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The Borg · 01-16-2008, 03:05 PM

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics...ichigan-m.html

Read the comments below this story. Will be interesting to see how America reacts to negatives against a mans religion vs. his politics.

Makes you wonder if JFK (when being the first Catholic to run for office) would have to endure similar things nowadays with the net.

Can Mitt overcome the negative campaigning as well as individuals attacking him on every media article?

jay santos · 01-16-2008, 03:28 PM

What I'm learning about politics these days is something that seems opposite to me, intuitively.

It's a great game theory example.

1. You're running against a black opponent and you make racist remarks (not saying this happen, just a hypothetical).
2. Black community goes nuts and fights back, calling you a racist and generally going over-the-top in the response. Steps up support for black candidate.
3. Rest of population observes the black community's actions, calls them racists, views the black candidate as a black candidate and not just a candidate, and votes for the original racist, ignoring the original racism, and seeing just the backlash against it that appears ugly and unwarranted to the casual observer.

I see a very similar possibility for Romney and his Mormonism. You'd think in our day that someone attacking him for his Mormonism would be called out as a bigot and it would invite sympathy votes for Romney. Not so. Bottom line is out nation is still too racist and bigoted. We get more ruffled by someone complaining about racism or bigotry than we do by the actual offense.

01-16-2008, 03:05 PM	#1
The Borg Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 533	Anti - Really going for it... http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics...ichigan-m.html Read the comments below this story. Will be interesting to see how America reacts to negatives against a mans religion vs. his politics. Makes you wonder if JFK (when being the first Catholic to run for office) would have to endure similar things nowadays with the net. Can Mitt overcome the negative campaigning as well as individuals attacking him on every media article?

01-16-2008, 03:28 PM	#2
jay santos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,177	What I'm learning about politics these days is something that seems opposite to me, intuitively. It's a great game theory example. 1. You're running against a black opponent and you make racist remarks (not saying this happen, just a hypothetical). 2. Black community goes nuts and fights back, calling you a racist and generally going over-the-top in the response. Steps up support for black candidate. 3. Rest of population observes the black community's actions, calls them racists, views the black candidate as a black candidate and not just a candidate, and votes for the original racist, ignoring the original racism, and seeing just the backlash against it that appears ugly and unwarranted to the casual observer. I see a very similar possibility for Romney and his Mormonism. You'd think in our day that someone attacking him for his Mormonism would be called out as a bigot and it would invite sympathy votes for Romney. Not so. Bottom line is out nation is still too racist and bigoted. We get more ruffled by someone complaining about racism or bigotry than we do by the actual offense.