Glenn Beck this weekend delivered a stirring speech to an impassioned audience this weekend. As we know, he emphasized the importance of God to our nation, and how this belief is integral to our strength as a nation. He did this without mentioning his own religion, which I find sort of interesting.
Mitt Romney, in 2008, was expected to be one of the Republican front-runners for the presidential campaign. He withdrew from the race early, but still managed to win or finish second in 21 states among GOP candidates. These states were spread throughout the nation with one major exception. He won no Southern states, and the only quasi-Southern state where he placed second was Florida.
Normally, this might not be a problem for a candidate. For a century, Republicans won the presidency pretty often without winning very many southern states. But since Barry Goldwater ran in 1964, these states have steadily moved into the GOP column. After this November, I would expect that this region’s House control will be virtually complete, with the exception of one or two majority-minority districts in each state. Will the party take a chance that it might loosen its grasp on these Congressional districts by running him at the top of the ticket?
Why did Romney not compete well in the Bible Belt? Obviously, nobody could say for sure, but I think that this region tends to be more insular than is the rest of the nation. They tend to reject those unfamiliar to their background; even here, in southern Louisiana, perhaps the most eclectic of the states in the region, this holds true. So, if someone’s religion is unfamiliar to them, they may be likely to reject them out of hand.
Back to Beck. It seems like his appeal is particularly strong in this region. When his show is on, every television at the gym is on, and everyone’s eyes are glued to the screen. Then, afterwards, the viewers can recite his lines verbatim, much the way listeners used to do for Rush. So, if Beck can eliminate their fear of ‘the other’ for himself, perhaps he can accomplish the same for Mitt.
Romney has plenty of advantages come 2012. He has access to more money than any other candidate, he remains the presumed favorite of the CFG, probably the most powerful of the Republican wings, and he has a large number of potential volunteers. His disadvantages, other than what I’ve discussed, are less obvious. One is Romneycare. He has to figure out a clear method of differentiating what was done in Massachusetts to the health care bill passed this year. But he has more than a year to think of something. His other disadvantage is that he, like Obama, is a technocrat. It’s unclear to me, in the time of the Tea Party, that a policy wonk is what the party is looking for.
September 1st, 2010 at 5:59 am
Mitt Romney is as bland as milk-toast! His being a Mormon probably did not help in the South or with other Christian Conservatives. But I suspect it had more to do with his lack of conservative track record.
The health care thing was not going to help him. Neither was his company’s practice of buying firms and liquidating them. Romney is just not the sort of leader America is looking for.
September 1st, 2010 at 6:29 am
Romney is a strong leader and excellent businessman. After the Obama years of NO leadership, we are going to need a good leader. I think Romney is a strong candidate for a lot of reasons, as are a few others that are looking like they may be candidates. As a Southerner myself, I have no idea why people think ‘the South’ would have a problem with him being Mormon.
September 1st, 2010 at 7:16 am
If you want to see the America that Beck is urging on, you need only read his followers’ comments on this site http://wp.me/pNmlT-mI which is critical of Beck and his rally. They are cult like in their blind adherence to the Beck doctrine, and this despite the fact that for some, like the Tea Party, Beck’s worldview contradicts their core belief in the Constitution and the separation of church and state! It is sobering to read and provides a warning we all need to heed.
September 1st, 2010 at 8:19 am
Having seen first hand what Mitt Romney did with turning around the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics I am sure he has the skills to turn around the national economy. If you review the past Olympic games, Salt Lake City is the rare exception of having actually turned a profit.
September 1st, 2010 at 1:07 pm
I like Mitt because hes got that quality that takes control of a room when he walks into it.
He sounds like hes got experience motivating staffs, crews and ideas
Too bad the Mormon thing is his biggest problem, in my opinion.
I think America doesnt want to grasp it, can, or sees it as some obscure wierd religion. (and dont come after me cuz I’m suspicious of Islam, it wont work)
Maybe he can hook me up with Marie Osmand.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Here’s my take on Romney. I’ve read many comments up to this point and truly see all sides and can understand the varying viewpoints.
