Mitt Romney was in Israel and apparently delivered this line:
“Make no mistake: the ayatollahs in Tehran are testing our moral defenses.”
What the hell does that even mean? What’s it intended to mean? I have no idea. I doubt he does either.
Aug 01 2012
Romney’s Word Salad on Iran
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mikeym
August 1, 2012 at 12:59 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I think it means that Mr. Romney is courting the votes of Ms. Palin’s supporters.
raven
August 1, 2012 at 1:16 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
With Romney it could mean anything. And mean the opposite next week.
It could mean there is going to be another battle between two gods, Allah versus Yahweh.
Larry
August 1, 2012 at 1:22 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
WTF? Moral defenses? I haven’t the faintest idea what that could possibly mean nor how an ayatollah might test them.
schism
August 1, 2012 at 1:29 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It means “America good. Israel good. Other Middle East bad.”
In other words, he’s quoting the GOP platform.
Randomfactor
August 1, 2012 at 1:30 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It means “someone please bring me my BROWN temple garments!”
Paul
August 1, 2012 at 1:30 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I half expect him to come out with “the narwhal bacons at midnight” during an interview. It would make as much sense as most things he’s said on this tour.
Doug Little
August 1, 2012 at 1:31 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
WTF is a moral defense. Is that what teams call a blitz on Tim Tebow.
Neil Rickert
August 1, 2012 at 1:34 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“Moral defenses”: a euphemism for magic underpants.
usingreason
August 1, 2012 at 1:40 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Is a ‘moral defense’ simply ignorance? There was a time that I was looking forward to a debate between Obama and Romney but now I am leaning towards just pure disappointment.
Zinc Avenger (Sarcasm Tags 3.0 Compliant)
August 1, 2012 at 1:45 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The less you mean, the harder it is for people to pin you for the etch-a-sketch moments.
Ing: Praise The Lord And Pass the Ammunition
August 1, 2012 at 1:47 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“Stay in line or I’ll have you killed”
eric
August 1, 2012 at 1:52 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Maybe “moral defenses” = hawkish resolve to try and bomb our way out of problems?
So the subtext could read: I’m not going to let international opinion stop me from bombing your country if you try to develop nukes.
lofgren
August 1, 2012 at 1:52 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It means the mooslems are trying make us all teh ghey
holytape
August 1, 2012 at 1:55 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I think he is saying we need surface-to-air bibles, and extra absorbant magical underwear.
d cwilson
August 1, 2012 at 2:00 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
But Mormons worship Elohim.
Mr Ed
August 1, 2012 at 2:10 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I watch enough Fox News to know what is immoral – gun control, gay marriage and taking prayer out of the classroom. So I can conclude that those ayatollahs in Tehran want a waiting period before purchasing a gun, think marriage should be between two people regardless of their genders and they want secular education.
I say we nuke Iran before it is to late to repeal (and replace) health care.
Stevarious
August 1, 2012 at 2:15 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Commander Spock looked up from the hologram projector. “They’re firing their gayzor beams, Captain.”
“Raise… the morality shields!” Captain Kirk wasted no time in pausing dramatically during this command.
Spock pressed several buttons on the console, calling up the relevant bible passages, but before he could reach the critical cross-shaped switch, the ship shook ominously and a rainbow-colored light washed across the bridge.
“It’s… too late, Captain!” Spock’s normally impassive voice shook with barely suppressed lust. “I’m… I’m thinking about Ensign Sulu without his shirt… his sculpted pecs… glistening with sweat as he wields his mighty rapier…”
“Oh, my!” said Sulu, unironically.
Synfandel
August 1, 2012 at 2:17 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It means he’s courting the vote of people who don’t care what words mean as long as they sound vaguely patriotic and he knows he’s not going to get the vote of people who expect his words to actually say something intelligent.
Area Man
August 1, 2012 at 2:20 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It means Romney is a secret Muslim. They’re testing his moral defenses with alcohol and pron.
Randomfactor
August 1, 2012 at 2:23 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Yeah! If Romney’s not a closet Mooslim, let’s see him drink a beer during Ramadan. HE CAN’T, CAN HE?
Raging Bee
August 1, 2012 at 2:24 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It means he’s courting both the chickenhawk — oops, I mean neocon — vote, and the right-wing-moralist vote, at the same time.
Michael Heath
August 1, 2012 at 2:49 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Pat Buchanan did an excellent job taking Romney to task on Iran in his weekly syndicated newspaper column: http://www.humanevents.com/2012/07/31/pat-buchanan-is-mitt-being-neoconned-into-war/
This comment post could also apply to Ed’s post about Jennifer Rubin.
slc1
August 1, 2012 at 2:57 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Re Michael Heath @ #22
If Obama launched a bombing raid against Iran’s nuclear sites tomorrow morning, Rubin would criticize him for not dropping enough bombs and not bombing enough targets.
RickR
August 1, 2012 at 3:09 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Stevarious @17-
That was…..oh, that was beautiful.
imrryr
August 1, 2012 at 3:28 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@Stevarious – Turn this into a complete story plz
eric
August 1, 2012 at 3:33 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@17 – gives a whole new meaning to the nickname ‘Bones.’
F
August 1, 2012 at 4:03 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The putative organized effort to do something as a result of a moral panic?
d cwilson
August 1, 2012 at 4:40 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Once again, his statement actually makes perfect sense if you’re a wingnut who believes that the Gay Agenda and Creeping Shariah are part of a unified front to destroy America as we know it.
Abby Normal
August 1, 2012 at 5:02 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Perhaps he’s trying to distance himself from the last Republican President’s immoral offensives.
Randomfactor
August 1, 2012 at 5:27 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well, the best moral defense is a good immoral offense…
Dr X
August 1, 2012 at 6:56 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The toughest test of Mitt’s moral defenses would be speaking for 5 minutes without telling a single lie.
Stevarious
August 1, 2012 at 7:29 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Oh that I had time to write for fun nowadays.
Here, have this instead. Best I can do in two minutes.
carlsonjok
August 1, 2012 at 7:52 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Of course you don’t understand what he means. You also can’t hear a dog whistle. And for much the same reason.
StevoR
August 2, 2012 at 3:39 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@Stevarious : Cheers! Awesome comments. :-)
@RickR : Seconded by me.
@26. eric :
That quite literally made me aloud aloud! Cheers!
StevoR
August 2, 2012 at 3:45 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
^ First ‘aloud’ there was meant to read “laugh” instead, natch. Oops.
StevoR
August 2, 2012 at 3:57 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@33. carlsonjok :
You need dog’s ears or keennness of hearing beyond frequencies human ears can perceive?
davem
August 2, 2012 at 5:35 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The meaning seems plain to me: Vote for me, and you’ll have that war against Iran that you want.
democommie
August 2, 2012 at 7:18 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Has Mittunswillard ever “meant” anything?
scienceavenger
August 2, 2012 at 10:35 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I thought the GOP favored abstinence as the only moral defense…
M Groesbeck
August 2, 2012 at 10:50 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
davem @ 37 –
I heard it more as “We are in grave danger of being destroyed if we don’t go full-on Christian theocrat so that Gawd will put his Big Magical Shield of Morality over the country.” Mostly because the whole religious right has been saying the same thing for years.
jnorris
August 2, 2012 at 8:59 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I don’t understand why rMoney is criticizing Iran on moral issues while Iran kills homosexuals for just being homosexuals. Isn’t killing gays still a Republican Tea Party wet-dream?