Dirty Tricks in the South Carolina GOP Race
[Guest post by DRJ]
Mitt Romney is the target of a political dirty trick in South Carolina:
“Many South Carolina Republicans got a bogus holiday greeting card this week, purported to be from White House hopeful Mitt Romney, that cites some controversial passages of the Book of Mormon. “We wish you and your family a happy holiday season and a joyful New Year. The Romney family,” the card says. The last page features a photograph of a temple above a box that says “Paid For By The Boston Massachusetts Temple.”
Romney’s campaign said it had nothing to do with the cards, postmarked Thursday from Columbia with 41-cent stamp, and Boston Temple President Ken Hutchins said Saturday he first heard about the mailing Friday from a woman in Charleston. Hutchins said the temple had nothing to do with sending mail to South Carolina Republicans, who go to the polls on Jan. 19 in a key early primary. “It is sad and unfortunate that this kind of deception and trickery has been employed,” said Will Holley, Romney’s South Carolina spokesman. “There is absolutely no place for it in American politics.”
South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson said he intends to “contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Elections Fraud Division and other appropriate authorities, provide them the copy of the mail piece delivered to South Carolina Republicans and ask for a thorough investigation into this matter.”
The Boston Temple President also objected to this as an effort to politicize his church, when it specifically avoids involvement in politics.
The passages in the card highlighted issues about polygamy and race:
“The card contains passages that underscore some differences between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and those of denominations that are prevalent in South Carolina.
“We have now clearly shown that God the Father had a plurality of wives, one or more being in eternity by whom He begat our spirits as well as the spirit of Jesus His first born, and another being upon the earth by whom he begat the tabernacle of Jesus, as his only begotten in this world,” reads one passage from Orson Pratt, cited on the card as an “original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.”
The card also cites a passage on Mary’s virgin birth that underscores her race. “And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.” On the card, “fair and white” are in a bolder, larger font and on a separate line.“
I’m not a Romney supporter but my position toward his candidacy has nothing to do with his religion. Huckabee is probably the most openly Christian candidate and I’m not a Huckabee supporter either. I like the separation of religious and government issues.
But a dirty trick like this, based on race and religion, is especially bad and I hope it is investigated with more resources than are typically devoted to the average political dirty trick. Most of all, I hope it backfires on whoever did it.
— DRJ
It’s a disgusting fraudulent attack. If someone, under their own name and in compliance with the crappy McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform law, chose to attack Mitt Romney for being a Mormon, so be it. Voters could discount such an attack as uncouth if they chose or accept its validity if they chose.
To do something similar while pretending to be Mitt Romney is disgusting in the extreme and undoubtedly criminal. I pray the perpetrators are found and brought to justice.
Christoph (92b8f7) — 12/29/2007 @ 6:04 pmThis has Sid Blumenthal’s fingerprints all over it.
Old Coot (2f9910) — 12/29/2007 @ 6:21 pmI’m glad that you are exposing this. As a pastor myself, I fully agree this card was totally uncalled for. Frankly, this kind of thing casts a bad light on those of us who are trying to minister ethically.
I do not believe the Mormon Church to be Christian, which I discuss further in Mormon Church Is Now Christian.
That said however, the true Christian believes that everyone deserves to be treated with the utmost respect. And this no matter what nationality, race and even religion.
May those who did this be brought to justice.
Ken Silva (eb0b42) — 12/29/2007 @ 6:23 pmAnd how do you know this isn’t another incident like the Mormon push-polling calls?
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/11/21/update-on-the-anti-mitt-anti-mormon-poll-calls/
Timothy Watson (dc2228) — 12/29/2007 @ 6:46 pmhttp://hotair.com/archives/2007/11/16/hmmm-senior-vp-at-polling-firm-blamed-for-anti-mitt-anti-mormon-calls-donated-to-romney/
Ken, I agree the Mormon church isn’t a Christian church in the sense of believing the Nicene Crede. That said, someone like myself, and your former president, Thomas Jefferson, who attempts to learn from Jesus’ moral teachings and parables, including in the almost certainly nearer to his life, Gospel of Thomas, and who discounts both the Nicene Crede and the teachings of Paul in favour of Jesus’ wouldn’t be considered a proper Christian either.
