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REQUIEM

Below are the two final essays to be posted on Allegiance and Duty Betrayed. The first one is written by a friend -- screen name 'Euro-American Scum' -- who, over the past four years, has been the most faithful essayist here. He has written about everything from his pilgrimage to Normandy in 2004 to take part in the 60th–year commemoration of the invasion, to his memories of his tour in Vietnam. His dedication to America’s founding principles ... and those who have sacrificed to preserve them over the past 200+ years ... is unequaled. Thank you, E-A-S. It has been a privilege to include your writing here, and it is a privilege to call you my friend.

The second essay is my own farewell. And with it I thank all of the many regular visitors, and those who may have only dropped in occasionally, for coming here. I hope you learned something. I hope a seed or two was planted. But, even if not, I thank you for stopping by ... 25 March, 2010

12/07/2007

Media-Created Stigma

Romney1.jpg

Some say that Mitt Romney’s speech of yesterday was an absolute necessity, if he is going to be successful in throwing off the ‘stigma’ of his Mormonism.

Astounding, if you ask me.

I am astounded that the mainstream media continue to make an issue of Romney’s Mormon faith, with the underlying assumption that many voters might find distasteful some aspects of his belief in God and Christian doctrine.

At the same time, a history of abominable personal behaviors of the sort that would make a cannibal wince have been committed by the front-runner for the Democrat party nomination. And yet the mainstream media choose to pretend that there are no such chinks in the armor of the ‘smartest woman in the world’.

Ms. Clinton’s treasonous, felonious acts performed in complicity with her husband during his two-terms spent leading our republic to ruin would be suitable as the topic for an in-depth essay of its own – which I intend to write, once she gains the Democrat party’s nomination.

Yet, setting those monstrous political/legal crimes aside, Ms. Clinton has so many ghosts of a personal nature in her closet that there is hardly enough time in the day to even reflect on their heinousness. Just a small representative sampling: she was complicit in the cover-up of a rape, the strong-arm (and worse) silencing of her husband’s potential political enemies, and the character assassinations of women who had been victims of her husband’s sexually predatory nature.

If one were to pick any American woman off the street, I believe her moral qualifications to be leader of the free world would generally trump those of Ms. Clinton. But I digress ...

Which would be more distasteful to the average American voter? Reminders of the nature of Ms. Clinton’s grotesque character flaws, or the fact that Mitt Romney’s Christianity might not entirely align with that of most Americans? One represents raw evil; the other, a different perspective on the nature of worshipping God.

The media will continue to choose to ignore the former, and magnify the latter.

I am not a Mitt Romney supporter. I see Romney as a left-leaning Republican now trying to paint himself as something more palatable to the conservative base. And I believe that his pre-election 'transformation' has more to do with political ambition than a genuine change in viewpoint.

My deepest suspicions about Romney’s ‘conservatism’ fall into two main categories:

(1) He has a record of pro-gay policies:

  • He believes that homosexuals should have the right to adopt.
  • He is in favor of domestic partnerships and civil unions.
  • He opposes the Boy Scouts’ policy of prohibiting homosexuals from serving as scoutmasters.
  • He ignored well-qualified Republican attorneys when filling more than thirty judicial vacancies in Massachusetts, and instead appointed Democrats, among whom were two homosexual lawyers who are avowed gay-rights activists.
  • He has supported the dissemination of gay and lesbian materials in Massachusetts public schools.
(2) He has a record of supporting universal healthcare:

  • Last year he signed into law a bill that creates a state universal healthcare system that mandates that every resident obtain healthcare or face a government fine.
Socialism and conservatism cannot co-exist in a candidate's philosophy without one being borne of temporary political expediency.

Yet, should he gain the Republican nomination, I would be forced to vote for him, despite the fact that the only Republican contender I could wholeheartedly support is Duncan Hunter. Yet I’m afraid I will be forced to cast my ballot for whomever the Republican candidate should be, simply because I do not believe our republic could survive four years of Hillary.

It becomes very discouraging when voting for the lesser of two evils is presented as the only viable option in every election. I have held my nose and voted for mediocrity for the last twenty years, while simultaneously realizing that the degradation of our republic simply occurs at a slower pace as a result of those consistent ‘lesser-of-two-evils’ choices. We need another Reagan before it’s too late.

~ joanie

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Spot on!

Anonymous said...

I have the same reservations you do about Romney, C.W., and the same qualms about voting for the lesser of two evils. But I too ill vote for him if it comes down to him vs. Hillary. What a choice!

Anonymous said...

I agree with your comments about the media. They can create any kind of stigma they like, and ignore much worse ones, depending on who is left or right.

