1. That ‘wholesomeness’ should turn any but champions of degeneracy off is all that needs be said about the state of state we find ourselves in. Take that family, reproduce it a million times throughout the country and you would be well on the way to a renascence. Start with Charles Murray’s white underclass and black ghettos.

2. The better man he appears to be the more their faults are seen.

   kind of like putting Helen Thomas next to Michelle Malkin…

   in fact, this is actually the lefts hate of white males… after all, outside the constant litany of evil whitie etc… you have the example of the creators of modern civilization, the industrial revolution, the enlightenment, and end to slavery in their own sphere (while it still rages elsewhere), chivalry, the invention of written law, modern law, sea law, international law, international business, and on and on and on.

   romney not playing the proper part, ends up being traditional, strong, handsome, winning, nice, etc.

   anyone ever read Qayin and Havel?

   ever hear Obama mention my brothers keeper?

   The left is always trying to do “good things” for others with a hidden ulterior motive they pretend is never there, but is never absent.

   they are never sincere

   they are socially capitalistic, not economically.
   that is, they want to wheel and deal favors among plotters not merit among men.

   and so, the socialists, the feminists, the communists, the progressives, the nazis, the maoists, etc.

   all need scapegoats.
   and they ALL select scapegoats that are better than they are, that they cant defeat in open fair competition.

   they select the people they represent by their gullibility, moldibility, ignorance, ability to be bought, and negative qualities. while falsely praising them as to their better qualities.

   if the left represents you, you should be insulted, not happy

   but ultimately, they all conjure up Moriarty. the infallible Holmes had Moriarty, the one thing that could defeat him and is worthy his opposition.

   well, the left is forever calling up the same ghost under a different name to scapegoat. Moriarty, patriarchy, white men, Jews, etc.

   but ultimately its the Cain and Able story…
   (the other terms are Judaic)

   Able works hard and his merit and sacrifice are rewarded as they are sincere, full of merit

   but the left. Cain, hates that when he tries to do good, it comes out bad because he seeks reward not doing good.

   Able would do good without reward
   Cain would not

   shall i point out that all mankind is descendent from Cain, as able had a problem with his brother.

   The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he was downcast.

   the Lord. reality.. as today.. blesses some, and not others. in this case, reality blesses the conservatives and hard working and so the lord and reality are one.. and the missives of the bible confer success…

   but Cain, doing the same surface cargo cult acts with no substance, cant see why what he does is not worthy of realities blessing.

   Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why are you downcast?

   7If you do right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

   Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

   And so… the left seeks to kill the offenders who are good, full of merit and through hard work gain the blessings of reality (God), because they work in line with reality and do not fight it (lao tsu / dao).

   i can relate it to a dozen religions and lessons, but unless Joseph Campbell is resurrected for the conversation, most would be lost with my other examples.

   Another variant of this same story is when a group of brothers sell their own into slavery.

   the prodigal son is also another similar lesson, as the return of the son marks the mastery of the sins, and a return to whats important to reality.

   but you can tell its Cain and Able because of Obama’s quotes on my brothers keeper.

   “I hear politicians talking about values in an election year. I hear a lot about that. Let me tell you about values,” Obama said. “Hard work, personal responsibility – those are values. But looking out for one another. That’s a value. The idea that we’re all in this together. I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper. That’s a value.”

   But Obama forgets who says this and to whom. and the negative in the bible always follows the left neurolinguistic form… from genesis and the snake, onwards.

   the form of answering a question with a question… and leading the other to an answer without saying it, etc.

   the form is first done by the serpent.
   But Obama playing Cain, takes up Cains response and fixes it, hoping this time, reward will be unlocked.

   Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I know not,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

   A lie followed by an answering question…

   but this is the play where living out..

   Cain jealously destroys ability in others, murders them, then pretends that the responsible are not responsible as such acts do not cause guilt which would perhaps hint that one should not get that reward.

