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Tom Tancredo may not be many people’s cup of tea (as his campaign performance showed) but his take on the GOP primary results are interesting.
It was the Huckabee factor. [Former Arkansas] Governor [Mike] Huckabee decided to stay in even though he could not have won. He absolutely made a difference, and he knew it, and that difference was he was able to keep Mitt Romney out of the play by draining off conservative votes. And I think he did it to a large extent because Mitt is a Mormon. It was really to ruin Romney’s chances. So that created the pathway for Senator McCain.
I am certainly annoyed. I believe that Romney would have made a great candidate and a great president. John McCain is a better choice than Barack Obama, but I just hate the idea of voting for the lesser of two evils. But that’s what it boils down to.
Huckabee was still campaigning against Romney until last week just to make sure he didn’t get the VP nod. Was he merely reminding McCain that Romney’s Mormonism would have hurt him in the South?
McCain’s advisers conducted interviews with a number of the prospective choices, but McCain did not. Most he knew well enough to have a sense of their personalities, policy positions and character. Among those who never met personally with McCain was Romney. The two men had waged a bitter and often-personal battle for the Republican nomination and when the primaries ended, Romney seemed an unlikely choice because of their distant personal relationship. . .
Spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Romney harbors no ill feelings toward McCain, having never believed he would be the running mate. “It never seemed likely to us because they disagreed on some issues during the primaries, and there were so many other good Republicans to choose from, including Sarah Palin,” he said. But some close associates said that Romney’s advisers were angry about having been strung along until the last minute.
“What is wrong with the people of Utah? They like where this president has taken this country?” asked the Nevada senator, who is LDS. “People in Utah need to wake up.” . . .
“I was thinking Idaho and Utah are very much like we were [in Nevada] 10 years ago,” he said. “It’s hard for me to understand why [Utah is] such a Republican state. Utah should be a state that believes in what we stand for.”
Reid said Romney would “be a tremendous drag” on the ticket everywhere except in Nevada, where he would likely earn significant support from the Mormon community.
“I think that they like his wearing his religion on his sleeve,” Reid, also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said of Nevada Mormons. “Apparently they love his flip-flopping. He was for abortion, he’s against it. He’s for gay marriage, he’s against it. He’s for global warming, he’s against it.”
Huh!?! I seem to recall that the last thing Romney wanted to discuss was his religion but had his hand forced. And Reid’s co-religionist constituents love religious pandering and “flip-flopping”? Maybe they’ll remember that in the 2010 elections.
Well for those who already didn’t know it, following the daily political gossip is about as useful as speculating on who’s going to win next year’s Super Bowl. Now the rumor du jour has it that McCain has made his decision for VP and it’s not Mitt.
While I’m not sure Romney would be the best political pick for VP, I would be disappointed because I do believe he would be the best as Vice-President. But I have been wary because I have noticed that like many GOP thought the Biden pick would make for great campaign fodder, so do many Democrats I have talked to relish a Romney choice.
However, unlike the Biden pick, on the party level it appears that the Democrats would actually prefer that he was passed over. Democrats have been campaigning (alongside Mike Huckabee’s PUMA-like antics) against a Romney pick. Which leads one to believe that they (like Huckabee) actually don’t want him on the ticket. Why?
For the general election, the West, especially the Southwest, rises in strategic significance for both candidates, and Mormons are gaining more attention given their wide dispersion across the region. Although church members are heavily concentrated in Utah, where they make up more than 70 percent of the population, according to church figures, they also top 7 percent of Nevada’s population and 2 percent of Colorado’s, enough to tilt a tight race.
Not surprisingly, Utah Democrats are also hoping to avoid a Romney ticket, which would energize Utah Republicans to vote in what otherwise may be a lackluster year.
If McCain gives Romney the No. 2 spot on his ticket that “would energize what seems to be rather lethargic and unenthusiastic Republicans,” said state Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake. “It gives them a reason to turn out.”
And that may make it difficult for Democrats to win what would otherwise be tight local races, especially if those excited Romney supporters vote straight party Republican.
Who knows? Perhaps the latest slew of rumors are a headfake to add a little surprise to what may be the inevitable choice when its revealed Friday. After all, why are those men with earpieces following Mitt?
RUSH: Thank you. So are you, sir. Now let’s get right to the chase here. I said something a couple weeks ago, maybe ten days ago, about you and Governor Romney that you strenuously objected to. What was it that I said that was incorrect?
HUCKABEE: Well, that I had made an issue out of his religion and had sort of poisoned him with evangelicals and that’s simply not true. You know, one of the things that I’ve been very adamant about is that I don’t think his religion has one thing to do with whether people should support him. Some of my favorite public servants in America happen to be the same religion he is, the Morman religion. That would be people like Mike Leavitt, Orrin Hatch, Jon Huntsman, the current governor of Utah. Great people. It has nothing to do with it.
