I missed the first Democrat debate with Michael Bloomberg the other night because I was at the St. James Church Men’s Bible Study. As soon as I got home, I watched the pundits on CNN and FOX comment on the debate. The following morning I awoke to 5-degrees outside and a beautiful blanket of snow on the ground. After reading my Bible and drinking my breakfast shake, I decided to watch the debate on DVR as I exercised on my treadmill. Not surprisingly, I did not think the debate was at all what the pundits described the night before. I thought the candidates all represented themselves better than the pundits described, and, of course, the argument each candidate repeatedly emphasized was their ability to replace President Trump in the upcoming November election.
Later that morning as I was driving to the office listening to the local news, I learned that President Trump was scheduled to speak here in Colorado Springs in our largest public facility later that day, and that people had been lining up outside the facility since the day before. Already that morning the parking lot was filled with people hoping to see President Trump.
What a great country!
I enjoy the excitement of an election season. I also enjoy people with their various personalities and opinions. I like vibrant discussions and impassioned debates—as long as they don’t resort to violence. I particularly enjoy deciphering people’s personality types through the DISC personality profile system, which helps me understand the behaviors of different individuals and adds some intrigue to public discussion.
Let me explain. Many are familiar with the DISC personality profile system and that all of us are a blend of these personality styles. But since this is a short blog explaining how American personalities, not the Russians, are influencing our current presidential debates, there is not room to explain all the nuances.
Let me summarize. Most of us are either outgoing or reserved, and are either task oriented or people oriented.
So if someone is predominantly outgoing and task oriented, they are a D, which means they tend to be dominant, direct, demanding, decisive, determined, and a doer. They typically make quick decisions, are results oriented, are direct and straight-forward, confident and competitive. They have a high level of initiative and energy, and don’t like to be bogged down with a lot of details. President Trump is a D. He’s focused on getting the job done. He would be loads of fun on a whitewater rafting trip. He would have us down that river through the most exciting parts with the highest water without hesitation. We would conquer the river with him on board! Ds change things.
If someone is generally outgoing and people oriented, they are an I, which means they are inspiring, influential, interactive, and interested in people. Is tend to be persuasive, gregarious, impulsive and can be the life of the party. Is often think Ds are too serious and uncaring about other people’s feelings. I’s think D’s are harsh. President Clinton is an I. I would enjoy going ATVing with President Clinton. He would be going fast enough to be fun, but not take too many risks. And he would ensure that everyone else was having fun, probably with good stories and lots of snacks at every rest stop. Is keep the world happy.
If someone is more reserved and people oriented, they are an S, which means they are supportive, stable, steady, sweet, prefer the status quo, and sometimes appear to be shy. They are typically dependable, easygoing, and friendly. Their emphasis is cooperation and they tend to be the ones who do repetitive tasks, enjoy established work patterns and routine work. They might say they want change, but are fundamentally uncomfortable with it. They typically think Ds are dangerous and threatening. President Ford was an S. He helped America recover from Watergate. I would enjoy hiking the Colorado Trail with President Ford. He would keep a steady pace and be pleasant as we admire God’s creation together. His consideration of me and the others would keep us from hiking too fast or too slowly, and he would ensure everyone was ok. Ss make the world work.
And finally, if someone is typically more reserved and task oriented, they are a C, which means they are cautious, calculating, competent, conscientious, contemplative, and careful. They are people who like precision and problem solving. They don’t need a lot of people contact for energy. They typically think Ds are reckless, too spontaneous and impulsive. President Obama is a C. I would like to go camping with him because he would make sure we all have all the correct supplies, and that everything is done the way it should be. Cs like it when things are right.
Obviously, since this blog is about President Trump being a D, I briefly described what others often think of Ds. This might help you understand and be able to enjoy our political system a little bit more. Interestingly, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are Ds, so it’s perfectly predictable that both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump would stir powerful emotional reactions. But each of them have different secondary personality strengths. Trump is a DI, which means he can be very entertaining and fun loving, where Hillary is a DC, which explains her extensive policy papers she proposed when she was running for president. Because of that, they are very different in public.
I never vote based on the personality of any particular candidate. Instead, I only vote based on political philosophy. That being said, I do trust our system, so when elections are free and fair, I’ve observed that we tend to have the right person in the right position at the right time.
And even though we have a great variety of competing personalities and political philosophies in our great nation, the Scriptures say that we can pray for those who are in authority over us so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:2). Whether or not the candidate I vote for wins, I know that it’s my responsibility to pray for them. I respect our system and the president who is in office at the time, I think it’s wise for all of us to faithfully pray for their safety and wisdom.
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Pastor Ted Haggard, DD, CHBC, is a Bible teacher with an emphasis on New Testament solutions to the human condition. His Bible teaching is informed by biblical scholarship, Choice Theory (Glasser), Attachment Theory (Johnson), and Behavioral Studies using DISC (Rohm).
