Freeper friend makes 2008 Presidential prediction: Gore vs. Romney

[zulchzulu]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney

He predicts that Gore will win.

This guy actually knows his stuff regarding political predictions and has worked as a campaign manager for several GOP candidates over the years...he's not a Bush Kool-Aid drinker either...he just tends to favor the Repugs...

[AX10]

1. kick

[fearthem]

2. Romney is certainly an attractive fellow, looks impressive, but.....

not sure the Christian Right will embrace his Mormonism, which many main-stream religions consider a cult.

[helderheid]

4. yep

[zulchzulu]

7. Romney is against gay marriage, civil unions and has healthcare plan creds

The Christian Right would certainly get along with his homophobic tendencies...and the healthcare program that he signed in MA would make seniors take a look at him...

[Samantha]

41. Al Gore is a Southern Baptist

I think my Republican family in Tennessee (all of whom supported Bush* I am ashamed to say) would vote Democratic before they would vote for a Mormon. One of my best friends is a Mormon. I don't condone this type of prejudice, but after watching some of the so-called religious right in the South in action, I think they would sit at home or vote for Gore. Just a prediction.

I personally would not base my vote on a candidate's religious preference (or lack thereof). I just happen to think Gore is the most qualified person to step into the Oval Office right now.

[zulchzulu]

9. Christian Right doesn't mind Orin Hatch...

He speaks their hate just fine.

[helderheid]

10. But would they elect him President?

[zulchzulu]

13. If he fits their checklist, they'd vote for him...

Romney is anti-choice, anti-gay rights, somewhat anti-stem cell...not sure about his prayer iin school position...but since Frist will be toast and they don't trust McCain, he would be a good fit for their antics.

[eleny]

17. I have a Lutheran friend whose husband is a Lutheran minister...

She once got to talking to me about Mormonism in general. She asserted that the Mormon church is a cult and a dangerous one.

When Clinton first ran for office, she told me that she didn't like him but his running mate was someone she could probably vote for. She's never voted for anyone but Republicans her whole life. Given the choice between Gore and Romney, I believe that she would abstain from voting for president. Romney represents something she could not help to vote into the White House.

Having known her for 25 years, I would be more shocked if she voted for Romney than I would be if she voted for Gore. My money will be on that she sits on her hands.

[zulchzulu]

18. Interesting Boston Globe article on this subject

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/07/21/are_we_ready_for_a_mormon_president/

"...if Romney's ambitions take him to the 2008 Republican primaries, he's likely to be slimed by political operatives of the Karl Rove mold. ''I think there will be rumors spread about how Mitt Romney has six wives, all of them 14 years of age, stashed in a house in Utah. These rumors will be denied, but they will stick in people's minds. There is some subterranean sentiment about curious practices in Mormonism."

There will be enough dirt flying around on the GOP primaries that this may not stick. I'm sure Romney is market-testing this attack...

[whometense]

21. He's positively hideous.

Example 1: http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid16290.aspx

The Ninth Annual Muzzle Awards

Our annual New England roundup of those who undermined freedom of speech and civil liberties. But first, a word about George W. Bush.

By: DAN KENNEDY


...The envelopes, please.


ROMNEY: elect him, put those scary Muslims in their place.
Mitt Romney
Governor would wiretap mosques, spy on students
Mitt Romney would like to be president, and it appears that he’ll say anything if he thinks it will help make that dream come true. Last September, for instance, the Massachusetts governor traveled to Washington and delivered a speech to the conservative Heritage Foundation. The ostensible topic: homeland security. The not-so-hidden subtext: elect him president, and he’ll put those scary Muslims in their place.

First Romney took on foreign students at Massachusetts colleges and universities. “How many individuals are coming to our state and going to those institutions who have come from terrorist-sponsored states?” he asked. “Do we know where they are? Are we tracking them?”

