The Mystery of Romney

The longer we are into the Republican primary skirmishes, the more I want to know what is going on that this is all Republicans can offer as viable candidates? The one most likely to get the nomination, Mitt Romney, in some ways is the worst of the lot and that's saying a lot.

Romney is played up by right and left as the moderate. Moderate what? The man lies-- not once in awhile but blatant, easy to check and often why-would-he-say-that type of lies. I mean this is in the age of YouTube. It's easy to check the lies. Does he so little respect his own potential voters that he knows they won't check or doesn't care if they do?

[Romney lies at least up to the end of February]  

This really is to the point of pathological and yet nobody calls him on it in his own party. Well actually Gingrich did but it was buried quickly as just resentment.

 Romney won't state a policy position on anything that comes together to do what he says. He's scared to even discuss pro or con what he thought of Rush Limbaugh's three-day rant and now extending into the next week to blame the left for what he said.

Even Romney's Mormonism is a question mark to me. He is a long standing and high up Mormon, has been a leader in his religion, donates heavily to it, but does he believe in the Mormon doctrines? Will he let his religion impact his policy positions? I have yet to know. People seem scared to even ask him for fear they will find the freedom of religion card played against them.

Yes, I think it does matter how he sees his religion, how it impacts his business and political life. It matters if you are at all knowledgeable about official Mormon beliefs. They do call themselves Christian; but it's a side sect, if it is, because it has its own book, of equal weight to the Bible (make that two books), and they have teachings that I think would be of interest to people casting a vote.

No, I don't mean the little weird ones like holy underwear. Who cares about that? But big ones like a Mormon male, head of the home, who has done it all right here, can become a god on another planet and that is what, at least officially, they teach Jesus was.  This is not Christian teaching, I can tell you.

The calling to become a god elsewhere has to be higher than to be a president; so would it impact that person's job as president? I'd like to know because there are a lot of other beliefs that could very much impact their position on many things that would impact the rest of us. Does Romney believe that their church president, appointed by god, has a direct line to God for what to do next where it comes to things like polygamy, blacks, women, etc.?

I think that answer matters for anybody who runs for the highest office, who makes laws for the rest of us, who can start wars, who can work for or against environmental protections, who might have less reason than the rest of us to worry about how nice this planet is because they figure after they die, they get another shot at running things on a new one. Wouldn't Americans like to know how Romney sees all of that? Would his religious beliefs only matter if he was an atheist?

When someone is religious as Huntsman was, it doesn't concern Americans because it is moderate-- or sounds moderate; but when it's like Santorum, where they believe God speaks directly to their divinely appointed leader, it matters more. Kennedy was Catholic too but a very different kind of Catholic.

Generally the majority of Americans do not want a leader who follows rigid dictates from a religion-- any religion. This country has not been a theocracy. When someone runs for office, I think we should know if they do want a theocracy and regard themselves as a harbinger of it. Some Americans might want that but shouldn't we all be told where these candidates stand?

With Santorum, I do know because he openly speaks of it. He's basically a Papist. Although he has denied it, some believe he is a member of a very strict religious sect of Catholicism called Opus Dei which can be considered very good or very not good depending on your own view of religion. [Santorum's Church and Opus Dei].  Whether Santorum is a member, he admires Opus Dei and he walks the talk as far as we can tell anyway.

So what are Romney's views toward his religion? Is he moderate? Does he follow it all? He doesn't tell us, and he doesn't tell us pretty much anything about how he is as a person. He's long-time married, happily from the evidence, has a nice family, but what kind of man is he inside? Some say that Mormon's like him, the males who rise up in the party, have been indoctrinated to the point that the public image Romney presents is very typical.

The further this goes on, the more I hear Romney speak, I have to wonder how this man ever gathered to himself a quarter of a billion dollars. What made him good at getting money that doesn't show up on the campaign trail? Was it who his father was and his connections? Was he good at getting money because he drained it from the little people and sucked it to himself? As president what will that mean for a country to have a man like that running it? We know what the richest think because they are the main ones donating to him? Based on his history, should anybody who isn't rich be giving him a dime or a vote?

He's bragged all along how he saved the Olympics. Then he says how he doesn't like government handouts... Except his getting a big government handout is how he saved the Olympics. Does he see any conflict in those two statements? If not, why not?

You ask Romney about his positions on anything and try to follow through what it means. Look at the macho talk that he, as President, wouldn't let Iran have a nuclear power facility and he'd go to war over it but no explanation on what that would cost in American lives, dollars or anything else. How does he balance the budget when he adds another war to the mix? That kind of talk is typical of Romney. Long on hyperbole and short on details and facts. That's how you get really rich? It doesn't seem possible. It's not like he's charismatic nor can he talk on his feet. He stumbles over any answer that wasn't written down. He doesn't appear good with small groups. His talk when he's speaking off the cuff astounds. Just exactly what is he good at?

And please don't tell me Obama is also not good off the cuff. Anybody who saw the video footage of him in college (which evidently Breitbart  and Hannity thought would end his chance to be president for a second term) speaking about the need for minorities to get more opportunity knows he can speak off the cuff. In fact he sounds like the same guy, just with longer hair back then.

The talk from the right that Obama needs a teleprompter ignores all the interviews where he speaks just fine. Romney has avoided any tough interviews. I don't see him talking to the leftie equivalent of Bill O'Reilly (Ed Schultz) as Obama did to O'Reilly, who totally disrespected him and yet Obama held his cool. How would Romney do in that situation? His handlers will make sure we don't find out. The only casual interview I saw, that wasn't totally friendly even though it was on Fox, had him acting distracted and angry at any kind of question that didn't pat him on the back or let him tout his accomplishments. Romney has avoided pretty much anybody who isn't a sycophant. He cannot talk on his feet without a speech. The way he distorts anything makes me wonder if he knows what he's talking about or is just handed a sheet of paper and told what to say? I don't honestly know the answer. Who does?

Basically is there anything behind the pretty fakade? (that came from My Fellow Americans where a Vice President was not able to talk logically, and used that pronunciation for facade as he thought he'd gotten away with stealing the presidency. There is a lot of that guy in politicians today and not just Romney-- the thing is they aren't so close to becoming president.

Read the following about Romney's 'tax' policy. Seriously Republicans need to think a lot about what they want to let loose onto this country. I know if Romney can't get the numbers (but I think he will with the super delegates as Obama did in 2008), Sarah Palin is waiting in the wings rubbing her hands together-- ready to serve her country. That's it? Really that's what the right can offer? This is what the leaders of the Republican party want?

The Mysterious Mr. Romney

And please for anyone who is going to try to nail Obama before they deal with Romney. Do it the other way around. Answer to the Romney lies, his exaggerations or total lie as to what Obama has said, and whether you have heard him say what role his religion would play in his policy positions. You might add how the heck you think he earned that much money when he seems unable to put two sentences together in this campaign -- like about Michigan:  "I love this state. The trees are the right height." Don't take things out of context either. I am not. Just answer what he honestly can bring to the country in terms of running it besides lies about what his policies would do when anybody who looks at them says it doesn't work that way.  And if your answer is anybody is better than Obama. That's how you gave us Bush-- and very few of you will defend Bush now despite voting for him twice.