Americans are 'reluctant to vote for somebody who's different'

A Republican congressman said Tuesday that "every American is reluctant to vote for somebody who's different than they are" while discussing Mitt Romney's Mormon faith.

Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), who is Mormon and Hispanic, said Romney faces a unique challenge in his bid for the White House.

“You know, I think every American is reluctant to vote for somebody who’s different than they are, whether it’s Mormon or whether something else. And I think what you have to do as a Republican, as a politician, is to convince the people that even though you're different than they are, that you still believe in the same things that they believe in," Labrador told Fox News Latino.

But Labrador emphasized that every politician needed to work to "enchant" voters, and the reluctance of some to embrace Romney was not a simple matter of his faith.

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Deep_Thinker

The title of this article should state "Americans are clueless when it comes to voting".

Some of the reasons I have heard for voting:

"He has good family values"

"He sounds like a leader"

"He's the best of the worst"

Pathetic that no one has a clue about what a president should be like… No wonder our country is going to hell and our last hope is a desperate attempt at warmongering with other nations to keep the imperialists dream alive..
- msjallen
  
  Since you hate America so much, I suggest very strongly that you move to another country where you will be happy with their anti-American attitude. Our country is going to hell because people like you reject God and His Word and would rather blame everyone else for the problems here the same as 0 is doing.
  Ps 75:5-7 Do not lift up your horn on high; do not speak with insolent pride. For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.
  Col 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over ALL rule and authority;
  - http://youtu.be/zjgBhpanOfQ Despeville
    
    "Since you hate America so much, I suggest very strongly that you move to another country where you will be happy with their anti-American attitude"
    
    Why is that when Roman Catholics are criticized most of them assert hate to their opponents?
    Why is that when dispensationalists are criticized most of them assert hate to their opponents?
    Why is that when homosexuals are criticized most of them assert hate to their opponents?
    
    Because they have no factual arguments to present, that is why. Please stop your subjective abuse of Scriptures.
    
    PS Yes, Christians also talk about "hate" when it comes to atheists. Although this is not the factual in all instances it is for the most part as far as resident atheists on this site.
    - Deep_Thinker
      
      Agreed. Argumentation can be done in a calm, logical manner. But when your logic doesn't hold, it doesn't pay to get all emotional and hate filled.
- Kenneth
  
  Since you are not 'clueless' about voting, please tell me why you voted for Obummer and why we all should in November. Let's see, now who was it who attacked the World Trade center and killed 3,000 Americans….did we start that one? Who is it that just today set off bombs in Afghanistan killing innocent people? And you say we should not try and stop them.?? I will vote for any man of any religion (except Islam) over the illegal one now in the White House. Does that make me clueless?
  - daves
    
    What does the bombing of the WTC and bombs being set off in Afghanistan have to do with President Obama?
- Evermyrtle
  
  Family values do matter, as well as belief in my GOD and HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, their political records, the decisions they have made for the country, if they were for our benefit or against us, whether you can believe what they tells us, depending partly on what they have said before deciding to run for president., their level of hate for things surrounding them, like our hate of things which are an abomination to GOD, their treatment of others running against them, the lies they are willing to tell to get the nomination, their opinion of themselves and I could go on but I will stop with these things I look for in the candidate.
  
  Not-so -deep………you think far too much of your doubtful intelligence!!!
  - Evermyrtle
    
    One of the most important clues I look for is how the candidate feels about and treats our enemies, those who are out to destroy us.We have those who love our enemies and will do anything, in their power, to help them, like force monies out of Americans and send it to our enemies.
    - blackhawk
      
      Does that include Omuslim ? " Wait until after the election and we can proceed" What the hell did he mean ???????
      - Evermyrtle
        
        He has left a wide path of destruction!!! His tree only has rotten fruit!
    - daves
      
      But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Deep_Thinker

I don't reject God. Who said that?

I don't hate America, I hate naive Americans who are spoonfed with lies and gulp them down like cake.

If by "American" attitude you mean killing innocent civilians and starting more wars with other nations in the past century than any other country, no, I am not that "American". I am a constitutional American, A christian, and a libertarian. All three are in conjunction with each other. I know you won't understand how because you would rather not live with the guilt that your "American" pride has murdered and plundered the world in many ways. What we see now is a last attempt to continue the imperial reign that is doomed to fail.

And your the one speaking with pride, "American" pride over Christian pride.
- http://youtu.be/zjgBhpanOfQ Despeville
  
  Deep, unfortunately most of what you have said went right above her head…
  - Deep_Thinker
    
    Selective learning disability – I choose to hear only that which agrees with me…
- http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
  
  Great Britain has a long history of being in wars with other countries. Here is a list of the wars I could locate that they have been involved with over the past 100 years.
  
