to the true text of St. Jerome and as a fine specimen of medieval calligraphy. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04081a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Codex Amiatinus] [http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-27372773 BBC News Tyne and Wear. 15 May 2014. Codex Amiatinus Bible returns to its home in Jarrow] [http://www.facsimilefinder.com/facsimiles/codex-amiatinus-facsimile Codex Amiatinus Facsimile Edition]</ref>

===Early English translations authorized by Rome===

Vernacular translations into English and other languages have been authorized by the [[Holy See]] since as early as A.D. 600. Partial translations of the Bible into languages of the English people can be traced back to the end of the 7th century, including translations into Old English and Middle English.<ref>[http://www.bible-researcher.com/anglosaxon.html Anglo-Saxon Versions of Scripture (A.D. 600–1150)] (bible-researcher.com)</ref> A number of Old English Bible translations survive, as do many instances of glosses in the vernacular, especially in the Gospels and the Psalms.<ref>See Roberts, Jane (2011). “Some Psalter Glosses in Their Immediate Context”, in ''Palimpsests and the Literary Imagination of Medieval England'', eds. Leo Carruthers, Raeleen Chai-Elsholz, Tatjana Silec. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 61-79, which looks at three Anglo-Saxon glossed psalters and how layers of gloss and text, language and layout, speak to the meditative reader. See Marsden, Richard (2011), "The Bible in English in the Middle Ages", in The Practice of the Bible in the Middle Ages: Production, Reception and Performance in Western Christianity (New York: Columbia University Press, 2011), pp. 272-295.</ref>

The age of Middle English (1066-1500) beginning with the Norman conquest and ending about 1500 covers the period of authorized and unauthorized Middle English Bible translations.

===Heresies based on abusive use of vernacular translations===

The abuse of vernacular translations of Sacred Scripture made available to the common people was a prominent feature of heresies during the roughly 400-year period from 1100 to 1500.

For example, the Albigensians (also called Cathari "''the pure''"), prevalent during the 12th and 13th centuries in western Europe, particularly in southern France and northern Italy, rejected the authority of Church and State. They appealed to the Scriptures as authority for their doctrines, mostly the New Testament, because the Old Law was regarded by them according to their teaching as mainly a demoniacal creation. Like [[Marcion]] in the 2nd century, they taught the [[Manichaeanism|Manichaean]] doctrine of two Gods, and that the evil God created matter and the whole physical universe to entrap and enslave divine spirits of light, and was the God of the Old Testament and the God of the Jews. They forbade marriage, sexual relations between spouses, condemned the begetting of children, and praised those who chose to starve themselves to death.<ref>[http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Heresies_Heretics/Heresies_Heretics_006.htm Albigensianism, by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.] [http://www.stisidore-yubacity.org/faqalbigenses.html What is the Albigenses/Albigensian Heresy? Albigenses] [http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=31727 Dictionary: Albigensians] (catholicculture.org)</ref>

Another example is Waldo (Valdo), from the city of Lyons, also variously referred to as Valdes, Valdesius, Valdensius. References to the movement he founded call his disciples "Waldensians", "the poor of Lyons", "the Leonese", "the Poor of Lombardy", or simply "the Poor". He arranged for the Gospels and some other books of the Bible to be translated into common speech which he read very often, but without understanding their real meaning. The translations produced were full of mistakes and mistranslations which changed the meaning of the scriptures. Infatuated with his own interpretation of these defective scriptures he usurped authority by presuming to preach the Gospel in the streets, where he made many disciples, and involved them, both men and women, in a similar act of presumption by sending them out, in turn, to preach. These people, ignorant and illiterate, went about through the towns, entering houses and even churches, disturbing families, disrupting worship services, ignoring civil statutes and laws, and spreading many errors. The principal heresy of the Waldensians was contempt for (ignoring of) ecclesiastical power and rejection of governmental authority. They capitalized on the fact that the common people were scandalized by evident corruption and abuses of legitimate authority by individuals in Church and in secular government who, like [[Balaam]] and [[Judas]], betrayed Christ for the sake of gain, in direct and indifferent disobedience to the teaching of the Church. And they opportunistically misrepresented these clearly [http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/aberration aberrent] scandals as if they were authentically representative of the actual teaching and doctrine of the Church (thereby committing what has been defined as sins of [[calumny]] and [[detraction]], fueled by actual [[scandal]]). The Waldensian dispute then, centered on the issue of authority. The fact that they translated the scriptures badly, studied these translations, drew their own conclusions as to what they meant, and "presumed" to preach whatever they believed, without reference to the clergy, was unacceptable.<ref>[http://www.xenos.org/essays/waldensian-movement-waldo-reformation Xenos Christian Fellowship. The Waldensian Movement From Waldo to the Reformation, by Dennis McCallum] (xenos.org)</ref>

A similar phenomenon has animated movements in the 20th and 21st centuries, "[[cult]]s" which claim authority from their founders' particular interpretations of the Bible, doctrines which have resulted in bizarre and self-destructive behavior, all "''based on the Word of God''", such as [[Jonestown]], the [[Branch Davidians]] of [[David Koresh]], and the [[Heaven's Gate]] U.F.O. group. In the 21st century in the United States, the extremist teaching of [[Fred Phelps]] and the [[Westboro Baptist Church]] presents a milder example, claiming the authority of the Bible for their disruptive activities.

In the late Middle Ages, because of the evident, ongoing, and repeated "''[[clear and present danger]]''" to society and to the mental, moral and physical health of the people, so consistently resulting from the direct and apparent association of heretical movements with the act of translating the Bible into the vernacular for anyone to read and interpret as he or she pleased, the Catholic Church began to severely curtail authorization for new translations into the vernacular and subsequently rarely granted permission to anyone who desired to undertake the task during that troubled period, in an attempt to avoid contributing to the problem by providing additional material which, in those days, would certainly give only more occasion for abuse of the meaning of the ''Holy Scriptures'', added to contempt for the authority of the office of the leaders of the Church and the stability of society under the legitimate authority of the office of duly appointed governors, princes and kings.

See [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%207:6&version=NABRE Matthew 7:6], also [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2corinthians%202:17&version=NABRE 2 Corinthians 2:17] and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2corinthians%2011:2-20&version=NABRE 11:2-20], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%201:6-9&version=NABRE Galatians 1:6-9], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=colossians%202:18-19&version=NABRE Colossians 2:18-19], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2peter%201:20-2:3&version=NABRE 2 Peter 1:20-2:3] and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2peter%203:14-17&version=NABRE 3:14-17]. —See also [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2022:27&version=NABRE Exodus 22:27( KJV 22:28 )], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2016:1-11&version=NABRE Numbers 16:1-11],[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2013:1-5&version=NABRE Romans 13:1-5], and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jude%201:8&version=NABRE Jude 8], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jude%201:11&version=NABRE 11], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jude%201:17-19&version=NABRE 17-19]. Compare [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%202:17-24&version=NABRE Romans 2:17-24]

See [[Cafeteria Christianity]] and [[Cafeteria Catholic]].