Next he went after Muslim houses of worship, continuing, “How about people who are in settings — mosques, for instance — that may be teaching doctrines of hate and terror? Are we monitoring that? Are we wiretapping? Are we following what’s going on?”

No doubt Romney believed his remarks would play well with Republican-primary voters in 2008, and he may be right. For the governor, it’s all part of a political strategy to cast himself as a pillar of conservatism, doing the best he can to hold back the liberal tide in the bluest of blue states.

But there’s something especially pernicious about proposing to strip an entire class of people of their basic civil liberties. Whatever happened to the legal concept of probable cause — that is, of investigating people and organizations only if there is specific reason to believe they’re engaged in criminal activity?

Later Romney and his spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, denied that the governor advocated doing away with constitutional protections. If that’s the case, then he ought to be more careful before he opens his mouth. Ali Noorani, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, put it this way: “There’s a need for the US government and the intelligence system to better understand the Muslim community. The way not to do it is to wiretap and surreptitiously surveil an entire community.”

[Totally Committed]

36. I agree... Mittens is cute, in a blow-dry Ken Doll sort of way, but...

he's no "moderate" Republican, he is a vile anti-gay xenophobe, so it sort of takes the edge off of how he looks.

If Gore runs, and wins the nomination, as long as he stays away from the DLC, he will have my vote in the GE, no problem.

TC

[Bill McBlueState]

3. Romney will make the primaries interesting

It will be funny to watch him defend the fact that the only state to allow equal marriage allowed it under his watch. And other facets of his being Governor of the evil place known as Massachusetts.

[C_U_L8R]

5. Romney's an empty suit

Al would eat him up.

Delicious.

[GrumpyGreg]

6. Romney doesn't stand a chance to get the nomination IMHO.

Too Northeast elitist chic for the GOP.

[helderheid]

8. isn't he originally from Utah?

[zulchzulu]

11. He was born in Detroit

...went to Brigham Young U and was a valedictorian...

[helderheid]

12. thanks for the clarification. I was about to wiki him.

[bluerum]

14. Romney is simply not qualified. Period end of story. For Romney

to win the nomination he would need to beat out a lot of better qualified repukes.

The only thing Romnuts has is money and the backing of the political machinery and voting machines that it can buy. That may do it for him though - it did it for little george the idiot boy king.

[zulchzulu]

15. Romney against McCain/Frist/Allen/Hagel... it would be a fight

Your second sentence pretty much sums up what would make Romney a GOP candidate...money and black boxes

[RandomKoolzip]

16. A southern Dem vs. a northern Repub?

Fuck yeah, I say. :evilgrin:

[otohara]

19. Hope He's Right

The WP is predicting Newt Gingrich might get in and that makes me nervous

:kick:

[zulchzulu]

20. Newt would get destroyed if he ran

I bet his poll numbers are in the toilet nationally.

[otohara]

25. Destroyed?

he's credited for the "contract" which got the GOP in power. In the United States of Amnesia, people forget, but thanks to the GOP owned media - Newt would be rehabilitated, revamped & low and behold "Newt 08" doesn't sound impossible.

If history repeats it's self by Gore waiting it out 2 cycles and history is on his side, I don't think Gingrich would get destroyed.

[zulchzulu]

30. The political ad that would KILL Newt

Video:
Newt Gingrich flustering about Bill Clinton's womanizing...

VO:
Newt Gingrich was one of the first people to attack Bill Clinton for his activities in the White House...

Video:
Newt getting married to intern in 1996(?)

VO:
At the same time, Newt Gingrich was having an affair with an intern in his office.

Video:
Newt in some stupid pose or looking goofy...

VO:
Newt Gingrich. Is what's good for others not good enough for him?

[otohara]

38. Opps

forgot about all the marriages and affair.

[Human Torch]

22. Radio host Guy James predicted Romney would get the nomination.

Too much baggage for Rudy, McCain, Frist, etc...

Not enough known by the general public when it comes to Romney.

I think it's very possible.