  World War I (1914–1918)
  
  Easter Rising (1916) – Ireland
  
  Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919)
  
  Irish War of Independence (1919–1921)
  
  World War II (1939–1945)
  
  Malayan Emergency (1948–1960)
  
  Korean War (1950–1953)
  
  Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960)
  
  Cyprus Emergency (1955–1959)
  
  Suez Crisis (1956)
  
  Brunei Revolt (1962)
  
  Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation (1962–1966)
  
  Aden Emergency (1963–1967)
  
  Northern Ireland Troubles (1969-2007)
  
  Falklands War (1982)
  
  The First Gulf War (1990–1991)
  
  The Bosnian War (1995–1996)
  
  The Kosovo War (1999)
  
  Sierra Leone Civil War (2000)
  
  The Afghanistan War (2001–Present)
  
  Iraq War and Iraqi insurgency (2003–Present)
  - Deep_Thinker
    
    That's childs play compared to the US:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_S…
  - keyboardshark
    
    "Being in wars" and starting wars are two different things. How many of those wars that Britain was involved in were unprovoked attacks with the purpose of overthrow or expansion? Few if any, I would venture to say. Some may have been misguided or executed poorly, but there was not the malice of the likes of Nazi Germany, Imperialist Japan, or the Soviet Union. Britain was nearly destroyed in WW II by Germany. Should they have just refused to defend themselves?
    - http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
      
      I did not criticize GB, I merely pointed out that they have been involved in many wars.
      - keyboardshark
        
        I assumed you were responding to Deep_Thinker's statement: "If by "American" attitude you mean killing innocent civilians and starting more wars with other nations in the past century than any other country…"
        
        He used the phrase "starting more wars" so I assumed you were using GB as an example/comparison of another nation that 'started' wars. Perhaps you should have clarified your reason for listing the wars if it was different than what D_T stated.
      - http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
        
        I was responding to him. However, I was not being critical as you question implied.
        
        keyboardshark 88p · 2 hours ago
        
        "Being in wars" and starting wars are two different things. How many of those wars that Britain was involved in were unprovoked attacks with the purpose of overthrow or expansion?
Esteban Cafe

I wonder if the title of the article is true: you Americans voted in Mr. Obama–who is "different" than the other ~85% of Americans. Seems to me that you're willing to vote for "different."

Speaking of "different"…isn't Mr. Obama half white, too? Your press has labled him "The first Black President" (after Mr. Clinton, of course) while at the same time lableing Mr. Zimmerman , of Trayvone Martin fame, a "White-Hispanic." To be consistent, shouldn't Mr. Obama be called the first "Black-White President"? And what criteria is used to claim either race if one is 50% of each? Why dosen't he claim his "Whiteness" as strongly as his "Blackness"? If what I've read is true, he seems to denigrate the former and loudly (constantly) proclaim the latter.
- keyboardshark
  
  Astute observations, Esteban.
- http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
  
  He can claim the title of the first president to eat dog meat.
  - keyboardshark
    
    Yes, and all U.S. cats would surely vote for him in November. :-)
  - daves
    
    Maybe.
http://twitter.com/lambsev11 @lambsev11

Obama
Romney
America has done better…. Reagan certainly, and even Nixon was better.
What has happened to our nation?
joseph cappello

as a catholic i respect the mormon faith even though our theology differs i can see that mitt romney is man of faith and believes in the true meaning of the gospels and thats what we need in the white house and bring back morality and common sense to our government and our nation.
- Winston
  
  So, you are saying you have no problem voting for a Muslim, Hindu, Buddahist, Atheist, Satanist, etc, which are all religions, but do not worship Jesus/God/Holy Spirit, but have their own gods. What sense of personal values and morality do you have as a Catholic? Oh, I forgot, that you worship Maryology and pray to the dead "saints", and let a man (priest/bishop/archbishop/cardinal/pope) pray for you. Jesus said, "the only way to the father is through the Son"….so please explain your practices of faith.
Winston

"Who is different from who they are" is a lie from Satan, because each individual has their own value system, personal, professional, and even political. As a Bible-believing Christian, Constitutionalist, and conservative, I will not vote for a candidate who does not fully share my own values, so I vote for a candidate who does share them, or I evoke my right to "write in" a candidate who I know does share them.. and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the latter choice. To be forced to vote for a candidate just because the candidate is either Democrat or Republican should be an act of anti-Americanism because the voise of We the People is NOT being heard, but diffused.
bighoss

The Mormon Congressman says:

"And I think what you have to do as a Republican, as a politician, is to convince the people that even though you're different than they are, that you still believe in the same things that they believe in."

I just checked my beliefs and found that there are lots of them that are decidedly NOT the same as Mormon doctrines. For example, I do NOT believe that I (or any man, for that matter) can so live as to ultimately "progress" to the state where I become a god over my own world, populating it with thousands of inhabitants by cohabiting with the many wives that are alleged by Mormons to be at the disposition of Mormon males who "progress" to godhood status.

I do not believe that I or any other living person can be scripturally baptized in behalf of dead people, thus securing the blessings of baptism to those who failed to obtain them while living.

I do not believe that some remnant of Israelites floated across the Pacific Ocean on a boat with a hole in the top and another hole in the bottom, ultimately to populate North and South America with white folks, red folks, or any other folks.

I do not believe that some octogenarian in a high-rise building in Salt Lake City is an anointed prophet through whom God speaks.

I could go on much longer, but there is far too much blasphemous material to cover in order to fully describe all the many, many things I do NOT believe in common with members of the Mormon cult.
- Vladimir
  
  And, of course, we should all vote for Obama again.
  - Deep_Thinker
    
    It's time you stop helping the two-party machine and vote 3rd party.
- Winston
  
  Your non-acceptance of Mormon doctrine is admirable, because Mormon doctrine is nothing but lies, deception, and Nicolaitanism… blind sheep following men and not God/Jesus.