''For a more detailed treatment, see '''[http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-great-heresies The Great Heresies''']''

==Printing==
[[Image:Gutenburg1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Printers copy of a page from a Gutenberg Bible, printed in Germany about 1469.]]
[[Johannes Gutenberg]] of [[Mainz]], [[Germany]] invented the first mechanical printing press in 1448. His machine consisted of a large press which when cranked down, pressed a sheet of paper upon a platform in which were set thousands of inked metal letter typefaces (called "movable type"), set in place to read for a particular page. The first book in history printed by this method was the [[Gutenberg Bible]], in the ''Vulgate'' Latin version, of which 180 were printed, and approximately 50 survive today in varying conditions around the world.

The Gutenberg Bible marked another first: printed Bibles could be mass-produced to get them into the hands of many people at a low cost. They first had to be translated out of Latin into a common language, and [[Martin Luther]] made the great German translation, 1522-1534. The Protestant Reformers emphasized that laymen should study the Bible, and printing made it possible for them to go beyond the interpretations shown in [[stained glass windows]] (the "Bible of the illiterate") to the actual text.

==English language versions of the Bible==

===Wycliff's Bible===
The first translation of the whole Latin Bible into English by dissident scholars in the English Catholic Church was made under the supervision of the English cleric [[John Wyclif]] in the 1380s, with the assistance of Nicholas Hereford and John Purvey. Wyclif held that the Bible should be placed directly in the hands of the people, but was this was opposed by the English Church hierarchy of his day; indeed, one of Wyclif's opponents, Henry Knighton, compared giving the Bible to the people in English to "casting pearls before swine". Archbishop Arundel of Canterbury promulgated a ban on all English Bibles in 1407, and possession of one was considered evidence of [[heresy]].

Wyclif's was a scholarly translation, based on the [[Latin]], [[Greek]], and [[Hebrew]] texts, but was found to be unwieldy due to its adherence to Latin grammar (in which, for instance, verbs tend to be at the end of sentences). A second Wycliffite translation was prepared late in this period, which avoided this problem, but due to the fact that it could only be distributed in manuscript form, it was an expensive volume. Outside of the nobility and gentry, it was more common to see only a single [[The Gospels|Gospel]], or a copy of the Psalms, rather than an entire Bible, which cost more than the average working person could earn in a year.

Over the next century, its form of English gradually became antiquated, leading English Protestants such as [[William Tyndale]] to feel that an entirely new translation was needed.

===Tyndale===
During the middle of the 16th century there was a renewed sense of the need to get the Bible directly into the hands of the common man; prior to that the Bible was restricted to readings in the Church alone. The Reformers were a group of people who were shocked at the differences between what the Roman Catholic Church was practicing as opposed to their readings (interpretations) of what the Bible stated can or cannot be done (this was one of the causes of the [[Reformation]]). At great cost to themselves, the Reformers began the work of translating the Bible in the various languages of Europe; the printing press would ensure the newly translated Bibles would be mass-produced.

[[William Tyndale]] was committed to getting the Bible into the hands of his English countrymen. Expressing open defiance of the Pope, Tyndale declared that if God would spare his life he would make it possible for even an ordinary farmer to know more about the Scriptures than the Pope.<ref>[http://creationwiki.org/Biblical_canon#Tyndale CreationWiki. Bible Canon#Tyndale] (creationwiki.org)</ref> Tyndale's translation of the New Testament was completed on the Continent by 1525. By April, 1526, 6,000 copies were printed and delivered to England. Official opposition led to the destruction of most of them, not because of the translation of the Biblical text itself, but because Tyndale also held and published views which were considered heretical, first by the Catholic Church, and later by the Church of England, which was established by King [[Henry VIII]] in 1536.<ref>Act of Supremacy, (1534) English act of Parliament that recognized Henry VIII as the “Supreme Head of the Church of England.” [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/574743/Act-of-Supremacy Encyclopedia Britannica. Act of Supremacy: England (1534)] [http://www.britainexpress.com/History/tudor/supremacy-henry-text.htm Henry VIII 's Act of Supremacy (1534) - original text]</ref> His Bible translation also included notes and commentary promoting these views.<ref>[http://www.tyndale-bible.com/tyndale-bible-history.html TYNDALE BIBLE HISTORY. William Tyndale (1494-1536). The History of William Tyndale and his Bibles] [http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=4749&CFID=4143742&CFTOKEN=81204680 Tyndale's Heresy, by Matthew A. C. Newsome] [http://www.bible-researcher.com/tyndale4.html Tyndale] (bible-researcher.com) [http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/william-tyndale.html English Bible History. William Tyndale] (greatsite.com) [http://wesley.nnu.edu/sermons-essays-books/william-tyndales-translation/ The Wesley Center Online: '''William Tyndale's Translation'''] ''online access to the text of Tyndale's Bible''.</ref> Tyndale's translation was banned by the authorities. Even King Henry VIII in 1531 condemned the Tyndale Bible as a corruption of Scripture. In the words of King Henry's advisors: "the translation of the Scripture corrupted by William Tyndale should be utterly expelled, rejected, and put away out of the hands of the people, and not be suffered to go abroad among his subjects." <ref>Henry Grey Graham, Where we got the Bible: Our debt to the Catholic Church © 1977 Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 153 pages. ASIN: B0006YDQ5Q p. 128-130.</ref> Bishop [[Tunstall]] of London <ref>[http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/tunstall.htm Cuthbert Tunstall]</ref> declared that there were upwards of 2,000 errors in Tyndale's Bible.<ref>[http://catholicapologetics.info/apologetics/general/charge.htm The Charge of Burning Bibles]</ref> The following year Tyndale himself, at the instigation of agents of Henry VIII and the Anglican Church, was arrested and, for his efforts, charged with heresy, and, on May 21, 1536, was executed, burned at the stake. Nevertheless, the printing press rendered it impossible to completely suppress such a book, and new copies were printed on the Continent and smuggled into [[England]]. His efforts at translating the Bible led to the [[Matthews Bible]] (1537) and the [[Bishop's Bible]] (1568), but with many of his notes radically edited by censors or editors, or entirely removed, and these versions led to the [[Geneva Bible]] (1599), and finally to the [[King James Bible|King James Version]], where ninety percent of the text closely follows Tyndale's translation.