   Then He said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground! 11So now you are cursed [with alienation] from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed. 12If you work the land, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

   and so, that method that Cain acts by, bears no fruit. its socialism…

   Cain wanted to share equally in the blessings of reality, but was not willing to do what reality wants to gain them. so cain takes cargo cult shortcuts, thinks he is more clever than reality, and so, as long as Cain is Cain, Cain fails.

   down deep this is the hatred of the left for romney… to them, his merit and such is evil, and isnt a big deal. so they dont see his reward in money, good life, many children (more than obama), and so on, as earned.

   just as Cain could not see how able earned reward from reality (god).

   and just as Cain, the left thinks if they genocide the problem, it will go away, and in the absence of it, they then can have the merit.

   but realities merit is for those who act in accordance with the wishes/principals of reality

   at that point romney ceases to be a person for them, and instead becomes an almost religious symbol of what they want but cant have give their choice of methods negates the desire.

   and Cain lived in fear of other men (?), who have not been yet… and feared they would take retribution on him… so god, marked him and blessed him.

   the good people will not kill Cain (for they are good), and so Cain is reborn to visit ill over and over on the good people.

   cursed to wander, he destroys any home he settles in, and is forced to leave, as any socialist leader eventually angers their people so much they would kill them as cain claimed when they found out his real nature.

3. the desire to pick over the tax returns is a desire to confirm that we are all equal and the oppressor is cheating.

   its the same desire that fueled the arguments of the nazis over the jews, and feminists over males, and black racialists to whites..

   that there is no earning such benefit, so anyone that has it, cheated, and so deserves evil to visit them…

   the Jews owned more shops and had more stable better lives and so on… so they must have cheated others to have that.. not worked hard, minded their reality, and lived based on valid working principals.

   white males in the US are the scapegoats for the actions of progressives who tried to buy them but failed… (remember white man unions and democrats jim crow? they tried to buy the whites by selling out blacks, but the whites as a whole refused… no?)

   Hitler tried to kill the Jews, and the progressives here agreed and thought it was a good idea… when it happened, here AND there, the good moral people rejected it, and died, as with slavery, to stop it.
   again, the group they bribed ultimately didn’t take that bribe… like Washington they turned down kingship.

   this is why this breaks down into good and evil and this world view. because the bible is valid in terms of sourcing evil to sociopath, and then filling itself with the evil behavior of sociopaths in society. it may be in abstract, but it is in line with real principals and things in the world, and so it works.

   Cain was a sociopath, always with the shortcut, never with the simple work that would have worked.

   socialists are the same, always with the shortcut, never with the merit work that would work as that is too much work.

   Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared, To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds; they are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good deed.

   to the left nothing is pure, so nothing is sacred..

   to the religious, god is pure, so at least one thing is, and so other things can be.

   once debased and spoiled, the impure and unwashed of such, see purity as a scam, as a trick..

   and just as is said in the beginning of this commentary by George Pal, they despise good, and even things that look like it.

   which is why the pervert it when they can

   the pure play and honest training for the future in dolls… becomes Bratz…

   the pure play and honest touching of actually innocent children… is replaced by sex education and touching with a reason based on informed curiosity.

   patriotism is good… but the perverse kind of the nazis, is a perversion.

   their church attendance and beliefs are not real. they are, like Cain, something you do to get a reward, not something you do because its pure and good.

   the battle we fight outside is fought inside

   those who lose inside, bring the fight outside

   in this way, they can pretend that the battle inside is won, and falsely believe in their righteousness and permission to act without blame.

   the more they pervert, the less purity stands before them. the more merit they destroy, the less we see merit as real. the more able they destroy, the more we believe there is no ability.

   ie. in the absence of a better other, you believe your the best, even if your the most evil

4. George Pal beat me to it and said it better.

   Wholesomeness should turn off the gutter dwellers? And each has a vote equal to any wholesome person’s? In order to put more Wholesomes into the gutters with them?