RUSH: Yeah, but they’re not running for president nor running against you for the nomination. I guess I track this back to at one point you talking about what Romney believes, that Christ and Lucifer were brothers.
HUCKABEE: It was a question that I actually asked of the New York Times Magazine writer, because he knew a lot more about Mormonism than I did. It appeared as 11 words in about a 10,000-word story, and that got all the play. I personally apologized to Mitt because it did come across wrong and it’s simply not the way I feel and it isn’t, and I don’t think Mitt Romney’s religion has a thing to do with it. I think, you know, a record has to do with it, but not his religion. And frankly, my attitude is, the primary’s over, we need to get behind John McCain, support him, He’s our best chance, right now, our only chance to beat Barack Obama, and Barack Obama will destroy small business, his plans for higher taxes would be abominable, and his absolutely frankly deplorable view about when life begins is nothing short of frightening.
The Bonny Mess
Elbow deep in the sweet sticky work of building a family.
Mighty Mothers
Journal-myself, husband, 4 young kids, plus photos. Often a quote (i.e.- inspirational or humorous) related to the topic is in a post. I virtual-school my kindergartener.
Tim Heuer
Technology blog related to software development.
Family Home Evening In A Snap!
Helping busy mommies make family night easier. A listing of FHE lessons, clip art and treat ideas to share.
The Grapevine
LDS womens alliance sharing information, ideas, spiritual thoughts etc.
Zions Lions
LDS Business News. From Information to Inspiration. Tracking good news, investments, mastermind info, etc. We search the web for valuable info and bring it to you here so you dont have to waste time searching!
Ambrosia Girl
My name is Jenn and I am a work-at-home mother of two that dabbles in stationary when I get the chance. I blog about the good things in life: my family, design, and moments of inspiration and enlightenment.
Seven Year Mountain
The purpose of Seven Year Mountain is to share some of the thoughts and feelings of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This site seeks to be in perfect harmony with the doctrines and teachings of the church.
Oh, No! Not Another Mormon Blog!
My name is Rod Klingler (aka, D. Rolling Kearney). I’m a devout Mormon with a penchant for Buddhism, a dance instructor, a self-described artist and poet, a man with a colorful past, a husband, and father of three.
Creative Spring
A Blog where you can find and share creative, fun, and useful tips and ideas.
Dinner’s On Me!
Need dinner ideas? Come see what’s for dinner at my house. Weekly menus posted with recipe links & photos.
The Bargain Scout
Saving money and looking for good deals in order to make your dollar stretch.
A lot of these subsidiaries are rationalized by the fact that they have benefit to members of the church. The insurance company can sell insurance to the church members at a discount, the radio and TV chain can provide all-Mormon all-the-time entertainment. The farm and nut producer can be used to feed the flock on missions as well as the starving folks of the world. I still haven’t figured out how a tourist attraction in Hawaii can be justified, but I’m sure if you ask the Mormon PR folks, they’ll give you a decent answer.
Mormons in Business
Mormons in Business allows members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to connect with one another in a business setting. It is open to all members of the Church who are members of their local business communities. Each meeting offers networking, lunch and a keynote speaker. Generally, speakers have had a measure of success in business and they share their insights on how the Gospel has influenced their professional development and careers. And our Mormons in Business blog offers news and commentary on LDS business leaders and related business issues.
Families Supporting Adoption, Michigan
Families Supporting Adoption, Michigan and Pennsylvania Chapter is an organization sponsored by LDS Family Services which advocates a positive view of adoption and provides support to birth parents, adoptive families and all friends of adoption.
Blog me
I’m an archaeologist who is a Mormon. Sometimes I mock, and other times I talk.
TV Land’s Mom 2.0
I write for TvLand.com. (Part of Viacom) The blog is new. I am an LDS mother of two.
Rickety
Via his Rickety blog, Rick writes about life in the state of Utah, working as a Software Engineer, day to day family life, hobbies like writing, photography, and blogging, as well as technology, recreation, and his sons LDS missions.
The Veepstakes has been such a merry go round this summer with a new favorite every week, it’s hard to take a breathless report citing “sources” seriously (sort of like geek journalists reporting on the latest Facebook buyout >ahem< ).
MORE: Now Halperin is hedging while citing a NY Times article that says its down to Romney and Pawlenty. Hot Air theorizes that Halperin’s sources were merely Romney partisans hoping to gin up some buzz. That and prey upon poor, gullible bloggers (couch! cough!) who should know better but are nearly exhausted with this election.
Either way, Gov. Huckabee sure hopes it’s not Romney. I can’t tell if he thinks he’s still running in the 2008 campaign or if he has already kicked off for 2012.
At least he’s emphatic that he’s not against Romney because of his religion. He spent the first 1:15 making sure we knew that Mormonism shouldn’t be the issue, then came back to it at 1:55 just to make it clear. It’s almost as if he wanted to make sure everyone knew Romney was Mormon.
I’ve been hearing about the new FamilySearch as it has been gradually rolled out by temple districts but was never familiar enough to understand the changes. Hieing to Kolob gives a nice and simple intro for family history novices like me.