===Authorised or King James Version===
[[Image:E-sword.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The internet has increased the availability of the Bible worldwide. Shown here is a screenshot to [[E-Sword]], a freely-downloadable Bible study program.<ref>[http://www.e-sword.net E-Sword]</ref> (Rick Meyers, 2007)]]
In 1601 King [[James I]] selected forty-seven of the ablest scholars in [[England]] to undertake the creation of a standard Bible in English, based upon careful translations of the [[Masoretic Text]] used by the Jewish community, and the best Greek translations (especially the ''[[Textus Receptus]]'') then available. The scholars were divided into six committees in [[Oxford]], [[Westminster]], and [[Cambridge]], with each scholar dedicating himself to doing a portion of the Bible, often consulting each other to check the flow and harmony of the work in progress. The result was the 1611 Authorised Version, known in [[United States of America|America]] as the [[King James Bible|King James Version]].

In its early days, the KJV was heavily criticized; but in time, with official pressure, it won the field and became "the Bible" for English-reading people—a position it held for almost 400 years.<ref>''Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary''. "Bible Translations", Jack P. Lewis and Charles W. Draper. p. 214.</ref>

The effects of the Authorised Version were profound. Using less than 2,500 different words in its vocabulary, this Bible was written in a poetic style matched by few. The work influenced the writings of [[Shakespeare]]. [[John Milton]] has numerous images taken from this Bible in his ''[[Paradise Lost]]''. The direct style of writing caused it to be easily available to the common man. Poets and writers, such as [[Herman Melville]], [[Walt Whitman]], [[Emily Dickinson]] and many others were deeply inspired by it. It altered the course of English history, with England growing to a world power since the book's publication. When asked by a visiting dignitary what made England great, [[Queen Victoria]] pulled out her copy of the Bible and declared "This is the secret of England's greatness."

====Problems with the King James Version====

{{main|Badger skins (Bible)}}

Beginning in the 17th century, the same century in which it was published, Protestant scholars, orientalists, hebraists and linguists began pointing out defects in the [[King James Bible|Authorized King James Version]].<ref>[[Isaac H. Hall]]. [http://www.bible-researcher.com/kjvdefects.html ''The Revised New Testament and History of Revision'' (1881) "Defects of the King James Version"]
:"Our translators of the seventeenth century, in a great many instances, misunderstood the sense."</ref> One of these was the translation of 'orot tachashim as "badgers' skins", because it so plainly violates the biblical context of [[Leviticus]] [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:4-8&version=KJV chapter 11:4-8], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:24-28&version=KJV 24-29], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:42-45&version=KJV 42-45], and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%205&version=KJV Leviticus chapter 5]. "Badgers' skins" is the King James Version (AV) translation of the Hebrew word '''תחשׁ''' '''''taḥash''''', and of the Hebrew term (singular) '''עור תחשׁ''' '''''uwr taḥash / 'or taḥash''' "skin taḥash"'', and of the plural form '''ערת תחשׁים''' '''''uwr't taḥashim / 'orot taḥashim''' "skins taḥashim"''. [[Adam Clarke]] himself ([http://biblehub.com/commentaries/clarke/exodus/25.htm ''Adam Clarke's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible'' (1831) Exodus 25]) has pointed out the substantial inaccuracy of the KJV interpretive translation:
:"badgers' skins, (rather violet-coloured skins)...Badgers' skins — ערת תחשים oroth techashim. Few terms have afforded greater perplexity to critics and commentators than this."
See [[Badger skins (Bible)#Protestant commentaries 17th through 19th centuries|Protestant commentaries 17th through 19th centuries]]

The original meaning of ''' תחשׁ ''t'''a'''ḥ'''a'''š / taḥash / tachash / techash / t'khesh''''' has been debated for centuries. According to ''Encyclopaedia Judaica'' the AV and JPS 1917 translation ''[[badger]]'' has no basis in fact.<ref name=Enc.Jud.>''Encyclopaedia Judaica'' 2nd Edition Volume 19:435. TAḤASH.</ref><ref>''Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary'' page 161. Badger Skins</ref> Translating ערת תחשׁים ''skins taḥashim'' as "badgers' skins" also presents a [[contradiction]]. The Book of Leviticus, chapter 11, forbids touching the carcasses of all animals that walk on '''paws''', because they are '''טָמֵא''' ''tame'' [[Taboo|unclean]]. This is no trivial matter, as [[God]] Himself is thus represented in the KJV as commanding the handling and use of skins of carcasses He forbids the Israelites to touch, and as commanding them to cover the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant with unclean skins and then commanding them to remove from the camp all that is unclean so that nothing unclean will be seen by Him in the camp ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%205:2-3&version=KJV Numbers 5:2-3]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deuteronomy%2023:14&version=KJV Deuteronomy 23:14]). They are forbidden to defile the tabernacle, the sanctuary of the LORD ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2020:2-3&version=KJV Leviticus 20:2-3]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2021:10-12&version=KJV 21:10-12]), and they are commanded to cover it with '''טָמֵא''' ''tame'' [http://bibleapps.com/hebrew/2931.htm unclean/polluting/defiling "badgers' skins" (KJV).] Even on the sole [[hermeneutics|hermeneutical principle]] of "Scripture interprets Scripture" this is not accurate, and it presents a serious difficulty. [[John Grigg Hewlett]], D.D. (''Bible difficulties explained'' 1860) says:<blockquote>"It would involve a great inconsistency, that the ark of the covenant, which was considered so holy, that no human hand could touch it with impunity, except the hands of those who had been consecrated to God, that it should constantly be covered with the skins of unclean animals...Therefore the coverings of purple, or blue, which our translators have called 'badgers' skins', were of a material that was accounted pure, and could not impart any impurity to those who prepared them, or to those whose office it was to adjust them amidst the vicissitudes of the camp of Israel."<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=J5kCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA159&SOURCE=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q=badger&f=false ''Bible difficulties explained'' (1860) "Badgers' skins" pages 159–163].</ref></blockquote>

The KJV was first published in 1611, a year after the [[Douay-Rheims|Douay-Rheims Bible]]. The later KJV revision of 1769 <ref>[http://www.bible-researcher.com/canon10.html Changes in the King James Version]</ref> is the version generally published today as the King James Bible, and is the form of the text cited here:

[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%205:2&version=KJV Leviticus 5:2] "if a soul touch any unclean thing...he also shall be unclean and guilty"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%205:5-6&version=KJV Leviticus 5:5-6] "he shall confess that he hath sinned"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:5-8&version=KJV Leviticus 11:5-8] "and their carcase shall ye not touch, they are unclean to you"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:24-28&version=KJV Leviticus 11:24-28] "and whatsoever goeth upon his paws...those are unclean unto you"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:43-44&version=KJV Leviticus 11:43-44] "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable...neither shall ye make yourselves unclean...neither shall ye defile yourselves"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2022&version=KJV Leviticus 22] "Say unto them, Whosoever ''he be'' of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I ''am'' the LORD."
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%204:15-20&version=KJV Numbers 4:15-20] "but they shall not touch ''any'' holy thing, lest they die"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deuteronomy%2023:14&version=KJV Deuteronomy 23:14] "For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee."