5. I have come to admire Romney a great deal. I believe he has an over emphasized modesty to compensate for a healthy ambition. We are afraid the “niceness” just can’t be real.

   What locked in the genuineness of Romney for me was the story of helping his partner find his stray daughter after a night of partying at a rave in NYC. He shut the office down and they all went to the city to find her, eventually at a house in Jersey. His own version of these events omits the details, just something anyone would do.

   I know what it is like to drive for hours on end, banging on doors in crappy neighborhoods. I did it for three of my teens. I know what its like to stay up at night, praying that they were somewhere safe in the middle of storms.

   Whatever else you feel about the man, I believe he is genuine.

6. And Art hits one out of the park! I read this blog and its comments every day, and always enjoy what I find here. But once in a while, something really revelatory is placed before me, and I have to relay my appreciation.

7. Qae,
   I agree with you. Art is a remarkable person. The comments he/she leaves at Neo’s blog are proof of his uncanny ability to see connections where others do not.

   Here’s an excellent example from today:

   “The better man he appears to be the more their faults are seen.

   kind of like putting Helen Thomas next to Michelle Malkin…”

   Crystal clear comparison. Thanks, Artfldgr, for your many intelligent insights!

8. I agree. Those are great posts by Art.

   The better man he appears to be the more their faults are seen…

   Or as Alinsky said, “Make your opponent live up to his rules.” People who have values and principles are criticized when they fall short (as we all do), but those without principles escape criticism.

9. “How the god-rebel works,” by Art.

   Very enjoyable today, Art.

   My favorite: “Those who lose inside, bring the fight outside.”

   My whole thinking lately has been reduced to “Why don’t they mind their own business?

10. It’s pretty easy to tell who the “keepers” are. For instance, how long does it take to figure this one out?

    http://lorettasanchez.house.gov/

    I got all this free stuff for ya’s all. Free. Over here. Come, here, that’s a good boy. You like to be scratched all over, don’t ya. yeah. Just let me slip this collar on . . . and there. Got ya.

11. One thing rarely mentioned about Romney is that he accepts responsibility. When he married and started a family, he did his best to succeed in order to provide for them. When Bain Capital was formed, he was asked to head it and he accepted the responsibility, just as he did when he returned to the parent Bain to save it when it ran into trouble, and just as he did with the SLC Olympics. Much of his life involves having a job to do and then doing it. He doesn’t spout his principles; he digs down to his core values and tries to live them.

12. I agree Art hit one out of the park on this.

    This Cain and Able stuff reveals how old the story is we’re living through. And there’s no such thing as a Progressive who can recieve such insight, because they cant read scripture for its uncanny connotation, but can only see it as antiquated denotation.

13. Art refers to the non-middling conservatism, the conservatism that is both transcendent and immanent:

    Note: the following is a long quote from Gagdad Bob)

    There is a kind of conservatism that is in perpetual duality with the left, another kind that flies above — and below — it. (In other words, it is both transcendent and immanent, whereas leftism is pure “middle range,” which renders it absurd and ungrounded.)

    This is why (lower case) reason is powerless to explain how Obama remains politically afloat; and “even more surprising than his political super-buoyancy is the resurrection of big-government, 1930s-style economic thinking in the Democratic party long after it was taken out with the trash along with Jimmy Carter, and once more (for good measure) after Gingrich smashed Clinton in the ’94 midterms. The failure of central planning and state-managed economies is one of the big themes of the 20th century. But Obama’s handlers have yet to tell him” (Gelernter).

