Page 1 of 2
Was Mitt Responsible for DCP's firing?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 1:39 am
by _Racer
I was over at exmormon.org and Benson, whom I am sometimes skeptical of, claimed to be talking to a source in the MI that said part of why Peterson had to go was Mitt's complaints that his style of apologetics were damaging to his campaign.
I have never heard this angle before. Here it is for what its worth.
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,587020
Re: Was Mitt Responsible for DCP's firing?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 1:53 am
by _Doctor Scratch
It's an interesting theory, though I don't know that I buy it. I'm not sure why the Romney campaign would care about this. That said, could it be that they were worried about the fallout that was bound to happen if they had gone ahead and published the Dehlin "hit piece"? There would have been quite a public spectacle and minor "war" if they had gone ahead with it. I mean, there *was* something of a fallout in the wake of the news coming to light, but it could have been much, much worse.
I don't know--I'm inclined to think that it was a variety of factors that ultimately led to this decision.
ETA: if this was true, I'm sure that DCP would have figured it out--someone would have told him that Romney was involved, and if that were the case, I don't think you'd see him posting favorably about Romney on his blog. If the Romney campaign was in any way responsible for pulling the plug on FARMS, Romney himself would suddenly become DCP's Ultimate Nemesis.
Re: Was Mitt Responsible for DCP's firing?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 2:28 am
by _Kishkumen
steve benson wrote:The Reported Reason Behind the Firing of Daniel C. Peterson by the Maxwell Institute: The Romney Campaign Was Complaining . . .
I have recently heard from a reliable Utah source some interesting claims about the reason for Daniel C. Peterson's sudden firing as editor at the BYU-based/Mormon Church apologietics outfit, the Maxwell Institute.
Note of the claims of why Peterson was supposedly shown the door by the Maxwell Insitite was made during a conversation about the Mormon Church's track record of denying and changing its track record relative to its embarrassing history and doctrine.
According to my source, Peterson left the country for the Middle East without having resolved an apparent ongoing dispute
with the Maxwell Institute regarding his future status as editor at the Institute. While in Jerusalem, Peterson was fired by directive from Provo, with Peterson subsequently sending out his own email defense to 18 colleagues.
(For Peterson's internet posting of his version of events, see "Of Gratitude, and Its Expression," under "Sic et Non," 22 June 2012, at:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterso ... ssion.html)
_____
Now, for the backstory of what allegedly was the actual impetus behind Peterson getting the boot.
I was talking with my source about how the Mormon Church is seeking tactical advantage in projecting a new-and-improved image of the Mormon Church through use of Mormon Mitt's run for the White House roses.
Our conversation focused on how Romney has had a significant history of flip-flopping on issues, and how this apparent tendency on Romney's part to reverse field at a moment's notice for political advantage does not serve him well in presenting himself to larger society as a Mormon supposedly committed to telling the truth and maintaining a consistent moral standard.
We also talked about how Romney steadfastly refuses to discuss with reporters in any meaningful detail the official doctrines (and their related history) of the Mormon Church but, rather, insists on speaking only about his personal experiences in the Mormon Church as what he describes as an LDS "pastor" position, as well as his experiences and beliefs as an individual member.
My source observed that Romney simply could not address matters of Mormon doctrine and history because it would render his campaign untenable.
Then, according to my source (who said the following had been relayed to the source by a staff employee at the Maxwell Institute), the Mitt Romney campaign had contacted the Maxwell Institute to complain that the extreme Mormon apologetics of Peterson were hurting the Romney presidential campaign.
Subsequently, the source said, Peterson was fired from his editor position at the Maxwell Institute.
I think this was more a matter of the Romney campaign providing a window of opportunity to make changes while people did not want to cause big waves for Romney's sake. So, I doubt that a Romney surrogate contacted MI. I think what is true is that a smart guy like Bradford understood that it was extremely stupid and shortsighted to attack a liberal Mormon who has excellent media contacts during the Romney bid for the presidency.
It is so easy to understand that one wonders why it is that DCP and Smith did not consider that before they pursued such an idiotic course.
Re: Was Mitt Responsible for DCP's firing?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 3:47 am
by _bcspace
extreme Mormon apologetics of Peterson were hurting the Romney presidential campaign
Peterson? Extreme Mormon apologetics? The guy has officially come off as nothing but a RINO though I know he is more conservative than that.
Re: Was Mitt Responsible for DCP's firing?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 4:52 am
by _Drifting
The biggest thing damaging the Romney campaign is Romney.
Re: Was Mitt Responsible for DCP's firing?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 5:25 am
by _bcspace
Just as true of Obama who has no record to run on.
Re: Was Mitt Responsible for DCP's firing?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 11:18 am
by _DrW
bcspace wrote:Just as true of Obama who has no record to run on.
GM is still here.
Osama bin Laden is not.
Re: Was Mitt Responsible for DCP's firing?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 2:12 pm
by _Kishkumen
DrW wrote:GM is still here.
Osama bin Laden is not.
Looks like a record to me!
What I don't see is that the Republicans have an honest argument for the virtues of Mitt over Barack.
Here is the essence of Mitt:
Lower taxes for the rich; higher military spending (bringing more wealth to defense contractors).
Re: Was Mitt Responsible for DCP's firing?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 4:54 pm
by _bcspace
GM is still here.
Osama bin Laden is not.
If we use Obama's own logic about business, he didn't kill Osama, he merely benefited from policies and work built up by the Bush Administration.
Re: Was Mitt Responsible for DCP's firing?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 6:54 pm
by _Kishkumen
bcspace wrote:If we use Obama's own logic about business, he didn't kill Osama, he merely benefited from policies and work built up by the Bush Administration.
Except that this isn't his logic about business. You're simply lying about his logic about business.