The Committee appointed by [[James I of England]] that was tasked with the translation of the Bible was made of men who had read the Bible in Hebrew and Greek and Latin and knew these passages. Yet they chose to translate ''tachashim'' as unclean badgers "''that goeth upon paws''" whose carcasses the Israelites were forbidden to touch.

[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2025:1-8&version=KJV Exodus 25:1-8] "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering...rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2026:14&version=KJV Exodus 26:14] "and a covering above of badgers' skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2035:7&version=KJV Exodus 35:7] "and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2035:23&version=KJV Exodus 35:23] "and red skins of rams, and badger skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2036:19&version=KJV Exodus 36:19] "and a covering of badgers' skins above that"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2039:34&version=KJV Exodus 39:34] "And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%204:6-25&version=KJV Numbers 4:6-25] "a covering of badgers' skins...the covering of badgers' skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ezekiel%2016:10&version=KJV Ezekiel 16:10] "and shod thee with badgers' skin"

Readers of the KJV saw a grave difficulty here because of the apparently great inconsistency that the holy ark of the covenant and the Tabernacle of the LORD should be constantly covered with skins of unclean animals which made unclean anyone who touched them. The Douay-Rheims Bible had translated the skins as [[Badger skins (Bible)#Douay-Rheims Bible|"''violet skins''"]].

The ''[[motivation]]'' for interpreting and translating ''tachash skins'' in the Bible as being skins of creatures the Israelites are clearly forbidden to touch is unclear, and a mystery, what is known in [[Logic]] as a [[non sequiter]] (Lat. "''it does not follow''"). The ''[[purpose]]'' being served by a deliberate translation of תחשׁ as badger and of ערת תחשׁים as badgers' skins, by scholars who have a thorough knowledge of the whole of the Bible, and of the history of the Hebrew language and of the ''fauna'' and varied customs of the ancient Middle East, is also a ''non sequiter'' mystery, involving an [[Evidence|evident]] contradiction of the context of the Bible. Alternate word choices, harmoniously consistent with the biblical context, and attested by the ancient sources as cited in scholarly published commentaries both technical and general, were available to the translators, who chose not to use them. Their translation covers the tabernacle, the ark and the sacred vessels with the equivalent of ''' טָמֵא ''' ''tame'' unclean [[Pig|swine]]s' skins ([http://biblehub.com/multi/leviticus/11-8.htm Leviticus 11:3-8], [http://biblehub.com/multi/leviticus/11-27.htm 11:24-28]). The inconsistency is not in the ancient biblical text, but in the interpretations of translators which violate its context.<blockquote>"A text without a context is a pretext for a [[Cafeteria Christianity#Proof texts|proof text]]." Donald A. Carson, ''Exegetical Fallacies''.<ref>Carson, Donald A., Ph.D. ''Exegetical Fallacies'', Nov. 30, 1983, 2nd edition Mar. 1, 1996. Baker Publishing Group. 160 pages. ISBN 978-0801020865.</ref></blockquote>

