tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post5770650657315192185..comments2024-03-27T18:24:19.683-07:00Comments on Steve Sailer: iSteve: Romney and the MormonsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-43294825836839390082012-08-30T20:54:43.265-07:002012-08-30T20:54:43.265-07:00"Bill said...
This! When I visited Salt Lake..."Bill said...<br /><br />This! When I visited Salt Lake, I was just gob-smacked at how heavy, downward-pressing, and oppressive their sacred architecture was. It was, like, Karnak-creepy."<br /><br />On a family trip to Utah - this was many years ago - we took a tour of "The Beehive House", the house where Brigham Young and his favorite wives lived (the rest of his wives were housed elsewhere). The tourguide told us that the beehive was chosen as the symbol of Utah (Mormons often referred to Utah as "The Beehive State"), because, like bees in a hive, everyone has their place within the society.<br /><br />Creepy, indeed.Mr. Anonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-75534179515774155752012-08-30T20:48:27.283-07:002012-08-30T20:48:27.283-07:00"Anonymous said...
There are indeed a lot of..."Anonymous said...<br /><br />There are indeed a lot of Mormons in show business.."<br /><br />Mitt Romney, for example.Mr. Anonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-48649109399888038052012-08-30T19:59:20.744-07:002012-08-30T19:59:20.744-07:00"How can you tell when someone's lying? W..."How can you tell when someone's lying? When they start a story off by saying they met many Mormons while living in upper Manhattan.<br /><br />Sure you did."<br /><br />Look, I agree it sounds implausible, but it is true. There are a bunch of them up there in Inwood (north of Dyckman Street.) <br /><br />There are indeed a lot of Mormons in show business...look it up. They love it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-40413072965414457062012-08-30T15:15:13.978-07:002012-08-30T15:15:13.978-07:00"But it's worth noting that Cain did okay..."But it's worth noting that Cain did okay in the primaries, till his bimbo eruptions caught up with him,.."<br /><br />Cain was torpedoed by either Mittens whom he ha a good chance of defeating, or by The Dems, because there is probably no way in hell Barry defeats a Republican who gets 15% of the black vote. They knew this.Truthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17286755693955361308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-17595535142426055032012-08-30T14:26:50.410-07:002012-08-30T14:26:50.410-07:00Bill,
The Christus statue is actually a copy of a...Bill,<br /><br />The Christus statue is actually a copy of a rather famous Danish sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen. Geoff Matthewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07335872605196107867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-26840502920110726992012-08-30T13:46:14.729-07:002012-08-30T13:46:14.729-07:00Anon 517
White nationalists and such are probably...Anon 517<br /><br />White nationalists and such are probably never going to vote for a black guy. (And for what it's worth, Romney certainly isn't going to be getting much of the black vote this time around, either.) But it's worth noting that Cain did okay in the primaries, till his bimbo eruptions caught up with him, despite not having all that impressive a performance in his campaign or the debates. He was rather well liked amng the Tea Party types, for that matter. There's racism in both parties, and surely more in the GOP than the Democrats, but it's worth remembering that the full picture is a whole lot more complicated than "Republicans hate blacks and won't vote for them.". <br /><br />Obama is going to lose in-play states he won in 2008, and will probably get less of the white vote than he did in 2008. It's hard to ascribe that to racism, assuming we didn't all become more racist in the last four years. Perhaps a lot of voters are not actually all that happy with how things are going, and hope for some kind of change in direction. For what it's worth, I don't see Romney/Ryan providing a change in a particularly good direction, but I'm also one of those white voters Obama got in 2008 and won't get in 2012. <br /><br />NOTAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-77704750975466537882012-08-30T09:01:47.535-07:002012-08-30T09:01:47.535-07:00Anonymous said...
Have you ever looked at Mormon ...<br /> Anonymous said...<br /><br /><i>Have you ever looked at Mormon art? The most ambitious temples look downright sinister. Mormon paintings (often of Joseph Smith) exhibit an unpleasant realism and sameness that reminds me of Soviet propaganda (except that Soviet propaganda was much easier to look at). Try stepping into a Deseret Book store the next time you're in Salt Lake City. The strangeness is palpable.</i><br /><br />This! When I visited Salt Lake, I was just gob-smacked at how heavy, downward-pressing, and oppressive their sacred architecture was. It was, like, Karnak-creepy.<br /><br />Then, at the end of some guided tour, we were standing in the Salt Lake Temple Visitor Center at the foot of their (very famous) Christus statue. And it just completely creeped me out. It was like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley" rel="nofollow">uncanny valley</a> in robotics. What is up with that?Billnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-29478313723307872462012-08-30T08:46:09.064-07:002012-08-30T08:46:09.064-07:00"Hapalong Cassidy said...