    Why would they? They don’t know it either (the tenured? Of all people!), plus he’d refuse to believe them anyway, just as is true of at least half the citizenry. And anyone with a financial interest in the status quo will be impervious as well — the millions of state employees, bureaucrats, public school teachers, state college administrators, and other assorted dependents and rent seekers; and more generally that half of the population that is able to tax the other half for what it imagines is a lifetime of free lunches.

    http://onecosmos.blogspot.com/

    scroll down to Monday, July 23 blog

14. I’ve seen this happen in so many election cycles and I’ll never understand it. Here’s the subtext of everything we’re saying here: Romney is the nominee. We’re stuck with him now. So we’d better act like we’re thrilled about his candidacy and, with any luck, our performance will be so good we’ll convince ourselves along the way.

    “Niceness is always genuine”. What? If you really believe that, then your average used car dealership must be a veritable fount of authenticity. No emotion or behavior is always authentic.

    What’s weird is, what few strengths Romney has as a candidate get very little play here. He clearly has a keen business sense. He must also have a sharp understanding of interpersonal politics in order to have survived at the top at Bain. But authentic? Really? Romney is to authenticity what Barney Fife is to smoldering sex appeal. Fortunately I think his handlers understand this and have enough sense to keep him out of situations where his profound lack of authenticity will show itself.

15. Thanks Art. Edifying and meaningful.

    When I look at Romney’s life I am mightily impressed. The way he has worked diligently and with good will toward others. The way he has been a faithful Mormon. The wonderful family he and his wife have created. The fact that he has worked earnestly to avoid sinning in a creed that considers many widely accepted things (caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, etc.) as sinful. We would all like to have people say we have lived an exemplary life. In Romney’s case I think it can be said without exaggeration.

    He is not the perfect candidate, but then who is? He may be a “square and too nice,” but he’s light years nearer to being the man we need than Barack Obama, the man who traffics, as Artfldgr says, in Cain’s philosophy.

16. I grew up in the same Mormon congregation in Detroit as Mitt and I can tell you for sure the “eternal smile” is a cultivated mormon trait that is legit.

    My parents were converts and come from ornery Michigan folk with attitude and sarcasm as family inheritences.

    One of the things I have had to overcome while attempting to fit into the mormon culture is my own prejudice against “nice”. As a student at BYU, I struggled with all of the happy faces in happy valley. I was just not used to all these perpetually smiling faces. The only goofs who did that in Detroit were those individuals who were not the sharpest knives in the drawer… and it all smacked of fake and plastic.

    But I can assure readers that after my own 44 year walk with the Mormon people, some of the kindest and most genuine souls are to be found in Mormon congregations.

    True, some of my Mormon friends have not understood my sarcastic and ironic approach to life, and “don’t get the jokes” that I tell, but a sincere purity exists that I often attempt to emulate and admire wholeheartedly as a very nice way to walk through life.

    From an authentically bitchy mormon woman,

    Jenny Hatch
    http://WWW.JennyHatch.com

17. http://m.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-on-the-economy-we-tried-our-plan-and-it-worked/article/2502981/?page=2&referrer=http://www.powerlineblog.com/

    WOW! Insane Obama is!

18. http://m.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-on-the-economy-we-tried-our-plan-and-it-worked/article/2502981/?page=2&referrer=http://www.powerlineblog.com/

    WOW! Insane Obama is! Es loco

19. Rob:

    I’m afraid you’ve got a reading comprehension problem.

    The quote you’re referring to actually reads, “But my message is that the niceness is almost always genuine.” Note the presence of the word “the,” and the lead-in to the quote that explains it: the author is a Mormon who is talking about the niceness of Stake Presidents in the Mormon church.

    No one, but no one, is saying “niceness is always genuine.” In fact, I write in this post, “It’s dangerous to consider a politician to be sincere, or a good person. After all, politicians tend to be people who’ve developed dissemblance and lying in the service of persuasion to a fine art–something like the proverbial used car salesman, or con artist.”

20. Sorry Rob, you really miss the point.

    The point, I believe, is that there is much more to Romney than we see through the filter of the media.