Study Bible footnotes, along with published articles, Bible dictionaries, commentaries, encyclopedias, and books on the Bible, and a multitude of internet online blogs and pages, which strongly support the translation of ערת תחשׁים as badgers' skins or as the skins of any kind of sea mammal, often omit the fact that within the context of the Bible these creatures are classified as unclean, defiling '''שִׁקַּץ ''' ''sheqats'' abominations, as loathsome, abhorrent, detestible, filthy and disgusting for the people of Israel. Those that do mention it offer various speculative [[Excuse|rationale]]s, [[debate]]s and [[Editorial|discussions]] to explain why in their [[opinion]] God would command the Israelites to cover the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant and the sacred vessels for worship with skins of unclean animals and abominations they are explicitly forbidden to touch, skins and hides that according to the word of the LORD defile any Israelites who touch them. Many of them assert that the prohibitions in Leviticus 11 are ''dietary'' rules only ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:2&version=KJV Lev. 11:2], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:46-47&version=KJV 11:46-47]), and declare that touching and wearing skins and leather of unclean animals is permitted as long as their flesh is not eaten.<ref name=opinion>Eight examples:
*[http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9912/jewish/Chapter-11.htm#showrashi=true Chabad.ORG —Rashi's commentary Vayikra-Leviticus-Chapter 11],
*[http://ravkooktorah.org/TRUMA61.htm Terumah: Tachash Skins in the Tabernacle, Rabbi Chaim Morrison],
*[http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/681556/jewish/Can-I-wear-pigskin-shoes.htm Can I wear pigskin shoes? By Shmuel Kogan],
*[http://www.jewishtreats.org/2012/11/picking-up-pigskin.html Jewish Treats: Juicy Bits of Judaism, Daily: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 —Picking Up Pigskin],
*[http://www.jewsingreen.com/2005/08/pigskin-boots Jews in Green: Jews serving proudly:—News: Pigskin Boots, Posted by Lt Joe Friedman on 03 Aug 2005],
*[http://www.jewfaq.org/animals.htm Judaism 101. Treatment of Animals. Tza'ar Ba'alei Chayim <big>'''צער בעלי החיים'''</big>: Cruelty to Animals © Copyright 5756-5771 (1995-2011), Tracey R Rich],
*[http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200003867 Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY: Insight, Volume 2 it-2 pp. 883-884 Sealskin. Copyright © 2014 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania],
*[http://www.kjvtoday.com/home/badgers-skin-or-another-type-of-leather-in-exodus-255-et-al KJV Today: "Badgers' skin" or another type of leather in Exodus 25:5 et al.?] —''compare multiple commentaries on:'' [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/leviticus/5-2.htm Leviticus 5:2]; [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/leviticus/11-8.htm 11:8] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/leviticus/11-27.htm 11:27]</ref> These commentaries say that touching the carcass of these animals is only a minor offense which did not require an atoning sacrifice, and that it applied only to ''kohanim'' (priests) and applied to the laity only during the three feasts of Passover/Unleavened Bread, Weeks/Pentecost, and Booths/Tabernacles (Deut. 16). And some cite the ''Talmud'' as their authority, for example, Tractate ''Rosh Hashana'' 16b,<ref>[http://halakhah.com/pdf/moed/Rosh_HaShanah.pdf Babylonian Talmud, Seder ''Mo'ed'', Tractate ''Rosh Hashana'', Folio 16b] —''scroll down to page'' 40</ref> and the ''Sifra'', ''Torath Kohanim'' 11:74,<ref>'''Sifra''' (Aramaic <big>'''סִפְרָא'''</big>, "book" or "The Book"), a ''midrash halakhah'' from the school of R. Akiva on the Book of Leviticus. See [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13646-sifra ''Jewish Encyclopedia'': Sifra]; ''Encyclopaedia Judaica'' Vol 18 San-Sol 18:560-562 SIFRA; See [http://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%90 Sifra Hebrew text, ed. I. H. Weiss 1862 Vienna.]</ref> and Rashi's commentary,<ref name=opinion/> providing us with an example of what the prophet Jeremiah said, <blockquote>"How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us'? But behold, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie" ([http://biblehub.com/multi/jeremiah/8-8.htm Jeremiah 8:8]).</blockquote> They omit any reference to that part of Leviticus which decrees that wilfully touching the carcasses of unclean animals (which must be done to harvest their skins) is a '''sin''', which even Rashi's commentary confirms. No mention is made by them of the law in the Torah which says: "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable...neither shall ye make yourselves unclean...neither shall ye defile yourselves" (Leviticus 11:43-44) <ref>See: '''Exodus''' 31:14; '''Leviticus''' 7:19, 21; 10:10; 11:43-44; 18:20, 24, 30; 20:25; 21:4, 11; 22:8; '''Numbers''' 5:3; 6:7; 19:13, 20; 35:33-34; '''Deuteronomy''' 23:14; 27:26.</ref> and that anyone who wilfully does this will be cut off.<ref>see [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%205:2-6&version=KJV Leviticus 5:2-6], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%205:17-19&version=KJV 5:17-19]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2015:29-31&version=KJV Numbers 15:29-31]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2019:20&version=KJV 19:20.]</ref> Some commentaries on the Old Testament supporting ''badgers' skins'' and ''sea mammals' skins'' as the covering of the tabernacle cite the New Testament example of [[Saint Paul]] working with Simon the tanner (Acts 9:43; 10:6, 32), as if both of them were examples of Jews wilfully working with the skins of ''non-kosher'' beasts. Some cite Pliny's ''Natural History'' 2:56,<ref>previously cited in the 19th century: [http://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/B/badger.html ''McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature'' (1887) B: badger]; [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/clarke/exodus/25.htm ''Adam Clarke's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible'' (1831) Exodus 25]</ref> which says that [pagan] temples had roofs of sealskin, as if this applied to the Israelites under the Law of Moses, and cite Eduard Rüppell's short-lived ''taxonomic'' designation of the dugong as ''Halicore tabernaculi'' "dugong of the tabernacle" as an additional support for their opinion.<ref>While travelling the Middle East around the Red Sea and the [[Arabian Peninsula]], Rüppell observed a variety of [[dugong]] which he subsequently designated ''[[Taxonomy|taxonomically]]'' as ''Halicore tabernaculi'' (1843) according to his view that the skin of this animal was certainly used as the outer covering of the tabernacle of the Hebrews, because the Bedouin harvested its skin for tent-curtains and for shoes and called it ''tukhesh, duchash''. His taxonomic designation ''Halicore tabernaculi'' did not last long (1843-1847) and has since been recombined several times, more recently as ''Dugong dugon'' (1963-1998). Three sources:
*[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/512932/Eduard-Ruppell ''Encyclopaedia Britannica''. "Eduard Rüppell"]
*[http://www.probertencyclopedia.com/B_DUGONG.HTM The Probert Encyclopedia of Nature. "Dugong".] "A variety [of dugong] was discovered in the Red Sea by Ruppell, and called Halicore tabernaculi."
*[http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no65051&is_real_user=0 The Paleobiology Database:] —''when the page comes up, at'' "You must enter a taxon name" ''move cursor to'' "Full search"—''menu will appear; select'' "classifications of taxa in groups" ''and click—when'' "Taxonomic classification search form" ''appears enter '''''Halicore tabernaculi''''' in the top search field (ignore the rest), click'' [Show classification]—''page will display "Halicore tabernaculi'' Rüppell 1843"—''click highlighted link'' "Halicore tabernaculi"–''page will show list "Dugong dugon'' Illiger 1811: Classification of '''Trichechus dugon''' (''Halicore tabernaculi'' Ruppell/Rupell 1843): the listing of the zoological taxonomic nomenclature of the dugong on that page is here rearranged in chronological order:
:'''''Trichechus dugung''''' Erxleben 1777 (this nomenclature lasted 22 years)
:'''''Dugong indicus''''' Lacépède 1799 (this nomenclature lasted 12 years)
:'''''Dugong dugong''''' Illiger 1811 (this nomenclature lasted 21 years)
:'''''Halicore hemprichii''''' and '''''Halicore lottum''''' Ehrenberg 1832 (this nomenclature lasted 11 years)
:'''''Halicore tabernaculi''''' Rüppell 1843 (4 years)
:'''''Halicore australis''''' Owen 1847 (this nomenclature lasted 51 years)
:'''''Halicore cetacea''''' Heuglin, recombined as '''''Halicore dugung''''' Trouessart 1898 (this nomenclature lasted 65 years)
:It was recombined as "'''''Dugong dugon'''''" Scheffer and Rice 1963 also Husar 1978, Domning 1994, 1996, and Rice 1998 (this nomenclature has lasted for 35 years+).</ref> The 1843 published ''scientific'' nomen ''Halicore tabernaculi'', expressing as it did the personal opinion of a ''professional zoologist'', Eduard Rüppell, was soon discarded by the scientific community, but it has nevertheless persuaded many to this day that science has established that the ''dugong'' was indeed the animal whose skins were used to cover the tabernacle. However, it has no fins or scales. According to the Bible this creature is an abomination to the Jews (loathsome / abhorrent / detestible / filthy / disgusting) (Leviticus 11:10-12).<ref>[http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200003867?q=Bible&p=sen Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY: Insight, Volume 2 it-2 pp. 883-884 Sealskin.]</ref> [[Jesus]] himself commented on the practice of constantly seeking pretexts for making exceptions to the ''[[Torah]]:''<blockquote>"You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!" (Mark 7:9 RSV).<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%207:9-13&version=KJV Mark 7:9-13]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2015:1-9&version=KJV Matthew 15:1-9]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2023:16-22&version=KJV 23:16-22]</ref></blockquote>

====King James Only====

Advocates of the [[King James Only]] movement are fully persuaded that the translators of the King James Version of the Bible always chose the correct reading [interpretation] of the biblical text, under the infallible guidance of the Holy Spirit Himself, and that therefore the translation ''badgers' skins'' is the most accurate possible English translation of the Hebrew ערת תחשׁים and עור תחשׁ and תחשׁ . They declare without reservation that the King James Bible is the divinely preserved, infallible Word of God, and that it is the only and final authority on all matters of faith and morals and practice for the whole of the English-speaking world.<ref>James D. Price. [http://www.truth.sg/resources/KJV%20Onlyism%20-%20a%20New%20Sect%20-%20Introduction%20-%20Dr%20J%20Price.pdf ''King James Onlyism: A New Sect.'' Introduction: The King James Only Doctrine Is a New Idea].</ref>
:–See the [http://www.kjvbibles.com/kjpreface.htm '''''Preface to the King James Version of 1611'''''].<blockquote>"...wee affirme and avow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set foorth by men of our profession (for wee have seene none of theirs of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the word of God, nay, '''is the word of God'''..."</blockquote>

::::—''from the'' Preface to the King James Version of 1611: The Translators to the Reader. (''boldface emphasis added'')

See '''[[Logical fallacy]]'''.

