You are completely wrong about the debate question and the entire issue.
The issue at the time was whether the Boy Scouts would allow gay men to be scout leaders.
Mitt supported it. He supported it in 1994, he supported it in 2002, and he gave a vague "I was wrong about some things" around 2004.
Those are the facts that have been admitted to and acknowledged for years.
You are the first person I have ever seen bring up this ridiculous claim that it was not about gay troop leaders, but about gay boys. Why you would fabricate something like that now.... well, it boggles the mind.
IN order to get what you think it says out of it, you must impose additional facts not in evidence in the question or answer.
You are free to hold any opinion you like, but the facts are simply the facts, and the facts do not themselves support the conclusion you reach, much less give you the credence to claim me a liar or fabricator.
There may well be a quote somewhere from Romney on the issue. When I asked for one, this is what I was given, and it clearly is NOT what the poster promised.
Look, Romney said lots of things in 1994 that I disagree with. I make no apologies for him in that regard. I just think we should stick to what he actually said, or else note that we are giving our interpretation of the facts, rather than the facts.
So, lets follow the history, because I will debate nothing but the specific claims made and my specific response to those claims.
The original poster, at post 57, said this:
His strawman has failed, and Mister “boy scouts must accept gay scoutmasters” and “what position on abortion shall I decide to have this week” desperately needs something to hide behind.I responded asking for evidence that Romney ever said "boy scouts MUST ACCEPT gay scoutmasters". The original poster, at post 157, responded with THIS:
I posted the video the question he was answering regarded board of directorship members. By definition is that not leadership?I will note he already had changed both the scope and object of his challenge. He originally claimed Mitt wanted to force gay scout masters, now he was saying it was "board of directorship members". But still, he was WRONG about the question.
The text of the question and answer are this:
"Mr. Romney, you say you're a moderate on social issues. One who will defend abortion rights, equal rights for women, for blacks, and for gays. In fact you say you will do more to promote gay rights than Senator Kennedy. You also sit on the national executive board of the Boy Scouts of America, which has an exclusionary policy banning gay members. Do you support that policy, and if not have you ever done anything as a board member to oppose it?"
Note the question does NOT ASK about the policy of membership in the "national executive board". That was in reference to Romney's position. The question is about the BSA banning gay members. So it's not about leadership, it's about MEMBERSHIP.
"I have let my views be known," said Romney. "I have been to one board meeting now of the Boy Scouts of America board (as of 1994). I believe that the Boy Scouts of America does a wonderful service for this country. I support the right of the Boy Scouts of America to decide what it wants to do on that issue. I feel that all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation."
OK, remember, the original poster claimed Mitt wanted to FORCE GAY SCOUTMASTERS on the Boy Scouts. As "proof" he gave me a quote from Romney where he says they can do whatever they want -- clearly NOT forcing them. And the quote doesn't mention scoutmasters, or any leadership. Instead, it speaks about what Romney "feels" about "participants". PARTICIPANTS, not SCOUT MASTERS.
If there is a quote from Mitt saying he wants to FORCE GAY SCOUTMASTERS on the boy scouts, produce it. Otherwise, the statement stands unsupported.
Don't step into the middle of a conversation and start calling people liars and misleaders. You are dead wrong about the debate question, I made no comments on "the entire issue", and it is clear that to this point the original poster was non-responsive to the simple request to support his claim that Romney was trying to force Gay Scoutmasters on the Boy Scouts, something that his own supplied quote proves false.