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Mormonism Didn't Sink Romney
AmericanSpectator ^ | 2/14/2008 | Philip Klein

Posted on 02/14/2008 9:12:59 AM PST by JRochelle

Snip Let us not forget that Romney snapped his fingers before the election and decided to become a conservative by switching his positions on a litany of key issues, even though his past record was moderate. There were endless gaffes throughout the campaign in which he reinforced the well-earned perception that he would say anything to get elected--from describing himself as a lifelong hunter even though he had hunted only twice, for saying he watched his father march with MLK, for claiming an endorsement of the NRA he never received, etc.

He also failed to emotionally connect with voters. I would go to Romney speeches all year, and talk to audience members after who would tell me they agreed with what he said, but he was "too slick" and "too packaged." It never ceased to amaze me how emotionally tone deaf he was as a candidate, most notable was when he said his sons were serving their country by working to get him elected. I went to a townhall meeting just days before the New Hampshire primary in which a woman said her 26-year old cousin had been paralyzed in a rugby accident, and she asked Romney for his position on stem cell research. Romney responded, "Great, thank you for the question" and he went on with a textbook answer about pluripotent cells without offering any sympathy. Romney's checklist conservatism appealed to desperate conservatives on a cerebral level, but he never reached people emotionally as Huckabee and McCain did. If you want to know why McCain beat Romney, look no further than the final debate between them at the Reagan Library. When they were asked why Reagan would endorse them, Romney recited a laundry list of issues on which Reagan would have agreed with him, while McCain

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; faith; fakeconservative; lds; ldschurch; mormon; mormonism; romney
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To: JRochelle

I considered Romney full of it and inauthentic in his conversions and there were some like me who were cautious about him. However, there was a good amount of old fashioned anti-mormon bigotry that did him in, evidenced in the Mike Hucksterbee campaign.


41 posted on 02/14/2008 9:55:07 AM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: Grunthor
The article is short sighted. His religion was the difference, if you look at all the consequences. If Romney wasn’t a Mormon, he probably would have won Iowa. If he wins Iowa, he likely would have won New Hampshire and that would have ended McCain. Even if it didn’t, Romney would have run a MUCH stronger race in South Carolina.

I actually heard sermons in South Carolina essentially advising people not to vote for Romney because he was a Mormon.

42 posted on 02/14/2008 9:56:06 AM PST by MBB1984
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To: Grunthor; ejonesie22; big'ol_freeper
I cannot tell you how many “good Christians” that I saw post here and talked to in person that said, “Sure I agree with most of what he stands for (then in a whispered voice) but he’s a “Mormon."

Just give us an approximate number...."in person" meaning no verification or links, right?

How does one "whisper" on an internet forum???? Like this????

I call BS! This has been a ploy to play the victim card on numerous posts...."All you bigots that SAY you consider his policies as a reason not to support him are lying, you REALLY won't vote for him because of his religion!" Whine, whine!

43 posted on 02/14/2008 9:56:09 AM PST by greyfoxx39 (Bill Richardson: Billions for boondoggles; Not one red cent for Jenny Craig.)
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To: PugetSoundSoldier

There ought to be a law against interheight marriages.


44 posted on 02/14/2008 9:56:17 AM PST by Always Right (Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?)
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To: nmh
That is an absolute myth. RomneyCare is already running severely over budget. And there's already talk about a federal bailout of the system that appears headed toward failure a mere two years after its inception.

If the feds have to bail out RomneyCare, Flip will never get elected anything as a Republican. Maybe as a Democrat...
45 posted on 02/14/2008 9:57:51 AM PST by Antoninus (Looks like 2008 could be McCain vs. Hussein.)
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To: MBB1984

Fred and mcCain had no chance in iowa because they were against farm subsidies and Huck and Romney were for them.


46 posted on 02/14/2008 9:58:41 AM PST by ari-freedom (True conservatives don't help Democrats win.)
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To: svcw

Because of bigots, we will lose in the fall, Romney was the only chance to win. I will vote Republican for every office except president, which I will vote dem like Ann Coulter.


47 posted on 02/14/2008 10:00:14 AM PST by factmart
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To: Vigilanteman

Ann Coulter, like other leading pundits, essentially sold out. Rush, Mark Levin, Ann, and others who claim to be true to conservative principles, tried to market Romney, a very questionable candidate. Granted, he was possibly the most conservative of the remaining three, but he was hardly the great conservative hope the pundits made him out to be.