If conservatves ar..."Hapalong Cassidy said...<br /><br />If conservatves are stupid enough to hold Romney's Mormonism against him, then they truly deserve what's coming to them. In general I don't care much for Romney, but his Mormonism is a big plus on my ledger. I say that because every Mormon I've ever met has seemed like a friendly, kind person."<br /><br />We really don't need a "friendly, kind person" for the office of President. I'd prefer someone who was less friendly to the various interests that run our government, and not so kind with my money.Mr. Anonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-25218853615873798212012-08-30T08:41:00.169-07:002012-08-30T08:41:00.169-07:00"Whiskey said...
Romney would be a decent Pr..."Whiskey said...<br /><br />Romney would be a decent President, he's a NUMBERS GUY who is convinced by data, will do things to turn around a failing institution,..."<br /><br />A "numbers guy" would be concerned about immigration, where the numbers don't look good. Romney isn't. A "numbers guy" would be concerned with our vast imperial overreach. Romney isn't.Mr. Anonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-2629307810238616692012-08-30T07:45:33.329-07:002012-08-30T07:45:33.329-07:00Well, Obama had rich friends in Chicago manipulate...Well, Obama had rich friends in Chicago manipulate things were they made money and blacks were out on some housing project. Obama's staff had a tax dodger and Democratics are supposed to love paying taxes. He also give millions to Fisker to make electric cars that were built cars actually eventually in Delaware they are still being built in Finland. Dems and leftist are corrupt too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-42200759118547768152012-08-30T04:23:04.752-07:002012-08-30T04:23:04.752-07:00One thing's for sure: the Democrats cannot cla...One thing's for sure: the Democrats cannot claim the intellectual high ground against Romney-Ryan as they did against McCain-Palin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-45623297272118154002012-08-30T04:16:48.476-07:002012-08-30T04:16:48.476-07:00"My takeaway from these interactions is that ..."My takeaway from these interactions is that Mormons are diligent, kind, hardworking people who have a delusional sense of their own competence and potentiality."<br /><br /> It's perfectly reasonable to base your take on mormons in general and mitt romney in particular on three showbiz mormons you met in upper manhattan otherwise known as salt lake city east. Don't let anyone tell you otherwisekaganovitchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-75325804749691967032012-08-29T22:14:59.398-07:002012-08-29T22:14:59.398-07:0080 years ago, Mitt Romney's mom turned down a ...80 years ago, Mitt Romney's mom turned down a contract with MGM to marry George Romney.Steve Sailerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11920109042402850214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-54481308043908910092012-08-29T22:00:50.357-07:002012-08-29T22:00:50.357-07:00Some Mormons believe in creepy things - multilevel...Some Mormons believe in creepy things - multilevel marketing scams, conspiracy theories, etc., etc. Those are the really naive Mormons - you know, just like there are Catholics who worship the Virgin of Guadalupe, or speaking-in-tongues Protestants, whatever. But the typical Mormon doesn't believe anything crazier than the crazy stuff that has become the CW in American society over the last 4-5 decades.<br /><br />Romney's Mormonism doesn't, de facto, make him weird.<br /><br />My experience living among Mormons is that there are a lot of old school Mormons of long lineage who stick with the faith possibly because they believe it but probably because of family tradition and because it "works" for them - i.e., their life is going well with it, so why change it.<br /><br />Studies have shown that while many religions tend to lose their best educated to inactivity, with Mormons it is the reverse - the better educated tend to stay, while the mor epoorly educated are the ones who leave.Matthewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-10615727885471790872012-08-29T21:51:32.987-07:002012-08-29T21:51:32.987-07:00"I met many Mormons when I lived in upper Man...<b>"I met many Mormons when I lived in upper Manhattan."</b><br /><br />How can you tell when someone's lying? When they start a story off by saying they met many Mormons while living in upper Manhattan.<br /><br />Sure you did.<br /><br />To the extent you might have met Mormons there, few of them (and fewer still of the married ones) would have been pursuing careers in show biz.Matthewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-70426970478755456362012-08-29T21:41:35.950-07:002012-08-29T21:41:35.950-07:00Mormons or Morgons?Mormons or Morgons?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-20360292156200304172012-08-29T21:14:31.861-07:002012-08-29T21:14:31.861-07:00It was sarcasm. There's no such thing as the s...It was sarcasm. There's no such thing as the secular right anymore. Are evolution and abortion really worth pissing off the only real mass movement on the right? You guys have high IQs right? just use condoms or emulate Whiskey and talk yourself out of your ability to get chicks altogether.