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Saturday, May 12, 2012

2012 Mitt Romney's Speech at Liberty University

Posted by Paul Constant on Sat, May 12, 2012 at 9:03 AM

This morning, Mitt Romney pitched his woo at evangelical Christians. His speech was short and as noncontroversial as a Mormon Republican presidential nominee's speech at the Nation's Number One Regressive Evangelical "Learning" Institution™ could be. He acknowledged his Mormonism without once using the word "Mormon," but by instead speaking in vague, lofty language:

"People of different faiths, like yours and mine, sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose, when there are so many differences in creed and theology," Romney said. "Surely the answer is that we can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview. The best case for this is always the example of Christian men and women working and witnessing to carry God's love into every life."

This, predictably, was the biggest line of the speech:

“[T]he enduring institution of marriage” is now “topics of Democratic debate,” Romney said, before reaffirming, “Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.”

The line drew a standing ovation.

Personally, I find it funny that the executive committee chair of Liberty U's trustee board, Mark DeMoss, was forced to give advice to students in advance of Romney's speech that I would give to Liberty U students when it comes to anti-gay bigotry. Don't judge Romney because he's Mormon, DeMoss said:

DeMoss encouraged the audience to recognize the difference between "knowing about someone and knowing them,” he said, "You see, you can know about someone simply by reading about him or her. But you can only know someone by spending time with them."

Huh. This is probably the only year when someone ever preached tolerance at a Liberty University graduation. Even if he doesn't know it, DeMoss is right: I bet if those kids personally knew a gay person, they'd be less cavalier about whooping it up when someone talks about stealing rights from them.

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"i'd vote for a satanist if it meant getting rid of that articulate, self-made center-right democrat with an intact traditional family, and cautious, thoughtful demeanor (who is a half-breed)!" - white evangelical america

Posted by Max Solomon on May 12, 2012 at 9:27 AM

True words. I've found that I've become more tolerant once I've met the people I felt superior to. It's part of growing up, and I've wonder if the yahoos in the sticks wouldn't be so racist and prejudiced if their hometowns were more multiculturally diverse, if the places of their daily lives - schools, jobs, churches - had people different from them.

Posted by floater on May 12, 2012 at 9:29 AM

Mitt's pitch to the Christian righting a nutshell: Vote for me and I will pretend to give a shit about whether gay people are allowed to get married.

Posted by Ken Mehlman on May 12, 2012 at 9:29 AM

You mean if they knew an out gay person. I assume there's a staggering number of closet cases in the Liberty U dorms.

Posted by Volo on May 12, 2012 at 9:39 AM

@2: Careful now, "yahoos in the sticks" shows your own prejudicial intolerance. If you want to celebrate multiculturalism and diversity, you have to be totally inclusive.

Posted by Phoebe in Wallingford on May 12, 2012 at 9:40 AM

Shouldn't that be "democratic debate," not "Democratic debate"? Kind of a big difference: the former implies divided principles, the latter implies a divided party.

Posted by DOUG.

on May 12, 2012 at 9:46 AM

@4 Bingo!

Posted by seatackled on May 12, 2012 at 9:54 AM

@2, that's exactly what brings about changes - living in small towns you're surrounded only by people like yourself (as far as you know - out gays are a brave and rare lot in "real America"). You take those yahoos and plunk them down in West Hollywood or Cap Hill for a couple years and they won't all found a new GSA, but their outlook in general will start to change for the better. It's just human nature.

@5, Fuck that! Yahoos are yahoos. Luckily, not everybody in the sticks is a yahoo, and sadly not every yahoo lives in the sticks. (I can't decide if you're serious or being snarky, so I've decided to just scold you for good measure. All part of the service.)

Posted by switzerblog on May 12, 2012 at 11:09 AM

No, Phoebe got me there. It's easy to trade one prejudice and superiority complex for another. I should have chosen my words more carefully. I don't look down on people just because they're rural folks. There are a lot of good people who live in the farms and ranches, even those with political philosophies I disagree with. But I do believe that living in a homogenous environment only reinforces the notions we have about cultures we've never encountered.

Posted by floater on May 12, 2012 at 11:29 AM

I'm no religious expert, but I think that the phrase "men and women working and witnessing" is the key religious component of his speech.

Mormons believe "by his works shall you know him" -- in other words, do good deeds and you shall know God. The evangelicals believe in the healing power of grace -- in an instant, if you accept Jesus, you are saved.

