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these guys don't do anything spontaneously. David Brody may have just come across the story, but it's highly unlikely that Tony Perkins - a media hound's media hound - decided to sit on his criticism without a good reason.
by pastordan on Sat Jul 07, 2007 at 08:48:13 AM PDT
[ Parent ]
but it would take me a while to open up the guns on a major presidental candidate if I were Perkins. I certainly think of FRC as being a "mullah" when it comes to pornography, rather than following the orders of someone else.
There is also an implicit (or was it explicit - will have to read again) contention that this issue isnt in and of itself a reason to question Romney - that it must be a cover for some other agenda.
Certainly, it is enough of an issue for me - but this is my "world"
SP's Bible in a Year: http://www.streetprophets.com/story/2005/10/19/105536/72
by JCHFleetguy on Sat Jul 07, 2007 at 09:05:53 AM PDT
I don't necessarily think the delay reflects some huge agenda. I'd just think that they'd move on it a little more quickly. And you'll notice that I specifically noted that they might be doing it for no better reason than the issue itself. Given the ramifications, I sort of doubt it, but I could be wrong on that.
by pastordan on Sat Jul 07, 2007 at 11:27:29 AM PDT
Dan, you're letting your conspiracy-theory mindset get the best of you. I can tell you exactly what happened because I saw the whole thing play out. Here's what happened:
Now, take that all into consideration and look at Tony's quote again:
"They [Marriott] have to assume some responsibility. It's their hotels, it's their television sets."
Notice what is left out? Anything about Mitt Romney? No, which sort of puts a dent in your rather naive analysis.
Let me assure you from someone who has an insider's view. There is no vast-right wing conspiracy. There are just people advocating for their positions. Sometimes they win, sometimes they don't. We (FRC) do not control the media. Mainly we just wait for them to ask our opinion. Sometimes we tell them what we think but a lot of the time (more than you'd think) we refuse to say anything.
I respect the Christian Left, even when I disagree with them. But if you guys start falling into the same conspiratorial mindset that affects the other Kos kids you'll make yourselves irrelevant.
by Joe Carter on Sat Jul 07, 2007 at 08:12:37 PM PDT
Joe - since we're apparently on a first-name basis now - I'm happy to be proven wrong on Tony's role in this story. But I find it a little odd that the same criticism of Romney has cycled through at least three media iterations with no reference to previous reporting. That might not indicate a conspiracy, but the alternative is that the Christian Right is so ingrown or conformist that it has trouble thinking critically about what's been reported to them. I'm not sure that's where you'd like to go with that.
I've also never known the FRC to sit passively when you thought you had a story to push. Half the press releases I see from you all are about obscure controversies nobody's ever heard of. Since Romney's connection to the Marriotts has been known for some time, it seems logical to assume that his connection to the porn in their hotels would have been known as well, and thus that the critique would have been made by this point.
That's backed up by the fact that Romney addressed Regent University at the beginning of May. If you didn't pick up on the story at that point - or haven't talked to Phil Burress in the meantime - then what the hell have you been doing?
Don't tell me Burress operates without coordination - he led the effort to push hotels to drop porn channels last year - an effort that included the FRC. If your boss didn't know that his partner in activism had issued a major-league slam of Romney, he should have. And if he didn't want to pile on, he should have specifically mentioned that he wasn't being critical of Romney in particular.
So either you missed the story and are now getting caught with your pants down, or you've known the story and held back on making the criticism of Marriott until an opportune time.
And last, I can't help pointing out that you're one of the founders of Blogs for Fred, so you're hardly a neutral observer in this situation. Or is it just naive of me to notice that, too?
by pastordan on Sat Jul 07, 2007 at 09:44:45 PM PDT
< crickets! >
(Bets?)
The light is at home in the darkness. -- Parmenides
by ogre on Sat Jul 07, 2007 at 11:23:41 PM PDT
To be honest, Dan, I'm still unclear about the point of your rambling post. Are you a Romney fan and are peeved because Religious Right leaders are not supporting him? Do you own stock in Marriott? Or is it just that you have a knee-jerk reaction that causes you to criticize conservative Christians for anything they do?
You say we've either "missed the story and are now getting caught with your pants down or you've known the story and held back on making the criticism of Marriott until an opportune time." What story? FRC has targeted OnCommand and LodgeNet, the providers of the porn to hotels. But as Tony notes--after he is asked to comment--the hotels themselves are not blameless.
You also have pick a side. You can't criticize us for both ignoring the story and making a big deal of it. Your arguments is getting downright silly.
And as far as my position, yes, I support Fred Thompson. So what? Does that mean I've "decided to stick a shiv in Romney's campaign"? No. It means I support Fred Thompson.
Also, if Tony wanted to go after Romney he'd do it head-on, as he has done with Giuliani. Why would he do is subtly, not even mentioning his name?
Seriously, leave the conspiracy stuff to the real nutcases over on Kos' main page. It is unbecoming of a Christian.
by Joe Carter on Sat Jul 07, 2007 at 11:46:40 PM PDT
. . . as an ex-Mormon, I participated on the ex-mo online boards a number of years back, and believe me, the connection between the Marriott and pornography is well-known there, and the exquisite hypocrisy of being able to find your Book of Mormon in the nightstand drawer and and dial up a porn flick at the same time draws no end of derision in those parts.
I've lost the need to go to those sites, and, not being from Massachusetts, I had no need to know of the Romney connection. But the same thing applies to Mitt as applies to all these other very public political Christians. When you break down the wall between Church and state, you run the risk of a fatal case of hypocrisy.
There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in. --Leonard Cohen
by Delia on Sun Jul 08, 2007 at 03:21:24 PM PDT
hotel pornography? Does he have a position?
Ad hominem references to so-called "real nutcases" on another blog is a) not in aid of anything b) lazy, ineffective advocacy and c) rude.
by Rain on Sun Jul 08, 2007 at 10:21:42 PM PDT
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