Anyone Else Other Than Myself Think Romney Admires President Paul?

[Swmorgan77]

Are Mormons conscientious objectors? I heard Romney avoided the draft on religious grounds so that's why I ask. How can a conscientious objector qualify as Commander in Chief?

Mormons don't typically conscientiously object. The Church issued a statement during WWI that while we condemn war, and believe that those who make the decisions will have to be accountable, individuals responding to the call of their government to serve will not be held accountable for responding and meeting those obligations.

I'm not sure what the "religous grounds" were that got him out of the draft, but that is not widespread in the LDS church.

 

[Swmorgan77]

He cracked a lame joke at Paul (like everyone else), but I think he treats him more like a human being than most of the other candidates. It's saddening to see the Fox News cast & crew and other candidates treat him like he's a lesser human being on the stand.

My take: I think Romney's conscience got to him after this comment, and that's why he went out of his way later when he singled out Paul as not knowing his stance on immigration to make sure that he said he wasn't attacking him, he just didn't know.

His analysts watch everything that is said about him, which means he would probably know that Dr. Paul has stuck up for him in 2 national interviews at risk of losing fundamentalist Christian votes saying that Romney has been opposed because of his religion and that it is wrong. None of the other candidates has shown that kind of class on the issue, and Romney probably felt bad about the comment he made.

He should have. It was low, and it was not substantive. He's like the kid in a group of other kids making fun of the dorky kid who knows better but goes along anyway.

 

[TSOL]

It's funny

When Paul is speaking, the other candidates just really listen. It's like they know. They'r being exposed as assholes and they just have nothing to say.

 

[giarcc6269]

[B]I Do Not Think Dr. Paul will bow out anytime soon or at all for that matter.[/B]

I couldn't look at ALL of the replies so if I'm redundant accept my apologies.

It seems to me that Romney is playing the political game quite well right now. Many of the responses to this thread have been "positive" about Romney's seeming to be nice to Dr. Paul.

Here's my thought:

I think Romney is positioning himself as the candidate who gets the Paul voters.
I do think Romney is hedging his bet that if that day occurs he can say "I was the only one who was at least repsectful to Dr. Paul when the rest were hostile, so I ask Paul suporters to support my candidacy for President."

Let me know what you think?

 

[Carole]

Maybe Romney heard about Dr. Paul's comments on Leno to millions of people the other night...the thing about religion should have nothing to do with Romney's support or lack of support.

 

[Carole]

In addtion to being "moderately ruthless."

 

[libertyguy]

Romney is not an insider like most of the others. The media has not been partial to him lately and he is smarting in the polls. This will make him more sympathetic to RP. No doubt he can see the foul play, but he is still a neocon and will act and vote like one and garners little partiality from me.

 

[oparea]

There is now way Romney is doing anything other that trying to steal votes. Fred Thompson also sounded like he was leaning Ron Pauls way a few times. It's called pandering.

 

[Greg in VA]

If Romney is Bush III, what the hell is Rudy then?

Benito I

 

[Swmorgan77]

I think Romney is positioning himself as the candidate who gets the Paul voters.
I do think Romney is hedging his bet that if that day occurs he can say "I was the only one who was at least repsectful to Dr. Paul when the rest were hostile, so I ask Paul suporters to support my candidacy for President."

Let me know what you think?

That may be true, but unfortunately he hasn't been respectful. He has shown a lot of the "me too" tendency to try and get one liners in on Ron paul like the other candidates.

If I had to single out one candidate who has been the most "respectful" while obviously disagreeing it would be Thompson or Huckster.

 

[Swmorgan77]

Romney is not an insider like most of the others. The media has not been partial to him lately and he is smarting in the polls. This will make him more sympathetic to RP. No doubt he can see the foul play, but he is still a neocon and will act and vote like one and garners little partiality from me.

No he isn't an insider, but he surrounds himself with them and takes their advice. Maybe he has seen a little bit of the way the insisders have used his being a Mormon to build up Huckabee by uniting evangelicals behind Huckabee against him.

Is it possible that Romney could come around to some good understandings and principles in politics... yes. The problem is, given his history and the fact that he wants SO BADLY to be elected, you just could never trust the guy. You can't trust someone like that with power no mattter how good their inentions are.

 

[cayton]

I voted yes. I would never vote for Romney, but other than Paul, I think among the choices given he is who I would prefer to win.

 

[kellann]

If Romney is Bush III, what the hell is Rudy then?

Rudy is Cheney 2.0

 

[gandhi08]

Please stop this rommney lovefest.

He is a man without ideals. He was for abortion.. now he is against... he was against iraq war now he is for... He was against the surge now he is for... He will do anything and everything to get elected. He is looking at it like a sale in business... You do anything and everything to get that sale.

