Adam is a public service

[SeattleUte]

He's the only one left who can go over there and post stuff like this and not get labotomized:

http://www.cougarboard.com/noframes/...tml?id=3461954

[SeattleUte]

Just in case Adam's post gets torched, here's his essay on the tragic fall of Mitt Romney:

Romney Leaving Without Integrity

Although I'm a democrat I really liked the version of Mitt Romney I got to know during his campaign in Mass against Ted Kennedy--I even sent him money during that race. I really liked the way the governed Mass as Governor--especially his universal health coverage plan and his moderate reasonable stance on immigration. He was the kind of progressive Republican I really liked--not beholden to the whacko religious right on social/moral issues.

But back to my point, I had hoped that Romney would run with integrity and be known as the rational moderate Republican that he was. But he decided that he wanted to court the radical Jesus-freak right wing and had a series of epiphanies to become the torture supporting, borderline-racist (according to Republicans like JC Watts), hard core anti-abortion/stem cell research fascist. He obviously really thought the whacko religious right would be his friend and embrace him--how silly. They will never be friends with Mormons--we worship the wrong Jesus. The Republican Party of the religious right is not the party for a Mormon candidate and never will be. Maybe Mormons will admit this now.

I don't think anyone can deny that Romney became known as the say-anything to get elected lack of integrity candidate. I know that this board isn't the place to find people to agree with this assessment, but if you think David Broder and John McLaughlin, who both have said this, are part of an anti-Mormon anti-Romney conspiracy you might also think illegal immigration is Satan's tool to destroy America and the UN is secretly plotting the overthrow of the US government.

And so now Romney is "suspending" his campaign. Two nights ago he said in his speech after getting hammered on Super Tuesday that his campaign would go on. He made it a big point that he was continuing his campaign through the convention. Two days later he is "suspending" his campaign. The guy is amazing. Romney knows that under Republican party rules, if he suspends his campaign the state parties can reallocate his delegates and he knows they will. To say he is "suspending" his campaign means that he is ending his campaign but doesn't want to be such an overt liar or admit that he was so totally wrong two days ago--he doesn't have the courage to stand up and end it. So he "suspends" it--as if that is any different or gives him any chance of winning anything in the future.

Romney has lost the respect of the world in this campaign. The lasting line about Romney was written by Hartford Courant editorial writer Bill Curry: He wrote that he "wouldn't believe Romney if he were telling me his blood type while lying on an operating table." Curry had been embedded into the Romney campaign for over a month, traveling with him on the buses and planes and attending all the events. Curry's belief is not unique.

Mormons might not be ready or willing to admit it, but Romney's campaign, while it admittedly raised some good discussion about the Church and raised awareness, did not help Mormon's reputations for being honest, forthright, etc. Romney's "suspension" of his campaign is a fitting end to the most disingenuous campaign in modern American politics.

[Tex]

Mitt does have one thing Adam will never possess: grace.

[myboynoah]

In a stange way I take comfort in the fact that Adam feels that way. Very affirming.

[hyrum]

Not the only one who feels that way...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/108793

[SeattleUte]

Of course SU has been saying these things ad nauseum for weeks.

[UtahDan]

I think Adam's analysis about where Romney went wrong is correct. I think the idea that his integrity, along with the reputation of the church, were tarnished in the process is mostly how Adam feels about it.

I think people who didn't like Mormons still don't, and that no one's opinion about the church was really moved one way or the other. I think Romney did himself a big favor by increasing awareness of his brand. I don't think that brand got painted with a black brush at all, and even if it did, no one will remember should he run again.

[SeattleUte]

I'll never forget the line that the columnist wouldn't believe Romney if he disclosed his blood type on the operating table. That's all time, one for the ages.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

I'll never forget the line that the columnist wouldn't believe Romney if he disclosed his blood type on the operating table. That's all time, one for the ages.

That is a good one.

[Solon]

Originally Posted by Adam

Thank you. Good article. Part of the vast left wing conspiracy, no doubt.

I think it belies a considerable amount of arrogance or ignorance (or both) for Romney to assume that people would believe his wholesale shifts in belief and policy were genuine and sincere.

When I graduated from Utah in 1999, Romney spoke at commencement (this was soon after he took over SLOC). He was a good speaker and I generally liked his comments, but his attitude was, "If you guys work hard, you'll be as awesome as I am."

While Romney is certainly a success in many respects, he didn't exactly start at ground zero. He was born with a lot of advantages and, to his credit, he has made the most of them. But he was lucky too.

The other speaker was a non-traditional, non-white female student with a couple of kids that was graduating with a degree. I found her story more inspiring.