    I have had the privilege of working with and knowing a few Mormons. They were very good people

    I have never questioned Romney’s ability to serve as President, and I still do not doubt. He is a person with both depth and stature, and I expect that he will quickly grow into the job. I am too old to expect to see how history treats him, but I believe he has the qualities to be a great one.
    .

21. Jenny Hatch, thanks for providing an insider’s view of Mormon culture. I’ve come to believe that Romney’s niceness is in fact genuine, and that having to behave like a hard-hitting political candidate does not come naturally to him. All the Mormons I’ve known, without exception, have been positive, considerate, friendly, helpful people, whom I’ve never seen in bad temper. You’ve confirmed what I’ve suspected: that it’s a part of the Mormon culture. I also think it would be refreshing to have that sort of leader in charge, and a nice change from what we have now.

22. Dodger, that was artful. Excellent points. Have you read Evan Sayet? He has another angle on this, his insight into why the Left, of necessity, must side with Evil: because they refuse to recognize Good/God.

23. Re: Artfldgr Says: “I hear politicians talking about values in an election year. I hear a lot about that. Let me tell you about values,” Obama said. “Hard work, personal responsibility – those are values. But looking out for one another. That’s a value. The idea that we’re all in this together. I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper. That’s a value.”
    Does Obama not have a brother living in a slum in Kenya, in relatively Spartan conditions and with a very low income? Is Barrack H. Obama not sufficiently wealthy that he could provide some assistance to his brother, if he believed that he was his brother’s keeper.
    Obama’s quotations and his actions do not seem congruent to me.
    Rather, Obama seems to act as though he is not his brother’s keeper and that he is only responsible to provide for his brother and others like him, with money extorted from others. Everyone else, except him is responsible to keep his brother.
    When Romney’s colleague’s daughter was missing, Romney shut his office and took the staff to search for her. Romney, at least acted as though he was his brother’s keeper.
    Would Obama have acted like this, or would he have declared that finding her was the responsibility of someone else, in this case, the local law enforcement?
    I believe that Obama would have transferred the responsibility to someone else.

24. Progressives simply hate the individual of accomplishment. The only stand out individuals they’ll except are those who talk non stop collectivism and fairness (ie..Warren Buffet).

    Just look at how labor unions have evolved. A place where accomplishment takes a back seat to collective seniority. As if the goal in industry is to protect people’s immature feelings over the achievement of better products and services.

25. Oldflyer, I agree that there’s more to Romney than what we see in the media filter, but that’s a good thing. I’m comforted by the fact that the people closest to Romney understand just how important the media filter is and how important it is that it be used in the right way. Their support of Romney is not conditional upon some silly narrative they spin for themselves about how Romney is a super nice, super authentic, super conservative Saint. They know exactly what Romney is. They HAVE TO KNOW if they’re going to be successful and I say “Good for them!” Thank goodness someone in the Republican party still understands politics. You can tell yourself all the limpwristed little “feel good” stories you like about Romney, but you’ll have to take a different tack if you ever get serious about getting this mealy mouthed, faux-conservative elected.

26. I like nice.

    I like solid.

    I like honest.

    I like intelligent.

    I like responsible.

    I like accomplished.

    I like firm but fair with allies.

    I like realistic about enemies.

    I like compassionate but expecting others to do for themselves.

    I like a good family man who grew up in a good family…not a dysfunctional one.

    I like Romney.

27. You like illusions. Are you sure you’re not an Obama supporter?

28. Pingback:The Coming Election | Ruminants

29. texexec: Me too. ALL points.

    Rob: Your 8:31am is your best ‘Tell’, Kid. By-the-by, what(morbidly curious in Winter Park)would Mitt’s “true” authenticity look like? “Authenticity” is one of those current wow-now words that hits my over-sensitive gag reflex for BS, admittedly…Kind of like “Issue”. Or, as I spell it: Ish-Shoe.

