Is this why Americans took Mitt seriously?

[chakka35]

I couldn't understand why even a few Americans could even consider the plainly potty Mitt as a potential President when you look into the breathtakingly stupid things that Mormons believe.

But then I was reminded by The Times that 47% of the American people believe that God created human beings in their present form only 10,000 years ago. In other words nearly one in two citizens of what is supposed to be the most technologiclly advanced nation on earth happily rejects
evolution in its entirity and most of archeological knowledge.

I reckon a half-trained chimpanzee would have a good chance next time.

[jno]

America isn't a theocracy (unlike the UK where archbishops have seats in parliament) and people aren't elected on the basis of their religious beliefs. Analyses suggest the main single factor in Obama's re-election was single women who thought he was handling the continuing economic difficulties well.

[sandyRoe]

Well, a chimpanzee's co-star won the White House not so long ago.

http://t3.gstatic.com...fQPX9kxTKqoBQZBCjazqt

[Mammar]

Well, three cheers for America's single women then

[FredPuli43]

Curious idea that Britain is a theocracy because a few Archbishops sit in Parliament, in the House of Lords. And what evidence is there that they have influence in that, fairly toothless, body?

We should thank blacks, hispanics, people below 40 years of age, those with incomes below $35k a year, women (especially single ones), those who attend religious services rarely or not at all, in fact most Americans who aren't white men over 40 !

Romney, according to Fox News, lost because people want things and Obama gives them things (what, like healthcare?) and America is not America any more (i.e. "it's a brown country", which one Fox commentator said)

[rojash]

"and people aren't elected on the basis of their religious beliefs. "
Just try and get elected president without attending some sort of Christian church regularly.

[ludwig]

^ True. We've had the black president, there'll be a woman president, and probably an openly gay one before long, but an atheist has got no chance.

[Bazile]

//I reckon a half-trained chimpanzee would have a good chance next time. //

Are you saying that a half trained chimp , would have beaten Obama?

[Bazile]

fox news - now there is a totally non biased news channel

[jake-the-peg]

Can an atheist constitutionally be President? One nation under God and all that?

Obviously an Atheist couldn't be Monarch under British law

Hmm I wonder if an atheist heir to the throne could bring a case under Human Rights Legislation or whether the "Monarch as priest" argument would hold up

(sorry if this is Hijacking your thread)

[oldgreyweird]

Religious orthodoxy and intelligence do seem to be mutually exclusive. It's strange that the USA prides itself on religious tolerance but doesn't formally recognise atheism.

[naomi24]

//It's strange that the USA prides itself on religious tolerance but doesn't formally recognise atheism. //

It recognises atheism - it just doesn't tolerate it. ;o)

[wildwood]

//one in two citizens of what is supposed to be the// I'm not sure that that half of the population which didn't bother voting would represent support in the same proportion as those who did, I doubt it.

US elections are an expensive industry driven mass-hysteria occasion where supporting a candidate seems to be more important than knowing what that candidate stands for. The presidential candidate becomes a brand name and a less influential politician has no chance.
Look at the successful presidential candidates in the past, many are promoted by the outgoing President and so effectively transfer support of the new one candidate.

Well, that's my opinion, anyway.

[jno]

<<"and people aren't elected on the basis of their religious beliefs. "
Just try and get elected president without attending some sort of Christian church regularly.>>

16% of Americans believe Obama's a Muslim, but he's been elected twice.

[naomi24]

^^ Just goes to show any religion is better than none - as long as it's not Mormonism. ;o)

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

Actually, I think Obama won because he's pretty down to earth. He hasn't done a bad job in my eyes and Joe Public just like the guy.

[jan01]

wildwood... isn't that what happens here but lacklustre?

[zebo]

We found the degree of hatred towards Obama from Republicans staggering in August/September, far greater than 4 years ago. In Tucson we were lectured by some rednecks from Florida about his communist affiliations and those of every man woman child and animal who's ever come into contact with him. It was all true, because the film Obama 2016 said so.
I certainly agree that no-one is likely to get a sniff of the White House without being a church attender, there was even a lot of ill feeling towards Kennedy for being a Catholic back in 1960.
I hope everyone's been watching The Daily Show, Jon Stewart, on Comedy Central, it's been hilarious about Fox News, or Bullsh1t Mountain News as it's known.

[LazyGun]

it was hugely entertaining to read, in the aftermath of the Presidential Election, when it became clear that Obama was to be re-elected, the meltdown within the Republican commentators - Karl Roves on-air lunacy, Donald Trump twittering that they should organise a march on Washington to take back democracy, Ted Nugent wittering that the dependents were sucking the life out of the US.

And then you had commentators like Bill O Reilly, with his whining about a conspiracy of the secular progressives and the far left to steal america.

They live in a different world, and have a strange view of america, in my opinion....

And yes, Daily Show, and Bill Maher come to that - very entertaining.

[mikey4444]

OK...Obama won and Mitt lost. Hurrah !

But the national voting was still very close....lets not get hijacked by the idea that Obama won by a landslide.....he didn't.

Also, lets not get too starry-eyed about everything. The Republicans can win again in 4 years time, just as they did with the little Bush boy, and Reagan.

America hasn't "turned a corner" There is still widespread ignorance about almost every subject you can think of. Millions of Yanks still think that Darwin was wrong and that man was chasing around after dinosaurs for his lunch a few thousand years ago. They REALLY believe this. They are educated and appear perfectly normal but they still believe that the Grand Canyon was built by a supernatural god about 6000 years ago.

See this :::: http://creationmuseum.../whats-here/exhibits/

Now if ordinary, educated people can really believe this nonsense, it easy to see how they might vote for a racist, anti-women, anti-science, anti-everything else candidate in 2016.

These people haven't gone away...they are still there, in a cave somewhere, licking their wounds and planning their next move.

Sensible, rational and logical Americans need to be on their guard.

But its not just misguided Christians we need to be wary of. Islam is on the move and it isn't going to go away. There are millions of them and they don'l all wear tea towels on their heads and live in the desert. They are all over the West, and Britain in particular.

[FredPuli43]

Not all Muslims wear tea towels on their heads? Never knew any of them did. You learn something new every day, don't you. Do they favour a pattern or is the plain white with 'Tea Towel' in a red stripe at each end always worn?