But, do you know if they are over- or underrepresented in the military?
No idea. I bet someone has done the studies, both in the military and in the LDS church.
UNDER.
Bet on it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This must be addressed: Warren Jeffs is not a Mormon, “rogue†or not. Warren Jeffs has never, ever been baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints http://www.lds.org, commonly referred to as “The Mormons.â€
Huh?
You mean that Mormons will “baptize” dead Jews, Catholics, etc., but one of their own was off limits? That’s just plain silly.
It should be remembered that 500 Mormon men volunteered to fight in the Mexican-American War at the time they were being run out of the United States on their way to Utah.
Sure.
It wouldn’t have anything to do with them trying to establish and then preserving polygamist compounds in Mexico, would it?
<sigh>
Mitt aint It, baby.
He doesn’t have an extra-terrestrial’s prayer of being elected.
Since Mitt wants to be Commander in Chief, I think it is a legitimate question.
Since Mitt is running for president the whole Mormon theology is a legitimate subject. This is political reality whether one likes it or not.
And again, like it or not, Mormon theology is very, very strange.
Sorry if this bothers all of the Romney supporters out there but you had better face this now or you will regret it later.
______________________________________________
As a side note: I have been a political junkie for a very long time and this is, by far, the weakest field of nominees that I have ever seen. No matter who is eventually nominated it will come down to holding one’s nose and pulling the anti-Hillary lever.
This whole post makes me wish there was some sort of IQ test and a screening for religious bigotry before one could pull the lever.
This is by far one of the weakest posts I’ve ever read by a political junkie.
This whole post makes me wish there was some sort of IQ test and a screening for religious bigotry before one could pull the lever.
This is by far one of the weakest posts I’ve ever read by a political junkie.
Interesting ...
Since you didn’t address ANY of the issues presented, you would have failed your own “test”.
BTW ...
That labelling crap ("bigot", “racist” etc.) is the hallmark of snivelling leftists who haven’t any intelligent argument to make. Save it for your left-wing pals.
I’m not a leftist but I think any argument along the lines of “not that I care, you understand, but it’s a political reality” is damn weak.
The “issues” you raise aren’t much better. Yeah, I guess White Anglo-Saxon Protestants would find the Mormons wierd. I’m Catholic, guess what I think of WASPs too. To me, ‘baptising’ the dead into a different church is about as silly, and impotent, and wrong, as insisting the Queen of Heaven described in Scripture is completely and totally allegorical.
That isn’t supposed to decide my vote, or so I was taught. Religion can shape our policy choices but it shouldn’t put us behind or against individual candidates. I’ll never root for a Kennedy. I gladly voted twice for a “born-again” evangelical named Bush.
You’re opening a fight that wouldn’t be resolved by any mere election. Is that really what you want?
---------------------------------------------------
I’m not solidly for Romney because he won elections in Massachusetts as a Republican, which requires some explaining. And some of his strongest supporters, like Dean Barnett, assure me it’s because Mitt is wise enough to shelve his real feelings in order to win! Hurray!!...not exactly what I want to hear.
The above posts have raised many good, and perhaps even excellent, points. It’s all wrong, but they’re good points anyway.
What’s the reason—the overwhelming majority of Americans don’t currently give a hoot about the 2008 election and Romney is a national nobody. McCain, Giuliani and Thompson have some name recognition so if you ask Joe Six Pack who he’s voting for he’ll pick on of the known 3. All of the talk about likeability, personal connection, etc is crap if nobody knows who you are and the vast majority of nobodies just don’t care. Don’t confuse your knowledge as political junkies with that of average Americans who are watching the baseball season wind-down and the football season wind-up.
And, contrary to what the Romney campaign may think, they’re not going to get that national recognition by focusing on the Iowa State Fair. Most people likely care less about Iowa than they do the 2008 election. Ask yourself a question as well… how many people actually watch the “debates” and the Sunday political shows? My guess is less than 2% of all potential voters.
