Mormons

Mitt Romney: Will He Sell His Soul To Be President?

Ronald Leave a comment

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney may be in the lead in public opinion polls for the Republican Presidential nomination, but it is clear that many Republicans are desperately seeking for someone else, whether it is Governor Rick Perry of Texas or Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey or others.

The Tea Party Movement does not like Romney, and neither do evangelical Christians who are suspicious of Romney’s Mormon faith.

Plus, Romney’s health care plan causes discontent, and the feeling that he does not really relate to Republicans voters, or in reality, maybe to ANY voters!

The latter is shown by his insensitive comment in New Hampshire that he is unemployed too, said as a joke to unemployed people he was meeting with. Could he truly commiserate with them, when he has at least $200 million personal fortune behind him?

Also, he made a comment not much noticed right after the New Hampshire debate, but recognized in the aftermath. Romney criticized the federal intervention by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the days after the floods and tornadoes in the Midwest in April and May. He termed the intervention and spending as “immoral”, said FEMA should be privatized, and declared that deficit spending to help the victims made no sense at all, and burdened future generations with extra debts!

If we pursued what Romney has now advocated, it would mean only wealthy, well connected people would be guaranteed food, shelter, clothing, and protection if a disaster struck. How moral is it for someone to be so heartless and unconcerned about the tragedy of natural disasters?

This is Tea Party Movement extremism to the level of crazy and loony, and is obviously Romney’s attempt to appeal to the extreme right wing of his party, but if he were to win the nomination and become President, would he really pursue such narrow minded views, defying the history of the United States regarding the “general welfare” of the population, as enunciated in the “Elastic Clause” (Article 1, Section 8) of the Constitution? Romney NEEDS to clarify this matter, as an issue to consider regarding voting for him to be our President!

The Iowa GOP Presidential Caucus Will Likely Have No Effect On The Nomination

Ronald Leave a comment

A lot of attention is being paid to the Iowa Presidential caucuses due on February 6, 2012.

A lot of the GOP candidates are partaking in that series of caucuses as the first time to measure popular support of their candidacies.

But the fact is that the Iowa caucuses for the Republicans are unlikely to affect the ultimate nomination next year, as Mitt Romney seems unlikely to participate, much like 2008, and Jon Huntsman has announced he will not be part of the process.

In both cases, it is because of the Mormon faith of Romney and Huntsman, which is unlikely to go over well with Iowa social conservatives, a majority of whom are evangelical Christians.

The real race in Iowa is likely among Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, and Herman Cain, with Sarah Palin also a possibility to influence what happens if she runs, which still seems unlikely.

But Pawlenty, the most most legitimate of the four above, has to compete with Iowa born Bachmann, who would have to be favored. And if Palin enters the race, it makes it all the more difficult for Pawlenty, who knows that his whole strategy is to win Iowa, and use that to overcome Romney, who now lives in New Hampshire and is from neighboring Massachusetts, a tall order for Pawlenty to accomplish!

The real battle will be between Romney and Huntsman, both Mormons and actually cousins, with Huntsman seeing the New Hampshire primary as the necessary first step to overcome Romney, and then to triumph over Romney and others in Florida, where he is setting up headquarters, evidence that the Sunshine State will be crucial to him if he is to take off at all after New Hampshire!

Will “It’s The Economy, Stupid!” Outweigh The Death Of Osama Bin Laden And Help Mitt Romney Against Barack Obama?

Ronald Leave a comment

A month ago, President Barack Obama’s public opinion polls skyrocketed, following the successful elimination of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.

Now, a month later, due to the unstable economy and lack of major job growth, and general economic pessimism, Obama has lost the majority support he had last month, and has slipped below 50 percent in the polls.

In the Washington Post-ABC News poll, Obama has slipped to 47 percent, and in a matchup with Mitt Romney, he is behind by three points, 46-43, emboldening the former Massachusetts Governor to believe he has an advantage for 2012, and that such an advantage will give him the edge for the Republican Presidential nomination.

The problem is that Romney might, for now, be ahead, and he might, realistically, along with Jon Huntsman, be the BEST candidate for the GOP, but that is no guarantee that he will win the nomination of his party or the election in November 2012!

The fact that he has stated his belief that global warming and climate change are a real factor, if not the sole one, in what is happening regarding weather and environmental conditions, will not win friends from the social conservatives.

Nor will his Mormon faith, the same problem of Jon Huntsman, help Romney, since evangelical Christians do not regard Mormons as Christians, but rather as a cult.