This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com.
10 replies on “Donald Trump is a D”
Pastor Ted, watch other news then JUST Fox and CNN
I do. But at that time of night, all the other networks were back to their regular programming.
Dear Ted, you have a responsibility to call out sin. Why will you not do this with President Trump? He’s a bully, a belittlizer, womanizer, abuser, liar about things big and small etc. why are you holding him up as if he was the golden serpent?
Because none of that is news. It’s everywhere. I try to say something insightful. If you want to repeat what everyone else says in your blog you can. But I try to say something not everyone else is saying. And secondly, on another note, the fact that all people are sinners is a universal truth, equally distributed among all of us. So, like I already noted, no reason to say what everyone already knows.
Dear Mr. Wise, when reading your comment, this verse immediately came to mind…..
Romans 2:1… ‘You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”
Very good response. Wise!
Good piece. Is it ok to repost of fb?
Yes, please do.
Pastor Ted,
Barack Obama is a likely CD: https://www.dtssydney.com/blog/disc_profile_of_barack_obama_and_a_surprise_introvert.
An important note about all of this. High I people are much more likely to make high-risk choices. That was a problem with George W. Bush on Iraq, Clinton and you-know-who(s), and Trump on innumerable occasions. A significant issue in the next election will be whether the changes we need are incremental, or big, high risk changes. I for one would love incrementalism for awhile. Bernie would have to be another high-I person, with the political positions to match. Bloomberg is probably another introverted CD, like Obama. Doesn’t help him on the stump, but certainly works well in building a huge company. I would think Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos are all either CD or DC. C is high in Conscientiousness, the one “big-five” personality trait most associated with wealth generation and success generally in life. (Google it.)
Helen Fischer’s take on what she would call Explorers, her dopamine-rich equivalent of the high-I on the DISC: “Not for the faint of heart.” I for one am ready for a political situation that works for the faith of heart.
I think in the case of the people you mention, the other trait besides D is the one that really matters. It’s going to be hard for anyone without a high D, at least adaptively,, to become President of the United States.
What does it mean to be “pro-life”? Many of President Trump’s most faithful supporters proudly trumpet their pro-life stance, fervently wishing that the Supreme Court will one day eliminate Roe v. Wade. They believe the president’s policies will lead to a better, more life-affirming world. They are wrong. They have a shockingly narrow definition of what it means to be pro-life and are in fact culpable in ushering in a world of far greater death and misery.
On the home front, Trump has abandoned any semblance of leadership during this pandemic. His clownish antics, disdain for masks, and glaring incompetence leaves the world appalled and America ill-prepared for the long, hard, Covid-19 fight that lies ahead. Trump and the GOP work to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, knowing they have nothing to replace it with. Their new budget cuts food stamps and the CHIP program that provides healthcare to children. They gleefully slash environmental regulations, lower automobile mileage requirements, and promote coal. How many cases of cancer will result from this increased pollution? How many children will die? How is this a pro-life president?
Internationally, Trump’s dismissal of climate change and our abandonment of the Paris Climate Accord make humanity’s future more precarious. His 2020 budget cuts foreign aid by 21%. How many vulnerable people in the third world will suffer and die? Enormous sales of American armaments to Saudi Arabia allow the war in Yemen to rage on, a war that has killed tens of thousands, caused a million to flee, and threatens a famine that could starve millions more. Abandonment of the Iran nuclear deal allows that regime to enrich ever-increasing amounts of uranium. And lest we forget the North Korean “love letter exchange” that yielded nothing but a photo op for the president and emboldened Kim Jong-un to add to his nuclear arsenal. Our transactional president would happily turn a blind eye to Xi Jinping’s placing a million Uighur Muslims in “re-education” camps as long as that nation purchased more soybeans from states important to the president’s reelection. It is speculated that a Trump reelection means the United States exits NATO. A destabilized Europe, combined with Putin’s desire to exert regional dominance, has global implications. What could possibly go wrong on that continent? And isn’t separating this thin-skinned, volatile man from the nuclear launch codes the ultimate pro-life act? But that would require that he lose in November. Again I ask, how is this a pro-life president?
There are innumerable other Trump-sponsored policies, here and abroad, that I could cite, but the common thread is that they are all hugely consequential and destructive with respect to human life.
The pro-life community, so steadfastly loyal to Trump, should employ a broader, more realistic moral calculus in November. Continued willful indifference to this president’s dangerous, soul-crushing actions would make them complicit in incalculable human suffering.
And if their pro-life stance remains solely restricted to abortion, wouldn’t their cause be better served by advocating for someone who supports universal healthcare, access to contraception, and comprehensive sex education?