Even though Jesus’ disciple James, who often opposed Paul’s teachings, and was deceived by Paul, might consider my attempts to learn from Jesus’ words and not Paul’s as being nearer the mark.
Timothy, you mean you think Romney is trying to inoculate yourself by bringing up, among other things, racist teachings in the book of Mormon? A bit of a stretch — no?
Christoph (92b8f7) — 12/29/2007 @ 7:00 pmTimothy,
An investigation should uncover whoever it is and that’s the point, isn’t it?
DRJ (09f144) — 12/29/2007 @ 7:04 pmGiuliani is my suspect. I wouldn’t put anything past him.
nk (c87736) — 12/29/2007 @ 7:11 pmOn the actual record, Romney has been pleasant and non-confrontational about religion, for the most part. If anyone has a bone to pick with him it should be athiests.
David Ehrenstein (4ce68d) — 12/29/2007 @ 7:18 pmMy suspect is Huckabee: Bill Clinton with a tinsel halo.
SDN (a20b62) — 12/29/2007 @ 7:35 pmI’d look at either Huckabee, Hillary, or McCain.
Scott Jacobs (a1de9d) — 12/29/2007 @ 7:52 pmI doubt that this kind of thing would be sanctioned by a candidate (too little to gain, too much to lose). I suspect it was someone who did not realize how serious this type of ‘prank” is, and I hope they serve as an example.
My only hope is that all of this negative attention on Mormons will educate people about religious bigotry.
Joel Cannon (b378b0) — 12/29/2007 @ 8:01 pm“An investigation should uncover whoever it is and that’s the point, isn’t it?”
So, who was responsible for the push-polling calls? It’s been over a month now.
All the information I’ve seen so far points towards Romney and it’s a great strategy.
He’s a man that wants to portray himself as John F. Kennedy. “Someone” puts out anti-Mormon calls/cards and he gets to portray himself as the victim and all of his opponents are put on the defensive.
Timothy Watson (dc2228) — 12/29/2007 @ 8:03 pmMcCain benefits the most — which isn’t to say he did it. Huckabee also benefits and I can more easily picture him doing this than McCain as I detect a bit of disingenousness on Huckabee’s part:
Hillary not at all. She’d LOVE to face Romney. All the head-to-head polling says he’s the least electable major Rep. candidate.
Christoph (92b8f7) — 12/29/2007 @ 8:03 pmOr… about the incredible fallacy, fraud, and recent historical racial bigotry of the L.D.S. church.
Christoph (92b8f7) — 12/29/2007 @ 8:05 pmIsn’t mail postmarked with the zip code of where it is sent from?
I know the story says it was Columbia, SC but if they provided the zip code we would be able to narrow it done.
Timothy Watson (dc2228) — 12/29/2007 @ 8:21 pm“All the information I’ve seen so far points towards Romney and it’s a great strategy.”
Considering attacks on his faith appear to have been very successful in some states, I think not.
jpm100 (b48b29) — 12/29/2007 @ 9:01 pmI agree, jpm100. Timothy Watson’s position doesn’t hold water. Many people actually do oppose Mormonism and, in my opinion, for valid reasons. Reminding people and educating others about those reasons doesn’t help Romney.
In this case, if not the previous one Timothy refers to, Romney isn’t the culprit: He’s the victim.
Christoph (92b8f7) — 12/29/2007 @ 9:04 pmWhere’s the proof that it’s actually affected any voters?
I’ve seen more righteous indignation against the push-polls/cards than any actual concerns expressed about Mormonism.
It’s weird how Romney supporters seem to be the ones getting the phone calls and it’s just a Mormon church and the state Republican party that are mentioned in this most recent story. Why no interviews of people that actually received the cards?
