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Governor Mitt Romney's "Faith In America" Address (Transcript)
Rommey for President 2008 ^ | 11/05/07 | Mitt Romney

Posted on 12/06/2007 10:13:20 AM PST by Reaganesque

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To: Reaganesque
”There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind.”

-snip-

“Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot.

“And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God ... they founded this great nation.

“In that spirit, let us give thanks to the divine ‘author of liberty.’ And together, let us pray that this land may always be blessed, ‘with freedom’s holy light.’”

For the past year and a half, I’ve done a lot of reading, listening and soul searching about this very important decision. First let me say, I’m an Episcopalian, a very conservative Episcopalian and a southerner. IIRC, I believe I’ve known personally only two Mormans ever. Both are good, honest, God-fearing and decent people and I value their friendship.

Now that that I’ve made that clear, I want to say this was a superb speech, it may well be the campaign speech that will for evermore define how we look at religion in the context of elective politics.

Today, Mr Romney found it necessary to do something that we have not asked of any other candidate, democrat or republican. He was forced to define his religious beliefs and speak about his faith publicly. He not only rose to the occasion but he far and away exceeded most expectations with soaring eloquent and thoroughness. There was and never will be but one Ronald Reagan but this speech was, indeed, IMHO, Reaganesque and I believe it was genuine and totally sincere.

The defining issue of this place in time is combating islamic terrorism not just in this country but around the globe. While social issues are important and necessary discussions, we need to be alive to participate in those lively debates. I will vote for the republican nominee. I hope and pray I am able to vote for a republican candidate who has the strength and courage to lead, one who is willing and able to make the tough decisions about the life and death challenges we are sure to face from Islamo-fascist barbarians.

By this time next year our country will have elected a new president. A new President of the United States, a new leader of the free world, not a Savior. When The Savior returns to earth it won't be on the wings of Air Force One. Lets try to keep this very important election in the proper perspective.

81 posted on 12/06/2007 4:53:36 PM PST by Darlin' (oh.... phooey.... lost my tagline.... again)
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To: pby

You truly believe there is NO difference between Mitt Romney and Hellary? Consider two issues: a Clinton Supreme Court vs. a Romney Supreme Court and a Clinton foreign policy vs. a Romney foreign policy? NO difference? Hmmm...

**************

“Suppose someone seeking the presidential nomination had, as a governor, signed the largest tax increase in his state’s history and the nation’s most permissive abortion law. And by signing a law institutionalizing no-fault divorce, he had unwittingly but substantially advanced an idea central to the campaign for same-sex marriages — the minimalist understanding of marriage as merely a contract between consenting adults to be entered into or dissolved as it suits their happiness. “Question: Is it not likely that such a presidential aspirant would be derided by some of today’s fastidious conservatives? A sobering thought, that, because the attributes just described were those of Ronald Reagan.”

-George Will


82 posted on 12/06/2007 5:09:41 PM PST by itsamelman (Announcing your plans is a good way to hear God laugh. - - Al Swearengen)
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To: La Enchiladita

ROTFLOL!!


83 posted on 12/06/2007 5:17:28 PM PST by Reaganesque (Charter Member of the Romney FR Resistance)
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To: tantiboh

I know... let’s just pack up and go home.
:)


84 posted on 12/06/2007 5:19:05 PM PST by La Enchiladita ("If Duncan Hunter were Mormon it wouldn’t matter one whit to me."~~xzins, 12-6-07)
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To: Darlin'

Wow! Great post! Thanks!


85 posted on 12/06/2007 5:21:10 PM PST by Reaganesque (Charter Member of the Romney FR Resistance)
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To: Darlin'

Amen, especially the second to last paragraph.
Mitt was really on fire in that part of the speech, speaking about the “theocratic tyranny” that is the aim of islamic jihad. He gets it.

Great post!!


86 posted on 12/06/2007 5:22:37 PM PST by La Enchiladita ("If Duncan Hunter were Mormon it wouldn’t matter one whit to me."~~xzins, 12-6-07)
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To: pby

While I readily acede that Rudy and Hillary basically have no faith and don’t live it if they do........I have to say that Mitt Romney does have a faith life, can speak eloquently regarding faith and politics, and appears to live a decent life indicative of a relationship with God. Of the three I would choose Romney......of course, there are two others I prefer over him.


87 posted on 12/06/2007 5:29:18 PM PST by tioga (Dear Santa..........I can explain....)
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To: Darlin'
"Today, Mr Romney found it necessary to do something that we have not asked of any other candidate, democrat or republican. He was forced to define his religious beliefs and speak about his faith publicly."

Horse Feathers!! Who is we? Who asked Mitt to speak on this topic? He ripped this from JFK. It was all Politics. Pure and simple. Mitt will never sell me. He is a phony, pure and simple.

88 posted on 12/06/2007 6:20:20 PM PST by Afronaut (Press 2 for English - Thanks Mr. President !)
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To: La Enchiladita; Reaganesque

Thank you. It was an excellant speech.


89 posted on 12/06/2007 6:41:54 PM PST by Darlin' (oh.... phooey.... lost my tagline.... again)
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To: Rick.Donaldson

We need an effective emergency communications system that does not depend on AMATEUR RADIO operators, who are in fact Amateurs, not tasked with the job of emergency communication, not formally equipped to operate without power, water, or food, and not required by law to provide emergency communications.

I don’t think that’s “dissing” them, although its clear his remarks were impolitic.