Anonymous said...

I wasn't aware of the pro-homosexual stuff. Yikes!

Anonymous said...

Romney's Mormon Question:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1619552,00.html

Anonymous said...

Romney isn't any better than Giuliani, but any Republican running, or thinking of running, is light years better than Hillary or Obama.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you that it's becoming frustrating voting for the lesser of two evils every four years. When someone like Duncan Hunter is running, he hasn't really got a chance because the only people who know his credentials are the people in CA, and the media isn't going to make sure the rest of the country learns about what he has done and what he stands for.

The media really has all the control because most people aren't going to take the time to ferret out the dark horse's credentials.

You're right. We'll have a hard time surviving four years of Hillary, at least not the way we'd want to. You won't recognize America by 2012.

Anonymous said...

The media creates all kinds of "stigmas"---imaginary ones, real but overplayed ones, etc.---depending on the political leanings of the people they're stigmatizing. They've abandoned any sense of fairness or objectivity.

Anonymous said...

The negatives you listed about Romney are hard to swallow. Even so, he's much better than Hitlery.

As you said, it's a crime that we never have a good choice on the ballot. And a lot of the blame for that can indeed be laid at the media's door. 2008 won't be any different from 92, 96, 00, and 04.

Anonymous said...

"Which would be more distasteful to the average American voter? Reminders of the nature of Ms. Clinton’s grotesque character flaws, or the fact that Mitt Romney’s Christianity might not entirely align with that of most Americans? One represents raw evil; the other, a different perspective on the nature of worshipping God."

WELL SAID!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Anyone who runs is cut from the same mold.

The socialists have taken over.

Anonymous said...

We need another Reagan before it’s too late.

It's already too late, Joanie.

I don't often tell you but I appreciate this blog and always share your reluctant realism.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for another "Bullseye" Joanie.

I thought Romney's speech was outstanding. It was something conservatives have been yearning for for a long time: An unapologetic statement of faith from a man of principle, an intelligent dissertation on the founding father's faith and how it relates to our constitution and a common sense statement of how his faith would influence a Romney Presidency.

That said, I agree with each of your comments regarding his sincerity and ultimately, his suitability for the oval office.

I can't agree with Max Shapiro. It's never too late as long as there is one of us left to fight the good fight.

Please keep up the good work. Blogs such as yours go a long way toward bringing reason to the argument.

Anonymous said...

You must be smoking wacky weed if you think the MSM would do anything but ignore Ms. Clinton record and belittle Mr. Romney. Now that Mike Huckabee is a first tear contender, the MSM is all over him while the smartest woman in the world is skating free.

Anonymous said...

Why has Duncan Hunter given up the fight before it's even begun? I've not heard or seen one advertisement from him.

Meanwhile, the airwaves here in the South are being flooded with Ron Paul ads.

I don't get it.

Anonymous said...

"Tho' all the world betrays thee, One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard, One faithful harp shall praise thee!" -- Verse from the Minstrel Boy

Anonymous said...

My two cent prediction, for what it's worth -

Replay of the 1991 election; there will be a Third Party candidate that will siphon votes -- primarily Republican -- to give the Democrats a landslide win. Look for another Anderson or Perot to play to the mushy middle, and garner the support of the Hilliary hating Demo-Socialists and the disaffected 'Religious Right'.

joanie said...

The media really has all the control because most people aren't going to take the time to ferret out the dark horse's credentials ... danthemangottschall

Unfortunate, but true, Dan.

The power of the unelected (media, activist judiciary, and special interest groups) now trumps the power of the elected; and the power of the elected now trumps the power of the people.

~ joanie

joanie said...

I thought Romney's speech was outstanding. It was something conservatives have been yearning for for a long time: An unapologetic statement of faith from a man of principle, an intelligent dissertation on the founding father's faith and how it relates to our constitution and a common sense statement of how his faith would influence a Romney Presidency ... Barry up the road

Beautifully said, Barry.

Thanks for the kind words, and the excellent insights.

And welcome! I hope you'll visit, and add your commentary, again.

P.S. I like your (entirely appropriate) screen name. By the way, I believe our recent winds have brought some of your leaves down the road and onto our property. You may want to walk down here and rake them up sometime. :)

joanie said...

No wacky weed involved, all_good_men. Just a loss of fuctioning brain cells, I guess. :)

joanie said...

Anonymous, your prediction is chilling ... and entirely possible.

joanie said...

"Tho' all the world betrays thee, One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard, One faithful harp shall praise thee!" -- Verse from the Minstrel Boy

Thank you, John.