Associated Press
Does the guy on the left look familiar? That's radical TV preacher Pat Robertson.
Remember when Mitt Romney said the economy was the only issue that matters in the presidential race? When he wouldn't get distracted by trivia and would instead remained focused solely on jobs and economic growth?
Well, forget it. Team Romney decided that approach just wasn't going to get him elected. It's why, in recent weeks, we've seen the Republican nominee embrace the welfare lie and contraception access as important elements of his campaign.
Over the weekend, Businessman Mitt Romney further transformed into Culture Warrior Mitt Romney, using the Pledge of Allegiance as some kind of political weapon and obliquely embracing a strange right-wing conspiracy theory at a rally in Virginia.
At a Saturday afternoon rally [in Virginia Beach], Mr. Romney did not just recite the Pledge of Allegiance; he metaphorically wrapped his stump speech in it, using each line of the pledge to attack President Obama.
"The promises that were made in that pledge are promises I plan on keeping if I am president, and I've kept them so far in my life," Mr. Romney said, standing among old airplanes in a hangar at the Military Aviation Museum here. "That pledge says 'under God.' I will not take 'God' out of the name of our platform. I will not take 'God' off our coins, and I will not take God out of my heart. We're a nation bestowed by God."
Mr. Romney was referring to a kerfuffle during the Democratic National Convention, when Mr. Obama's party scrambled to amend its platform to include a reference to God, giving Republicans a chance to portray the party as out of touch with family values. But Mr. Obama has never suggested taking "God" off the nation's coins, as Mr. Romney's remarks also seemed to imply.
There's been a fringe argument making the rounds that Obama is trying to take "In God We Trust" off U.S. currency. It has no basis whatsoever in reality, but Romney, or at least those who write his speeches, appear to be aware of the nonsense. As for the Democratic platform, Obama didn't take the word "God" out of the party's document; Obama actually put it back in.
Romney delivered the remarks, incidentally, just a few feet from radical TV preacher Pat Roberson -- a man who, among other things, blamed the 9/11 attacks on Americans.
What's more, Romney's faith-based pandering came on the heels of his running mate, Paul Ryan, arguing that government-sponsored religion in public schools is an issue left to the "the states" -- a position sharply at odds with seven decades' worth of Supreme Court rulings.
But what matters most is the bigger picture. Romney thought the unemployment rate would make him president. Now, in desperation, he wants to talk about "In God We Trust" on our coins and changes to welfare law that never actually happened in reality.
Remember, this isn't an example of a candidate going off-message; this is an example of a candidate deliberately abandoning a message and going in a new direction.
The strategic shift in the campaign message that has been unfolding in recent weeks reflects a conclusion among Mr. Romney's advisers that disappointment with Mr. Obama's economic stewardship is not sufficient to propel Mr. Romney to victory on its own.
Republican strategists said that many middle-class voters had proved reluctant to give up entirely on Mr. Obama, and that they still needed to be convinced that Mr. Romney would look out for their interests.... Mr. Romney's chances hinge to a large degree on running up his advantage among white voters in swing states who show deep strains of opposition to Mr. Obama but do not yet trust Mr. Romney to look out for their interests, Republican strategists say.
I'm reluctant to use the word "flailing" because the race remains very close, but for over a year, Mitt Romney has invested time and energy in telling Americans he's a competent, corporate turn-around artist who'll create jobs. Over the weekend, he was reduced to, "I will not take 'God' off our coins."
It seems as if the guy no longer knows what he wants to say to the nation, so if he keeps coming with new lines, maybe one of them will eventually resonate. I'm not a campaign strategist, but it seems to me the time for this kind of message experimentation was mid-September 2011, not mid-September 2012.
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Slick: "and I will not be revealing my true faith by way of releasing my tax returns. By God, I just won't do it! I won't allow you citizens to come between me and the IRS. I helped make those rules and I abided by them, by God." So sayeth the man becoming god.
I think this "... I will not take 'God' off our coins ..." thing is evidence that Mitt Romney quite literally worships money.
Good one!
That lie has made the rounds on the internet before. "In God We Trust" is not on the new Presidential dollar. When I got it, I immediately checked it out and of course it was a LIE. Cute little story went with it about how a lady refused to take one of the dollars as change. I wanted a few of the new dollars so I made the rounds of banks and post offices trying to find them. People looked at me like I was crazy. They had not even been released yet, so the whole story was a lie. I still haven't been able to find a presidential dollar.