Nor will his Massachusetts health care plan, often compared to Obama Health Care, although he has carefully defended it, while saying he would not foist it on the nation as a whole.

Nor will his chameleon nature, constantly changing his views with the shifting political winds, with many seeing him as a moderate to liberal Republican in his past, but now claiming to be a conservative.

Nor will his slick manner, his seemingly perfect family and clean image, help him because it seems, somehow, contrived to many!

But will an economy with a high unemployment rate, poor housing prices, high gasoline prices, and a stagnating stock market, be enough to help Romney or some other Republican, and outweigh the national security issue, including the death of Bin Laden, and the fact that America is involved in fighting terrorism in FIVE nations by bombing and drones–Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, and Yemen–making Obama look tough on defense and security issues?

Just about 16 and a half months away from the election, and eight months from the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, the Republican Party has some hope, but many daunting challenges ahead, but then again, so does Barack Obama, to convince the nation to re-elect a President with high unemployment numbers and percentages, greater than since Franklin D. Roosevelt!

The “Dark Horse” To Watch In The GOP Presidential Race: Jon Huntsman Of Utah!

Ronald Leave a comment

Anyone who is paying attention to the GOP Presidential race knows that there is great dissatisfaction with the field of candidates.

Either they are highly controversial and divisive figures such as Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Donald Trump.

Or else they are such long shots that are “unknowns” such as Herman Cain, Gary Johnson, and Buddy Roemer.

Or they are candidates who have been around before, and are seen by many as uninspiring, including Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

Or they are newcomers who are seen as having potential, such as Tim Pawlenty and Jon Huntsman.

There is also Ron Paul, who excites the libertarian wing of the party, but has no chance to be the nominee.

And then, there are those who imagine that Chris Christie, the “bully” Governor of New Jersey, somehow can translate his tough guy image to the national scene.

In reality, other than Mitt Romney, who has many issues to deal with, but is seen by many as the best candidate, it is, as the author has said many times, Pawlenty and Huntsman who are the best alternatives, but in many ways, Huntsman is much more interesting.

Former Ambassador to China under President Obama, and former Governor of Utah, where he came across as a moderate, Huntsman is much more charismatic than Pawlenty. He is very handsome, dynamic, has the experience in China which makes him appear strong on foreign policy, and could be much more appealing in a two man race against Obama than any other candidate. He is truly the ultimate “dark horse” in the race, and this weekend, he is in South Carolina delivering the commencement address at the University of South Carolina. He is said to be ready to enter the race next month, and seems to many the most interesting person in the race.

Being a moderate on most issues, a Mormon like Romney is, and having worked for Obama in China, are all negatives to many, but don’t bet against him surviving a long way in the Presidential race and keeping it interesting!

Watch Jon Huntsman and read up on him, as he should be a major factor in the political race for 2012!

The Republican Sense Of Desperation As Fox News Channel Debate Occurs In Five Days!

Ronald Leave a comment

The Republican Party, the Grand Old Party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Reagan, is facing a sense of desperation as the first scheduled debate among GOP Presidential candidates is only five days away, due on May 5 on Fox News Channel.

No one has really emerged from the pack, and those who have been noticed–Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Donald Trump–have embarrassed themselves as well as the party. If this is the best the GOP can do, they may as well concede the election for President next year to President Obama!

Of course, no such thing will happen, but the mainstream candidates–Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman–have not excited the party, and Mike Huckabee seems unlikely to run, and in any case, has put his foot in his mouth too many times already to be the ideal candidate.

With the decision of Haley Barbour to drop out of the race, attention is being drawn again to Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana, and former budget director under George W. Bush, but he has alienated social conservatives by emphasizing economic and budget issues, and suggesting there be a truce on social matters, such as gay rights, abortion, and school prayer. He also lacks charisma and presence, and since the budget debt doubled under George W. Bush, one wonders if his so called “magic” abilities with budgets, plus his strong anti labor stand in Indiana, ahead of Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Florida, is to be seen as a plus.

But once you go past Mitch Daniels, the others being promoted are even less thrilling!

To suggest “Bully” Governors, including Chris Christie of New Jersey and Scott Walker of Wisconsin seems suicidal, as neither has high public opinion ratings, has declared war on labor, and has an aggressive public personality that turns many people off!

And to suggest Texas Governor Rick Perry is really to promote desperation, as Perry is not too bright, and has advocated secession of his state in past political rhetoric! What the Democrats could do with that–wow!