    Artie: That Helen-Michelle picture ain’t gonna be leaving my photoshop soon! (-:

    N-Neocon: That Romney Family photo is a Winner. Obviously seething with whatcha’call ‘Dysfunction’. Thanks!

30. Hey Rob…how about THIS for not being limp-wristed and mealy mouthed….

    Your simplistic, narrow minded view of Romney and all politicians is both stupid and smelly. Has to be that way because you are a bitter, arrogant, stiff backed and stubborn S.O.B.

31. Art: I agree with what others have said…that was an excellent post today.

32. Thanks, Jennie Hatch, for your insight into the Mormon culture of “niceness”. I checked on your website and could not help but notice the similarity between your family photo and that of the Romneys. Is the color blue significant or just a coincidence?

33. Rob is an Obamaite. It is a choice, Rob, that you get to make,
    Artfldgr’s post is superb, full of truth and very moving.

34. Interesting take from Jenny. It’s why I think Romney has difficulty boasting of his accomplishments. Even when he talks of Bain capital he says, “I’m proud of my record at Bain.” It’s sort of a more passive way of saying it, so it isn’t, “I’m proud of what I did at Bain” or “I did great things at Bain….”

35. It’s amazing how many of these issues come down to lessons I try to teach my son, and the failures of those who raised Obama to do the same.

    My kid is a straight-A student. His best friend is a straight-A+ student, in the gifted program and was the youngest in our state to reach nationals in Academic Games. My son is a talented athlete. His best friend wins the Olympics at school every year and has a gradfather who played major league baseball. My son is an all-around good kid. His best friend is a Boy Scout who raises thousands of dollars for charity.

    My kid is 11, and he’s able to look at someone better and not be jealous or spiteful. Barack Obama has never learned that lesson.

36. The family picture was my attempt to get my children to wear something besides obnoxious t shirts for a family photo. I told everyone to wear something blue or white. It is a photography technique that shifts the focus from clothing to the faces of those photographed.

    As for the Romneys, my guess is they, like many large families, know this trick for photographing large groups and bought matching clothes for the kiddos.

    My parents were friends with Mitts parents in Michigan. In fact, when George Romney died my Mother directed all of the music for the funeral. She told me some cute stories about the extended family. The grandchildren all sang in a group number that was simply beautiful.

    And every wannabee mormon soloist in the Detroit area called her offering services to sing at the funeral. None were invited because the music had already been planned ahead of time.

    The Romneys are good people. I grew up with the grandchildren and attended girls camp, dances, and stake events and they were never snobby or acted elitist in any way. One grandaughter was actually hilarious to be around.

    Jenny

37. I’ve changed my mind. This one’s my favorite:

    if the left represents you, you should be insulted, not happy

    Now that is a keeper.

    I’m gonna use the hell out of that one.

38. I don’t know if you know it or not, texexec, but your “I like” poem has the physical shape of a tree.

    I think it’s great.

39. holmes…The Boy King, on the other hand, personalizes everything. A Narcissist does that. So, in the last few days the Colorado horror is about HIM & HIS family. “I have daughters, Y’all…And, I know if they were in that theater…” Focus, Please, Your Infantile Majesty: IF your kids were in that theater, NO HARM would’ve come to anyone but the DEAD Shooter Wannabe. Duhhhhh…Cannot possibly make this crap up!!

40. Texexec, I like your comment at 8:12 am. and fully agree. I also like the way Romney is taking it to Obama. Obama is getting his ears boxed, and that takes a lot of boxing to achieve uniform coverage.

41. Rob: Interesting that you have responded to quite a few comments here, but have so far ignored my comment here, which pointed out a rather glaring error of misinterpretation you made. And you accuse texexec of having illusions? I think you need to examine your own.

42. My apologies Neo. I stand corrected. And I’ve had said so earlier but it’s a busy day here and I’m playing catch up!

43. Neoconscum, I can’t give you a lesson on what true authenticity looks like and I doubt that you really need one….at least most of the time. You can tell with some people that they mean what they say, that they represent themselves accurately, that they’re forthcoming, truthful, not trying to manipulate you and so on. Then there are other folks, like Romney, who are clearly not forthcoming in these ways.