These folks in NE Texas love to believe someone is threatening their religious freedom. I could tell you horror stories. So depressing to know that we actually have people that ignorant in our society.
He has so much more money than he needs that I doubt he worships it.
When you hate someone for reasons you dare not express, you find false justifications for your hatred. Birtherism and Death Panels were early false justifications. Then the Rabid Religious Right, who want to force their religion on everyone, said they were being persecuted because Obamacare wouldn't let religiously affiliated employers force their religion on workers.
The "In God We Trust" kerfuffle is the latest version of this deception, and thepatsy brought up an important point. Imagining you're religiously persecuted offers the illusion that your rage and hatred is justified, so you can spew venomous words, or act on them, without guilt or reservation. You might even convince yourself that you're defending the only true religion (whatever that is) from it's biggest threat- the person you hate for reasons you dare not admit.
thepatsy. even more frightening than having such ignorant people, is the knowledge that they vote! Where is the literacy test for those folks? If the repubs want to challenge our voters, I think we have every right to challenge theirs.
I am so glad that George Romney did not live to see his son's conduct over the last year or else he would have died of abject humiliation and heart-break over what Mitt Romney has done to his proud legacy and his family's name.
Totally agree Alan. The very first time I ever voted was for George Romney for governor of Michigan. Mitt has turned his back on the standards that both his parents lived by.
If Mitt was merely being true to his own convictions, that would be one thing, but he has intentionally gone out of his way to besmirch the beliefs and legacy of his parents by being one of the most transparent, flip-flopping presidential candidates ever.
Whole-heartily agree with you, Alan. Well said.
Romney has lost the election if he is making culture warfare a central focus of his campaign. It's over. Republicans are going to kill their chances with independents and moderate voters by simply going along for the ride on the Tea Party's extreme agenda in Congress. Access to birth control and insurance coverage for women's health are not controversial issues. There is no "debate" over contraception among ordinary Americans. they simply support it and are disgusted by the GOP's efforts to legislate a culture war on the country. There will be a mounting backlash among moderate Republicans against the extreme right-wing ideology that has vaulted birth control to the top of the GOP's agenda. - principled progressive
"mounting backlash among moderate Republicans"
Who might be leading that charge? George Romney?
Look its never been about electing Romney, it's been about exposure to Paul Ryan. THey really want him to be elected in 2016. They know Obama will be elected. They want to try a "sick of current party in power so elect us" tactic that worked for Bush Jr., and Obama. Scary thing is....it might work.
I hope you're right, but I can't help but see this as a bitter reflection of what Dubya did in 2004 when he used the gay marriage issue as a culture war wedge to distract voters from everything else that was going on at the time. We all know what happened there.
Romney lost the race when he began. He is not trusted nor liked by the American people. I'll add one more thing. The GOP/tea party congress and their do nothing agenda is hurting Romney and the races down line. Just my opinion.
When did President Obama or anyone from the Democratic party say they wanted to remove "In God We Trust" off of our coins? When Romney said this, "I will not take 'God' off our coins." who was he pandering to? Big question, when will the Media start calling him out on these comments? Why will reporters not ask him, when did anyone suggest changing what is on our coins.
To the Republicans, we are a nation of diversity which includes diversity in Religious beliefs. You can not put religion in Public Schools, if a parent wants their children to have religion as a part of a schools curriculum, than send them to a religious school.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Republicans you cannot legislate Religion, your belief may not be my belief and the Constitution protects my right to have a
different belief.
Lorr-2611132 - Very well said!!!! My brother and I are always talking about why the Media does not start calling Romney on these crazy statements!
Indeed WHY ! All the interviewer would have had to say was " I was not aware of this issue In God We Trust on coins and currency. Where did you get your information? Where is this an issue?" Just simple to ask for clarification. But from what I am seeing, robme and lyin ryan will bald face stare into the cameras and LIE. This is making them both look like pathological liars. And that is a form of mental illness !
merryblues..i realize you were being facetious but it got me wondering as well. who indeed could lead that charge in today's GOP.
@Arch-75703:
It's an interesting possibility, though that kinda of a strategy hinges on the economy not turning around in the next four years to the satisfactory of the American people.