But then, those who suggest Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the author of the GOP budget bill that wishes to make Medicare privatized in ten years, but admits no balanced budget for thirty years, are even more crazy. Not only is Ryan seen as a “wise guy” arrogant person, but also he has received many attacks at Town Halls in his own district, and his plan has been attacked bitterly by people of all age groups, and become cannon fodder for the Democrats, which they will be able to use next year in the Presidential Election of 2012.

The way things look, the best bet for the Republican Party is to turn toward Mitt Romney, as the most “mainstream” they can get to run against Barack Obama, but will the Tea Party activists and the evangelical Christians allow a Mormon, who was once a liberal to moderate in the party, to be its nominee? Stay tuned!

Three Internal Struggles Within The Republican Presidential Race: Business Experience, Mormonism, And Being From Minnesota!

Ronald Leave a comment

The upcoming Republican Presidential race has three potential major conflicts.

The first is between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and real estate mogul Donald Trump, over the issue of business experience, both having it, but Trump declaring that his business background is far superior to that of Romney. Additionally, Trump is bragging about his greater financial assets, as compared to Romney, but no one should feel sorry for the size of Romney’s fortune!

Secondly, Romney and former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman both are Mormons, which could make an interesting race on that issue, but could actually hurt both of them with evangelical Christians, who see Mormons as part of a cult, and not Christian!

Thirdly, former Governor Tim Pawlenty and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann both come from Minnesota, and that could create a major complication for Pawlenty, as more excitement centers around Bachmann as a rabble rouser in the party establishment and among Tea Party Movement people!

In the long run, the more serious candidates are probably Romney and Pawlenty, so the problems of Trump, Huntsman, and Bachmann make their quest for the GOP nomination all that much more difficult!

Why Does The “Average Citizen” Vote Republican?

Ronald 2 Comments

It is mystifying why the so called “average citizen” so often votes Republican! The Republican Party has no real interest in the lives of average Americans, as they only care about PROPERTY and WEALTH, not PEOPLE, as stated in an earlier entry on this blog!

So why do people vote against their own self interest as middle class or poorer people?

1. Fear, instilled by the Republican Party–fear of “illegal” and legal immigrants; fear of Muslims; fear of African Americans; fear of Latinos and Hispanics; fear of native Americans; fear of Asian Americans; fear of liberals and progressives; fear of labor unions; fear of socialism; fear of communism and Marxism; fear of educated people; fear that guns will be taken away from them!

2. Belief that Christianity must rule the nation, so as to outlaw abortion rights for women; forbid gay relationships; condemn those who are other than “good” Christians, meaning including Catholics and Mormons and only accepting Judaism in the guise of the protection of the Holy Land from the infidels, but advocating that unless Jews accept Jesus Christ, they are going to hell; promoting their sense of morality, despite how hypocritical it is; claiming to have all right on their side!

3. Promoting America as a special nation, better than all others, and therefore, promoting extreme nationalism, jingoism, and imperialism in the name of defending America from evil forces overseas, and therefore, connecting big business industrial interests to the military, what President Eisenhower warned against–the military-industrial complex! So patriotism is a major method to gain public support, with many of the middle and poorer classes being sent as cannon fodder for our military adventures overseas, which enrich the military-industrial complex!

4. Lack of education about government, which allows Republican propaganda to mislead people and get them to vote for what is against their self interest, and the goal is NOT to educate people properly, as ignorance benefits the GOP! They want to “pull the wool” over people’s eyes, and they are very effective in that regard!

The hope is that soon the middle and poorer classes will come to realize that it was the Republican Party which got us in this economic mess, and that it is time for the wealthy and corporations to pay up their fair share of taxation, and stop exploiting the masses and making them pay for the corrupt policies of Republicans on the national and state levels!

Interesting Conflicts Within Republican Presidential Field

Ronald 1 Comment

As one surveys the Republican Presidential race and potential opponents, there are several interesting conflicts that exist among the members of the field.

One is the battle between Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, both trying to appeal to the Tea Party favorites, and also being the potential only woman in the race, with Bachmann now seen as much more likely to run than Palin.

A second one is the battle for Southern support, among Newt Gingrich of Georgia, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, and Haley Barbour of Mississippi, with all three having major problems, but Gingrich and Huckabee flirting directly with “Birthers” and pushing the idea that, somehow, Barack Obama is not a true American, an idea which marginalizes both of them, and giving Barbour the edge.

A third is the battle for the Midwest, with Michele Bachmann a potential problem for Tim Pawlenty for social conservative support and Tea Party backing, but with Pawlenty seeming more responsible and more acceptable to many, and with many observers seeing him as having the fewest shortcomings of all the potential GOP candidates.

