Romney sidesteps question about Mark of Cain

[_sock puppet]

If folks are willing to give President Obama a pass on what his preacher said regarding "death to the white man", etc., then why shouldn't Romney be given the same treatment?

If all American voters in 2008 gave Obama a pass on it, then I'd certainly agree.

I think that the people that gave Obama a pass about Rev Wright will, for the most part, give Romney a pass about his Mormonism. I however think that those that were in 2008 (and yet are, when reminded of Rev Wright) worked up about Rev Wright, will also for the most part be troubled in 2012 by Romney's Mormonism.

The trouble for Romney is those troubled by Obama's Rev Wright and Romney's Mormonism are part of the base Romney needs to shore up and make sure come out on Nov 6 to vote. They never were those that Obama needed or played to.

Thus, religious affiliation could be a deal killer for Romney though it has not been for Obama, with the people acting for the most part consistently in this regard. Every presidential campaign presents a unique challenge of what type of coalition that the candidacy can quilt together, and hope is bigger than what the other candidate put together. Obama's message in 2008 would never have appealed to those that were troubled by the Rev Wright affiliation; in 2012, Romney must have that segment of voters for whom the candidate's religious affiliation is considered relevant.

[_sock puppet]

If folks are willing to give President Obama a pass on what his preacher said regarding "death to the white man", etc., then why shouldn't Romney be given the same treatment?

Obama distanced himself publicly from his preacher when the statements came to light.

It would have been wise for Romney to have said that he did not subscribe to that curse of Cain nonsense, then called for the next question. Church headquarters would not call for any Church discipline because of such a comment, so it would be a win-win situation.

Obviously, Moksha, you have more PR sense than those that are advising Romney. Your suggestion is right on target. Romney's dodge suggests that he thinks that there is no valid response.

[_Brackite]

From Brigham Young, Recorded in The Journal of Discourses:

Non doctrinal work. Next question.

If The Words Spoken From Brigham Young, as recorded in the Journal of Discourses is a "Non doctrinal work," then why in the world did the LDS First Presidency Quote the words of Brigham Young, From the Journal of Discourses in their 1949 statement???
Here is again the full 1949 First Presidency's Statement:

August 17, 1949


The attitude of the Church with reference to Negroes remains as it has always stood. It is not a matter of the declaration of a policy but of direct commandment from the Lord, on which is founded the doctrine of the Church from the days of its organization, to the effect that Negroes may become members of the Church but that they are not entitled to the priesthood at the present time. The prophets of the Lord have made several statements as to the operation of the principle. President Brigham Young said: "Why are so many of the inhabitants of the earth cursed with a skin of blackness? it comes in consequence of their fathers rejecting the power of the holy priesthood, and the Law of God. They will go down to death. And when all the rest of the children have received their blessings in the holy priesthood, then that curse will be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will then come up and possess the priesthood, and receive all the blessings which we now are entitled to."


President Wilford Woodruff made the following statement: "The day will come when all that race will be redeemed and possess all the blessings which we now have."


The position of the Church regarding the Negro may be understood when another doctrine of the Church is kept in mind, namely, that the conduct of spirits in the premortal existence has some determining effect upon the conditions and circumstances under which these spirits take on mortality and that while the details of this principle have not been made known, the mortality is a privilege that is given to those who maintain their first estate; and that the worth of the privilege of is so great that spirits are willing to come to earth and take on bodies no matter what the handicap may be as to the kind of bodies they are to secure; and that among the handicaps, failure of the right to enjoy in mortality the blessings of the priesthood is a handicap which spirits are willing to assume in order that they might come to earth. Under this principle there is no injustice whatsoever involved in this deprivation as to the holding of the priesthood by the Negroes.


The First Presidency

Here is that Quote From Brigham Young, As Recorded in the Journal of Discourses:

Why are so many of the inhabitants of the earth cursed with a s[k]in of blackness? It comes in consequence of their fathers rejecting the power of the Holy Priesthood, and the law of God. They will go down to death. And when all the rest of the children have received their blessings in the Holy Priesthood, then that curse will be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will then come up and possess the priesthood, and receive all the blessings which we now are entitled to.

(Link: http://web.archive.org/web/200407071541 ... 11-41.html , Brigham Young; Journal of Discourses, Volume 11, Page 272: 1866.)

[_Bond James Bond]

Since an atheist doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell (especially with this climate change thing) of being elected President I see no problem putting all the screws on a person's religion. Especially considering that Obama has been castigated for his religion...wait I mean has been castigated for a caricature of his religion, the belief that he's a Muslim in many circles. That argument has been used to play to the base fears of the right-wing base as well as support the continuing insanity that he's not even American, much of which stems from the bedrock reality that some people don't like him because he's black and just can't admit it and instead use code words (although slips occur). So if Mitt gets hit with a few gotcha questions about his religion's history I call it only fair.

[_Tobin]

Ahh, the Muslim vs the Mormon. I wonder which the right-wing religious nutjobs fear more? Should be an interesting election.

[_Bond James Bond]

Ahh, the Muslim vs the Mormon. I wonder which the right-wing religious nutjobs fear more? Should be an interesting election.

They'll foolishly vote for the Republican who wants to cut the social safety net they'll need as they age while raising their taxes to give massive tax cuts to the wealthy. Why?