Why can't I abide Mitt?

I find Romney annoying for the reasons you and Ross give. Some commenters on Ross's blog suggest that attention to "style" and not "issues" is misplaced.

Although a general stance on policy is important, the "issues" of the campaign rarely translated into the policies of the elected President. Remember how W was against "nation building"? The type of person the candidate is, as well as his experience, is probably more important, because the policy challenges won't be the ones addressed in the campaign. On this score, a marketing-crafted, hollow persona such as Romney, no matter how intelligent or how good a husband, fails.

As Gertrude Stein said of Oakland, "There's no there there."

Mitt Romney is the real deal. He is one of those candidates the public has been praying for but has forgotten that these type of leaders do exist. He looks good on paper because he is intellegent and has become successful the noble way; he earned it. He is a wonderful family man and dispite the media critics, he is a decent and honest man. Again, he is the type of candidate that we all wish would run for president but wouldn't recognize him if he was right in front of our nose. Have we become so cynical and lost the ability to recognize the real deal? I hope not!

Wow! I'm voting for vague promises that the future is, in fact, coming in the next ten years! It looks like Back to the Future was right, the future is 2015! I wonder if we'll have flying cars? Wait a minute, he just said the future is now...although, technically, I guess 'now' is within the next ten years. (Although, no, not anymore. Now it's within the last ten years.)

Wait, instead of voting for yesterday or tomorrow, I want to vote for 1993. I liked that year, is that running? Can I vote for a year before I was able to vote? How about 2050, maybe we could just skip ahead some. Do we have to pick a day or can we get the whole year?

Seriously, this is like a cheesy parody ad run by 'the other guy' in a political comedy movie. Except he forgot to end it with 'God Bless America'.

Incidentally, I thought you had to explicitly say 'I'm [Your Name], and I approved this message'. I was unaware you could rephrase it, although I guess the campaign knows what the rules are better than me.

And Battlefield Earth is the worse book ever made in the history of science fiction. (It is not, however, the worse science fiction movie ever produced, which was Supernova.)

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way recommending anyone view any movie or book I mention, even for 'novelty purposes' or 'too see if they are really that bad'. I am not liable for any mental, emotional, or physical damage, or death, incurred while doing so, or incurred while attempting to escape them once started, even if self-inflicted.

I agree with those who think Romney's a good, decent, talented man. Possibly the best of the lot. But much like Mike Huckabee, who the majority of the chattering classes see as a "huckster" instead of the sincere, if somewhat bumbling, man of faith that he is, Mitt is being labeled "slick" and "phony," simply because he's somewhat old-school, both in appearance and manner. He really IS that clean-cut and practical and aw-shucks optimistic. It's not a cynical act.

I live in South Carolina, where plenty of men like this (and Huckabee) still exist. Reject them if you will, for reasons of policy or even just because you don't "feel" them in your gut, but don't buy into the common wisdom that they're insincere.

Who did that Non-endorsement come from? A conservative newspaper? Noooo, one that has a very liberal bias. I take that as a compliment, thank you. They wouldn't slam him so much if they weren't afraid of him.

Romney is The Stepford Candidate.

But Kim: What does Jonathan Pollard's treason have to do with the Romney campaign?

I kind of like it. OK, he looks like a plastic undergraduate, but he's optimistic. I'm tired of listening to how the world is going to hell in a handbasket and we can't do anything about it so we might as well give up.

I think America and Americans have terrific potential which is now only barely tapped.

That's wicked funny.

Wow. It's hard to believe that a politician would spend millions on an ad and say nothing. Nothing. There's nothing of substance in that ad. Nice hair and teeth but no substance.

I have to give you credit, Rod. I can't stand to watch or listen to them. ANY of them of from EITHER party. You seem to be taking your civil duty seriously, and this citizen admires that.

Pennsylvania votes at the end of March. I'll see who's left around mid-March and then try to make an informed choice.