True there's always Republican obstructionism to take into consideration, but a lot of note-worthy economists, such as Paul Krugman, say another four years under the Obama Administration would be better than the first.
I'm not sure I'd want to bank the next election on a gamble like that.
Is it not a gamble to bank on Romney? We don't know if he will accomplish anything he says he will...just because he says it, doesn't mean he will. He's known to be a liar and a panderer, as well. Extremely untrustworthy!
"In God We Trust" SHOULD be taken off the coins...never should have been there. The original Pledge of Allegiance made no reference to God either. It was added in the mid-1950's in response to the "godless" Communist hysteria that gripped the nation. That never should have happened either.
So true. The Pledge has gone through numerous changes through the years.
The original In God We Trust had to be approved by an Act of Congress back in 1873 to be put on the currency.
People threw a fit back when President Bush signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 and it was moved to the side of the dollar coin.
Where is the separation of Church and State? This is starting to flow into our Constitution Right to Freedom to Practice or NOT Practice Religion.
@TommyB, yes, people have forgotten those McCarthy era witch hunts and the addition of those words to the original Pledge of Allegiance. My father absolutely refused to say those words, and so do I. Catch-22 did a great send up of all that with that great loyalty oath scene. I think matters such as this are why the Texas school board and many others try to diminish factual treatment of American history to keep people ignorant, thus more vulnerable to lies. Now they are banning "critical thinking" from the curriculum. An educated electorate is the best hope of democracy. Ignorance is curable with facts, but stupidity is terminal (just very s-l-o-o-w).
North Carolina Secular Association
Given the fact that it's now become a political football, perhaps it's time to publish my college thesis on the history of In God We Trust as our national motto. Short version: Proposed during the Civil War, added to coins in 1864 after bei
ng championed by the NRA (the National Reform Association), a group whose raison d'etre was the passage of a Constitutional amendment declaring the United States a Christian nation. The motto was dropped momentarily in 1907, largely because Teddy Roosevelt though that nothing as filthy and base as money should have the name of the Almighty on it. Quickly reinstated, it was applied to paper currency in 1955 to combat "Communists and homosexuals" in the words of its main proponent, Matthew Rothert.
Incidentally, "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, 62 years after its composition.
Funny thing about that whole "G-d" argument from the right:
1) They believe in shouting loudly about their "G-d", but actually living the word is a concept that's foreign to them.
2) With the Robme/Ryan budget that - throws the "least of these" under the bus, the GOP policies stand in stark opposition to their "professed beliefs".
3) The low-information sheeple that support these politicians whose policies are slowly disenfranchising US all, have been so hypnotized by the "Gospel of Prosperity" being preached at them by the pimps in the pulpit - they're too afraid to open their eyes/mind/heart so see reality.
4) Logic, analysis, fact and common sense have NO place in today's world, the sheeple want authoritarian dictatorships - frankly I think they should all be shipped to some autocratic nation in the Middle East, I'm sure they would change their minds after a few days of that!
5) Christian = TALIBAN
O Zora, Zora, you always hit the nail on the head!!
In Buddha We Trust
Mitt has not learned a basic lesson. If he has nothing intelligent to say, he should shut up so he does not prove it. I truly look forward to the debates.
nomoremagicalthinking....me too!
Why is Romney tooling around with the likes of Pat Robertson? Talk about out-of-touch with the values of everyday Americans. Mitt should just bow out now...while he still has some...er...um...dignity? left.
He never had any dignity to begin with :)
Where did this talk about Obama having "God" taken off our coins originate? It's preposterous! With all the lies, flip-flops, and just plain stupidity, Romney gets my vote for the most bizarre presidential campaign ever!
On another blog, it was said, trying to interview robme is like trying to nail Jello to the wall. Same can be said for lyin ryan. Very apt description. Did anyone else notice in queen anne and robme's interview, he kept saying " I don't want to talk about that, but I do want to talk about this"? Is that bait and switch? sounds like it to me.
Comment was accidentally posted twice.
Throw enough stuff at a wall and something is bound to stick. The well paid people who are handling Romney's campaign must use darts to pick the next topic for their candidate to champion. What will it be next week...or tomorrow?