Curly, you’ve made an excellent point. So good I wish it were mine.
It would be an excellent point, if this were the campaign for the general election. But since this is the primary campaign, and the people who will decide it are primary voters, it’s actually not a very good point at all.
Indeed, my apologies. I was confusing a nationwide poll with a general election when the two have nothing in common.
Romney cannot compete in a nationwide poll because he’s not running nationwide. He’s running solely in the early primary states. It’s really not a mystery why he can’t win a nationwide poll. His plan is to win the early primaries, collect the delegates and then be declared winner by virtue of his early delegate lead. Unfortunately for the Romney camp, those early primaries don’t have enough delegates to win the nomination and Romney has no name recognition in the later and bigger primary states as evidenced by the nationwide poll.
Again, all of talk about why Romney can’t win (he’s a phony, he doesn’t connect, he’s a Mormon, he’s from Taxachusetts, Romney-Care) are irrelevant to a nationwide poll if Romney has zero name recognition nationwide. I know, you’re saying “but he’s the guy from the Olympics, people know who he is”. Sorry, the guy people remember from the Olympics is the insufferable Bob Costas. All of the reasons listed about why Romney can’t win a nationwide poll are the reasons the particular posters don’t like Romney. I wonder how I’d do in a nationwide poll?
I believe the problem with Romney is that he strikes people the same way he strikes me…
He comes off like the Republican John Kerry…
As in, “I will say anything to be President"…
He’s got the best creds....but zero appeal…
Every time I hear him speak I get the impression he’s lying through his teeth...ala Kerry.
Both Rudy and Thompson have that Reagan-like connectivity...imo.
I believe McCain has proven “we” can’t trust him…
As an afterthought....when Newt talks, people listen (cough)...could he win? Who knows?
Great first post, Idris and I concur with almost all of it, except for the Newt thing--I’m not voting for Newt and I’m not waiting for him to jump in.
The battle for the GOP nomination, IMO, is between Rudy and Fred.
Hopefully, we’ll get both out of the deal.
I couldn’t agree with you more about Mitt being a panderer and a Kerry-like flip-flopper.
The fact that he’s a Mormon (and yes, I know the people are really nice and make wonderful U.S. citizens and patriots but I still think their beliefs are weird and creepy) is just another reason not to overlook his flip-flops and pandering.
So perhaps the fact the Romney family does not serve in the military may be more related to their elite status than their religion. Rich elites steer their children away from military service - in the Congress, sons of Hunter, McCain and Webb serve, after that the list gets mighty thin. One downside of the all volunteer military is the elites can avoid duty with no downside, unless these kinds of questions come up.
Jen: “I couldn’t agree with you more about Mitt being a panderer and a Kerry-like flip-flopper.”
Just Imagine ...
How Dems would beat that drum to death if Romney were to get the nod.
Jen: “"The fact that he’s a Mormon (and yes, I know the people are really nice and make wonderful U.S. citizens and patriots but I still think their beliefs are weird and creepy) is just another reason not to overlook his flip-flops and pandering.”
I think John’s analysis is correct, and summarizes well my own reaction to the Romney candidacy. I was initially put off by his claims of being the ‘one true conservative’ (I am put off by FDT’s similar, phony claim). But with time I’ve learned to like Romney as a candidate, even though he is not my first choice, and I would be happy to vote for him in the general, should he win the nomination. But he does come off as plastic and facile--just a touch Clinton-like. Worse, his national polling numbers scare the daylights out of me. I do wonder if he might get blown out by Hillary. I doubt he will be my first choice in the primary.
Communicating effectively is absolutely critical. No Republican who fails to really captivate listeners and make them not mind so much about Iraq will win the election. Giuliani is doing it, and Romney isn’t. Freddie T is rapidly becoming a bad joke, and McCain will not pull through. I respect him a huge amount, but he has too much legislative baggage and a tragic character flaw of Sophoclean proportions: stubbornness.