I'm one of those people that Margaret said on the other thread is too cynical to believe anything. I'm guilty as charged. I hope that Margaret is correct and that Huckabee is being sincere when he spends millions to step away from politics and wish all Christians a Merry Christmas.

Romney isn't going to get votes in the south. Southerners don't vote for guys from MA. I don't think that they like flip floppers, either. I don't think that you can compare his support in the NE to Kerry's. Kerry's a Democrat.

I really like Obama's wife. Maybe I'll vote for him because I wouldn't mind listening to her over the next four years.

Questions:
Who's the most likely to get us out of Iraq over the next 4 years?
Who's the least likely to leave us in Iraq so that big business can profit?
Who's the least likely to have secret energy meetings that include only oil tycoons?
Who's the most likely to structure energy policy in a way that environmentalists would find responsible and positive for our environment and earth?
Who's most likely to form health care policy that will help the uninsured or children without insurance?
Who's most likely to put competent people in charge of Homeland Security & FEMA?
Who's most likely to make trade pacts with countries that will make our unions stronger and stop companies from exploiting workers in foreign nations as they once exploited blue collar America in this nation?
Who's most likely to structure taxes in such a way that we can pay to have a strong infrastructure, help Americans who don't have cash for food or shelter, support research through NASA and medical grants, and maintain a strong military?
Who's least likely to put our military in harm's way because they lack diplomatic skills or to satisfy ulterior motives that aren't disclosed to the public?

I don't know the answer to those questions. I do know that ads wishing me "Merry Christmas" or saying that they want to be part of the next ten years don't answer anything that's important to me as a voter.

Oh, Kim. I thought you were going to go all the way and tell us about Tancredo and Hunter and Brownback, too. :(

watsy, yes, we're going to hell in a handbasket, but it need not be so.

The beginning of wisdom is to realize that we're not doomed, that we can do something about it.

I vote for no Republican, including Mr. Romney, as previously stated, because the Republican position is, as I have said so many times that I'm being tiresome, "I've got mine too bad for you."

Anyone who can quote me a Republican candidate who says anything different will be gratefully received.

Hey, did anyone notice the subliminal message in the ad? You know, the flag in the background. Oh, no, Mitt is trying to tell us he's an American and proud of it!

I thought that was kind of funny.

"I've decided to become a libertarian and hang up my Republican hat, can't tell the difference between the Dems and Republicans any more."
Zoetius

Please permit me to help you:

Democrats are a diverse group of people who are fond of Socialism-Communism and/or atheism and/or sexual licentiousness and therefore abortion, all of which encourages welfare constituencies; laziness; "victims"; confiscatory taxes; drugs; depression; aggressive, unconstitutional anti-theism; and STDs. They are conspicuous for their guilt trip motivations masquerading as compassion for the poor.

Republicans are everyone else except Libertarians.

I hope that helps :-).

Really. No. Will anyone please quote me any Republican candidate who says anything besides, "We (my rich friends and I) have got ours too bad for the rest of you?"

I don't mean Large Words about how America Is A Great Country, I mean something specific which addresses the concerns of the folks who work at Walmarts if at all. How are these folks are supposed to access basic health care, for example? (Please, no Bush's, "let them go to the emergency room [eat cake]." They don't count? And that would be why exactly?

All the Repubs here are all over how wonderful limited government is, and in principle I agree (I'm rich after all), but....what about everyone else? Is it really "let them eat cake"? I'm all in favor of limited government too, but only if the essential jobs can be accomplished in some other way.

If all the R's have is "let them eat cake", I fear that the future history of the Republican Party in this country will be short indeed. At least I hope so.

Loudon, try making sense for a change. I can't make head or tail out of your last post.

Every time I see or hear him, I think of Joseph Goebbels. You might think that harsh and cold. He looks like him.

And he lies like him.

Will the Republicans and/or the Non-aligned Conservatives chime in here?