So -- work versus witness. The difference in the two religions in three words.

Posted by bareboards on May 12, 2012 at 11:37 AM

Very kind of Liberty U to welcome Mr. Romney, but would they want their daughters marrying one of his sons?

Posted by seatackled on May 12, 2012 at 11:54 AM

-HAL, could you give us a definition of "cool".

-Yes, Dave, here it is...

cool

Of or at a fairly low temperature
- it'll be a cool afternoon
- the wind kept them cool

Soothing or refreshing because of its low temperature
- a cool drink in the leafy shade
- the bathroom was all glass and cool, muted blues

(esp. of clothing) Keeping one from becoming too hot
- wear your cool, comfortable shirts

Showing no friendliness toward a person or enthusiasm for an idea or project
- he gave a cool reception to the suggestion for a research center

Free from excitement or anxiety
- he prided himself on keeping a cool head
- she seems cool, calm, and collected

Calmly audacious
- such an expensive strategy requires cool nerves

(of jazz, esp. modern jazz) Restrained and relaxed

Fashionably attractive or impressive
- I always wore sunglasses to look cool

Excellent
- a computer you didn't even have to plug in. Cool!

Used to emphasize a specified quantity or amount, esp. of money
- a cool $15,000 to buy the franchise

https://www.google.com/search?q=define+c…

More...

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on May 12, 2012 at 12:49 PM

@9: Well said!
@8: I'm at the age where I always mean what I say. But I admit, my commentary can sound snarky.

Posted by Phoebe in Wallingford on May 12, 2012 at 12:52 PM

I think it's interesting that Romney says that traditional marriage is one man and one woman considering his great grandfather was a polygamist.

Posted by ryanayr on May 12, 2012 at 1:06 PM

@5
"If you want to celebrate multiculturalism and diversity, you have to be totally inclusive."

No you don't. That's idiotic.
You're saying that I must tolerate your intolerance.

Posted by fairly.unbalanced on May 12, 2012 at 2:05 PM

@15 Precisely. Phoebe, you display a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept. Your right to swing your fist ends where my body begins. Allowing bullies to dominate others is not multiculturalism. Demanding a certain decorum and level of thinking is.

Of course, describing rural Americans as having a separate culture is the sort of hair-splitting that detractors engage in to diminish the ideas behind multiculturalism, and it is without merit.

Posted by Some Old Nobodaddy Logged In on May 12, 2012 at 2:22 PM

@15/16 - So you're saying rural yahoos are bullies? Please forgive me for not jumping to that irrational conculsion.

Posted by Phoebe in Wallingford on May 12, 2012 at 2:56 PM

But seriously, let's not extrapolate silly generalizations based on our own subjective stereotypes - and I'm guilty of that as much as anyone. It's only a basis for sophomoric banter and we really should strive for a better conversation.

Posted by Phoebe in Wallingford on May 12, 2012 at 3:03 PM

@17 that's not what they said. The word bully is something you decided to add. Why are so many people using the word bully wrong? The word is borderline meaningless now.

Posted by CbytheSea on May 12, 2012 at 5:34 PM

@17
"@15/16 - So you're saying rural yahoos are bullies?"

Why don't you quote my post where I said that?
Hmmmmm?
Is it because you can't because I did not post that?
It's just something that you made up in your mind so you'd feel better about losing an argument on the Internet?

Yeah, I thought it was.

"But seriously, let's not extrapolate silly generalizations ..."

You are the one lying on this forum.
You're claiming that people posted comments that they never posted.

I will say again, I do not have to tolerate your intolerance.

Posted by fairly.unbalanced on May 12, 2012 at 8:59 PM

@20: Why do you think I'm intolerant? Also, @16 said "Allowing bullies to dominate others is not multiculturalism" in regard to my post about yahoos, so I was not making it up.
But I'll acquiesce, and give you the last word since you're really in a stir about something. I worry about your blood pressure. Good night dear.

Posted by Phoebe in Wallingford on May 12, 2012 at 10:39 PM

For Gingrich, was marriage a relationship between one man and one woman? Or between one man and a succession of women?

Also, wasn't Romney's granddad a polygamist?

Romney needs to explain how allowing homosexual couples to marry detracts from marriage overall. Hope this issue sinks him come November. Seems like he wants to run on it.

Posted by Patricia Kayden on May 13, 2012 at 4:48 PM