New familysearch is set up like a wiki, and you can combine the names which have been duplicated, find people who will share information, and share your own research. If someone has submitted information you disagree with, there is a place to dispute their findings.
It sounds like a vast improvement and it’s exciting that it will finally be accessible for everyone, including Mac users.
It appears that Obama supporters are truly enthused by his candidacy and are opening their wallets to show it. Meanwhile, Utah Republicans may be suffering donation fatigue from their heavy contributions to favorite-son Mitt Romney — and have not been so free-flowing with cash to McCain after he beat Romney.
No Facebook acquisition for the Mormon Church. So confirms Church’s Public Affairs. But what a weird rumor. Yes there have been many rumors that everyone has tried to buy it, but are rumor mongers getting that desperate in picking purported suitors?
With a hysterical valuation in the billions, forget angry Evangelicals, how about angry tithe payers. I think the Church doesn’t need to blow that much dough to help it’s family history and missionary efforts.
I, for one, am glad. It seems to me to just be an over-glorified Scrabble website.
The Iron Rod
Following the Gospel Doctrine Lessons
Latter-Day Sexual Recovery
Latter-day Sexual Recovery is a web site devoted to support of Latter-day Saints struggling with sexual addiction
Springs Of Water …the parched land shall become a pool, and the thirsty lands springs of water…(Isaiah 35:7)
This blog is devoted to inspirational material for Latter-day Saints struggling with difficult problems.
Toddler Activity Central
Any parent of a toddler knows that coming up with educational and fun activities. This blog gives ideas for fun activities, to keep those little hands busy.
UrgentCookie’s Place
My blog is a place for me to share what I have been doing. I post about stamping, scrapping, gardening, cake decorating, and about my family’s adventures. :0)
As if from the dust…
This blog’s main purpose is to dispell common myths and stereotypes that are generally held in regards to The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is in no way directly affiliated nor endorsed by The Church, nor is the content to be viewed as offical church doctrine. It is very simply my feable attempt to change misinformed perceptions of the LDS Church
Single Parenting
Musings of a single Mom; the challenges, the tasks, the work and the play, the hard times, the humorous times, and . . . the blessings. Your comments are appreciated!
CompleteLee Music
CompleteLee Music provides updates on Marika Lee’s latest music, including free sheet music for Ward and Relief Society choirs, youth, Primary, BBS quartets, solos, duets and more. Links to other free LDS sheet music sites and other interesting musical tidbits will also be found on this blog.
Tired Road Warrior
World travel, humanitarianism, Mormon esoteria, water resources.
Q. At what point does a baby get human rights in your view?
A. Well, I think that whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.
However, Sen. Obama’s attempt to side-step an issue that many Americans take very seriously didn’t work. (Note how he short-circuited the intent of the question by draining it of politics and converting it into a religious and scientific issue?) Obama then cut off any follow-up with the perfunctory recognition that “there is a moral and ethical content to this issue” (thanks!) and went on to expound the typical pro-choice line.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has no official position on the moment that human life begins.
Although, I am more comfortable with Sen. McCain’s view that life begins at conception, it’s a matter of fact that our limited knowledge prevents us from saying for sure when life begins in the womb. But that uncertainty should make our approach to abortion all the more definite.
Sen. Obama pretends to defer to God, but as a state and U.S. Senator he has demonstrated that he either has definite views on when life begins or that he simply doesn’t care. He has a record of consistently opposing any restrictions on abortion, including defeating a bill that would have required medical attention for infants born alive during an abortion. Either way, he certainly doesn’t want to talk about it and yet, he has no qualms implementing policies that show a complete disregard for unborn life.
I think he needed to be more specific on that. I happen to disagree with Barack on that. Like I said, he’s a friend.
But to me, I would not want to die and get before God one day and go, ‘Oh, sorry, I didn’t take the time to figure out’ because if I was wrong then it had severe implications to my leadership if I had the ability to do something about it.
He should either say, ‘No scientifically, I do not believe it’s a human being until X’ or whatever it is or to say, ‘Yes, I believe it is a human being at X point,’ whether it’s conception or anything else. But to just say ‘I don’t know’ on the most divisive issue in America is not a clear enough answer for me.
Obama wrongly claimed that abortions “have not gone down” under President Bush. In fact, the abortion rate has gone down 9 percent, and the annual total has declined by more than 100,000.
I regret exceedingly that in political controversies men seem to lack that courtesy and that respect for their opponents that I believe all Latter-day Saints ought to have. I have never yet heard a Democrat make a political speech that I felt was fair to the Republicans. Being a Democrat, I shall not say anything about what I think of the speeches of Republicans regarding Democrats…From my own personal contact with dear and near friends, Republicans and Democrats, I have not been able to discover the exercise of what you might call charity, if you like, for the opinions of others who oppose them politically; at least not as much charity as should exist among our people.
