Mitt Romney

[Seanette]

My husband and I were wondering just how an LDS President would handle Temple attendance around security requirements.

[miztrniceguy]

surround it with LDS Secret Service members

[a-train]

Mitt was just another politician, he offered nothing new, nothing better.

-a-train

[Moksha]

In Mitt's case, they reflect maturity and that he has grown into a leader worthy of national office.

And he has some gray hair to prove it!

:)

[Dravin]

Democrats don't really care what a person's religion is.

After Proposition 8 I'd not be so sure of that.

[Moksha]

If a Mormon ever wins the White House, it will be a Democrat. The Republican party base won't let anyone get elected who is religious but not evangelical. Democrats don't really care what a person's religion is.

I suspect you are right about this. Too bad Mitt was not a Democrat. Might have been the first Mormon President.

[john doe]

If a Mormon ever wins the White House, it will be a Democrat. The Republican party base won't let anyone get elected who is religious but not evangelical. Democrats don't really care what a person's religion is.

To a point. Democrats don't care what religion you are as long as you are not practicing it.

[Prodigal_Son]

To a point. Democrats don't care what religion you are as long as you are not practicing it.

Ah yes, like the Reverends Sharp and Jackson?? When was the last time those two preached a REAL sermon?

[Wingnut]

To a point. Democrats don't care what religion you are as long as you are not practicing it.

Democrats don't care what your religion is, as long as it doesn't interfere with politics. Republicans want your religion to be intertwined with politics, unless you're the wrong religion.

[Moksha]

Ah yes, like the Reverends Sharp and Jackson?? When was the last time those two preached a REAL sermon?

While not a fan of either of these Reverends, it should be noted that they both have congregations and both preach sermons.

For more info on the Reverend Sharpton, see the movie Bonfire of the Vanities.

[Kawazu]

Howdy,

I would not have voted for Mitt. Politics aside, (because leading Democrats and Republicans share, in my view, the same essential ideology), there were a couple moments on the televised debates which irked me. For instance:

The guy really stumbles on the Bible question. One gets the impression that Romney has an impulse to quote the Eighth Article of Faith but resists in order to refrain from reminding the audience that he is a Mormon. In any case, the end result is awkwardness.

Another occasion involved Giuliani and Romney arguing on stage for an eternity about who had illegal immigrants working in whose yard. It was a pitiable catfight.

Finally, didn't Mitt do a Kennedyesque, "my religion won't interfere with my presidency/no religious test for office" speech--except that Romney's continued for over two hours and quickly devolved into a pitch for the, "Christian Conservative" vote? Although he could be a great guy in person, these particular moments turned me off, especially.

Just one fellow's opinion.

Cheers,

Kawazu

Edited July 15, 2009 by Kawazu

[bytor2112]

Democrats don't care what your religion is, as long as it doesn't interfere with politics. Republicans want your religion to be intertwined with politics, unless you're the wrong religion.

Democrats love religion.....as long as it's not Christianity or Judaism.......except when they are running for office and need some votes.

[bytor2112]

Finally, didn't Mitt do a Kennedyesque, "my religion won't interfere with my presidency/no religious test for office" speech--except that Romney's continued for over two hours and quickly devolved into a pitch for the, "Christian Conservative" vote? Although he could be a great guy in person, these particular moments turned me off, especiall

Me thinks your analysis of Romney's speech is a bit skewed. It was nothing close to two hours or one hour for that matter and as I seem to recall it was to reassure the mormon nay sayer primary voters.

Here is the text of his speech.

[Prodigal_Son]

It sure seems that the majority of the nation votes without doing any sort of REAL research on candidates. And unless that changes, there's ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE a dreaded "Mormon" would ascend to the throne... er, presidency.