Mr. Romney is so far to the right he even tries to exploit God for is own gain. God does not behave like Romney...He told believers to be sober minded and that a double minded man is unstable in ALL his ways. Romney mind changes according to what audience he's talking to so why would Americans want an unstable man to lead this country. Romney shows no sign that he Knows who GOD is (LOVE).
Romney and Ryan keep professing their belief in God and that God should be taught in public schools; why than do they and the Republican Party disregard God's 9th commandment: "Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor". A simpler version for Romney, Ryan and the Republicans - Thou Shalt Not Lie.
Amen! We have all got to keep calling out the lies and distortions from robme and lyin ryan. Also, a barrage of emails to CNN, Face the Nation and the other network news bureaus to insist that they confront or ask for clarification and sources for the continual assult of lies from robme and lyin ryan. There is a petition going around to insist that independant fact checkers be present at the debates and that their FACTS be read to the audience perhaps after every 15 min. or so of the debates. The point is to get the real FACTS out to the millions watching, not walk back their lies the next day in lesser media services. It just appears that the robme people figure Facts be damned. In fact 2 of the RNC people have said as much on national news shows ( CNN )
YES! Problem is that confronting lies with the factual information to disprove them seems to enrage those who make up their own facts. It's frustrating to search out the truth and then have no effect on the liars and distorters. Fact Check and other sites do a great job trying to keep us informed, yet many refuse to accept facts if they do not affirm a belief they wish to hold. Where are the open minds?
I'm a wee bit over-sensitive about such things, but using God and bringing God into your lies to attain your lust for notoriety is probably not a good idea. You may find that Somebody gets a little bit Biblical on your *ss.
Hmmm, a plague of boils on his *ss sounds about right. Of course, with so many *sses to choose from, Somebody might have trouble choosing which one to smite!
Funny thing is, Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican by the way, tried in vain for years to have that phrase removed fron U S currency because he felt it was UNCONSTITUTIONAL. It's all about that pesky 'no religion' thingy in that document. 'Under God' was added during the Red Menace Scare in the 50's. But then again, Mitt has said that Russia is our enemy again so ...
I remember in grade school that during the Pledge, some conservitive Jewish students wouldn't even utter it, even sitting down in protest.
By devine intervention in the god racket, Romney turns once secure GOP votes into even more secure votes because, you know, Christian votes count more than heathen votes.
I wonder if his internal polling is showing worse results than what the national polls are saying, which is also not good, but not categorically awful. These latest interviews and statements sound desperate. The American people smells this kind of bovine scatology a mile away. Taking God off of coins? That's as bad as the birther stuff.
What they are doing is Karl Rove tactics. Pure out of Rove's dirty tricks handbook. Rove was behind the gay scare tactics in 2004. I had an elderly neighbor come knock on the door in our neighborhood warning of the " gays." When I asked her for explanation, she said her preacher had told the congregation that Sunday to go out and warn the people. This tactic was later exposed as one of Rove's tricks to drive rethugs to the polls in order to protect us all from " them". I pointed out to her, as best I could, that that was the least of her worries. She was about to lose social security, medicare, her pension that the unions ensured she receive, etc. She was stunned and confused ! This is a ploy right out of the Rove dirty tricks playbook and I'm sure it is going to get much worse. We have to all stand up and confront these lies and distortions. Send emails to the news services , newscasters ,and your representatives. They are going to be forced to take notice that maybe these tricks are NOT such a good strategy.
"There's been a fringe argument making the rounds that Obama is trying to take "In God We Trust" off U.S. currency. It has no basis whatsoever in reality, but Romney, or at least those who write his speeches, appear to be aware of the nonsense."
Aware of--heck, they're probably the ones who started it.
It seems to me that the Romney/Ryan candidacy is erroring by focusing on the issue of God, it contradicts their continuous lines of lying, or mis-speaking and could bite them hard once the middle class realize that these clowns are using our God or saviours name in vain. I would not be surprised if the Almighty himself tired of their bs and struck them down for their transgresions. That would answer the ? about Momons as well. Also by invoking the word of God isn't RandR being just a bit racist, I mean look at their target White people???