I have followed Romney for a few years now and he is truly a proven master in getting positive results. Look what he did with the 2002 Winter Olympics. Those Olympics were ridden with bribes and corruption and on the verge of becoming a total failure, a National disgrace and an embarrassment to the World. Romney was selected to take over the mess which he did and totally turned it around into becoming one of the most successful and respected games in Olympic History, which made America proud instead of shamed.
Romney knows how to streamline and make things efficient. He’s done this in business and he turned Massachusetts financial crisis into a big financial State surplus. Sure Mitt’s been criticized for turning failing business around by laying off unneeded workers but wouldn’t it be great if he was able to do that to Washington too?
Mitt Romney also knows the world stage better then most in that he’s worked in the International arena with his many business dealings. He has a very unique perspective on how we can make this great Country of ours strong and competitive against the likes of China and the emerging India. etc.
And lastly, Romney’s a Hawk when it comes to National Defense. He knows that the only true respect we will get from the World is to be Militarily strong which commands the respect of these thug dictators throughout the World. No Apologies from this guy, not after all the good AMERICA has done in the World.
I like Romney alot. He’s a moral man with a great family. I would hope that he would inspire this Country to get back to higher moral standards that we had several years back, before immorality, sexual perverseness and pornography had penetrated many facets of our society. I long for the day when I was a kid and you could turn on the TV and watch all channels (3 at that time) and see nothing but good decent shows and programming. Now I panic whenever I see a kid turn on a TV not to mention the unbelievable pervasive acts that are available for all to see on the internet. The incessant onslaught of smut concerns me more than any Economic downturn or Terrorist threat because the soul of our Nation and the Souls of our Children are being poisoned by this evil. I my view Romney is a true beacon of hope in this darkening world.
May God Bless this Great Country of ours and may he Bless Mitt Romney….
September 2nd, 2010 at 11:37 am
No one here has a slight problem with Romney for tying his dog’s kennel – with the poor dog in it – to the top of his car on a family vacation?
Yes, I know this took place years ago, but his own campaign talked it up in 2008 as an example of his unflappability, joking how he just pulled over and hosed down the mess when the poor creature defecated in fear down the window.
September 2nd, 2010 at 11:46 am
How do you know the dog didnt like it up there as much as the back of a pick-up truck and just had to take a crap ?
Hes lucky, my Great Dane crapped in my back seat once and then marched and laid all over it. No steam/chemical cleaner on earth could help. Hadda buy new seats
September 2nd, 2010 at 11:49 am
Even if I thought my dogs would like it, I would never take such a risk as putting any of them into a kennel tied to the roof of my car.
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Arriba, to address your post’s premise, I do think that Glenn Beck being a Mormon can go a long way in normalizing that religion to the segment of his fans who are Protestant Christians. To the Christian population as a whole, I don’t know how that would play out. Some might not care at all, some might, who knows? He did get quite a few votes in the primary. I think he’d be the strongest candidate, right now, for the GOP ticket. However, I would not be surprised if a dark horse comes out ahead, someone not a has-been/also-ran.
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:13 pm
“Even if I thought my dogs would like it, I would never take such a risk as putting any of them into a kennel tied to the roof of my car.
Obviously he does know how to tie them down well.
My Dane also liked hunting down the wild boar in the hills behind my house and pulling me down the street on my bike, or guarding my house and kids, or the occasional side of beef, I guess I shouldnt of subjected her to that either ?
God forbid we actually focus on a candidate thats dangerous to people.
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:21 pm
He has to
figure out a clear method of differentiating what was done in Massachusetts to the health care bill passed this yearmake something up.FTFY.
Regarding the Mormon thing: South Park already took care of that one. Dum dum dum dum dum!
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Would you tie your dog to the top of your car like that? I doubt it. Yes, there are worse things one could do to an animal, but if that kennel had come off…what a horrible and painful death. Just because that didn’t happen doesn’t mean tying the dog to the car (in a kennel) wasn’t a dumb idea.
