Burying Mitt

To any LDS member: in the last few weeks, Mitt Romney had publicly aligned himself with Rush Limbagh and Sean Hannity. In my view, as entertaining as they are, these talk radio hosts spew so much hatred toward Democrats. It was odd for me to hear an LDS, which signifies everything opposite to the talk radio, align himself with the talk radio group. Does this make sense?

You're an idiot to characterize Romney that way. His convictions came from who he really is. As a Latter-Day Saint myself, I know what covenants he has made in the Temple. I know what he was taught. The core of Romney was what he spoke about on the campaign. You Main Stream Media guys just don't get it. If anyone is disingenuous, it would have to be McCain and Huckabee. Mitt Romney's character and veracity is what is lacking in politics today. Your cynicism shows your poor judgement on who and what is truly good. You won't have any of that now that Mitt Romney is gone.

I find your analysis spot on, Mr. Fineman. I was in agreement with all that you said until you got to the end and made a ridiculous assertion of prejudice against Southern voters in the Bible Belt. Sure, you are speaking the talking points all might agree with, but there is no basis for your claims. In the South, the evangelical vote was split three ways between Mitt, Mike, and McCain. Granted, Mike won a higher percentage of the split, and thus he won the Southern states, but there was no lock-step voting with those in the Bible Belt. There is no evidence that Southerners shunned Mitt because of his mormonism. Mitt's problem wasn't Mormonism as much as it was duplicity, which, of course, you point out. Please don't think that you are the only one wise enough to notice his duplicity. Many evangelicals endorsed Mitt. The only place where religious tests were applied to the electorate was in Utah, where there was no split among the candidates. All the votes went to the Mormon candidate. Everywhere else, the votes were divided.

Thank you Mitt: For believing in the way that you do and for the only time you changed your mind you changed it in the right direction. ( choose life) God bless you and your family for running and God bless this great nation of ours. It is going to need the Lords blessing.

McCain would make an excellent pres., however, comming behind the bush admin. is not particularly good timing for a pro war candidate. Mr Romney, with business and leadership experience would have been the responsible choice for republicans at this time. Sorry to see him go.
Whether Mormon, Jewish, Muslim...Americans have the right to religious expresion w/o oppression. Let's not forget we all pray to the same set of ears (even if we call him by different names) Mr Huckabee focused on religion because he's a "man of the cloth". Romney only stated his position becaus the topic came up...not because he wanted it to become part of his political campaign.

Why the negative lead at the start of the article? Maybe a better title to the article would be, why Romney did not succed? the simple answer would be he did not get enough votes. do you plan on jumping into the motives of all other candidates? it seems that this piece was written by you with another agenda in mind. what is ther reason Hillary continues? what are her motives? Why does Huckabee continue? What are his motives? Why does anyone run for President? Why do they fail. i guess we are idiots. you need to explain to us why things happen.

Is it me or is Howard angry at Mitt Romney?

It seems that Howard holds Mitt to a very high standard, much higher than the other candidates. I guess Howard is perfect but for the rest of us humans, I think we need to compare this so-called "fake" Mitt Romney with the other "authentic" politicians like John McCain or Hillary Clinton...Wow, luckily they have never changed positions on issues, had skeletons in their closets or embarrasing issues in their personal life. Millions of people voted for Mitt Romney in this 'misbegotten' campaign which produced no lclear leading candidate who won even close to 50% of the popluar vote. Somehow I'm guessing these hard working conservative Republicans would not appreciate your cheap shots and lack of balance when considering the flip-flopping and pandering of the other Presidential candidates.

Here's a successful businessman, a successful husband and parent, a governor, a citizen who managed a turnaround at the Olympics and someone who believes in himself enough to spend $35M of his own money running for President. He is not a career politician like the other remaining Republicans. He doesn't need the job but wants it for the right reasons. After a grueling campaign, he humbly bows out even though he could have gone forward against a bitter political rival.

Why such an angry tone in this article? Maybe Howard was disappointed that Mitt acted so graciously and humbly when he left the race. Maybe Howard wanted to see Mitt react badly like Bill Clinton when he realized he could not compete effectively any longer with McCain for delegates without harming the party. Maybe he could have gotten red-faced and wagged his finger like Bill...blaming others for his problems. That would make better headlines. Well, Mitt is a class act. Much more than I can say for a lowly editor of a national magazine who can't help but inject the candidate's religion in a nasty way even after he quits the race.

Call off your dogs Howard, Mitt isn't running any longer. Time to go after Huck now.

Mitt Romney is the only candidate who could have whipped our economy into shape. He's extremely gifted when it comes to economics and I, too, wish he would have focused more on this. Now...we'll never know how good we could have had it.

As a fellow member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as far as I???m concerned, his faith was his strongest asset. I'm grateful Mitt didn't "mute" his "mormonism". I know what we stand for... faith, family, and unity...exact qualities the leader of this great nation should personify. As Romney steps down, we wish him all the best???may he and his family now receive a much needed rest! Here's to Romney in 2012!

