Romney, Thompson criticize Confederate flag

CNN ^ | 11-28-2007 | – CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby

[Eddie01]

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee criticized the Confederate flag, which happens to be hoisted on the Statehouse grounds in the early primary state of South Carolina.

[snip]

Both candidates are front-runners in South Carolina. Both may have to answer questions about those comments next time they hit the state.

[end]

[Neu Pragmatist]

They sure seem hellbent on taking the abuse .

The MSM must be in a perpetual state of gleeful dismay at how easy it is to bait the Republicans into self destruction .

Unreal ...

[Constantine XIII]

Not East Tennessee, lol.

Knoxville cheered when General Burnside marched into town, iirc.

[County Agent Hank Kimball]

Thanks! I don’t have a cast pic....stole it....hope you don’t mind! ;-)

Hank

[Route66]

Out of that entire debate, THIS is the most substantive story they could throw out even before they finished sweeping the stage?

It was one of the most stupid questions asked but they are trying to use it to drive a wedge between the candidates who got stuck with it and the southern states. Lame. Very Lame.

[Rick_Michael]

If a person can’t see why it’s offensive, just like a person can’t see why it’s symbol of culture/pride...then they’re awfully one-sided.

I for one don’t care, because it’s not a pertinent issue to the nation. It’s a local issue and should be dealt with in that manner.

[unspun]

Funny, how Anderson winced when it was mentioned that their focus group criticized CNN for not asking important questions about Iran, etc., etc.

It was more important in the CNN mindset, to bring up the Confederate flag, punishment for abortion, gays in the military, etc., etc.

[StoneWall Brigade]

That has to be stupidest post I have ever seen

[Rick_Michael]

“And finally, people that are making a big deal of this should probably “save their Confederate dollars cause the South’s gonna rise again.””

lmao.

[Rick_Michael]

It’s pretty-odd, to say the least. He confused the confederate flag with the mexican flag!?....I don’t know what happened there....

[Rick_Michael]

“Mr. Romney as a presidential candidate, but he will sustain the greater damage from his answer.”

Romney had many bad answer that night. I personally would have said,

“This isn’t a national issue. I can see how this flag would both make someone feel good about their culture (or place in this world), and represent an era in time that America shouldn’t be proud of. Both have their points, but at this point in time, it’s not an issue that need national attention...and should be resolved at the local level.”

That’s it...I wouldn’t have pronounced any moral feelings. I don’t have any personal connection to it, but I could understand why both sides feel their feelings. Right or wrong.

[jwh_Denver]

The illusion is that the MSM actually thinks they’re needed to do it.

Good line there Neu.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Thanks . I’m just glad that i’m not the only one that can see the absurdity .

I wish the campaigns would recognize it and be a little more selective about their debate venues .

[WFTR]

I disagree with the assertion that Mr. Romney had many bad answers. Overall, I thought he did very well. However, he would have done much better if he'd answered this question as you suggested.

Bill

[stockstrader]

I wished that Giuliani had been asked that question. It seems that the question was asked to hurt CERTAIN candidates only.

[Rick_Michael]

“I disagree with the assertion that Mr. Romney had many bad answers. Overall, I thought he did very well. However, he would have done much better if he’d answered this question as you suggested.”

Gay’s in the military, his apology on being pro-choice, his position on torture (which made McCain look fatherly), etc...it all seemed far too muddled. The first two actual garnered negative crowd responses, if I remeber correctly.

[jwh_Denver]

The Dems play hard ball, the Reps T-ball. Somebody is carrying around a lot of railroad spikes in their head. I think if one the candidates would bitch shit would get changed and it would be a notch in their belt to boot.

[Domandred]

Soon as Mitt answered I said to my wife “well he just lost the entire Southern vote”

To be fair though personally I think that was a can’t win question though. Thompson did fairly well, better then Mitt, but still cost him some South points.

The Confed flag wouldn’t have even been an issue if CNN or whatever MSM network it was didn’t try to make it an issue because someone had one in his garage that Dick Cheney walked nearby and trying to claim that was an endorsement of some form.

[familyop]

"But Thompson added that, 'as far as a public place is concerned, I am glad that people have made the decision not to display it as a prominent flag, symbolic of something, at a state capitol.'"

...very interesting.

[geopyg]

“The whole question seems to have the flavor of a setup by CNN to cause trouble for the Republican Party.”

And the question after that, and the one after that, and....

[familyop]

"To me it means cheap-labor, open-borders, free-traitors."

Yes, many of the same people supporting those anti-American trends are instigating balkanization of our Nation with such divisive issues. And most of them don't even live in the southeast. It's nothing new. Such selfish traitors have played ethnic and income groups--even the sexes off against one another before.