Al Gore, I dunno...anything is possible...but what a vindication it would be to see this man in the Oval Office, following the failed presidency of the man who stole 2000 from him.

:patriot:

[skipos]

23. Romney wouldn't win MA, and his religion would scare off the radical right

The GOP likes fake cowboys and/or candidates who will appeal to the right wing fundies, and Romney is neither.

[zulchzulu]

31. Romney checks off with rightwing wedge issue checklist

Most of the Christian right doesn't have a problem with Orin Hatch, who's a Mormon. If anything, all Romney would have to do is do a couple photo ops with Robertson and Falwell...

[skipos]

32. Romney is destructive enough for many GOPers, thats for sure

but running for president requires more than that. I just don't think he can get more primary votes than fake cowboys like Allen. Plus Allen has that racist history going for him too. I think that will get him many republican votes.

[niccolos_smile]

24. That could be the most boring race ever...

Neither one gets me excited.

As some have said, the question I have about Romney is his Mormonism and how that will play amongst most people, not just among Republicans, but (assuming he gets the nomination) to people across the spectrum as well - sort of a 21st Century version of Kennedy's Catholicism.

Romney will have a lot of work to do to convince Protestants and Catholics that he's straight, i.e., not a "kooky" Mormon like the ones we see so much on the news.

[durrrty libby]

26. Romney is extremely charismatic, and could fool many.

I think his wife has MS and the state of her health would be a big factor for him.If she is not doing well. he will not run.

Feel free to correct me if I got this wrong.

I would love…love…love this match-up.

President Gore sounds perfect. I like how your friend thinks.

[seaglass]

39. He is PHOTOGENIC not charismatic. I've seen him live twice,

once before he was governor and once while he was governor. He doesn't have natural people skills or any warmth - at all. Kerry Healey showed him up, if you can imagine that.

Of course if everyone SAYS he's charismatic (and I know that's the meme) then of course he IS charismatic.

I'm not slamming you, just saying from personal experience that he is not a charismatic man.

[bushmeister0]

27. I have one question: Does Romney actually believe the Book of Mormon?

And if he does, wouldn't his nomination to the laughing academy be more appropiate?

From the Mormon Curtain:

http://www.mormoncurtain.com/topic_mittromney.html

"BOSTON -- Gov. Mitt Romney says he would be willing to talk about his Mormon religion in broad terms should he run for president but would shy away from debating specific beliefs.

'I think initially some people would say, 'Gosh, I don't know much about your faith. Tell me about it.' And I'd probably outline the fundamentals: I'm a religious person, I believe that Jesus Christ is my savior,' Romney said during an appearance on PBS's 'The Charlie Rose Show.' 'But then as you get into the details of doctrines, I'd probably say, 'Look, time out.'"

Yeah, I can see why: The part in the Book of Mormon about space aliens inhabiting "polygamous Mormon males," when they're born might be a tough one to field, but you can read more about that here: http://nowscape.com/mormon/mormons8.htm

Mark Twain absolutly hated the Mormons and he had some experience on the subject as his borther, Orien, was Utah's governor at one time.

Here's some of what Twain has to say about the Book of Mormon in "Roughing it." ( There's a further annex to the book in the back where he really goes to town on them, this is him being kind.)

ALL men have heard of the Mormon Bible, but few except the 'elect' have seen it, or, at least, taken the trouble to read it. I brought away a copy from Salt Lake. The book is a curiosity to me, it is such a pretentious affair, and yet so 'slow,' so sleepy; such an insipid mess of inspiration. It is chloroform in print. If Joseph Smith composed this book, the act was a miracle -- keeping awake while he did it was, at any rate. If he, according to tradition, merely translated it from certain ancient and mysteriously-engraved plates of copper, which he declares he found under a stone, in an out-of-the-way locality, the work of translating was equally a miracle, for the same reason.