[dnlchisholm]

If anyone is interested in the best argument compiled for why Mitt should be president in 2012, you gotta check out Mitt Romney For President 2012 | Facebook

[its_Chet]

I started out as a Thompson supporter. Then I found myself favoring Huckabee. Then I saw what Huckabee thought of my faith, and got the impression that he would, if elected, at least in some small way, feel justified in using his office to belittle the Church. Then I found out about his participation in the Southern Baptist Convention that was held in Salt Lake City in the late 90s, and that completely turned me off of Huckabee.

After that, I gave Romney a second look. I had resisted considering him because I did not want to do the predictable thing and vote for the guy whose religion is the same as mine. Voting for President is more significant than an affirmation of your race, gender, or religion. I also felt uncomfortable with how I perceived he stood for issues like gay marriage, abortion, etc.

But when I looked into him earnestly, I found him to be something of a centrist, who has conservative views. I got the impression that he governed in Massachussetts as a centrist, putting aside some conservative views in order to serve the peoples' wishes (within reason). I also saw that on some issues, his views had began leaning more to the right than before, such as abortion. Some have called it a flip flop, I call it changing your mind after further thought. We're all entitled to do that. Sure the timing is suspicious, but I felt impressed to overlook that.

Then I read about Romney's academic accomplishments. Graduating from Harvard Business and law simultaneously, and with honors in both. That's no easy task. This guy's got brains.

Then I read about the time one of his business partner's daughter ran away from home, and how Romney moved his company from Massachussetts to New York, and had all the employees spend all their time putting up flyers and looking for her instead of working. I read that he lost millions in revenue while they did that. Eventually they found the girl. This guy's got a heart and soul.

Then I read his speech he gave on religion. I believe it was the same one that Bytor has linked in a previous post. That speech impressed me very much, and I have been a Romney die hard supporter ever since.

Enough with the unscrupulous liars. Enough with the perhaps well intentioned people seeking on the job training in the oval office. Let's elect someone who has it all, brains, morals, and a heart!

Romney for President!

Edited July 15, 2009 by its_Chet

[freckleface]

Well, if they have bumper stickers for Mitt 2012 send me fifty. Thanks for the info dnlchisholm.

[freckleface]

Hey, Chet! I think you just got elected as the 2012 Mitt Romney campaign manager.

[Guest TheLutheran]

. . . Then I saw what Huckabee thought of my faith, and got the impression that he would, if elected, at least in some small way, feel justified in using his office to belittle the Church. . . .

When I learned that Romney was LDS, I got the impression that he would, if elected, at least in some small way, feel justified in using his office to further the Church.

[Moksha]

When I learned that Romney was LDS, I got the impression that he would, if elected, at least in some small way, feel justified in using his office to further the Church.

Since both the Catholic and Mormon Churches have a structured hierarchy and stress obedience, this would of course be a question in the general election. For instance, would Mitt have the Smithsonian Museum reverse their position on New World archeology?

[its_Chet]

When I learned that Romney was LDS, I got the impression that he would, if elected, at least in some small way, feel justified in using his office to further the Church.

Cute.

Did Mike Huckabee learn about Mormons when he was in seminary? - By Michelle Tsai - Slate Magazine

Read that, for starters. When you're done, look at the picture I'm attaching, and tell me it's not possibly contrived, and implying something about the eligibility of the other candidates in the republican primary, particularly Mitt Romney. There was much discussion at the time by many people that suggested it was intentionally done just that way.

Next, read this:

How the Southern Baptist Convention has tried to keep its members from becoming Mormons. - By Neil J. Young - Slate Magazine

If you're up for some in depth analysis of the anti-Mormon materials that were being distributed at the 1998 SBC in Salt Lake City, this is a long, but informative read:

What Certain Baptists Think They Know about the Restored Gospel - Daniel C. Peterson - FARMS Review - Volume 10 - Issue 1

If you do all this and still believe that at the time, I did not have a legitimate concern about Huckabee's attitude toward freedom of religion for non-mainstream Christians, then let's hear what you have to say. And hopefully your point will be more reasonable than merely twisting my words around and throwing them at me like a spitball.

