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.