=== Other versions ===

Today, the Bible is available in many versions across the English-speaking world, and has been translated into languages spoken by the vast majority of people on Earth, and even portions into a recently created language from the fictional world of [[Star Trek]], [[Klingon]].<ref>[http://www.kli.org/wiki/index.php?Klingon%20Bible%20Translation%20Project Klingon Bible Translation Project]</ref> The past two decades saw the emergence of [[Internet]] use; the creation of the Bible as a software program was inevitable, and several, such as [[E-Sword]] and Theophilos, are available at no cost with a wealth of Bible-study material as well.

==Bible Scientific Foreknowledge==
[[Bible scientific foreknowledge]] holds that the Bible shows an understanding of scientific knowledge beyond that believed to exist at the time the Bible was composed. Many Christian scientists and apologists such as the Christian scientists and apologists at [[Creation Ministries International]], [[Answers in Genesis]], and [[CreationWiki]] assert that the [http://creationwiki.org/index.php/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge Bible contains knowledge that shows an understanding of scientific knowledge beyond that believed to exist at the time the Bible was composed].<ref>[http://creationwiki.org/index.php/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge Bible Scientific Foreknowledge]</ref><ref>[http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/science.shtml Clarifying Christianity. Science and the Bible] (clarifyingchristianity.com)</ref><ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v17/i1/medicine.asp Modern medicine? It's not so modern! by David A. Wise] (answersingenesis.org)</ref>

==Humor in the Bible==

{{main|Humor in the Bible}}

The Bible, especially the Old Testament, contains irony, puns, sarcasm, etc. It may be noted that the sense of what is humorous varies from people to people and from nation to nation, as well as varying from age to age. What caused a chuckle, smile, or laughter in the biblical "genre" was more connected with ''satisfaction'' at the vindication of righteousness among men. Thus to our day and age, and the commonality of people, for believers and non believers, the meaning of the spewing up of Jonah on the shores (even the great fish could not stomach him!) might be viewed as God working out His original will in history. Jonah's flight from responsibility being aborted, for the people in the "days and ages" of the Bible, there was the added satisfaction derived from the understanding that God was not mocked by the rebellion of Jonah. Likewise that the "many cattle" also found repentance and acceptance by God, would not have brought the smile of glee, mingled with doubt, but the smile of satisfaction that God's wide heart found its exultant victory over the measly, narrow perspective of the renagade prophet. There was no shame to stifle the Biblical chuckle at the "hows" of the vindication of God's justice. Yet, what we consider humorous also appears:

For example:

*After noticing that his father-in-law Laban was not treating him as in the past, Jacob decided to flee with his family. Rachel, one of Jacob’s wives, stole her father Laban’s teraphim (statues used for idolatry and/or divination). Laban pursued them and intercepted them in the Gilead mountains (Genesis 31:30): "Why have you stolen my gods?" Laban said to Jacob. The Midrash comments that it cannot be much of a god if it can be stolen (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 74:8). Jonsson (1985, 44-45) suggests that there is humor (albeit "rough" humor) in the fact that, not only was Laban deceived, but his idols were actually underneath his daughter Rachel’s posterior while she claimed that the "manner of women" was upon her. This idol did not get much respect. [http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/economic/friedman/bibhumor.htm]

*In the Orthodox Bible, in the Epistle of Jeremiah, the prophet declares with delightful contempt the stupidity of the idols of Babylon. Their faces have to be wiped to get the dust off them. They have weapons in their hands but cannot punish anyone who offends them. They are as useless as a broken dish. Their eyes are clogged with dust from the feet of the worshippers entering to adore them. Their priests lock them up like a man who has offended the king and has been sentenced to death. Bats, swallows and birds perch on their heads, and so do cats. If they are tipped over, they cannot get up. Their priests howl and shout before them as some do at a funeral feast for a man who has died. When fire breaks out in their temples the priests run away and the idols are burned in two like logs. Robbers strip them naked and they cannot help themselves. The door of a house that protects its contents, or a wooden pillar in a palace holding up the roof is better than these useless gods. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber patch guarding nothing, so are these gods.

*In the book of Esther, Haman, the prime minister of King Ahasuerus of Persia who hates Mordecai the Jew and has built a gallows 50 cubits high to hang him on it, has entered the court to ask for Mordecai's death. The king, meanwhile, not being able to sleep, hears in the reading of the records that Mordecai once saved the king from assassination, and that Mordecai received no reward. The king seeks an opinion from one of his court and asks who is immediately available. Haman enters, and the king asks him what should be done to honor the man who pleases the king, and Haman thinks to himself, "Who should the king wish to honor more than me?" So he makes his recommendation, to dress the man in the king's own robes, to set a crown on his head, to set him on the king's own horse, and have the king's most noble prince conduct him throughout the city proclaiming, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor." The king then told Haman, "Quickly! Take the robes and the horse, as you said, and do it to Mordecai the Jew. Omit nothing you mentioned." When he had obeyed the king, he ran home, mourning, with his head covered.

*In the [[Acts of the Apostles]] is a serious incident which has some wonderfully slapstick comedic overtones (19:11-16). God had been doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, and even cloths that he had touched were applied to the sick and to possessed persons and they were completely cured. So some traveling Jewish [[Exorcism|exorcists]] decided to use the Name of Jesus as a ''word of power'' over people who were possessed, by saying, "I ''adjure'' you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches".<ref>[http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/adjure "adjure"] (oxforddictionaries.com). See [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01142c.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: adjuration]. [http://www.stubbornthings.org/authority-justice-law/ Authority, Justice, Law] (stubbornthings.org) ''the authority required to legitimately adjure''.</ref> When the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, did this, the evil spirit said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know: ''but who are you?''", and he leaped on them and beat them so badly they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

==Bible Translations==
The Bible has been translated many times and in many ways so anyone, from the youngest child to the most learned scholar, can read the entire scripture in their own language and at their own reading level. Early versions in the languages of their people include the Septuagint, Syriac [http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/syriacbib.html Peshitta] and [[Vulgate]], also the [http://archive.org/details/rosettaproject_arb_gen-1 Arabic], the [http://lexicity.com/coptic-biblical-texts.html Coptic], and Persic [http://www.wordproject.org/bibles/parallel/g/farsi.htm Farsi]. Here are some common English versions:

*[[American Standard Version]]
*[[Amplified Bible]]
*[[Douay-Rheims]]
*[[English Standard Version]]
*[[Good News Version]]
*[[King James Version]]
*[[Living Bible]]
*[[New American Standard Version]]
*[[New English Bible]]
*[[New International Version]]
*[[New King James Version]]
*[[Revised Standard Version]]
*[[Revised Version]]
*[[Septuagint]]
*[[Wycliffe Bible]]
*[[Conservative Bible]] - still a work-in-progress here at Conservapedia

==Bible versions==
Apart from Bibles that include the Apocrypha, ''The [[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'' is a distinct version that was produced to justify many of the unique doctrines of [[Jehovah's Witnesses]].