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:06 pm
“Would you tie your dog to the top of your car like that? I doubt it. ”
If she liked it, yeah.
Dogs like flapping their faces in the wind. Where you been ?
The dog was at no more risk than the millions of animals that are transported across our country everyday and most definately was in better conditions.
Spare me the tears, the dog is doing fine
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:29 pm
I’m sure the dog is fine and he didn’t intend to be cruel, but it was idiotic nevertheless. There’s a reason why it’s something you never see.
Seriously, if you passed a car on the highway that had their dog strapped to the top in a kennel…you honestly can’t say you wouldn’t call the state patrol?? Come on!
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Nope, I wouldnt call anyone unless the animal was clearly stressed, which in Romneys case, we just dont know.
Poor animals, we domesticate them, breed them for looks, subject them to having their nuts fcked with, mundane diets, being our circus monkeys, dress em up like clowns for our pleasure.
By the time we get done with them all they really own is their fcking names and the crap we put in their bowls.
As a matter fact if my dog enjoyed riding on the roof of the car I’d go out of my way to accomodate it
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:53 pm
But how would you know if your dog would like it unless you put her up there herself? It just would never occur to most people to do such a thing. It’s clearly too risky, even if you have the kennel well-tied. First, the extreme wind could dislodge a piece of the kennel, plus if you get in a wreck, the dog’s probably going to suffer far worse than if he/she was in the car.
I agree that we over-domesticate our animals, but this isn’t an example of letting a dog have a bit of freedom. They’d have more of that in the backseat with their “family” and with their head out the window.
September 2nd, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Its not too hard to figure out what simple pleasures animals enjoy.
They bring you their leash, they bring you their bowl, they hump your leg, and in my case mt Great Dane (ruby, bless her soul) would stand up in the bed of the pick-up (little 30 year old Datsun)with her paws on the roof of the cab and bark her a$4 off as we went down the freeway 65 mph. She was tethered to the bed preventing her from biting the asphalt in sudden moves.
“the dog’s probably going to suffer far worse than if he/she was in the car.”
Its no worse than allowing our kids to ride in a convertable with their seat belts on. Dogs in cars (especially 150 lb. great danes)are very dangerous. I’ve seen the harnesses people use. They’re ridiculous.
But, lets put things in perspective. I’ve never intentionally harmed an animal unless I was going to eat it. And even then they never saw it coming unless it was a fish being reeled in. But you’re talking to a guys who 20 years ago thought a good time was getting a box of fresh syringes, an 8 ball, a couple cases of beer, a fith of Jack,a hooker, and a sleazey hotel room
September 2nd, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Who has a history of financial success better than Romney and is going to run for President? Who?
As a highly successful leader in business, he made money by turning around financially struggling companies such as Monsanto, Dominos Pizza, Burlington, Corning, and others, saving thousands of jobs.
Later he ran a venture capital firm which provided money to numerous startup companies such as Staples Office Supplies, enabling them to expand and create thousands of more jobs. During the 14 years he headed the company, Bain Capital’s average ANNUAL rate of return on investments was 113 percent.
As Governor of MA, he worked to turn around the state’s economy from a few billion dollars deficit to a surplus, balancing their budget in less than 4 yrs. And never accepted a salary while in office.
When the 2002 Winter Olympics struggled under scandal and financial disaster he went to Salt Lake, took over for a one (1) dollar salary, leading it to be one of the most financially successful Olympics in US history.
What is wrong with America today? It’s the economy, stupid!
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Indeed – This dog abuse story is ridiculous. The Romneys loved their dog like any other family and Mitt built him his own wind-shielded place on the roof to ride so the dog could go with the family on their trips.
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Might be better to focus on the many stories out there of Mitt Romney helping people and doing the right thing.
September 3rd, 2010 at 9:59 am
Romney is our best option for 2012! Nobody else even comes close to his experience or leadership