And, Christoph, just because you’re a religious bigot doesn’t mean everyone else is…
Timothy Watson (dc2228) — 12/29/2007 @ 11:29 pmTimothy Watson, opposing a religion isn’t religious bigotry; it’s religion. Every religion thinks that other religions are wrong. This is the case even for those religions that claim they accept other religions –they can’t get around the Law of Contradiction.
Doc Rampage (01f543) — 12/30/2007 @ 12:09 amI think it’s pretty clear this was either done by the Romney campaign, the McCain campaign, the Guiliani campaign, the Huckabee campaign, the Clinton campaign, the Obama campaign, the Edwards campaign, or some unaffiliated schmuck in a misguided attempt to benefit one or more of the above.
IOW, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant to help Dennis Kucinich or Ron Paul. Beyond that, it’s clear as mud who did this in a sleazy effort to benefit whom.
Xrlq (aa20a5) — 12/30/2007 @ 5:25 amWelcome to the GOP in the south rom.
stef (9c2a3f) — 12/30/2007 @ 8:34 am@ Doc Rampage
I’m sure Osama bin Laden says the same thing…
Timothy Watson (dc2228) — 12/30/2007 @ 9:40 amI’d bet on Huck, but there are plenty of potential candidates. The Orson Pratt comment is 150 years old. It’s the type of thing anti-Mormons tend to trot out. I’ve heard the like frequently from Baptists here in the south and so I suspect Huckaboob
Dr T (340565) — 12/30/2007 @ 11:47 amIt’s even more disgusting than the lies Mitt’s ads are telling about Mike Huckabee and John McCain in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Of course, we know who’s responsible for those…
Incidentally, those who blame Huckabee need to remember that he’s refused to go negative on Mitt here in Iowa despite the smear campaign Romney is running against him in this state (example: a Huckabee bill providing minimum first time prison sentences for meth dealers four times as long as those in a failed Romney bill whose minimum term for the same crime is claimed to prove that Romney is tougher on meth dealers- because, at prosecutors’ requests, Huckabee had lowered the minimum from what it was in Arkansas before!
Bob Waters (d6f42d) — 12/30/2007 @ 12:46 pmBob Waters,
Huckabee has gone negative on Romney in Iowa:
DRJ (09f144) — 12/30/2007 @ 1:02 pmToo many of us forget that, upon Judgement Day, we have to face our maker and be accountable for OUR actions and words, not what others say about us.
Another Drew (8018ee) — 12/30/2007 @ 3:03 pmBob-
I’m not sure about your definition of “go negative,” but I was fairly put off by Huckabee’s disingenuous question about Satan being Jesus’s brother. It was clearly an attempt to propagate a classic anti-Mormon trope. Not as egregious as the stuff in this mailing, but pointing in the same direction.
Clint (11ab9a) — 12/31/2007 @ 12:01 amSo Timothy Watson, do you believe that the Pope is infallible in matters of Doctrine?
If you do, you’re bigoted against non-Catholics. If you don’t you’re bigoted against Catholics.
So regardless of how you answer that question, I can clearly and conclusively (by the rules you’re using for the definition) show you to be a religious bigot.
This was the point that Doc was making, and it is valid. You cannot completely and unreservedly support multiple opposing viewpoints simultaneously. And most religions have distinct opposing viewpoints.
Well, at least I can’t. Maybe you can embrace the necessary contradictions between all religions simultaneously. If you can hold that paradox in your head, believing all sides at once, you’d make a great politician…
But hey, I’m sure Osama would say the same thing here too. And name-calling is much better than any rational argument, right? You religious bigot you…
Gekkobear (fd36e1) — 12/31/2007 @ 9:53 amRandom individual: “Dude, can I borrow your satellite phone?”
Timothy Watson: “I’m sure Osama bin Laden asks the same thing.“
Xrlq (0e2175) — 12/31/2007 @ 10:30 am