Uh, Romney is a smart fellow, don't you think he knows the church is all a lie? He is stuck in a bad place, trying to please the mormons and remain true to his church which I doubt he believes in anyway, and trying to run for president, and not look like a crazy mormon. Gordon Hinkley denied things we all know mormons believe in when on National TV. Romney to me appears as one of the GA's. "The end justifies the means"- only his end is not bringing souls to Christ, but becoming president. I have wondered if he would not have a better chance if he denounced his religion, but probably not, because then everyone would call him a hypocrit. Not just Utah's, but everyone.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2010 03:41PM by think4u.
Mitt Romney says whatever he can to get attention and acceptance. I heard him on RadioWest with Doug Fabrizio and he sounded really reasonable and middle-of-the-road, but then he goes up and gives a Tea Party speech saying every extreme thing they want to hear. He's also contradicted his own policies just to gain acceptance with the Republicans. He's worse than Hillary Clinton and I was planning on voting for him in 2012 but I can't now.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2010 03:54PM by perceptual.
I could and will never vote for him. Yes, if he had renounced Mormonism, he would have a better chance. He will get scrutinized more than he did last time due to the health care bill similar to his in Mass.
He is not going to be MY president. No one who keeps people from weddings deserves my respect. No one who keeps secrets of his temple experiences deserves my respect. No one who agrees that you MUST tithe a certain amt. to be "good with God" deserves my respect. Most people's religion is all out there for all to know about. NOT HIS religion. He is special and his church tells him so. He has no chance in my opinion if the masses get to know Mormonism better than they do.
he is a smart fellow but he does certainly buy it all. Otherwise he would have apostatized to mainstream Protestantism years ago. That would really help his ambitions at almost zero cost - it's not as if Utah as a State would plump for a Dem.
...he did say God spoke to "...and perhaps some others."
But with the TBMs I know this is all moot. They readily admit that prominent memebers sometimes have to lie in public. The invariably cite the Laban story as justification. "It's better than one memeber lie than.... *fill in the blank*. It's just a variation of the ancient and self-serving "Ox in the mire" justification.
Many LDS that I know (fully functioning professionals) are like Romney, rather pragmatic than dogmatic, when it really comes down to it.
Romney came and talked to our ward. He was running against Ted Kennedy for the senate seat. He was really careful with what he was saying, at that point, Kennedy said he wasn't going to make the race about religion.
Like about abortion, he said the church was all about free agency. You have the choice to have an abortion (and he implied the church wouldn't want that choice taken away), but the church (and he) would prefer you not do it. I really thought he equivocated a lot and used the free agency trump card for lots of things.
We all know free agency is what the church is actually against.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2010 04:43PM by not part of the problem.
Yeah, I liked him much better as my governor than as a presidential candidate. MA made him way more liberal than he really is. Although, based on his governorship, his presidential ideas seemed pretty off base as well. He is a skilled politician, we'll never see the real Mitt.
Well he is pretty fine looking, I mean come one guys, what is really important here anyway? haha (I liked reading all of your comments- food for thought- who is he really?)
justleft, REALLY?!? He was like the worst governor in the history of Massachusetts. He BARELY spent any time in the state. And his great healthcare plan, let's be real, we all know Kennedy's office worked on it. Ted Kennedy spent more time caring about healthcare in a day than Romney EVER did.
(That said, Deval Patrick can suck it. Can we please get another Dukakis? That'd be swell. Or even better, another Tobin.)
Romney wants to use his family and faith as props for the political narrative he wants to sell to voters. However, if you start asking too many questions, you are "prying" into his personal life. How can you tell voters to choose you because you are a good man of faith and then tell them that particulars about your faith are none of their business?
Palin has this problem with her screwed up family. Parade them around as examples of what a great mom she is, but then when we start to see how flawed her family is, we are "getting too personal".
Romney's problem is that he wants to be both the religious guy and the reasonable guy. Mormonism is an irrational religion that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. The Internet has savaged its squeaky clean image by showing its dark history and current machinations. Romney had to lie in 2002 to MA voters about his stance on gay rights, but that destroyed his popularity with the voters when he came out and attacked gays in front of Congress in 2004. He didn't run for re-election in 2006 because he was in the mid-20s in popularity.
Polls show Romney as the best choice for the GOP, but Romney has not been able to balance his narrative with reality. Remember the civil rights flap he caused in 2008 by making up stories about his father? That's typical Mormon: tell a faith promoting story and expect people to buy its truthiness. He couldn't believe the press would actually challenge the details of the story.
It is plainly, painfully, obviously, laughingly so.
-->That's typical Mormon: tell a faith promoting story and expect people to buy its truthiness.
And a reminder that rigid belief systems like mormonism shape and constrain mentality.
And beyond his "mormon" problem, Mr. Romney also suffers from pronounced character deficiencies. --------------------------------------------- But the man is not without some talent - which is why I nominate him to be the new City Creek Mall Manager: a position most suitable to the inner man.
He seemingly has it all, money oozing from every orifice, Sears-catalog good looks, and from all appearances a nice family. Yet he always seems so uptight, very prickly when even mildly challenged, and constantly in a state of flux on his positions. Shame he can't seem enjoy what he has, and become a little more comfortable in his own skin. His political aspirations never come off as sincere and he seems to be a slave to his own ambition.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2010 09:36AM by Slacker.
2 - he's delusional enough to think Moism is true. Anyone that could believe that as a basis for logical thought is not right in the head for representative government.
I think he could grow us some money. As far as the Mormon thing, who cares? I don't. Show us the money. I don't care about abortion things, or gay things, or any other thing. Just grow us money.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2010 10:25AM by suckafoo.
Comments are 2 years old. Did it create a stir in Utah as you remember? I suppose he's become a little more skilled in answering those kinds of questions now.
I knew the entire Romney family, includin father George and his brothers and their wives, growing up north of Detroit in the 70's and 80's. His sister in law Ronna was my YW teacher. Let me say from personal experience they are not the TBM some would think. Exceptionally nice family considering the amount of wealth, but like as been stated, stand up for what you believe in. I won't vote for him for that exact reason.