I Don't Think Mitt Romney is a Racist

I don't think Mitt Romney is a racist, I think he just plays one on TV. He has repeatedly said that he would not have a Muslim in his cabinet. Does this mean he hates Muslims? No, it means Republican primary voters hate Muslims.

Mitt Romney is the greasiest man in America. He is so greasy, he shines. And in that shine you can see the reflection of his audience.

Romney is desperate to please. He will say or do anything to win the crowd, whichever crowd he is trying to win over at the time. When it was a more liberal audience in Massachusetts, he loved gay rights, respected a woman's right to choose, was ambivalent about Reagan and was more liberal than Ted Kennedy. Now that it is a Republican primary audience, he is for doubling Guantanamo, enhanced interrogation techniques, more unnecessary wars and yes, hating Muslims.

Does Romney actually believe that gay Americans should have rights? Who knows? Is he pro-choice or pro-life? Who knows, who cares? He is whatever people want him to be. I don't think he particularly gives a shit. All he wants is that brass ring. He is the Gollum of American politics.

You think he won't change his stances again if he wins the Republican primary? Of course, he will! Of course, he will! All of a sudden, Mr. Grease will be the world's biggest moderate. He will be against war because the American population at large is sick and tired of war. He will rush and scramble and bumble and fumble towards the middle. Because he knows his crowd.

So, that brings us back to why he keeps making gratuitous anti-Muslim comments. Because he knows it works! The Republican primary voters are obsessed with fighting this mythical fight against Islamic fascism, or Maoism or whatever they're calling it these days. The name isn't important, the idea behind it is - we loathe these Muslims who are foreign, evil outsiders looking to destroy our way of life.

Running against "the others" has been the bread and butter of Republicans for at least four decades now. They sound like they're on an episode of Lost, constantly running away from the others (best said by the Korean character in his broken English, when he looks so frightened and appears to be saying "the otters").

Pick a group, demonize them and pretend you are here to save Americans from them. Blacks, Mexicans, gays, Muslims, whatever. The group de jour these days is mainly Muslims (playing against the M&M's (Muslims and Mexicans) never hurts a Republican candidate).

So, accordingly, the shiny, reflective grease pool known as Mitt Romney is anti-Muslim. Does he really believe it? Who knows? Does he really believe anything? I bet he'd be the most pro-Muslim man you ever met if he was running for mayor of Mecca. How does anyone know what is in the heart of a man who has no soul?

The Young Turks

Comments

[Tankan]

Of course he's not racist! If the militants were of Christian origin he wouldn't have a Christian in his cabinet either!
Just look at the Bush administration, Christians and Muslims are as rare as hens teeth!

[avicenna]

I think we're getting ahead of ourselves here -I know quite a few Muslims - they're all pretty bright and have a good handle on reality. None of them expressed any desire to hang out in Romney's cabinet - especially if its anywhere close to all those skeletons in his closet.

I personally don't think a "moderate" muslim will feel comfortable in a cabinet without there being other moderate folks to talk to. Only a religious fundalmentalist will feel like he is among his brothers in a cabinet in a White House full of religious fanatics blowing up the world - like the one we presently have.

It is quite startling to think in retrospect that Saddam's Ba'th Party was more tolerant and inclusive then Romney's imaginary old boys' club. Christians in Monseiur Hussein's gov't were among his strongest supporters (and I'm not talking about Bush and his extended texan clan). Even more ironic that the US decided it was time for a regime change there - so that tolerance and peace can replace those deviants.

[Ben Dixon]

Romney is desperate to please. He will say or do anything to win the crowd, whichever crowd he is trying to win over at the time.

And this is differant than Hillary how?

[fearwig]

I want to take this moment to point out to you all that his "Muslim in the cabinet" comments were taken out of context.

First, he actually replied that he did not and was never likely to store muslin in the cabinet. He has a moth problem.

When the question was reiterated, he thought it referred to the practice of placing detainees in cabinets too short to stand, too narrow to sit, as part of the classic torture technique. He was proud to respond that he would never keep a Muslim in his cabinet. He refused to answer questions concerning the humaneness and constitutionality of the enhanced interrogation technique sometimes known as "car-roofing".

[gforcetwo]

Cenk Uygar, you're my hero.

[charlietuna11]

mecca? if rudy and mitt were running for mayor of dearborn michigan they would be quoting the quran verbatin..right now their key staff personel are checking with law inforsement people to determine what u.s.states are most likely to be invaded by the evil muslims from the middle east,n.africa, and elsewhere.i was surf channeling yesterday and caught the reverand pat robertson on the 700 club..he too says they hate us for our freedoms.all the tragedys that have been commited in the past 50 years is directly attributed to you know who..cenk,i really don't know that much about history..i'm going to guess that hitler who was a choir boy and stalin who went thru the seminary were muslims who posed as christians.those sneaky bastards should never be trusted..neither should pinochet,mussalemi, general franco,ferdinand,isabella,the list goes on and on.were on to you and your fellow travelers,..long live the neo cons and the true people of the book..

[MissLouise]

Mitt Romney does not bother me. Mind you, I'd rather have a hot knitting needle through my eye than see him as President, but as far as Republicans go, he ain't all that bad. I'd rather have a guy who is eager to please, who at least responds to the will and desires of the American people, calculating and shiftless as he may be, than someone who's got all sorts of convictions--often the WRONG convictions--and won't heed reality or reason. That describes Rudy, McCain, and Huckabee perfectly. And geez, haven't we had 7 years of that already?

[PhilD]

My Presidential standards have been sadly lowered. When you said that Mitt would shape-shift into whatever the American people want, I was a bit excited at that thought. That's what years of Dubya and Dick have done ("Hey, Mitt is an empty container, that's a PLUS!").

[sarge]

"Does this mean he hates Muslims? No, it means Republican primary voters hate Muslims."

The problem for Mitt is that a fair number of them hate Mormons as well. Just as "Muslim" is an automatic disqualifyer for anyone applying for a Job in Romney's Administration, so is "Mormon" a deal killer for many voters.

[Doofus]

Is that what 'the mythical fight against
Islamic fascism' has been about all along?

No Muslims in the Cabinet? (Have there ever been?)

Go round some up! Put them in the Cabinet! Please!

[Simone]

Brilliant!

[timm0]

"All he wants is that brass ring. He is the Gollum of American politics."

If you look in the House and Senate you'll find a lot of swine just like mitt.

Not to insinuate that mitt is OK nor make excuses for his Zelig impression, but I wonder if having "no soul" is worse than having a malignant, evil soul like cheney and lieberman.

[nancytheragingliberal]

Once again, Cenk scores a hit. Ah, yes, Mitt who flip flops so much, he makes Kerry look stable. Do you think the Dems will use this blowing in the wind and/or putting his finger up to check the augers against him? Probably not. The Dems never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Thanks Cenk. You know I love listening to you on AAR. When are you going to be on 500 stations across the country? Oh, I forgot, only the Rush, Ingram, Malkin, Savage, Beck, T.Carlson, O'Reilly types have that gig. The corporations have decreed that we should listen to their drivel 24/7. Too bad, the corps should cater to people like me. They could make so much $$$$$, don't you think?

[liberalrebuttal]

Uh, you need to Google ( Mormonism / Racism )

Then come back and tell me he's not a racist.

[cassandra]

Cenk,
I like to call 'em like I see 'em. too.
Mitt Romney is a shape-shifting, fracking liar who uses way too much glossy crap on his hair.