Lawrence O'Donnell Loses His Ever-Loving Mind on McLaughlin

A sane, if highly flawed, discussion of Mitt Romney's "Faith In America" speech on the McLaughlin Group was cold-cocked into the realm of crazy-faced anger by guest panelist Lawrence O'Donnell this morning, who started off by criticizing Romney, but soon veered headlong into a radical assault on Mormonism.

The discussion was following along it's typical bland and predictable way, with Pat Buchanan praising Romney for defending his beliefs and Eleanor Clift dryly noting that Romney wasn't as robotic as usual. That's when the ball finally came to O'Donnell, who began by remarking, "This was the worst political speech of my lifetime." But O'Donnell didn't have much to say about the speech, as it turned out.

This was the worst political speech of my lifetime. Because this man stood there and said to you "this is the faith of my fathers." And you, and none of these commentators who liked this speech realized that the faith of his fathers is a racist faith. As of 1978 it was an officially racist faith, and for political convenience in 1978 it switched. And it said "OK, black people can be in this church." He believes, if he believes the faith of his fathers, that black people are black because in heaven they turned away from God, in this demented, Scientology-like notion of what was going on in heaven before the creation of the earth.

Pat Buchanan, believe it or not, deserves credit for asking a question that was both germane to the discussion and entirely fair: "Do you believe his faith disqualifies him to be President." Well...it's clear that O'Donnell does. Forcefully, fiercely. Frankly, frighteningly! (A saner examination of the very problems O'Donnell cites can be had here.)

The conversation just went right off the rails from there. Mormonism was founded by a "fraudulent criminal," O'Donnell maintained, insisting that the speech was an "opportunity to distance himself from the evils of his religion" even as Clift cautioned that "every religion has had its scandals." That got McLaughlin defending the Catholic Church, further shouting, Buchanan blaming Christians for bringing slavery to the United States, and Clift saying that "every religion has some crazy beliefs."

Hilarious. And O'Donnell would just not let up. His kick to commercial, "Romney comes from a religion that was founded by a criminal who was anti-American, pro-slavery, and A RAPIST!" It makes you wonder how well O'Donnell gets along with the writers on Big Love...or how he's going to feel after he realizes how reasonable his made Pat Buchanan looked!

Comments

[Jackalheadedgod]

Damn, I missed it, but I don't care if he painted his face like an NFL fan, O'Donnell is right. America is chock full of goofy sects, groups, beliefs, covens and cathedrals, but how did this cartoon belief become Utah (and the Pacicic Islands)? The air is awfully dry and thin up there, I suppose.

Mormons seem uniformly nice and conservative, so its always a little disconcerting to discover what they actually believe.

I sure get a kick out of watching big love though.

Cheers!

[booker52]

Live in Utah for a while, study the LDS Church and just about everything O'Donnell said is true. As for Mitt's speech, a bunch of nothing. He explained nothing, just as I am sure he planned. As for saying that you have to believe to be an american, hello??? Jerk speech, jerk speaker!!!

[Neoconstant]

The 'mainstream' Christian viewpoint:

Condescension, Trinitarianism, Transubstantiation, immaculate conception, Biblical inerrancy - legitimate and certainly NOT crazy ideas.

Mormons? They're just weird - no theophagy, no mystical formless sky-god, no tripartite genderless pagan diety. Where's the good Christian fun in any of that?

[Bobleblah1]

Mormonism is disturbing on many other levels.
The few jabs O'Donnell takes at it are light in comparison to what you'll learn if you actually do research and learn about this cult.
Romney is going to have serious problem with evangelicals and baptists who tend to take their religion seriously.

[jpopphan]

Since Romney has injected so much religiosity into his campaign, he has invited investigation and questions into the Mormon faith. Had Romney ran a secular campaign and left religion out of it altogether it would be a different story.... but he has made it a centerpiece of his campaign in his desire to win over the support of evangelicals.

Most of what O'Donnell said is true. Joseph Smith was a crook, a fraud and a liar - just like most shysters who start their own religions are. And the protestations of Eleanor Clift that all religions have their problems is just crap. Yes, all religions have problems BUT THAT DOESN'T EXCUSE THEM!!

[AlexanderH]

forget the mormon church being racist, when is it going to come out in public that the mormons believe that each man will rule a little kingdom in heaven of all his descendants on earth and thats why they go back and baptise dead relatives into the church? I mean there are so many incredibly juicy things about mormonism its amazing no one talks about it. Does romney believe in his other two bibles as much as the "bible" he was talking about in the debate? Did the lost tribe of jews come over to North America on rafts and live with the indians or not mitt?

[frankdwyer]

In your headline, why did you put "racist" in quotes? Just wondering. Has your august headline writer made a definitive determination here? Look how clear, nice, and true the headline would be if there were no quotation marks. I wonder how your headline writer would render these words:
HONEST, ANGRY PUNDIT LASHES OUT AT MISOGYNIST MORMONISM. "MISOGYNIST" MORMONISM? Just wondering. Be more careful with these story headlines: you have some more coming up with the rocketing HOMOPHOBIC, MISOGYNIST creationist dimwit.

[sugarmagnolia]

I saw this on Sunday and was wondering if there would be any blogging about it. He obviously hates the Mormon religion. I was a bit disappointed because I thought that the bigger issue was Romney's insistence that this is a "religious" country. I'm so sick of this religious litmus test.

[Moshe]

OMG!!!

When someone is ranting enough to make Pat Buchanan look like the reasonable one . . .

[brwnizofmine]

Good for you Lawrence! I like people who have the guts to say in public what some will only say in private to their friends. If we had more people like you willing to speak up for people who have been harmed by our society, this country would be a better place!

This is off topic, but did anyone see the segment last night on Dan Abrams regarding BUSH and how the Justice Department has basically done away with civil rights for African Americans? They've only taken on cases of reverse discrimination. A "uniter" my azz!!!

[abiodunaodeleye]

Romney is entitled to his "beliefs", even if based on some questionable teachings of a charlatan. I am entitled to my "beliefs" too- not to vote for him!

[fabrom]

Tee hee hee! I don't have a tv but watching this on line almost made me want to run out and buy one. All those folks wanting to justify one politican's effort to shove religion down all our throats by pointing out how awful all religions are. Tee hee hee!

[lovethesinner]

O'Donnell didn't lose his mind, he USED his mind. He correctly pointed out the flaws in both Romney's speech, and candidacy.

What Buchanan and the MSM wasn't ready for was a Democrat with a pair. Especially when they hit Pat Buchanan's chin.

If Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi refuse to do nothing to stop the destruction of our American way of life, THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHERS who are willing to speak up.

Forget about the "no more blank checks" for Bush, THERE WILL BE NO MORE BLANK STARES for Republican appologists and spin doctors.

You tell 'em Larry. (It's our fucking island.)

[shag11]

While I am a fan of O'Donnell's, I think he needs to get therapy. He's does this frequently and it's not a pretty picture. Rightwingers are usually guilty of these type tirades.

[CallMeLiberal]

O'Donnell was great. I watched it on Sunday and loved it. We need more people with the guts to pull back the curtain on the sham that is so much of organized religion, particularly among many fundamentalists (Christian, Jewish, Muslim). Huckster Huckabee is Exhibit A: he told a funny to avoid admitting that Christ would under no circumstances approve of capital punishment. The pick-and-choose Bible thumpers are a sad lot but they have inordinate influence. It's past time to call their hands. Granted, the Mormons add an extra dose of crazy hallucinations to the mix, but I'm 100% on board with O'Donnell.