The book seems to be merely a prosy detail of imaginary history, with the Old Testament for a model; followed by a tedious plagiarism of the New Testament. The author labored to give his words and phrases the quaint, old-fashioned sound and structure of our King James's translation of the Scriptures; and the result is a mongrel -- half modern glibness, and half ancient simplicity and gravity. The latter is awkward and constrained; the former natural, but grotesque by the contrast. Whenever he found his speech growing too modern -- which was about every sentence or two -- he ladled in a few such Scriptural phrases as "exceeding sore," "and it came to pass," etc., and made things satisfactory again. "And it came to pass" was his pet. If he had left that out, his Bible would have been only a pamphlet.

http://www.helpingmormons.org/twain.htm

[skipos]

33. Most religions have bizarre aspects. And there are plenty of good

mormons out there. Romney just isn't one of them. I do think that GOPers who want more Jesus in the Whitehouse are going to be iffy about Romney. Those people look down on anything they don't understand, and I think they might have trouble his religion.

[zulchzulu]

34. Not sure, but it appears he plays it pretty low key...

Just as some Repugs like Lieberman for his piousness, they may not mind Romney's religious background...he is after all against gays, women's rights and all the usual hot button issues...

[Rockholm]

28. Romney is doing a number on the Massachusetts economy.

He hates Massachusetts therefore he is doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help our economy. Why does Mittens hate Massachusetts?

[Tracer]

29. Worse than that!

Ol' Mitt has gone around the country bad-mouthing HIS OWN STATE that HE'S THE GOVERNOR OF!

Whatta creep. A useless tool.

[C-note]

35. An alternate prediction

The people are going to start to let go of thinking there are only a limited number of possibilities for leadership in this country (none of them very attractive) ... and turn to alternative candidates, including for President. I think Frank Moore has a good chance ... check out his platform ... what do you think? I see it as a springboard of new possibilities based on the notion that every American deserves a basic humane standard of living where the very basics of life are provided for. If we apply the tangled leaden mass of the current economic system to it we'll miss the point. Who knows what would happen to people when the fear and anxiety of basic survival is lifted...

www.frankmooreforpresident08.com /
PLATFORM FOR FRANK MOORE’S PRESIDENCY ‘08

I’ll do away with welfare and social security. Instead, every American will receive a minimum income of $1,000 a month. This amount will be tied to the cost of living and will not be taxable.

We will have universal prenatal-to-the-grave health care and universal free education with equal access.

I’ll do away with all tax deductions for over $12,000 income. Instead, there will be a flat tax of 10% on annual income of less than one million dollars for an individual and less than five million dollars for a corporation. But the flat tax will jump to 75% on annual income exceeding these limits.

I’ll cut the military budget by at least half.

Public mass transit will be free, 24/7, and reliable.

All patents and copyrights will expire in 20 years. Inventions, products, etc. which are developed with governmental money and/or public institutions can not be patented.

All businesses selling their products in the U.S. will have to certify that their products were manufactured in accordance with this country’s labor, wage, environmental, and safety laws ... that they meet or exceed these ... no matter where they were produced.

Each city and each “media market” will have at least two public access channels on radio, broadcast television, cable, AND satellite!

Election day will be a paid holiday.

MORE TO COME!

[saltpoint]

37. It could happen. I think Al would carry the day in that match-up.

Romney is charismatic after a fashion, but he generally makes me sick to my stomach.

[mulsh]

40. "BUT

HITLERY IS THE DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE !!!!"
at least that what my freeper acquaintances shout at me at the start of their rants.
oh yea and they all think Mittens will be a swell candidate too. I usually respond with "Romney? Who's he?"

[snowbear]

42. zulchzulu .. how many times do we have to tell you...

Stop hangin' out with the Freepers!!

[rucky]

43. I never thought I'd say this, but I hope the Freeper is right. n/t

[Tiggeroshii]

44. We can only hope Gore runs...

Of course. Can you give the list ofreasons your friend gave for the prediction?