3141

In 2008, Obama had an 8.6% lead, as opposed to the 3+% he has this time.

3142

Anybody see this clip of Romney talking about abortion and the biblical end days? It’s crazy how defensive he gets when people ask him questions about his religion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxMD02zU9SE&sns=em

3143

Well, I can kind of understand it… I mean, I don’t recall other folks being drilled about their religion (except for the crazies who think Obama is a muslim, but I think we can all agree they are crazy).

Romney clearly states that he isn’t running as a Mormon, and that’s good. He lays out the stuff about his religion, but also points out that the idea that Jan Mickleson is telling him that he’s doing mormonism wrong somehow is kind of silly.

It’s also kind of weird… was Mickleson saying that he was afraid that Romney was only pretending to be against abortion? It’s kind of hard to understand the conversation without whatever came before that clip started.

3144

True. I was just really surprised how hostile he was. From what I understand, that’s a pretty conservative radio station that should have been a good venue for Romney.

3145

I know we keep doing this to no avail, but hey: Which crazies are those? The hosts of a major news program? The most popular talk radio host? The most popular female talk radio host? Senators? Or all of the above?

So now the obvious question that will send you scurrying: Which equivalents on the left have insinuated/asked the same questions about Romney’s Mormonism? I’ll give you a dollar when you get past two.

H.

3146

Derp?

What are you even talking about? What did I say that suggested I was saying anything bad about the democrats at all?

I pointed out that Romney’s reaction, to Jan Mickleson who is a conservative radio host, seemed reasonable.

And I criticized people on the right, who made ridiculous claims about Obama being a muslim.

3147

Here’s an interesting take on why we should be asking more about Romney’s faith:
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/10/when-christianism-bites-back.html

Basically: we aren’t all “children of the same God,” as Romney’s faith sees it. The video linked there is pretty alarming to me (as a non-religious person).

3148

First, you criticized the “crazies” on the right, when in reality most of them were mainstream GOPers. Second, if you’re saying that most other folks aren’t drilled on their religion but Romney is, there’s an implicit criticism of Romney critics, which is broader than the interviewer in question. If you were making a pointed rather than general statement, I’ll gladly retract my snark-wand.

3149

Any of those people who suggested that Obama was secretly a muslim, were crazy, regardless of how mainstream they were. The position is crazy, and they do not get a pass by being “mainstream GOPers.”

I pointed out that I don’t recall anyone else getting drilled on their religion, asking about what it entailed. Probably the closest thing would be the VP debate question asking Ryan and Biden to reconcile their catholic views with abortion. I guess since everyone else is a “normal” christian, it’s not as interesting.

But I can definitely undersand how Romney would get touchy about it, as there have certainly been a number of folks amongst the christian community who have suggested that, as a mormon, he isn’t a “real” christian… Christian fundamentalists calling Mormonism a cult.

If Romney doesn’t want to bring his faith into the discussion, then that’s totally cool with me. It doesn’t belong in the discussion, because we aren’t electing people based on their faith.

I would actually prefer that politicians didn’t wear their religion on their sleeve. Unless there’s some kind of fear that Romney would, upon election, somehow institute cultish mormon practices… which seems unlikely to me… then I don’t really care about his religion, and I think he has every right to not want to be questioned about it.

3150

Just wanted to mention that I was watching the Cowboys/Falcons game and just saw my first Romney commercial. Bear in mind I live in Seattle, WA - nearly as safe a blue state as California. What the hell, dude, isn’t your money put to better use in I don’t know, Ohio? I don’t understand politics at all.

3151

Well, these “social welfare organizations” set up by Rove and those like him have money to burn, so why not?

3152

Pretty much zero return on investment, would be my “why not.”

3153

Probably part of a national ad buy.

3154

Gotta keep the morale of the smallfolk in the blue states up–keep them true believers and all.

3155

3156

Given your apparent leanings, it’s slightly amusing that you link to a clear example of Republican voter suppression.

That’s the sort of thing that happens with voter suppression; one can’t make laws that say Blacks or Latinos are not allowed to vote, so laws are devised that the legislators think will hit the demographics that support one party disproportionally, but inevitably also hit people that are not intended to be affected by the legislation.

Or as Larry Wilmore explains: black folks are the delicious tuna, seniors and veterans are just the innocent dolphins swept up in the net.

3157

I feel the same way, except the GOP seems to want to bring religion into it. That being the case, then it’s a fair point for questions and discussion.

As Andrew Sullivan put it in the piece I linked:

I don’t believe there should be double standards on this, as fervently as I believe that a candidate’s religion should be irrelevant in the decision to elect him or her to a secular office. But then, I’m a secularist Christian, and Romney and his party strongly disagree, seeing religion and politics as inseparable. And indeed, in one debate, Romney recently stated, his belief that

“We’re all children of the same God."

The trouble is, theologically speaking, and with all due respect for the sincerity of Romney’s faith, we are not all children of Romney’s version of God. The Christian Trinity is not the Mormon Godhead. Many evangelicals understand this. But despite their fervent belief that religion should be indistinguishable from politics, most will ignore it.

Not to mention that Romney also has ongoing robocalls telling people that Obama is a “threat to our religious freedom.”

I guess my point is that I feel that Romney’s religion is fair game here, as should be the religious beliefs of anybody running for office IF AND ONLY IF they make it clear that their religion is going to guide the way that they govern.

3158

Officially ready for this election to be over. First phone call from the GOP backers at 9:03 am, second before 9:30 am. Phone came off the hook after that one. Do they not realize that most people hate being bombarded with ads and telemarketing calls? If I was a low information undecided voter there’s a chance that would actively drive me away.

3159

I wouldn’t want to have an Ohio area phone number the next three days. Combine that with the 16(!) emails I have gotten from various Democratic organizations in the last 48 hours and its a recipe for madness.

3160

I don’t actually love this Infographic, but it does at least give one a sense of how much has to align in Romney’s favor for him to win tomorrow. Hopefully this will be decided relatively early in the evening.