A friend of mine who is not a democrat is not voting for Mitt because "there is something weird about him - I can't put my finger on it." She knows I used to be Mormon and just sent me an e-mail outlining why she thinks religion and politics don't mix, repeating her "something weird about Mitt" stance. I want to explain how he's a stereotypical Peter Priesthood, Mormon royalty, entitlement mentality kinda guy but I could use some help with how to explain this to a nevermo and what qualitites specifically are found in this type of Mormon man. Suggestions?

I think Mormonism is certainly a factor in Mitt's wierdness, but I think there is something else going on here too. He is worse than most Peter Priesthoods I know. Maybe his wealth is a factor too.He also seems to be the type who has trouble relating to people Ann Seems thesame way and she wasn't raised Mormon.I am guessing it is a mixture of Mormonism, wealth entitlement and personality

He's an asshole trying to pretend he's not an asshole.

+1

I see his assholeness as elitist from Mormonsm and wealth.

He takes credit for other people's work or work he never did. Uses I a lot more than we or you. When someone else does the work gives credit Jesus or the Church, figures out how to get his face on the effort--that's his contribution.

Please make the bad man go away.

> Please make the bad man go away.

+++++++^^^^^^this^^^^^++++++

I worked for a TBM woman who was clearly angry that she was a 2nd class citizen in Mormonism. She took it out on any man in her life: her husband, her sons, and especially her male employees.

I thought it was just mean, but one of her favorite employees, a brilliant nevermo woman, said to me, "I wish she would be in a bad mood instead of pretending like she's not. Smiling through clenched teeth is worse than frowning."

I think this hit the nail on the head.

However, the "asshole pretending not to be an asshole" isn't specifically a Mormon thing. It's a privileged white male thing (and a privileged white female thing to a lesser extent). Mitt would still be an asshole if he were Catholic, Buddhist or worshipped the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

explain to a nonmormon what being a mormon is like. I think that someone posted something the other day where Mitt was trying to teach some doctrine to a talk show host as classic. My very nonmo boyfriend loves Mitt. I gave up long ago trying to describe this very thing to him. He's already cast his vote.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2012 11:05AM by cl2.

It seems as though the guy has a chance because of a weird combination of circumstances that transcend any previous presidential election.

If he wins, it will be one of the oddest and most fascinating slow motion train wrecks in history. Although it will be entertaining, the result will be tragic, as most train wrecks tend to be...

While trainwrecks may be interesting to watch from a distance, those of us riding on the train would rather avoid it.

The train has already fallen off the cliff. We're already on the way down.

Her reaction is how I felt the whole time I was in Mormonism. There was just something really weird about it that I couldn't put my finger on. I think she's got it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2012 11:57AM by Makurosu.

Tell her that she probably dislikes him because he plays by a different set of rules than she would ever consider playing by: lies to advance himself and doesn't think he needs to answer for his past behaviors even when they (always) conflict with what he's saying at the present.

"Jobs for Americans!" Yet he ships them to and invests in China, while having Cayman Island accounts to shield himself from taxes.

Takes credit for education and standard of living in the richest, most liberal state in the country. Then floats the idea of running for governor in Utah, one of the most conservative and least educated states in the country.

He's a used car salesman, except worse. Used car salesmen do their jobs for a living. Romney does his campaigning to beat daddy and pad his resume.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2012 12:42PM by newcomer.

"Used car salesman" Awesome!! perfect name for him. He will feed you anything you wanna here mixed with slimmey crap to make the sale. It's all about the sale. Don't care about the customer or what they need or can afford, just make the sale. then they throw you under the bus when you need them to back up their product. Now they don't know you. He got your money (ie, your vote) now your meaningless unless he can get more money out of you. That's you value to a car salesman, same as to Mitt's.

BIC Mormon men are raised with a completely different value system than other men.

Unlike other men, education, knowledge,accomplishment and being a great provider take a second or third seat to being a worthy priesthood holder.

This is a very skewed set of values. Add to that being born a Mormon Prince. Your family is so revered by all other Mormon families. You are rich and you are handsome and you luckily fit the mormon mold. You have all four aces.

The one thing this person lacks in his life is any resistance at all. It is resistance that makes us strong. Not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.


If your have had no resistance, no struggle, you have very little chance of developing admirable character. You are very likely to be faking character because you do realize that the appearance of it is necessary to obtain your goals.

This leaves 'appearance' paramount in the lives of Mormon Royalty.

This in my opinion is what has led Mitt to be an 'issue whore' who will flip flop and and take any side necessary to maintain an electable position.

He knows that the perception of being a lucky rich kid is not good and he desperately needs this election to give himself legitimacy. Deep down he knows he does not have it. However, it shows on him that he knows that even the Presidency will not give him true legitimacy and that is why he is perceived as 'weird'.

It is the same for Ann, pretending because they once ate off of an ironing board at school that they had resistance. Ha.

Contrast that with English Royalty where privilege is accompanied by substance.

Of course the weird about Mitt could just be the way he walks too.