The main point is he has no ideals... He doesnt follow logic... he follows people perception ... Polls... Mr. Slick Mitt. He is a true snake oil salesman.

I would never ever never ever vote for Mitt Rommney. Even Hillary is better than Rommney.

 

[Delivered4000]

You're naive if you think so

 

[vegetarianrpfan]

That may be true, but unfortunately he hasn't been respectful. He has shown a lot of the "me too" tendency to try and get one liners in on Ron paul like the other candidates.

If I had to single out one candidate who has been the most "respectful" while obviously disagreeing it would be Thompson or Huckster.

I haven't noticed this with Huckabee. IMO, Huckabee's attacks are even worse than Giuliani's or McCain's-- they try to say/imply that Dr. Paul is not going God's way or Jesus' way or doesn't have personal character... "our honor must win this war, your way does not show honor"... "We have to stand by Israel, we could not stand by and let this tiny country be attacked" as if the good doctor has no honor and no human sympathy towards another country. It has the same tone as his innocent questions about Mormonism to reporters. He's trying to say he's the only Christian in the race or something. He gives me the heebie-jeebies more than any other candidate (the one thing I like about him is that Wall Street isn't behind him.)

I hadn't particularly noticed this about Romney, but you guys have me thinking. It does seem to be true, with the press release comment aside (although he looked like he even felt bad for saying it). He may have heard of Dr. Paul's standing up for him on Leno... or it may be the businessman in Romney, where he takes everything in and finds something to like in everyone-- networking, if you will.

As a serial flip-flopper, Romney has to respect Dr. Paul's continuous stance on issues and wish he could have had the same path and not be explaining the flip-flops so much. He's very ambitious and will do anything to get elected, in direct contrast to RP. However, as a businessman he has to on some level respect how Ron Paul has raised money and his stance on economic issues.

I used to think McCain was the best of the neocons (at least he was a veteran and POW, he stands against torture, etc.), but his incessant joking has turned me off big-time. He seems like he takes absolutely nothing, even another person's life, seriously.

I think Romney is now taking his turn as "my favorite neocon"-- the others have all been eliminated, and Fred Thompson seems like he's asleep or something. Romney at least has the appropriate reaction when he meets Ron Paul-- it's a big honor for him and he smiles appropriately!

Of course, he'll probably say something really, really dumb in the next debate and I'll have to revise that thesis.

------------------------
Libertarian Girl
http://www.libertariangirl.com

 

[Gimme Some Truth]

I think Romney does ,in some way, respect Ron (atleast more than the others) . The deal here is he wants so desperately to become President that he'll do anything to make it a reality ...and if that means making cheap shots at Ron then he will do so .... especially as its kind of the in-thing to do.

He reminds me of the kid who sees someone getting bullied . Inside he doesn't think its right ..but joins in with the bully to gain some popularity.

I said after the lambasting Romney got in the ABC forum debate that I would feel a little bit sorry for him but didnt because I knew cheap shots, against Ron, like this would occur.

1 word can describe Romney and that word is "desperate"

I do not respect him at all.

.

 

[Swmorgan77]

I think Romney does ,in some way, respect Ron (atleast more than the others) . The deal here is he wants so desperately to become President that he'll do anything to make it a reality ...and if that means making cheap shots at Ron then he will do so .... especially as its kind of the in-thing to do.
.

I do think he has a certain level of respect for Ron Paul because as a Mormon, however much he abandones the principles Paul is advocating personally, he has spent his whole adult life reading and hearing LDS leaders advocate the same principles. This would make it hard to hear such views ridiculed and marginalized, whether he advocates them himself or not.

I think studying the psychology of Romney and Mormons in general during this election cycle with Ron Paul in the mix has and will be very interesting.

 

[Time for Change]

He admires his honesty
They all do.

They wish they could be so honest in life.
A lying preacher - Go Figure
A manipulative (read = lying) capitalist - Expected
They call me the Sheriff McCain - Lie on the fly

It is all about honesty and the fact that they wish they could live by convictions not a life of ever shifting positions according to public opinion polls.

 

[DrCap]

Don't be fooled by Romney. He's Bush III.

He's bought and paid for by twice ambassador, top fundraiser, long time Bush family friend, drug war architect, chairman of Scooter Libby legal defense fund, and biggest mass child abuser in history... Melvin Sembler.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/121088.html?&

Then again, they're all fakes, so who knows what's really in Romney's heart (if he has one). But it seems to me he has a smirk on his face whenever RP talks.

I think he's just like the others, except maybe thompson, in that they are party hacks, jst saying whatever they think they need to say to win.
He laughed at RP when RP asked him, did you read mine ? in reference to his writings about foreign policy.
Hardly a sign of respect, even if you disagree with someone.