June 10, 2007
MittWatch: One Rival Smited, A Few More to Go
We're wondering if Romney asks a higher power to smite his enemies. Rudy Giuliani's campaign stoked Mormon Fear by sending out a release linking the Mormon's candidacy to a weird prophecy about a Mormon riding in on a white horse. During the Republican debate, lightning struck and cut out the sound while Giuliani was speaking. The photo above shows Romney aiming a finger at Giuliani 'cuz he probably thought the Lord was pulling through.
--Number two on Romney's smiting list is the usual suspect - John McCain. McCain seems to be in a fight with everyone, especially over the immigration bill, but he got in a hearty dig at Romney: "To want the office so badly that you would intentionally make our country's problems worse might prove you can read a poll or take a cheap shot, but it hardly demonstrates presidential leadership." Meow! These two just need to have a Jell-O wrestling match and get it over with.
--And then there's smiting-list entry number three, a guy who was once the Republicans' best buddy who is now anathema - President George W. Bush. Romney and his fellow debaters are doing their best to distance themselves from Bush's epic screwups. Romney didn't come out and call Bush an idiot, but he said, "There has been the perception that we have not been as open and participative with other nations as is our normal approach."
Let's translate the Mitt-Speak: "Other nations think we're a bunch of assholes. If I made the nations get along during the Olympics, then I can fix it!"
--Let's not forget smiting-list entry number four - gay people. In New Hampshire, a gay woman eloquently requested of Romney, "I wish you could explain to me more, why if we are sending our troops over to fight for liberty and justice for all throughout this country, why not for me? Why not for my family?"
Romney responded, "I'm delighted that you have a family and you're happy with your family. That's the American way." But he said he wasn't going to change his mind. Again, let's translate the Mitt-Speak: "You may be raising your kids right, but, if you get married, I won't be president. And that's the end of that."
Before wrapping up the Mitt-Watch, we should give a shout-out to WBZ' Jon Keller, who said of Romney: "When he’s nervous, he talks too fast. When he talks too fast, he sounds like Ron Popeil hustling the last batch of pocket fishermen." The comparison is apt - we all know Romney can be a slick salesman, and we can totally imagine him saying, "But wait, there's more!"
Photograph of Romney and Giuliani by Elise Amendola/AP.



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Your story is wrong and poorly written. In the first place, this so-called "prophecy" has never been accepted as such by the Church. It was attributed to Joseph Smith by a few individuals well after his death. Joseph never commented on it, the Church never accepted it, and it is generally not accepted today. The fact that it has been brought up now speaks nothing about Romney. It does speak volumes of Guliani.
Second, the entire premise of Romney asking God to smite his enemies is comical. There isn't any evidence at all for this, and while the story takes a light-hearted approach, the intention is to give the appearance that Romney is a weird, outside the mainstream, Mormon. The truth is that Romney and Mormons in general are very mainstream and very American. And although there are significant theological differences with other Christian sects, those differences do not in any way disqualify him for becoming President of the United States.
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Candidate assholes? Try Sendahole.com.
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Yeah, I found this story pathetic and a waste of my time, too.
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too bad Mitt isn't a Muslim, then scum like you would be kissing his ass because you are afraid of him. You would never talk like that about a Muslim, because you are a race-baiter and a RACIST.
It's funny how many times smug pompous asses betray themselves to be racists without ever even knowing it.
Gene Wiley
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See, here's the funny thing about the internet: anyone can post a comment without the slightest bit of accountability or responsibility. Unlike the writer of the story, none of you are accountable for what you say. And it is apparent to me that what you say about the story is a pack of lies. If one read only these comments, one would think that the story in question was some kind of inflammatory Mormon-baiting hate piece. Yet the story actually exposes other candidates who would use Romney's Mormonism against him. Neither does the story, in my reading, endorse any particular view of Mormonism. Its purpose, it seems to me, is to continue to keep Boston residents informed of the recent campaigning of their former governor. Maybe if you really stretch it, you might be able to find a slight bias against Romney, perhaps. But to say that this is somehow "racist" is patently absurd when we are talking about religion here.
Back to the drawing board, Romney staffers! You'll need to find a different way of promoting your candidate.
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Me thinks you Romney defenders protest too much. Now we know what he is doing with his millions raised, paying college students to respond to web sites postings about him..
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Could be his kids - that's free labor.