We need to have government-equipped, professionally manned, effective and compatable emergency communications equipment. The answer is not that “ham radio operators” can save the day. Sure they can, and they do, but we can’t have a system that counts on it.


90 posted on 12/06/2007 6:53:16 PM PST by CharlesWayneCT (The Swiss Ninja.)
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To: CharlesWayneCT
Most Mormons I know who are supporting him are doing so because he shares their values, NOT because they are Mormons. They don’t support Harry Reid, for example, even though he is also a Mormon. However, it is true that I have not met a Mormon who holds Romney’s faith against him.

That's why I say it's a paradox. It may be true that they don't support him just because he is a Mormon, but making statements that Romney would be the first Mormon President and that would be good for the LDS church or even just saying Mormons have good family values so you should vote for Mitt if you are a conservative makes a statement, on the other hand, that religion has nothing to do with politics seem absurd.

Let's have a discussion about how religion would have nothing to do with our vote in a race against an atheist and a Christian or even a Muslim and a Christian. Religion does make a difference. It might not be the primary difference, but for most people it is always a factor somewhere along the line in the decision process no matter what faith they practice. You can make lofty idealic speeches, but at the end of the day, if we are honest with ourselves, religion can and does factor in to our decisions.

91 posted on 12/06/2007 6:55:30 PM PST by Elyse (I refuse to feed the crocodile.)
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To: pby

I’m sorry, I was being confrontational. You had posted first asking who the speechwriter was, but then posted that the “speechwriter” did well, and Romney just read a speech and implied he shouldn’t get credit for it.

But I had heard Romney did his own speechwriting, so I wanted to know who you thought wrote the speech since you seemed to be saying Romney didn’t.

I apologize. It seems clear now that you simply didn’t know, and were making the common assumption most of us make that a speechwriter puts these things together.

Please accept my apology.


92 posted on 12/06/2007 6:55:32 PM PST by CharlesWayneCT (The Swiss Ninja.)
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To: Afronaut
(1) "Who is we?" ... Ahem, in this context, "we" did not refer to you or me specifically. It was meant collectively, i.e. voters in general and the media at large. .

(2)"He ripped this from JFK" ... Not really but, JFK did set the precedent for the speech today.

(3)"It was all Politics. Pure and simple" ... Gosh, do you mean speeches other candidates deliver aren't political?

(4)"Mitt will never sell me. He is a phony, pure and simple" ... Ok, then. Looks like you've decided. I'm still considering a couple of candidates. Have a nice evening.

93 posted on 12/06/2007 7:02:44 PM PST by Darlin' (oh.... phooey.... lost my tagline.... again)
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To: Reaganesque
[T]he speech reminded us of just how important Freedom of Religion is to the character and essence of the United States. There's a reason it part of the First Amendment. It was that important to our Founders.

Actually, the primacy of the First Amendment was not exactly intended by the Founders.

Seventeen amendments were original proposed to make up the Bill of Rights. Several of them (speech and religion, for example) were combined until Congress had twelve amendments to propose to the states for ratification.

The first and second proposed amendments were not ratified (the first dealt with apportionment of the House of Representatives, and the second, dealing with limits on Congress's ability to raise salaries, was finally ratified about 200 years later as the 27th Amendment).

So . . . the states ratified only the Amendments proposed as numbers three through twelve. The First Amendment contained in the Bill of Rights was actually the third B.O.R. amendment proposed by Congress.

After learning that in Ms. Helen Taylor's eleventh-grade history test almost twenty-five years ago, that's only the second time I've been able to use that little tidbit.

Catharsis.

94 posted on 12/06/2007 7:08:01 PM PST by Scoutmaster (You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred.)
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To: Darlin'

Great post!

I watched the speech tonight and I think it showed very clearly why Governor Romney is fit to be our next president. I don’t think there has ever been a better speech by a presidential candidate.


95 posted on 12/06/2007 7:11:31 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: lonevoice

I was amazed that Mitt didn’t even look at a note. This came from the heart and was very inspiring!


96 posted on 12/06/2007 7:13:56 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: tantiboh
~”There’s a lot of ham radio operators out there, millions of us, that won’t vote for him.”~

I'm a Ham who supports Mitt. Didn't realize that licensed Radio Amateurs numbered in the millions. Thought we were a more exclusive group than that.

97 posted on 12/06/2007 8:00:51 PM PST by night reader (NRA Life Member since 1962)
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To: Darlin'

Beautiful post, Darlin’! : ) Thank you for taking the time to write it.


98 posted on 12/06/2007 8:11:42 PM PST by TAdams8591 ((Mitt Romney '08, THE ONLY candidate who can defeat Giuliani and Hillary ))
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To: pby

Mitt’s running on a pro-life Reagan conservative platform, while the other two are running on Liberal platforms not compatible with the current Republican platform. If you can’t see the huge difference between Mitt and Hillary, you lack the ability to see reality and there truly is no hope for you. Nothing I or anyone else says, will change that.


99 posted on 12/06/2007 8:18:04 PM PST by TAdams8591 ((Mitt Romney '08, THE ONLY candidate who can defeat Giuliani and Hillary ))
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To: TheLion

I believe Mitt just won the Republican nomination with that speech. It was THAT good.


100 posted on 12/06/2007 8:21:27 PM PST by TAdams8591 ((Mitt Romney '08, THE ONLY candidate who can defeat Giuliani and Hillary ))
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