Ah, it seems that McCarthyism and guilt by association are back. Don’t forget that early Mormons under Joseph Smith lived in communes.

Cynthia: Maximilan would you want someone like Romeny that is imperfect

That’s putting it mildly. He’s a serial liar who clearly cares about nothing other than getting elected. He exemplifies everything that is wrong with politics: ambitious men who want to get elected to be president, rather than doing something useful. Better George Bush than this character.

Cynthia: I would pick a imperfect Romeny over someone that admires the late Frank Marshall Davis or Bill Ayers

Show that anyone admires either of these two.

While I think that it is not bigotry to judge people for their religious beliefs, your comparison does not hold water, for several reasons, the most important reason being that blacks and Mormons are voting for their own candidate, not against his opponent. Blacks are not saying: “I am voting for Obama, because I don’t want to vote for a white man.” They would. Indeed, about 90% of blacks voted for John Kerry. And when black Republicans have been matched against white Democrats, the overwhelming majority of blacks will vote for the white Democrat.

Peter Hundt-
Yes, the issue of whether this particular phone call is an example of bigotry is mainly a distraction; whether or not it was bigotry, it was reprehensible. Nevertheless, now that bigotry is one of precious few things that everyone considers terrible, it’s worth distinguishing between bigotry and mere intolerance, ignorance, insults, etc., because calling people bigots can result practically in their expulsion from civilized society.

Because Obama denies the Nicene creed? It’s interesting, not believing in the Trinity is often reason enough to be called a non-Christan by some Christians – unless you are Newton, Jefferson or Romney, or basically anyone they like.

JT: It would show that a Mormon can reach the highest office in the nation while avoiding half of the population hating him over four years while forever associating him with this religion.

Very unlikely. Romney understands the separation of church and state, and he has always stated that personal religion and state matters are completely separate. The theocratic positions he takes are merely a result of his pandering to fundamentalists, not because this is what he actually believes. On the other hand, Obama cites the Bible to advocate giving money to poor people.

Adam: He apologizes to Islam for a youtube video made by a private citizen,

I agree with your criticism, and I was pleased when Romney called him out on it. Sadly, Romney then proceeded to do the exact same thing. It’s unfortunate that one day is often enough for Romney to take the opposite position on the very same issue.

Adam: but expects private citizens to submit to edicts that violate their conscience.

That argument is ridiculous, hospitals are not private citizens. Also, you conveniently forget that Romney forced hospitals (“private citizens”) to violate their conscience when he mandated that they dispense Plan B. The hypocrisy of this man is just astounding.

Adam: You are right. It is more properly understood as bearing false witness.

Romney is hardly in a position to call anyone out on “bearing false witness” – having magically transformed himself from being a moderate and a liberal to a severe conservative.

You’ve got to be kidding me. Flip-flopping on literally every single issue, including who you are, is now the definition of integrity? The definition of integrity is now a man who says that he won’t hire illegals because “I’m running for office, for Pete’s sake, I can’t have illegals”? I knew what such people were called by Republicans before world-class flip-flopper Romney came along.

Raymond: He led a state famous for its universities.

Anyone can do that. It takes skill to build a great university, not to deceive your way into being elected the governor of a state in which great universities happen to be located – and then chickening out of running for re-election because your numbers are in the mid-thirties.

Raymond: As he demonstrated in the debate with Obama, he is far more persuasive in looking intelligent than the president.

Maybe so, but it’s not about looking intelligent, it’s about being intelligent. And if there is anything the political career of this patent fraud shows, it’s that he cares nothing about what is right, but only about himself.

Raymond: Think of how much damage he did to the cause of teaching sexual morality, as the entire Democratic Party defended adultery.in order to protect Clinton’s hypocrisy.

That’s not actually what happened – who defended adultery? On the other hand, we regularly have politicians who talk about nothing but so called “sexual morality” doing things that the people they attack would not dream of doing.

Raymond: Mormons have served in America’s wars since 1847,

Back when the Church was officially polygamist and racist? If people have to give Mormons credit for serving in the unjust war of 1847, then surely they can give Mormons the blame for the ideas and actions they held at the time.

Raymond: What right do you have to deny anyone the opportunity to serve as governor, senator or president in the United States just because he or she does not embrace your religious preference?

Interesting how this question is never raised in the context of atheists. Instead, the same people who cry ‘bigotry!’ at any criticism of their religion, tell me that they think atheists should be denied these opportunities, and more.