Like I posted in a reply to another comment, This whole 2012 wasn't about electing Mitt Romney, it was about exposure to Paul Ryan. The republicans know they can't or won't win the election so they are getting Ryan's name out there. 2016 is the race to watch. Just like what happened in 2000 and 2008. They are gonna bank on independents being very tired of the current party in power and push Ryan on to us with hopes he will get elected. It worked for Bush after Clinton and Obama after Bush. Unless something really horrible happens to a candidate by way of gaffe or some dire incident, the days of the one-term presidencies are over. The republican's message of far right social conservatism and no-compromise leave a far worse taste in the mouths of moderates and independents on both side of the aisle.
Look at the crowd. Notice anything about it? Mitt's advisers have realized that, having alienated every minority to the point of outright hostility, they will need a higher percentage of the white vote than any candidate has gotten since Reagan.
Their problem is that they've fallen into the trap of propagandists throughout the ages and bought into their own b.s. They truly do believe that most of Obama's white supporters secretly think he's a complete failure and can be detached from him if the right tribal fear notes are played. They simply can't conceive of the possibility that Obama's white supporters are smart enough to remember the death spiral he pulled us out of and watched as Republicans brought the nation to the brink of constitutional and economic crisis, over and over again, in their determination to deny him success, no matter how many of them it hurt. They simply can't imagine that 41+% of whites think Republican economic ideas are insane. And they think the way to shake those last few percent loose is some good old fashioned Republican fearmongering.
Everything you hear from them for the next two months will be be an attempt to pry a few more percent of the white votes. No white tribal fear button will go unpushed, 'cause its all they got left in their bag of tricks.
I was wondering myself where all the people of color were, NOT. I always try to find at least one when they show Mittens on the stump and they are almost non existent.
I think we need / Pres. Obama's campaign needs to blast home that point about rethug obstructionists and actually what I think should be prosecuted as sedition and treason for trying to undermine a duly elected president. Not only were they trying to undermine him, but willing to take down the economy and bring the US to it's knees. This can be layed right on the doormat of McConnell and his cabal of which lyin ryan is a player. Why can't sedition charges be pressed ?
Linda, did you think the same thing - sedition and treason, that is - when the Dem representatives left Wisconsin to prevent a vote on Gov. Walker's bill?
Or is it ok when Democrats do it?
When I used to be a referee I would use a coin, specifically a one dollar coin (formerly silver dollar), to determine which side had the option to defend or attack first. The coin said "In God We Trust". I remember that the calls I would make in the game were fallible, I was not perfectly calling the game or even capable of seeing everything I needed to see in "real time". It is better to have God referee the game, and that's what politics is, a game. It is fitting that a candidate for public office invoke the name of God, and not in a way that panders to constituents, but as one humbly acknowledging his human faults, errors, idiosyncrasies and imperfections. Unfortunately, candidates usually use God as a weapon against each other rather than as an example of their innate fallibility.
Romney has failed at attacking Obama so he goes for religion. Propaganda again, tell the lie , sell the lie and fox will play it over and over again. We are a nation of diversity, people from all corners of the world, foods from all over the world, many customs and yes many religions. There is a reason for separation of church and state. Many immigrants came here to get away from religious persecution an worship how they pleased. Now 236 years latter Religious persecution is alive and well in America. Romney can not deal with many countries if he can not respect our differences. For him to use God as weapon in a political campaign makes him unfit to lead this nation !!!!!
Romney should also try re-acquiainting himself with the TEN COMMANDMENTS. More specifcally, "Thou shalt not bear false witness (read LIE) against thy neighbor."
It seems to me that during the primaries, it was all about the republican candidates. The President wasn't really campaigning and all of the republicans got to run around the country saying whatever they wanted while getting all the press coverage. Now the focus is on the 2 of them and their message. I think, now that both messages are being heard, people can make a rational decision.
My second point is that I am a Christian but struggle with the concept of putting religion in everything associated with the country and especially in school. I boil it down to one question, "whose version of God and whose religion."
Last question is how can you be so religious while telling flat out lies over and over again. It's kind of like being pro life and for the death penalty. They don't seem to fit.
Steve, there's s typo: "TV preacher Pat Roberson" needs a "t" in Robertson.
But more seriously, why is Mitt still getting cozy with someone as extreme as Pat Robertson? Maybe during the primaries he needed to make friendly noises to the GOP base, but to keep this up in September looks like poor campaign tactics. But without enough evangelicals to carry Virginia and NC he's pretty sunk anyway.