I’m supported by history. Romney lost because he DID come across as a slick character who had flip flopped on key issues to become electable. He did not connect with voters to any great degree. That isn’t opinion. That’s fact. Whether it was due to his Mormonism or not is debatable, but one cannot ignore the fact he was a weak candidate with virtually no appeal outside of his faction of the party.


48 posted on 02/14/2008 10:00:18 AM PST by CitizenUSA (Member of CRAM - Conservative Resigned to Accept McCain)
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To: ari-freedom

“Do you think that your tax dollars should go to prop up failing companies?”

No, Never saud that. Tax incentives WORK.

He turned around the winter olympics because he pushed for millions of taxpayer dollars.

That’s fine. It brought in MORE business than he pushed for.

You don’t understand business.


49 posted on 02/14/2008 10:00:52 AM PST by nmh (Mike Huckabee the "religious" humanist that pushes socialism! (Clinton/Carter combo))
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To: factmart

romney had no chance. He had very high negative ratings in the general population.


50 posted on 02/14/2008 10:02:03 AM PST by ari-freedom (True conservatives don't help Democrats win.)
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To: nmh

well romney was for govt spending on corporations, not just tax cuts. You don’t understand corporate welfare.


51 posted on 02/14/2008 10:03:04 AM PST by ari-freedom (True conservatives don't help Democrats win.)
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To: factmart

Go over to DU where you belong.

That is where the supporters of Hillary and Obama are.


52 posted on 02/14/2008 10:03:24 AM PST by JRochelle (The cult of Obama is real.)
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To: Leisler
If you wish to believe that ... go ahead. It's not true but if it makes you feel better - than go ahead. Mitt's withdrawn.

If you want to believe that Mitt is a disaster, you haven’t seen anything yet - just wait for McCain who votes AGAINST TAX CUTS usher in more socialism and class envy. McCain hasn’t got a clue on what works in the private sector - Huckabee isn’t even worth mentioning - it’s painfully obvious.

53 posted on 02/14/2008 10:03:30 AM PST by nmh (Mike Huckabee the "religious" humanist that pushes socialism! (Clinton/Carter combo))
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To: Grunthor

Thanks for the honesty.

I cannot count the number of self proclaimed “good Christians” on FR that showed their anti-Mormon bigotry right here for everyone to see......and now play like it never existed.


54 posted on 02/14/2008 10:04:29 AM PST by ElectricStrawberry (27th Infantry Regiment...cut in half during the Clinton years.)
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To: greyfoxx39

That shiza is getting old. He had a BS candidacy and it’s becoming apparent he had a bunch of whining BS supporters.


55 posted on 02/14/2008 10:05:19 AM PST by big'ol_freeper (REAGAN: "..party..must represent certain fundamental beliefs [not] compromised..[for] expediency")
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To: Antoninus
Well if you think the government is NOT going to be involved with health care is some form - you’re dreaming. It is the poorest of poor that have government care. Romney’s plan is a hybrid between private and government with only the poorest getting government money. Frankly with how socialized people are - you’re not going to do better than what Mitt came up with.
56 posted on 02/14/2008 10:05:27 AM PST by nmh (Mike Huckabee the "religious" humanist that pushes socialism! (Clinton/Carter combo))
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To: nmh

mccain also voted FOR TAX CUTS and wants a flat tax


57 posted on 02/14/2008 10:05:38 AM PST by ari-freedom (True conservatives don't help Democrats win.)
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To: factmart
NO, MR did not lose because of bigots.

He did not meet the cut because of his political history. I do not care how much you say otherwise you are wrong.

Now, in Utah there was bigotry because MR got 90% of the vote.

So could we say LDS are greater bigots than Christians in the south?

We are all bigots about something but that is not why MR did not get the nomination.

58 posted on 02/14/2008 10:05:49 AM PST by svcw (The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.)
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To: ari-freedom
“mccain also voted FOR TAX CUTS and wants a flat tax”

NO. McCain did NOT vote for a tax cuts. McCain is one the the few Republicans with that distinctive shame.

I AGREE with a FLAT TAX.

59 posted on 02/14/2008 10:07:12 AM PST by nmh (Mike Huckabee the "religious" humanist that pushes socialism! (Clinton/Carter combo))
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To: curiosity

www.ARTLaction.com


60 posted on 02/14/2008 10:07:17 AM PST by Lesforlife ("For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb . . ." Psalm 139:13!!!!!)
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