[[Joseph Smith]], founder of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints]] also produced his own version of the Bible which was published after his death: see [http://www.help4rlds.com/pwtu/PWTUChap9.pdf Joseph Smith’s ''Inspired Version'' of the Bible pdf]

Online multiple versions are also available for comparison by entering '''Bibles online''' in the search-engine window of the computer.
:Simultaneous multiple versions of any one Bible verse are available at biblehub.com.
:A drop-down menu of a multiple selection of Bible translations and versions is available on the biblegateway.com site.

:For example: See a sample of the biblehub.com site with multilingual versions and translations of [http://biblehub.com/multi/john/3-16.htm '''John 3:16'''].

:For example: See a sample of the biblegateway.com site with drop-down menu feature: [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%203:16&version=NABRE '''John 3:16 NABRE''']

Below at External links is featured online access to several versions of the Bible in English: '''[[Bible#English]]'''

===Greek Bible online===

'''''Greek/English Bible''''' [http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/ Greek original according to the text used by the Church of Greece. English translation by L.C.L. Brenton, published side by side] Greek Septuagint and Greek New Testament

===Clementine Vulgate online===

'''''The Clementine Vulgate''''' [http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/The%20Clementine%20Vulgate%20-%20%28vulsearch.sourceforge.net%29.pdf BIBLIA SACRA JUXTA VULGATAM CLEMENTINAM EDITIO ELECTRONICA PLURIMIS CONSULTIS EDITIONIBUS DILIGENTER PRÆPARATA A MICHAELE TVVEEDALE .pdf]

===1611 Authorized Version online===

'''''Authorized Version''''' [http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611-Bible/ Official King James Bible Online. original 1611 King James Bible, Old Testament, New Testament, Apocrypha]

== See also ==
*[[Bible exegesis]]
*[[Biblical Canon]]
*[[Christian apologetics|Evidence supporting the Bible]]
*[[Bible apologetics website resources]]
*[[Bible prophecy]]
*[[Biblical accuracy]]
*[[Famous Bible paintings]]
*[[Gematria]]
*[[Midrash]]
*[[Targum]]
*[[Pseudepigrapha]]
*[[Aramaic Church]]
*[[Judaism]]
*[[Essay: The Way of Salvation]]
*[[Essay: How to choose a Bible]]
*[[Conservative Bible Project]]
*[[Inspiration of Holy Scripture: An Eastern Christian and Jewish Perspective]]
*[[New Testament understanding through the Jewish perspective]]
*[[Messianic Prophecies]]
*[[Gospel reading in the Church: the Turgama]]
*[[Wicked Bible]]
*[[Badger skins (Bible)]]
*[[Biblical timeline]]
*[[Literalist Bible chronology]]
*[[Harmony of the Gospel (Conservative Version)]]
*[[Revelation, Book of (historical exegesis)]]

==External links==
===Bible societies ===
*[http://www.americanbible.org/ American Bible Society]
*[http://www.biblesociety.org/ United Bible Society]
*[http://www.ibs.org/ The International Bible Society (New York/Colorado Springs)]
*[http://www.wbtc.com/site/PageServer World Bible Translation Center]
*[http://www.wycliffe.org/home.htm Wycliffe Bible Translators]
*[http://www.labibliaweb.com/ La Biblia] In Spanish.

===Online, internet, and downloadable Bibles===
====Hebrew====
* [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0.htm Hebrew-English Bible] ([[Jewish Publication Society of America|JPS]] 1917 translation; includes Hebrew audio)
* [http://tanakhml2.alacartejava.net/cocoon/tanakhml/d13.php2xml?sfr=1&prq=1&pnt=tru&acc=tru&dia=tru&enc=heb XML Hebrew-English (KJV) Bible]
* [http://www.spcm.org/english/Hebrew_OT/ Old Testament in Hebrew]

====Greek====
* [http://www.ccel.org/w/westcott/gnt/toc.htm Koine Greek New Testament]
* [http://www.htmlbible.com/sacrednamebiblecom/moderngreek/ Modern Greek Bible]

====Latin====
* [http://www.LatinVulgate.com/ Latin Vulgate] — Latin Vulgate with parallel Douay-Rheims and King James English translations
* [http://www.sacredbible.org/ SacredBible.org] — Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible
* [http://www.spcm.org/english/Vulgate/ Jerome's Latin Vulgate (405 A.D.)]

====English====
* [http://www.audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html AudioBible] — Audio version of the King James Version.
* [http://www.blueletterbible.org/ Blue Letter Bible] — On-line interactive reference library continuously updated from the teachings and commentaries of selected pastors and teachers who hold to the conservative, historical Christian faith.
* [http://www.e-sword.net E-sword] — Downloadable Bible for Windows.
* [http://www.onlinebible.net/ The Online Bible North America] — Downloadable Bible for Windows.
* [http://www.theophilos.sk/ Theophilos Bible program]
* [http://www.spcm.org/english/ASB/ American Standard Version].
* [http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/ English Standard Version] from Good News/Crossway (the publisher).
* [http://www.verselink.org/ King James Version with dictionary].
* [http://www.spcm.org/english/KJV/ King James Version].
* [http://www.newlivingtranslation.com New Living Translation]
* [http://bible.oremus.org/ New Revised Standard Version].
* [http://www.europepourchrist.org/biblesite/WEB/ World English Bible].
* [http://www.dynamicbible.com/ King James Version built using AJAX technologies], with Strongs and Greek Morphological Codes by Robinson.
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/index.htm#index The Hypertext Bible] with side-by-side translations in English, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew at the [[Internet Sacred Text Archive]]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/ Bible Gateway at GospelCom.net] text search in any one of many translations in numerous languages.
* [http://www.biblereadthrough.com/ Bible Read-Through] — read through the Bible in a year aid.
* [http://www.TheFreeBible.com/ TheFreeBible.com] Bible software downloads
* [http://www.scripture4all.org/ Interlinear (word-by-word) translation of the Christian Bible] Hebrew and Koine Greek
* [http://www.aramaicpeshitta.com/aramaic_nt_resources.htm Aramaic New Testament resources]
* [http://www.spcm.org/en/versions.php Over 40 versions of the Bible]
* [http://www.armenianchurchlibrary.com/Bibletranslationsandstudies.html Eastern and Western Armenian Bible]
* [http://www.bible9.com/ Online Bible (King James Version & Old Testament)]
* [http://www.spcm.org/LSG_FR/ Bible — Louis Segond de 1910]
* [http://www.latinvulgate.com/christverse.aspx Complete Sayings of Christ]
* [http://bible.crosswalk.com/ParallelBible/ Crosswalk.com Parallel Bible]
* [http://www.blueletterbible.org/search.html#verse Blue Letter Bible]
* [http://recoveryversion.org/ Recovery Version Bible]