I believe the problem with Romney is that he strikes people the same way he strikes me…
He comes off like the Republican John Kerry…
As in, “I will say anything to be President"…
He’s got the best creds....but zero appeal…
Every time I hear him speak I get the impression he’s lying through his teeth...ala Kerry.
Both Rudy and Thompson have that Reagan-like connectivity...imo.
I believe McCain has proven “we” can’t trust him…
As an afterthought....when Newt talks, people listen (cough)...could he win? Who knows?
Great first post, Idris and I concur with almost all of it, except for the Newt thing--I’m not voting for Newt and I’m not waiting for him to jump in.
The battle for the GOP nomination, IMO, is between Rudy and Fred.
Hopefully, we’ll get both out of the deal.
I couldn’t agree with you more about Mitt being a panderer and a Kerry-like flip-flopper.
The fact that he’s a Mormon (and yes, I know the people are really nice and make wonderful U.S. citizens and patriots but I still think their beliefs are weird and creepy) is just another reason not to overlook his flip-flops and pandering.
Good points! I only mention Newt because he’s threatening “us” with running again! LOL....
Personally if Newt happened to win the nomination I believe we’d see an anti-Newt vote that would cancel out the anti-Hillary vote I expect to see…
If Reagan is right and Thompson *is* McCain-lite...It’ll seem to be a toss up between those two...In that case I’d have to give Thompson the edge based on Rudy’s gun and abortion stance....and as we’ve seen he knows that is a problem evidenced by his seeming reversal on the gun issue at the NRA meeting the other day...;) Will it be enough? It’ll be fun to watch....
As a non-Christian, the candidates being Mormon, Catholic, Protestant, whatever....as my Vietnamese neighbor used to say, “Same same”...LOL Well, for me anyway....;)
Since Mitt wants to be Commander in Chief, I think it is a legitimate question.
Since Mitt is running for president the whole Mormon theology is a legitimate subject. This is political reality whether one likes it or not.
And again, like it or not, Mormon theology is very, very strange.
Sorry if this bothers all of the Romney supporters out there but you had better face this now or you will regret it later.
______________________________________________
As a side note: I have been a political junkie for a very long time and this is, by far, the weakest field of nominees that I have ever seen. No matter who is eventually nominated it will come down to holding one’s nose and pulling the anti-Hillary lever.
This whole post makes me wish there was some sort of IQ test and a screening for religious bigotry before one could pull the lever.
This is by far one of the weakest posts I’ve ever read by a political junkie.
I can easily imagine Mitt Romney sitting across the coffee table from my wife and I, telling us about the many great reasons why we should up our insurance coverage.
I can imagine him sitting in the office of the car dealership, having a fake conversation with the salesperson, glancing my way through the window and smiling, just before the salesperson comes back out to tell me that their manager approves my offer.
I can imagine him sitting at the local news desk, a talented and articulate anchor, ensconced in local culture and charity in seeming perpetuity.
I can imagine him as my favorite doctor.
Or as the CEO of a major local corporation.
Or as the father of a little pageant girl.
But for the life of me, no matter how much I like what the guy says or does, I just cannot imagine Mitt Romney as President of the United States.
I can easily imagine Mitt Romney sitting across the coffee table from my wife and I, telling us about the many great reasons why we should up our insurance coverage.
I can imagine him sitting in the office of the car dealership, having a fake conversation with the salesperson, glancing my way through the window and smiling, just before the salesperson comes back out to tell me that their manager approves my offer.
I can imagine him sitting at the local news desk, a talented and articulate anchor, ensconced in local culture and charity in seeming perpetuity.
I can imagine him as my favorite doctor.
Or as the CEO of a major local corporation.
Or as the father of a little pageant girl.
But for the life of me, no matter how much I like what the guy says or does, I just cannot imagine Mitt Romney as President of the United States.
It is as simple as that, for me.
That’s a pretty low blow, especially considering that his actual accomplishments are already greater than all the things you have listed.