Too bad you don't do analysis for CNN, I think you you nailed it.

His Assholiness, Mitt the PenishoodHolder, is all about making money and Building the Kingdom. He pretends to have broader interests, but he does not. His interests are as narrow as he can make them and still rake in the cash.

Point out to your friend that every single person Mitt has trotted out to tell a story meant to prove he's human was a mormon. Mitt has no stories to tell about helping non-mormons. (Harming, yes, helping, no.) That's the Building-the-Kingdom focus that simmers below the surface of whatever he does.

The reasons she probably finds him weird are probably the same reasons that a lot of Facebook friends don't like him. They don't realize it, but the things they don't like are what he takes from Mormonism and has in common with the Mormon church.

1. Don't like your history? Shake the etch-a-sketch and make it whatever you want. He constantly rewrites his beliefs/history, just like the Mormon church.

2. Insincerity. A mormon missionary is only concerned with getting the convert, with no real compassion or caring for the individual. Mitt comes off as not caring for people, only concerned with getting their vote.

3. Lying for the greater good. For a Mormon missionary, it's OK to lie or stretch the truth ("milk before meat") because getting them to convert to Mormonism is for their good, whether they know it or not. Mitt believes that it's OK to lie, because what he is doing ultimately good.

4. Everything is about appearances. The Mormon church is concerned about appearances (polls, PR firms, surveys) and never misses a photo opportunity. Mitt stages a relief effort for Sandy by buying goods at Walmart and having people hand them to him like they brought them from home. Sounds exactly like what the Mormon church would do.

Mitt comes across with that Mormon missionary feel that he has that used car dealer, snake-oil salesman feel that makes your skin crawl, and you want to cross to the other side of the street when you see him because you know he's going to try to feed you a bunch of lies that you don't want to hear.

I think it's the weird cult smile.

Both Tom Cruise and Twitt Romney have the same smile.

He cannot relate to "you people" which means those of use who make up his 47%.

Maybe your friend has noticed Mitt's lies.

I think this article in Business Insider, "Why I Don't Think a Mormon Should be President," sums it up perfectly. Let me know what y'all think.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-a-mormon-should-not-be-president-2012-10

dogzilla Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think this article in Business Insider, "Why I
> Don't Think a Mormon Should be President," sums it
> up perfectly. Let me know what y'all think.
>
> http://www.businessinsider.com/why-a-mormon-should
> -not-be-president-2012-10


Terrific article!

Love this quote:

Mormonism’s social structure is so strong, not despite its frail basis in truth, but because of it – because it makes the price of admission to the club high. To say “Yes, I am a Mormon” is to say “Yes, I’m in the 2+2=5 club, are you?” This (along with expensive tithing) filters out casual participants. You need to be willing to compromise a normal sense of what’s reasonable and rational to be part of this group. It’s a strong commitment, which makes for a strong creed.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-a-mormon-should-not-be-president-2012-10#ixzz2BM8PRmBW

My favorite part, right at the end:

"This helps illuminate Romney’s flip-flopping, etch-a-sketching political character. His is not the cynical, coldly pragmatic moral calculus that Nixon so masterfully practiced for political gain. Romney actually believes he has a patriarchal right to say whatever he wants. His idea of the nature of truth is not something which is discovered after hard fought inquiry and testing, but instead is declared by a person with authority, often for unexamined reasons, and sanctioned by divine validation. This is much more dangerous than Nixon. Nixon knew he was lying.

It also illuminates Romney’s secrecy – about his tax returns, about details of his public policy, or any justifications behind his statements. Within Mormon culture, he is used to speaking to an audience who tell themselves, “ours is not to reason why.”

So when you see a smug smile on Romney’s face, it isn’t just the smile of a super rich guy marinating in his own ego. It’s the smile of someone who is always holding in the back of his mind a belief that he has a special, private truth, unknown to those outside his club, that makes him superior and unquestionable. Yet at the same time, he is ignorant of the dangerous fact that this “truth” is all too flexible. This would be a very bad characteristic of the leader of the free world."

dogzilla, thank you so much for posting the link for that article. I forwarded it to a bunch of friends!

Nice, thanks.

OK, lemme try..."he was born with a silver spoon up his a$$."

This is a repeat of a Business Insider excerpt noted earlier, but it is so succinct that I wanted to emphasize it:

"Romney's idea of truth is not something discovered after hard-fought inquiry and testing, but instead is declared by a person with authority, often for unexamined reasons, and sanctioned by divine validation."

Brilliantly put. Thanks for posting that.

I think it's his constant smirk. It never goes away. Looks like he's hiding something and it's creeping me out!

He *is* hiding something. Lots of things. Watch his eyes. There is no warmth, no connected-ness. He is entirely in his own delusions of grandeur.

Dead look in his eyes + fake plastic smile = [stepford], [cultist], [delusional], & [not trustworthy]

I think you are delusional. It's obvious your politics are coloring your viewpoint.

NOT delusional!

Most of us here have been Mormons and realize all too well what some of them are trying to pull.