My thoughts on Romney's speech - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

Cali Coug · 12-06-2007, 06:16 PM

First, I haven't seen it. I have only read the transcript. Seeing a speech and reading it can often give two very different impressions. That said:

The first fourth of his speech was disjointed and awkward from a stylistic perspective. He went from GWB to WWII to Greatest Generation to Romney's generation to religion overall to his religion. It was all over the place, and it sounded awkward.

He got much better after that, and made many excellent points.

He had a bit of a catch 22 going against him: he has to note that he believes in Jesus (to appease the crazies in the Republican party), but he has just given a speech about how he won't discuss details of his religious belief. He decided to note his belief in Christ, and that opens the door to wondering about other religious beliefs (which is what he was hoping to avoid).

He would have been better off noting that you don't need to believe in any religion to be an American, rather than saying that "freedom requires religion." Shouldn't the tolerance he is espousing reach all the way to those who don't believe in religion at all? I think once again he was reaching for a certain constituency and decided that element of the speech wouldn't get him anywhere with them.

Overall, I think it was a good speech. It wasn't the greatest of all time like CB would claim, but it was good for the constituency he was trying to reach.

If I were him, the goal of the speech would have been to make the media and voters focus on noting that attacks on Mormonism are bigotry. You can't be that blunt about it in the speech, but that is the subtle message you would want the media to pick up on (much like they have with Islaam). I think that is where he was leading the media with his comments on "tolerance."

It may have been effective in that sense. Here is a comment from Redstate.org that I actually agree with completely:

http://www.redstate.com/stories/elec..._romney_speech

SeattleUte · 12-06-2007, 06:20 PM

Would you mind letting us absorbe how the pundits tell us how he did before giving us your opinion?

Cali Coug · 12-06-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Would you mind letting us absorbe how the pundits tell us how he did before giving us your opinion?

lol! I am trying to find the pundits comments in print. Anyone have good links to anything?

Another nice side-effect of the speech is that it makes people stop talking about the illegal immigration issue he had.

il Padrino Ute · 12-06-2007, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Would you mind letting us absorbe how the pundits tell us how he did before giving us your opinion?

I fail to understand why pundits would give a more accurate opinion. Just because pundits think they understand what politicians mean more than the average Joe doesn't mean they are correct.

Personally, I feel the best thing Romney could have said can be summed up in two sentences:

If elected, I will base decisions based on the guidelines as set forth by the Constitution of this country.

If anyone has a problem with my religious affiliation, it is his/her problem, not mine.

Tex · 12-06-2007, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

Another nice side-effect of the speech is that it makes people stop talking about the illegal immigration issue he had.

Re-phrase: "Another nice side-effect of the speech is that it makes me stop talking about the illegal immigration issue I had with him."

Cali Coug · 12-06-2007, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex

Re-phrase: "Another nice side-effect of the speech is that it makes me stop talking about the illegal immigration issue I had with him."

Why don't you go ahead and go back and find that post where I said I had a personal problem with Romney having hired illegal immigrants. I will be waiting patiently.

Archaea · 12-06-2007, 07:13 PM

I realize a lot of people care what politicians say, but I care what they do in office.

I got real bored with the speech and started skimming it midway through. Too long in my book, but I guess if you're getting free press coverage, we need to use it up.

TripletDaddy · 12-06-2007, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

Why don't you go ahead and go back and find that post where I said I had a personal problem with Romney having hired illegal immigrants. I will be waiting patiently.

Tex is busy trying to verify that Chris Matthews voted for W.

Wow, the same Chris Matthews that worked with Tip? That one?

woot · 12-06-2007, 07:18 PM

Anybody think it's odd how Romney conflated "religious freedom" and religion? He seemed to use them interchangeably, as if religious freedom forces one to choose a religion. It didn't seem very coherent at the start because of that.

jay santos · 12-06-2007, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woot

Anybody think it's odd how Romney conflated "religious freedom" and religion? He seemed to use them interchangeably, as if religious freedom forces one to choose a religion. It didn't seem very coherent at the start because of that.

That seemed a little divisive to say. But he's only excluding 10% or so of the nation, and even less that would vote for a Republican anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter.

12-06-2007, 06:16 PM	#1
Cali Coug Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5,996	My thoughts on Romney's speech First, I haven't seen it. I have only read the transcript. Seeing a speech and reading it can often give two very different impressions. That said: The first fourth of his speech was disjointed and awkward from a stylistic perspective. He went from GWB to WWII to Greatest Generation to Romney's generation to religion overall to his religion. It was all over the place, and it sounded awkward. He got much better after that, and made many excellent points. He had a bit of a catch 22 going against him: he has to note that he believes in Jesus (to appease the crazies in the Republican party), but he has just given a speech about how he won't discuss details of his religious belief. He decided to note his belief in Christ, and that opens the door to wondering about other religious beliefs (which is what he was hoping to avoid). He would have been better off noting that you don't need to believe in any religion to be an American, rather than saying that "freedom requires religion." Shouldn't the tolerance he is espousing reach all the way to those who don't believe in religion at all? I think once again he was reaching for a certain constituency and decided that element of the speech wouldn't get him anywhere with them. Overall, I think it was a good speech. It wasn't the greatest of all time like CB would claim, but it was good for the constituency he was trying to reach. If I were him, the goal of the speech would have been to make the media and voters focus on noting that attacks on Mormonism are bigotry. You can't be that blunt about it in the speech, but that is the subtle message you would want the media to pick up on (much like they have with Islaam). I think that is where he was leading the media with his comments on "tolerance." It may have been effective in that sense. Here is a comment from Redstate.org that I actually agree with completely: http://www.redstate.com/stories/elec..._romney_speech

12-06-2007, 06:20 PM	#2
SeattleUte fairlds.org Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 10,665	Would you mind letting us absorbe how the pundits tell us how he did before giving us your opinion? __________________ Interrupt all you like. We're involved in a complicated story here, and not everything is quite what it seems to be. —Paul Auster

12-06-2007, 07:13 PM	#7
Archaea Assistant to the Regional Manager Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: The Orgasmatron Posts: 24,338	I realize a lot of people care what politicians say, but I care what they do in office. I got real bored with the speech and started skimming it midway through. Too long in my book, but I guess if you're getting free press coverage, we need to use it up. __________________ Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα

12-06-2007, 07:18 PM	#9
woot Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Denver Posts: 1,502	Anybody think it's odd how Romney conflated "religious freedom" and religion? He seemed to use them interchangeably, as if religious freedom forces one to choose a religion. It didn't seem very coherent at the start because of that.