====Spanish====

* [http://www.wbtc.com/site/PageServer?pagename=downloads_spanish Spanish Bible] PDT version
* [http://www.labibliaweb.com/cid/1 Versiones de la Biblia] In Spanish.

====Turkish====
* [http://www.incil.info Turkish Bible] (Turkish Old and New Testament)

====Finnish====
* [http://www.raamattu-kirja.com Finnish Bible] (Finnish Old and New Testament)
* [http://vastaus.net Raamattu] (Study Finnish Bible)

====Japanese====
*[http://www.ibsstl.org/bibles/japanese/index.php On-line version hosted by the International Bible Society]
*[http://www.bible.or.jp/e/index.html Japan Bible Society]

====Others====
* [http://agards-bible-timeline.com/q2_bible_english.html Bible Timeline]
* [http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/bible/TO_Torah_880.htm?OVRAW=Torah&OVKEY=torah&OVMTC=standard My Jewish Learning.com]
* [http://search.americanbible.org/ American Bible Society] to search NASB, KJV, CEV, ASV and others.
* [http://etext.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html University of Virginia Library] KJV word proximity search.
* [http://www.1enormousidea.com/Default.aspx?tabid=42 Many translations in English, verse by verse]
* [http://www.bible-marathi.com Nava Karar] NT Translation from Greek to Marathi
* [http://www.bible-researcher.com/links12.html Gender-neutral Bible translations].
* [http://www.evangelicalbible.com/why.htm Word-for-Word vs.Thought-for-Thought translation] Outlines the difference between formal and dynamic equivalent translation philosopy.
* [http://www.kli.org/wiki/index.php?Klingon%20Bible%20Translation%20Project Klingon Bible].

===Commentaries and analysis===

* [http://bibleseo.com/ Bible study topics] - Bible studies and exposition online
* [http://www.ldolphin.org/icc-am.html Biblical chronology] by Alan Montgomery, B.Sc.(Hon)
* [http://www.dinur.org/resources/resourceCategoryDisplay.aspx?categoryID=411&rsid=478 Biblical History], The Jewish History Resource Center — Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
* [http://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=63255 Judaica Press Translation] — online Jewish translation of the Tanakh.
* [http://www.angdatingdaan.org/biblicaltopics/bib_bible_1.htm Reading and Understanding the Bible].
* [http://en.bibleinfo.com/ Source for Bible Answers].
* [http://www.amazingfacts.org/school/af_logon.asp Amazing Facts Bible Studies].
* [http://www.iishj.org/images/Bible.pdf Learning Bible Today] — a historical approach the Bible.
* [http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/gill/ John Gill's Exposition of the Bible] — verse by verse commentary.
* [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc.i.html/ Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible] — unabridged.
*[http://www.verselink.org/ Topical References]
*[http://www.verselink.org/ Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedia]
*[http://bible.wikia.com/wiki/Bible_Wiki Bible Wiki], a database covering the people, places, books, doctrine and history of the Bible.

==Bibliography==
* Achtemeier, Paul J., ed. ''Harper's Bible Dictionary'' (1985), 1190pp; mainstream scholarship
* Ackroyd, P.R., ed. ''The Cambridge History of the Bible: From the Beginnings to Jerome; the West from the Fathers to the Reformation; the West from the Reformation to the Present Day'' (3 vol 1978), standard summary of scholarship; [http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-History-Bible-Beginnings-Jerome/dp/0521099730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243248143&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search vol 1]; [http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-History-Bible-Fathers-Reformation/dp/0521290171/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243248143&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search vol 2]; [http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-History-Bible-Reformation-Present/dp/0521290163/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243248143&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search vol 3]
* Coggins, R.J. ''Introducing the Old Testament'' (Oxford University Press: 1990), 172pp. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=22765464 online edition]
* Morgan, Robert, and John Barton. ''Biblical Interpretation'' (Oxford University Press: 1988), 342 pp [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=74356941 online edition]
* Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob, ed. ''The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible'' ('''NIDB''') (5 vol 2009), the latest mainstream scholarship
*Unger, Merril F. ''Unger's Bible Dictionary'', Moody Press, Chicago, IL (1966; new edition 2006); Evangelical
**Unger, Merril F. ''The New Unger's Bible Dictionary'', (2006); 1416pp; Evangelical
*Unger, Merril F. ''Unger's Bible Handbook'', Moody Press, Chicago, IL (1967); Evangelical.
*Halley, Henry H. ''Halley's Bible Handbook'', Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI (1965); Evangelical
* Sandys-Wunsch, John. ''What Have They Done to the Bible: A History of Modern Biblical Interpretation'' (2005) Scholarly history of transations and interpretations to 1900; [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0814650287 excerpt and text search]
* Williamspn, Peter. ''Catholic principles for interpreting scripture: a study of the Pontifical Biblical Commission's The interpretation of the Bible in the Church'' (2001); Catholic; [http://books.google.com/books?id=kooFtFGQsfsC&dq=intitle:bible+intitle:interpretation&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=2000&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES excerpts and text search]
*Wilson, Robert D. ''A Scientific Investigation of the Old Testament'', Sunday School Times, Inc, Philadelphia, PA (1926).

===Language===
*Blass, Frederich, and others. ''A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and other early Christian literature,'' translated by Robert W. Funk; University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL (1961); German edition ''Grammatik des Neutestamentlichen Griechisch'' Friedrich Rehkopf, editor, 14th edition. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1976.
*Moulton, James H., and others. ''A Grammar of New Testament Greek'' (two volumes), edited by Wilbert Francis Howard, T&T Clark Publishers, Harrisburg, PA (1985); originally published 1920, Edinburgh, Scotland.
*Bauer, Walter. ''Griechisch-Deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Scriften des Neuen Testaments und der frühchristlichen Litteratur''. Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, editors; 6th edition. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, Germany (1988). Heading βιβλίον, columns 281-82.

==References==
<references/>

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