Romney Running by Not Running

[paparush]

Mitt to skip Iowa, Florida straw polls.

http://swampland.time.com/2011/06/10/when-gop-presidential-candidates-skip-they-quickly-stumble/

[Mz Pip]

1. I kind of agree with him.

I really don't agree that a handful of people should have so much influence on the primary elections.

[AtomicKitten]

2. Iowa is apparently the epicenter of teabagger lunacy.

Both Romney and Huntsman have elected not to subject themselves to being annihilated in Iowa.

[JoePhilly]

3. I think I can explain his strategy ...

He knows that the Tea Baggers hate his guts and will NEVER vote for him in a primary.

So rather than try to win them over, and piss them off more while doing so, he's simply lay low anywhere they are dominant.

His plan will be to appear to be SANE to every other Republican.

His gambit is that he can win the primary without the tea party folks, so long as he gets everyone else.

If he can do that, he puts the tea party nuts in an uncomfortable position. Voting Mormon in the General Election.

But, he's also gambling that the tea party whack jobs will hate Obama (the n****r Muslim from Kenya) so much, that they will hold their nose, apologize to God, and vote for him in the general election.

He knows he can't win them in the primary, but they might vote for him if he is the Nominee.

I think they won't ever get behind him, but I think this is his basic strategy.

Oh, and he has time to make Mormons like him "acceptable" Christians ... or so he probably thinks / hopes. I suspect that the media will be helping with that.

[RedSpartan]

4. Agree with you almost 100%.

You're spot-on with regard to his strategy, I think.

My only reservation is that I think the fundies and baggers will vote for him -- although, as you say, while holding their noses.

We have to remember that the GOP stands -- and its voters cast ballots -- AGAINST things, not FOR them. The base will vote AGAINST Obama, i.e., for Romney. This jives with the strategy; he's betting on it. I hope he's wrong, of couse, but I doubt it.

[JoePhilly]

5. Agree ... that last point is the tricky one ...

There is one aspect of the "fundies hate Mormons" that I hope remains true.

These people are Religious Zealots. And many of them see Mormonism as a "fake" form of Christianity.

Back in the 2008 primaries I saw an interview in which Wolf Blitzer asks Ralph Reed (former Christian Coalition head, just held that Values summit in SC) and James (Raggin Cajin) Carville, if Mormons were Christians.

Carville immediate says yes. Describes why.

Wolf repeats the question to Reed. Reed, who has had about 90 seconds or more to think of a response, stutters like a fool. He can't say yes or no. If he says YES, he's dead meat with the fundies. If he says no, he can't help Mitt get elected later if Mitt wins the primary.

Also ... some of these folks also think Catholics are "fake" Christians ... that is why McCain, an Episcopalian for years, pretended to be a Baptist during the 2008 election cycle. He even got the endorsement of Rev Haggee who openly calls the pope an agent of the anti-Christ.

Reed was doing what you describe ... trying to let Mormons "think" they are real Christians because the Mormons will vote for GOP candidate. I don't think the reverse is true. Reed does not want to vote Mormon.

And like I said ... there is lots of time for Mitt and the media to "fix this" ... make Mormons "ok" for enough Tea Party nuts so he could win a general election.

But I also know this ... over on FreeRepublic, if you endorse Mitt ... you get banned immediately, its one of their rules.

So I'm hope that the Religious Zealots remain as such. And Romney fails.

[paparush]

6. Keeping the 'free' in FreeRepublic

As in, "you're free to leave".

[JoePhilly]

7. Yup, you are free to believe as we do.

That is the FreeRepublic motto.

[Thrill]

8. I would be surprised if Mitt survived the debates against other Republicans

He's been so full of shit for so long