I voted for Mitt Romney in the Georgia primary in 2008 and McCain in the general election...and don't apologize for it.
Mike Huckabee, John McCain, and Romney pretty much divided the Georgia primary votes into about a third each (about 34%, 32% & 30% respectively) although Huckabee ending up with about 70% of the delegates. Huckabee didn't have a chance of getting the Republican nomination much less of beating Obama. McCain was an extremely weak candidate. Romney would have done much better, I think.
But that was last election.
How about this headline: Christian Backs Mitt Romney; Says Mormonism Doesn't Matter
Hmmm. Imagine that.
It is a long time until the Georgia Republican primary which will be held sometime between January and June of next year, our state Republican brain trust preferring to wait and read the political tea leaves before committing to a specific date. Romney will be on the ballot unless something happens and he drops out.
While it is too early to know the full list of choices for our primary ballot next year, we have a number of declared candidates: Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Gary Johnson and some fringe folks.
I agree with commentator Charles Krauthammer that Ron Paul doesn't offer a philosophy that is suitable for governing and is a fringe figure. Herman Cain is catching on. He is pure dynamite and I like him but he has no chance. Unlike some of my colleagues, I would have no problem voting for Gingrich. If highminded Baptist preachers found it expedient to vote for John McCain with his past moral failures, I don't see how they can object to Gingrich. The others I just don't know much about.
Romney is serious, intelligent, experienced, and presidential. He has all the moral qualifications that some of the brethren say are important.
Ah, but he is LDS whisper, or shout, some of the brethren.
And?
While some of my SBC friends see that as an absolute disqualifying factor, I don't. In fact, those who say that they would vote for Romney if he just weren't a Mormon might look up the definition of religious bigotry. I bet that most of us would find a way to vote for Mitt Romney over Barack Obama, Mormonism or not.
The fun starts about now and goes until November 6, 2012.
8 comments:
I will not vote for a Mormon, I see it as validating a false religion and won't do it. I was a big fan of Daniels but alas. I don't think the Fair tax will work (prefer a true flat tax, but it is a pipe dream - so no Cain.
At this point I like TPaw, former governor elected in blue state, decent conservative credentials. I think can hold his own w Pres. Showed backbone in Iowa by dissing ethanol (ptl
Jim Champion
Baptists, especially pastors, tend to become clownish around election time. My working theory about this is that we know that the lost culture is listening to us less and less on any issue so election season is our big chance to get some of the spotlight back.
Alcohol and gambling battles have largely been lost, the abortion battle would take a sustained, multi-year/multi-administration battle (similar to the SBC CR) and few have the stones for that. Few seminary grads have much in the way of economics, math/statistics education so tax battles are fought with 3/4 of one's brain tied up...which leaves us largely pontificating about a candidate's religion.
The potential candidates whose faith and ethics are closest to the typical conservative SBCer are Cain, Bachmann, Palin, and Pawlenty.
Bachmann and Palin are out via the Klouda rule. Cain can't win the GOP nomination although his background is significantly more free market oriented than Romney. And when Pawlenty gets up on the stump..zzzzzzzzzzz.
So, yes, let's hand Obama a second term because we're committed to shooting ourselves in the foot. Serves us right.
I saw where your blog is the feature on the Watchdog thing. Its sad that he's using your thoughts to rip pastors to shreds. Those are some of the worst comments I have ever read coming out of the mouths of so-called believers.
I will be voting for Barack Obama again with the convictions David Remnick provides in The Bridge.
For William and David Miller and Howell Scott, I strongly recommend for summer reading two works
Joe Crespino's In Search of Another Country.
Brian Till: Conversations with Power.
Heard the latter on NPR today. Strong work. Also later this summer looking for Thornton's Review of Malick's Tree of Life.
I don't think it is the adultery that bothers so many about Gingrich. I think it is the adultery while his wife was suffering from cancer and the cruel way he treated her...even financially. He does not just have affairs but he wants to financially ruin each wife. But each wife should be forewarned....he did the same thing to the last one...
Gingrich does best as a back bencher. He is off his policy wonk game trying to be accepted by the masses.
Lydia
"Bachmann and Palin are out via the Klouda rule."
Wrong. It was hysterical watching the patriarchs on this one last time around. Voddie telling the reporters that Palin ought to be home baking cookies while the Mohler factions was trying to explain how she can be VP as long as she does not try to lead staff bible studies.
Very few SBC pastors who pontificate about their principles and values will follow through by supporting the declared Christian, once married, faithful husband, good family man in the presidential election. They will vote against Obama and for Gingrich, Romney or whomever.
Last comment - W Thornton
The reason they will note vote for O is because, under the not so good looking surface, they do not like a black man in the white house, or for for that, any house.
I was a member once of a large bapt church in Jacksonville and I tell you, the level of hatred and racism there was never seen, but always below the surface.
The only black people you would see there was during the week when the janitors, etc, were busy cleaning up after the obese white men who just can't aim right...
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