What do YOU suggest as a way out of our current problems? Do you contend that in fact everything is A-OK, when so many of our fellow-citizens have no access to health care? When we spend MORE per capita (by far) for health care and get less (by far) for it? This would be OK? If not, what would YOU propose to do about this? Or is this situation perfectly OK with you? Do we just give up?

I'm hearing a lot of “This won’t work that won’t work.” But....most of you are young people with young children. What WILL work? Shouldn’t you care?

I’m tired of being put on the defensive. “My” solutions won’t work, say you. We’re not the Europeans (true enough). So....then what happens? We’re not Europeans, so we’re doomed? Back to giving up?

What would YOUR solution be to this problem, assuming that you think it is a problem, all you crunchy-cons?

Y’know, an awful lot of what the Republicans have been saying is what you’re saying: “Well this doesn’t work and that doesn’t work.” So....we give up? And just let the rich plunder the place? (“No new ideas work so we have to go with the old ideas which put more money in my account, hooray!”)

Stop posting entries here about what won't work, and start writing letters about what you think will work.

Susan, assisting you with your reading comprehension is beyond the scope of my commenting abilities. But to your concern for the poor, I would suggest that the best way you can express it is to give them your money. Voluntarily. It's what Republicans do.

Also, I think that comparisons between the President and Marie Antoinette are an insult to that pious and noble Catholic woman.

Finally, thought I wish it were otherwise, most Republicans (and nearly all Republicans running for national office) believe in collective federal government action to provide a social safety net. I would be interested in any quote from any candidate in the current crop of GOP presidential contenders other than Paul that suggests otherwise.

Cleveland, LOL, I so wish that were still true. Think we can clone Regan and bring him back? I remember when my grandfather told me about his switch from Southern dem to republican because they finally were conservative enough for him.

We had IT ALL, congress, senate, whitehouse, world support, and WTF happened, borders overrun, non-sensical HLS policies, crumbling infrastructure, more dependent on foreign oil than eve, billion (+) going down a rat hole each month, while the Tailban is taking back their home base in the poppy fields. Torture, suspension of habius corpus, warrantless wiretaps and searches. Incarceration without trial. I thought we act like the grown ups, take care of the leaky roof, and get rid of the rats in the basement, mow the lawn, I got Animal house instead.

This is what I expected from the Democrats, curl up in a little fear ball, and suspend civil liberties so big brother can take good care of all of us and protect us from the school yard bullies.

Live free or Die!

Keep calm and carry on would have served us better than united we stand.....
sigh

A short story, "BEEN THERE DONE THAT", by Cleveland



Loudon: Hey, Susan, you exist.

Susan: What garbage! Prove to me that I exist. Ha, you can't, can you? Well? I'm still waiting. Will no one prove to me that I exist? Again, citations, please?

Loudon: You think, therefore you are.

Susan, sarcastically: Wow! I've been so wrong!! Wonderful!!! This is great!! How wrong I have been is great!! How wrong I have been! How mistaken I must have been!! How misguided!! Citations please? How remarkable!

Loudon, to himself: Ah the hell with it.

Cleveland, to himself, with a knowing glance to heaven: There but for the grace of God go I.

THE END

You're welcome, Cleveland. Remember, the first step toward conversion is reading the Scriptures. : )

Had YouTube issues yesterday ...

Mitt is obviously leaning on his fellow Mormon, Stephen Covey, for far too much advice ...

Could his tone possibly be any more wrong for a worried America?

Ipse dixit and q.e.d., Cleveland. If the Rockefellerians are the only ones doing the talking, the rest of us cannot be expected to paint them all any differently... without some effort expended in examining them, that being my main critique of the broad brush you regularly use on the denizens of the other side of the aisle. I'm in the balcony seats, and I get splattered by the same paint. I really dislike smelling like turpentine all the time. :-\

In my experience, Cleveland, no one expects a Republican to be about anything but big business, big profits, and big breaks from government for those businesses. We can quibble about it forever, but it's much more about perception than anything resembling the truth... something which, I fully agree with you, seems to be lacking from both sides.

Thanks for the acknowledgment, good sir.