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-23051449499351941372012-08-29T21:13:16.803-07:002012-08-29T21:13:16.803-07:00take a look at Matt Taibbi's just released Rol...<i> take a look at Matt Taibbi's just released Rolling Stone feature </i><br /><br />You know how I know you're clueless?<br /><br />Eg:<br /><br /><i>Despite what Romney claims, the rate of return he provided for Bain's investors over the years wasn't all that great. Romney biographer and Wall Street Journal reporter Brett Arends, who analyzed Bain's performance between 1984 and 1998, concludes that the firm's returns were likely less than 30 percent per year, which happened to track more or less with the stock market's average during that time. </i><br /><br />He's claiming a <i>thirty percent per year rate of return</i> isn't all that good! During that time the S&P went up by about a factor of 6; at a 30% per year return over 15 years would have meant Bain increased their capital by about a factor of about 160. Thirty percent a year is a sell your wife and children into slavery rate of return. That's a happily sign a pact with the devil rate of return. <br /><br />I hit that part of the article, laughed out loud, and stopped reading. He hadn't distinguished himself up till that point, either. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-37218160306204609642012-08-29T20:23:39.193-07:002012-08-29T20:23:39.193-07:00Certainly Romney plays the part of an LDS Stake Pr...Certainly Romney plays the part of an LDS Stake President to the tee. He was born for it. One can only imagine the weird unanimous votes he presided over.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-1449717848034763302012-08-29T20:20:59.356-07:002012-08-29T20:20:59.356-07:00Secular right? You mean like the neo-cons?
No, th...<i>Secular right? You mean like the neo-cons?</i><br /><br />No, the Cold War Right. There was nothing secular about the neo-cons.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-66808276556441764352012-08-29T20:15:36.478-07:002012-08-29T20:15:36.478-07:00Secular right? You mean like the neo-cons?Secular right? You mean like the neo-cons?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-92011878027336203792012-08-29T19:43:05.543-07:002012-08-29T19:43:05.543-07:00The Republicans have now thankfully rejected bible...<i>The Republicans have now thankfully rejected bible thumpers in favor of number-crunchers.</i><br /><br />It's about time, too. The end of the Cold War decimated the "number crunchers" i.e. the secular Right. Now about to make a comeback....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-91562786739702861042012-08-29T19:23:00.497-07:002012-08-29T19:23:00.497-07:00I've known many Mormons over the years, some o...I've known many Mormons over the years, some of them very well. And I am glad to know and have known every one of them.<br /><br />But Mormonism is creepy, and not because of the practical and positive values that Mormons wisely encourage among each other. They have been extremely successful at both growing their numbers and their collective prosperity. They have taken common sense and run with it in a whole host of areas. We can all learn a lot from them. No, it's not 1950s values that make them strange.<br /><br />Have you ever looked at Mormon art? The most ambitious temples look downright sinister. Mormon paintings (often of Joseph Smith) exhibit an unpleasant realism and sameness that reminds me of Soviet propaganda (except that Soviet propaganda was much easier to look at). Try stepping into a Deseret Book store the next time you're in Salt Lake City. The strangeness is palpable.<br /><br />I'm only an outsider looking in, but the time that I've spent this year in Utah (which is doing extremely well right now compared to the rest of the country) has made me less comfortable about voting for Romney, though I'm sure that I would like him if I knew him. (I'll vote for him.)<br /><br />Incidentally, the Mormons have had their eye on the White House for a long time. Joseph Smith ran for president in 1844.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-72786228291772480882012-08-29T17:47:00.748-07:002012-08-29T17:47:00.748-07:00The evangelicals are in decline and fading away. F...The evangelicals are in decline and fading away. Finally.<br /><br />The Republicans have now thankfully rejected bible thumpers in favor of number-crunchers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-20328846525570765362012-08-29T17:35:21.504-07:002012-08-29T17:35:21.504-07:00Not a very apt comparison. Neil Armstrong was a h...Not a very apt comparison. Neil Armstrong was a humble civil servant who constantly gave credit to the thousands of people who made it possible for him to get to the moon. As for who Mitt Romney is, take a look at Matt Taibbi's just released Rolling Stone feature - he's made his career wrecking well functioning institutions by exploiting loopholes to line his own pocket, and doesn't have an ounce of noblesse oblige toward regular Americans.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com