Whether or not Mike Huckabee means it when he now says that he doesn't have it in for Latter Day Saints, that's a decision everyone needs to make on their own, even if it means reevaluating him. But at the time, as I stated in my last post, I had a legitimate concern, based on things Mike Huckabee had said, and on things that the SBC has a well established and ongoing penchant for saying. I could provide links to some of the most revolting anti-Mormon garbage I've ever seen, taking you straight to official SBC websites, but I prefer to leave such lies and deceptions in darkness where they belong. I was living in Salt Lake City when the SBC came in 1998. I saw the billboards and full page newspaper ads they bought. The attitude conveyed by them was not one of charity and respect, but of a condescending group of people who were going to introduce "the Mormons" to a Savior they'd never known. Honestly, there is one, chief reason why the SBC comes to Salt Lake City every so often. They see themselves in a "turf war" with a religion that, unlike themselves, has no paid clergy. Like those who persecuted the ancient Apostles for threatening their livelihood as idol makers, these people are gunning for the Church for the same reason.

Maybe Mike Huckabee has spent enough time outside their influence to learn that "the Mormons" aren't the cult he has undeniably been told we are. I'm willing to take Huckabee at face value today. Are you willing to admit that his behavior during the primaries, in addition to his affiliation with one of the most hardened anti-Mormon groups in the world was at least, at the time, a cause for some concern?

[Guest TheLutheran]

. . . Cute. . . .

Why, thank you.

Chet wrote:

If you do all this and still believe that at the time, I did not have a legitimate concern about Huckabee's attitude toward freedom of religion for non-mainstream Christians, then let's hear what you have to say. And hopefully your point will be more reasonable than merely twisting my words around and throwing them at me like a spitball.

Where did I imply anything about your Huckabee hang-ups? My statement merely articulated a concern I had re: voting for Romney, which I thought was the thrust of this thread. Your sentence structure was just too irresistable.

[JohnnyRudick]

Arnold isn't eligble, as he wasn't born in the U.S.

Yeah, and Obama magically came up with an American Birth Certificate sometime

between 1982 and today so what is the difference?

Bro. Rudick

Oh, I still think that a Romney/Palin ticket would be awesome:)

Edited July 18, 2009 by JohnnyRudick

[its_Chet]

Why, thank you.

Chet wrote:

If you do all this and still believe that at the time, I did not have a legitimate concern about Huckabee's attitude toward freedom of religion for non-mainstream Christians, then let's hear what you have to say. And hopefully your point will be more reasonable than merely twisting my words around and throwing them at me like a spitball.

Where did I imply anything about your Huckabee hang-ups? My statement merely articulated a concern I had re: voting for Romney, which I thought was the thrust of this thread. Your sentence structure was just too irresistable.

By all means, you have a right to your opinion. I just inferred that you were turning my words around on me to mock me. If anything, Romney has, in his role as Governor of Massachussetts, gone out of his way to avoid letting his religion influence his policy.

And I don't believe it's fair to be so dismissive of my "Huckabee hang-ups", at least within the context of the time they occurred. He could be a different person now, and I refuse to presume to judge that. But common sense says that there was something bad going on in the primaries. That's why I went from being a Huckabee supporter to not being one. It's not like I had it in for him from the beginning. Far from it, actually.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a militant secularist upset with Huckabee's ability to make a policy decision that is influenced by his faith. I applaud that and I think we need a LOT more of it, regardless of the actual faith of the official. But when I get the impression that someone's ideology might motivate them to use the government to attack my religion, I get concerned. And there is definitely a precedent for that.

My concerns at the time regarding Huckabee were legitimate.

[bytor2112]

Rasmussen reports that if Presidential elections were held today, the vote would split 45% Obama and 45% Romney. That doesn't bode well for Mr. Hope and leave us changeless.