Is it me or is Howard angry at Mitt Romney?

It seems that Howard holds Mitt to a very high standard, much higher than the other candidates. I guess Howard is perfect but for the rest of us humans, I think we need to compare this so-called "fake" Mitt Romney with the other "authentic" politicians like John McCain or Hillary Clinton...Wow, luckily they have never changed positions on issues, had skeletons in their closets or embarrasing issues in their personal life. Millions of people voted for Mitt Romney in this 'misbegotten' campaign which produced no lclear leading candidate who won even close to 50% of the popluar vote. Somehow I'm guessing these hard working conservative Republicans would not appreciate your cheap shots and lack of balance when considering the flip-flopping and pandering of the other Presidential candidates.

Here's a successful businessman, a successful husband and parent, a governor, a citizen who managed a turnaround at the Olympics and someone who believes in himself enough to spend $35M of his own money running for President. He is not a career politician like the other remaining Republicans. He doesn't need the job but wants it for the right reasons. After a grueling campaign, he humbly bows out even though he could have gone forward against a bitter political rival.

Why such an angry tone in this article? Maybe Howard was disappointed that Mitt acted so graciously and humbly when he left the race. Maybe Howard wanted to see Mitt react badly like Bill Clinton when he realized he could not compete effectively any longer with McCain for delegates without harming the party. Maybe he could have gotten red-faced and wagged his finger like Bill...blaming others for his problems. That would make better headlines. Well, Mitt is a class act. Much more than I can say for a lowly editor of a national magazine who can't help but inject the candidate's religion in a nasty way even after he quits the race.

Call off your dogs Howard, Mitt isn't running any longer. Time to go after Huck now.

Mitt Romney should have known better, however he is not a member of an "anti-Christian sect". That thought and comment is as crazy as those who say that Obama is a Muslim. If McCain would pick Mike Huckabee as his VP and give him the status and power that Nixon had during the Eisenhower administration, I believe we would do well. This Huckabee fellow is smart, witty (which is dearly needed) and can both speak with intelligence and think on his feet,under pressure. As an old "Goldwater Warrior" and life long Republican he is a breath of fresh air! Howard is correct, the people respect the genuine article, the country is drownding in plastic. We need some leather saddles and Huckabee appears to be "the real deal". And for "the brittle right", I say politics is about compromise while maintaining your core principles.

Howard Fineman, for as long as you've been covering politics you are so pathetically off base in your "Burying Mitt" article. Gimme a break - your description of Mitt Romney is as reliable as McCain's so-called "straight talk". Truly we are living in a time in which the Bible said men "will call good evil and evil good." Let's find out together Fineman in the years to come, if the American people buried Mitt today, or if they buried America.

I agree with your analysis, Mr. Fineman; it is spot on until you get to the last part about the Bible belt. You cannot seriously claim that Mormonism was Mitt's problem in the South. That is a flat out falsehood. The evangelical vote was split three ways in the South. Granted, Huckabee got the majority and, hence, the win, but the votes were split. As a matter of fact, the real religious anathema votes came not from the South but from Utah, where there was no split in the Mormon voting. So, this claim that Southerners shunned Mitt because of his mormonism is foolish. It was his duplicity, not his religion, which turned off Southerners (and Northerners and Easterners).

Great Job Mitt; wish you would have gone all the way. Now we are stuck with another Washington Insider going to the WhiteHouse. Come November it will be a decision between "Who is the lesser evil".

Saveus, you even try to understand children before you use them as an excuse for denouncing a faith? I am a teacher in Virginia, I am not "Mormon"/LDS, but I can tell you I hear kids say things like that from ALL arenas. Evangelical kids telling people who do not believe like them that they damned to hell. Kids with no faith in the home preaching about, "I'll kill anyone who talks about my family." Kids coming up with their own ideas and things to say. All of this from elementary school kids! Middle school and high school kids just have larger vocabulary to share those ideas with. Your bias against the LDS is not based on your kids' experience and it is as disgusting as what extremist Muslims are doing in the middle east with their children to see you use yours like this. You simply have no reason for violence here or I would conceive of you putting your kids on the front line too.

I am agnostic, but was raised LDS. I know for a FACT that the LDS faith teaches that God/Christ loves EVERYONE, regardless of faith. I know for a FACT that the LDS teach a UNIVERSAL SALVATION with only "eternal progression" for faithful LDS (temple attending LDS) and eternal damnation ONLY for those who reject Christ after the "veil" is lifted and the truth cannot be denied.

Pathetic the ignorance people portray.

Robert

You forget a most telling point. Where Romney was known Romney won.

What a cynical article filled with misery and contempt! What were you thinking when you wrote this? Talk about pandering. This article panders to the left wing liberal group for sure.

Thanks Mitt, for all you've done to add some true character and integrity to American Politics...See you in 4 more years I hope!

nccvax , you are obviously an ignorant idiot. grow up, people have moved on, you should probably get a life.