I'm no Mitt Romney fan

[Gman]

but why does the media have to ask "is the country ready for a Mormon president"?

Why does the country have to be ready for anything like that? Ready for a woman president? Ready for an African-American president? Ready for a Polish-American president?

Who gives a fat rat's butt?

[book_worm]

1. I knew there was a "but" in there when I read the headline

but, I agree with you.

[Toots]

22. a "fat rat's butt" no less

:shrug:

[dkofos]

2. Apparently the M$M does.

[IChing]

3. The question the media should be asking

IS AMERICA READY FOR ANOTHER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT!

[Bluebear]

4. Excellent frame. nt

[IChing]

8. Thanks it should be a mantra for the Democratic party

I think it would leave the pundits speechless.

[Mist]

9. Now THERE'S an election year bumper sticker! Says it all, really. nt

[ljm2002]

12. That is really the question, isn't it! n/t

[IChing]

15. Yes and they can't answer that one.

[IChing]

29. Is Any one listening?

IS THE WORLD?

ARE YOU AWAKE?

[iamjoy]

5. For Some Reason - It Matters To Some

I don't understand it, but it matters to some people if their President is not a WASP male.

I personally don't give a flip.

I also think the media has this drive - MUST FILL AIR TIME - and they will make much ado about nothing in order to do so. They must just be salivating over this race - it has it "all": African-American, Mormon, Hispanic, Woman. Hey, there's even teasers that Bloomberg will get in as an Independent and we'll have a JEW!

My gosh, after more than 200 years we finally have a race that it starting to look a little bit more like America.

[NoPasaran]

6. They should have asked

"Is the country ready for a moron president?" back in 2000 and we might have avoided a lot of fuss and bother.

[graywarrior]

7. No the question is "is America ready for a Paris Hilton clone to be president?"

[elocs]

10. Perhaps millions of evangelicals and fundamentalists give a fat rat's butt.

These are people who even now would probably happily cast a vote for Bush, but in their belief system Mormonism is considered to be a cult (a Christian cult) so they would not vote for Romney. They will probably not vote for the Democratic candidate, but every vote they do not cast for the Republican candidate helps us. The irony is that they might actually have less trouble supporting an atheist as opposed to a Mormon. So for those who consider all religion to be a fairy tale joke, don't quickly dismiss the positive impact this prejudice might have.

[Doctor Panacea]

18. The difficult choice

Yes, it would be really difficult for your typical Southern fundamentalist to decide. It would take all of three seconds for him/her to decide to vote for Mitt Romney over any Democrat.

I know because I am myself a proud Southerner, a progressive who has lived among these religious nuts for decades. Things are actually worse now, politically, than they were thirty years ago. It used to be that people here kept religion and politics separate. But now politics has to be about Jesus and queers and abortion and "supporting the troops" (which seems to translate into "keep them running up and down the roads of Iraq as sitting ducks").

[elocs]

21. Nope, they won't vote for a Democrat. They just won't vote for president.

You may know the south, but up north here that is absolutely true and I do know what I am talking about from experience. They will NOT vote for a Mormon, especially a flip-flop one who was pro-choice and now claims to have had a revelation and is now pro-life. Each and every vote not cast for the Republican for any reason is a benefit to the Democrats. Evangelicals and fundamentalists may be fanatical in their beliefs, but don't mistake them all for stupid rednecks. There are many who are opening their eyes to the fact that they have been used and given lip service and are stuck as to where to go.

[Hamlette]

11. what they are saying is: Is the country open minded enough for a Mormon/woman/black president? n/t

[The_Commonist]

13. Tension in the system.

The media needs to create tension. Tension causes interest. Tension separates people. It keeps them from discussing what they share and focusing on their differences. Tension keeps people on edge, so they are more susceptible to the feelings that the advertisers want to exploit. It's like this:

"News" = Bad
Ads = Good

It doesn't matter what the issue is, although religious issues like that work like a charm.

The subconscious says "Oh MY god, a Mormon whack-job could be the next president! At least Lemon-Fresh Pledge still makes my house sparkle!!"

It's all very insidious...

[rurallib]

14. With multiple 24 hour bullshit channels they need to create controvery

They need some kind of conflict to keep us idiots tuned in so they can sell their schlock. Missing white women, inane celebrity stories, contrived controversy and a constant horse race (campaign) all serve to bring in viewers and divert attention from real news like the end of net neutrality.
Mittens religion would not mean anything had not the right wing religionists made it a controversy, which gives the Fuxed-up newsers something to play up.

[WinkyDink]

17. Yes, because Mammon forbid they delve into serious issues in depth.

[WinkyDink]

16. He'll make us stockpile canned goods?

[Peregrine Took]

19. His Mormonism doesn't bother me - he dog "totin'" on the roof of his car

does. Creep!

[Jade Fox]

20. It's a tiresome attitude....

designed to create "controversy".

When will the freaking media start just doing it's job of reporting, not creating, news??

[bigtree]

23. 'for a black president'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/voters-support-black-president/2007/07/07/1183351515330.html

[stevedeshazer]

24. Religion has no place in government. Period.

.

[cboy4]

25. He's flip-flopped and lied on just so many different issues...are

we sure he's still a Mormon, or has he "converted" to something else??

Just asking.

[Jed Dilligan]

26. I do.

Poland, the female gender, and Americans of African descent are not cults. LDS is. eom

[paulk]

27. given the history of racism/sexism/religious intolerance

in this country, I think it's a fair question.

[OHdem10]

28. The Media is as biased as everyone else--sometimes

they slip up and show their antipathy.

It is just this sort of thing that creates division in the
country. They then have the nerve to stand back and bemoan
the fact that the country is divided.