A fourth conflict is between the two Mormons in the race, both of whom neutral observers see as having the best chance to beat Barack Obama–Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, both former Governors, in Massachusetts and Utah, respectively. Both are very ambitious, but also very qualified, and have been rivals in the past, but Romney has the Massachusetts Health Care Plan as his Achilles Heel, while Huntsman has the issue of having been the US Ambassador to China for the past two years under President Obama. Their competition could be the most substantial and interesting of all of these rivalries, and the issue of whether being Mormons will be the fatal blow to their chances for the nomination.

So it will be a fascinating struggle to find who will be the GOP nominee against Obama, with eleven months to the first vote in the Iowa caucuses

Religion And The American Presidency: No Religious Test!

Ronald Leave a comment

The United States has come a long way in the past fifty years, electing our first Catholic President, John F. Kennedy; witnessing our first Greek Orthodox Presidential nominee, Michael Dukakis; having a second Catholic nominee for President, John Kerry; nominating three other Catholics for Vice President–Edmund Muskie, Sargent Shriver, and Geraldine Ferraro; electing the first Greek Othodox Vice President, Spiro Agnew; electing the first Catholc Vice President, Joe Biden; and nominating the first Jewish Vice Presidential nominee, Joe Lieberman.

So therefore, it is time to see evangelical Christians stop declaring their opposition to the nomination and possible election of a Mormon President!

The Republican Party has the real opportunity to nominate a possibly winning candidate in 2012, and has the blessing of two excellent, well qualified nominees, arguably the two best candidates in the field.

One, Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, was the runner up to John McCain in the 2008 Presidential nomination battle, and has proved to have great business experience, and strong leadership in his term as Governor of Massachusetts. He has already, in 2008, tried to overcome the religious issue with a speech making clear that, like John F. Kennedy stated about his religion, he would be a President who happened to be Mormon, not a Mormon President!

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, who is resigning as Ambassador to China, has excellent credentials in foreign policy and had a successful time as the Governor of the Mormon state, and showed open mindedness, and is seen by many observers as an exceptional person who could be a great candidate, and his Mormon faith should not be a factor in his running for President.

It is time for evangelicals and others to stop using religion as a reason to deny someone who is talented and capable the opportunity to run for President!

Sure, both Romney and Huntsman have their shortcomings, but in so many ways, they are the best candidates available, and religion should not be a consideration in the upcoming Presidential race!

The Promotion Of Jeb Bush For The Presidency

Ronald Leave a comment

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has made it crystal clear that he is NOT interested in running for President in 2012, or has he? 🙂

One gets the feeling that he has NOT given up completely on the idea, and when one considers much of the Republican field is seen clearly as losers, unable to win the country over Barack Obama in 2012, one can understand why Jeb’s name keeps on coming up. He could be looking for a so called “draft” like Dwight D. Eisenhower had in 1951 to convince him to run in 1952.

If one looks rationally at the multitude of possible candidates, only three seem at all realistic–Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, and Jeb Bush.

All three are competent and qualified, and are not connected to the loony side of the GOP, including the Tea Party Movement.

Of course, that makes it more difficult for them, as the Tea Party Movement, and the impact of Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann and other loonies like them, may be enough to prevent any of the three above from being the GOP nominee.

But if the goal in politics is to WIN, then one of these three might just be the right guy for the moment!

The problem that Romney and Huntsman face, however, is their Mormon religion, which turns off evangelical Christians. But both have backgrounds and qualifications that make them prime possibilities for President, although Huntsman is not yet well known.

But Bush has the advantages of having been, overall, a popular governor of the fourth largest state, Florida; having an appeal to Hispanics and Latinos since he is seen as open minded on the immigration issue; and seen as smarter and brighter than his brother George by far!

Don’t forget that originally the Bush family plan was that Jeb would win the governorship of Florida in 1994 and then run for President in 2000, but Lawton Chiles ruined that, and Jeb had to wait until 1998, and by then brother George had already been Governor of Texas for four years, so George got the advantage to run for President.

The National Review, a conservative journal of great reputation, and its editor, Rich Lowry, make the case for Jeb in 2012, arguing that he has a better chance of uniting a party that has no strong leader yet; that for Jeb to wait to 2016 will make him seem “old news”, and that many newer candidates will come along by then, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio; that the rehabilitation of brother George has already begun, so being a Bush is not as negative as it was in 2008; and that waiting is always a mistake, and that one must be aggressive in going for an opportunity to run, as such examples as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama proves.

So with such a large and mostly weird, loony list of possible candidates, or those who simply have no national appeal, the likelihood that Jeb Bush will yet be heard from for 2012 grows!