    I don’t know why you find this way of describing people objectionable or why you dislike the word “authentic”. I also don’t know why you object to the word “issue”, but it wasn’t my intention to offend. I was just speaking run-of-the-mill colloquial English.

44. Rob: apology accepted.

45. A genuinely nice pragmatist, an authentic negotiator. Yup. That fits with his record of compromising conservative principles as MassGov.

    He’ll steer the FedGov to be a little less Progressive. A good man at the wrong time.

    #Coolidge2012

46. foxmarks: I’ve already responded at some length to the arguments you and others have mounted about Romney’s record as governor. No need to repeat them here, but I refer you again to this post (as well as the “NOTE” at the end of it)..

    Of course, none of us knows what Romney would actually do as president. But I hope we get a chance to find out.

47. Rob: Mitt, I fully believe, is a man of integrity. The 8:12am list by texexec works for me. I’ve spent most of my adult life in the entertainment business ie-mainstram television(series,LongForm,pilots,mini-series–NEVER the “reality”crap..)and know fiction, fakery and lies by masters. Also, an evil neocon for 30+years after the required “mugging by reality” which brought me over from Liberalism. I like Mitt and believe his ‘look. I loved ‘W’ and probably will only be able to say that about him, but I like Mitt, his family, his integrity, his success and his levis.(-:

    My question was this: What do you believe Mitt’s “authenticity” would look like IF his nefarious guard were down?

48. Neo: I know. That’s why I didn’t bother to repeat it myself. My snark was based on accepting your defense of his record.

    Romney is genuinely conservative and made incredibly good compromises given the lefty environment. Without actually clicking back and re-reading, is that a decent characterization?

    I remain unimpressed with a candidate who runs on a record of shrewd compromise. Not for this office. Not at this time.

    We have our difference of opinion, where I say “slower in the wrong direction” is still moving in the wrong direction. I do not hope we get a chance to find out that tepid conservatism will be at the helm when we go over the falls.

49. I heard “they” tried to portray Mitt as an elitist because he has jetskis. Personal watercraft. Much like bassboats, yeah, the 1% are known for those.

50. >>> And what’s with the blue outfits–don’t they know Republicans wear red?

    This is a very, very recent affectation, and it is entirely — and I DO mean entirely — a media affectation.

    As noted by Dave Leip (an excellent source of election data, btw), the colors are pretty much arbitrary, and it wasn’t until the 2000 election that they “standardized” on blue for dems… red was much more commonly dems prior to that, but the media realized the connection it was getting with the dems as the socialists they increasingly were, and they sought to assist the dems in weakening that connection by switching to the use of blue for them.

51. I do not hope we get a chance to find out that tepid conservatism will be at the helm when we go over the falls.

    Better tepid conservatism paddling against the falls inadequately than socialist bastards paddling towards the falls at full speed with a newly installed outboard motor (a 6-man liberal SCOTUS) at full crank as well.

    The former MAY be inadequate. The latter will CERTAINLY drive us over the brink.

    I’m not “surrendering to the inevitable” any more NOW than I was in the 70s when the triumph of the USSR was equally “inevitable”.

52. IGotBupkis: I’m not surrendering, I am thinking a few moves ahead.

    Curious that you would bring up the USSR. The USA has many of the same diseases. In the 80s, a Soviet collapse was looming. Romney is Gorbachev if we want to work that analogy.

    I would be in much the same frame of mind had the GOP not picked the worst candidate in the field.

    It is more disheartening, though, that this nice guy with genuinely admirable moral qualities could be our Gorby. I would love to see more people adopt Mitt’s morals. But if he wins, he will be the face of collapse and virtue will go over the falls with him.

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