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375

Romney on voting for Trump over Biden: ‘No, no, no, absolutely not’ (thehill.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

33 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said Wednesday he would “absolutely not” vote for former President Trump over President Biden in November, pointing to Trump’s foreign policy views and his character.

“No. No, no, absolutely not,” Romney told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source” when asked whether he would support Trump over Biden.

Romney explained there are “two factors” — policy and character — he is using to decide “who I want to have as the leader of my country and the person who is the example of the president for my kids and my grandkids.” He said are both vital but that character is most important.

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[–] [email protected] 77 points 5 months ago (1 children)

What this tells you is that a man who spent a huge chunk of his life working for corporate cannibalization companies thinks that Trump would be so bad for the economy that even predatory corporations would suffer.

Its not like Romney ever had any actual policy positions based on anything other than political expedience.

'Course Republicans these days dont even seem to be pretending they have any coherent policy positions beyond 'we hate immigrants' and 'women dont deserve basic human rights'.

Bleck.

[–] merc 34 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Romney's the former governor of Massachusetts, a very Democratic state. He's had fairly consistent policy positions for at least 20 years or so. On social issues he's pretty right wing, he's a Mormon after all. But, he was pro gun control 20 years ago and has been consistent on that every since. For abortion he said "I will protect a woman's right to choose under the laws of the country and the commonwealth", even though he was personally against it. He supported slightly raising the minimum wage, but vetoed a bill that substantially increased it. He admitted climate change was real and supported regulation of greenhouse gases, also supporting wind farms in MA.

Obamacare is basically Romney's plan for Massachusetts but rolled out to the entire country. So, on health care he was to the left of almost the entire Republican establishment, even to the left of many democrats.

Once the wind shifted with the whole Tea Party stuff and the Trumpization of the GOP, Romney didn't really shift. He didn't vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020. In fact, he voted to convict him in both of his impeachments. He marched with Black Lives Matter protesters. He still supports gun control, etc. Not only are these pretty liberal positions for a Republican, they're pretty consistent with his public life for the last 20 years.

Sure, he's a former private equity ghoul, but in public life it seems like he's more defined by his Mormon side than his private equity side. Yes, he's pro-business, he's definitely socially conservative, but he believes in the rule of law, and believes in US institutions.

I hate that I'm defending him. I don't like him. But, I do have some grudging respect for him. He's one of very few current Republicans who do seem to have principles. And, while I disagree with his principles, his principles are largely old-school Republican rather than new-school Fascist.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

He's a good man that's wrong about some things. Trump is a shitty excuse for a human that's wrong about nearly everything.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, thehill, we get it. Romney’s a republican who doesn’t like trump. You’ve already written this article a few times, howabout some actual journalism?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Romney is just mad that he didn't get a cabinet position after kissing the boot

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

He made the attempt. I still recall the image of him at a dinner table with Trump.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago

I know it's still intense, but I am honestly shocked at the civility level of this conversation. This really is not reddit. In a good way.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said Wednesday he would “absolutely not” vote for former President Trump over President Biden in November, pointing to Trump’s foreign policy views and his character.

No, no, absolutely not,” Romney told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source” when asked whether he would support Trump over Biden.

He predicted Trump might win the election, if it were held today, but said that would result in “a dramatic change in our foreign policy.”

Romney, who announced in September that he would not seek reelection, has been among the most critical senators of the former president.

In a statement to The Hill, a Trump spokesperson blasted Romney as “a loser” who “continues to prove why he is irrelevant.”

“Nobody cares what he has to say and should crawl back under the rock he came from,” spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement.

The original article contains 489 words, the summary contains 143 words. Saved 71%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] [email protected] -3 points 5 months ago

Romney knows nothing of character. Flip flopper in chief.

[+] [email protected] -58 points 5 months ago (5 children)

Not voting for Trump is different from voting for Biden. Just sayin

[–] [email protected] 60 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Not really. The choice is between a fascist sychopant who did more damage to this country than we will likely ever know or an experienced statesman who has led the charge to undo said damage and bring us forward on many fronts. If trump had won again we would probably be chest deep in the worst depression we have ever seen and note that I said depression and not recession.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

In terms of how voting math works? They are more or less the same

In terms of actually showing an iota of backbone and giving a shit about the country? It is very different. Because if romney actually cared he would be encouraging republicans to vote for Biden and explaining that this shit has gone on too far.

But the reality is that romney and cheney are basically going for the mccain "maverick" role. They are the good republican who has a line and cares about the country so vote for them. And then ignore when they basically vote on party lines on every single topic because they are only mad that they aren't in charge.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago

Romney has made some half assed attempts but the sycophants have gone further towards the looney bin than Romney or his generation of politicians would ever have gone. Remember that they had an effigy of him on Jan 6. No one on the right these days cares about the country or anyone other than themselves. The entire republican party is now basically a pack of rabid chihuahuas, they are powered by hate, fear and loathing.

Even if Romney and the few remaining sane repubs came out for Biden and pushed the party to get off the hate train, that train has already left the station and can not be stopped until it hits the end of the track and that will be when we finally fix the gerrymandering and prosecute enough of them for all of the crimes they have gotten away with for way too long.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Spoken like a republican bot.

It's all fine to discuss future candidates but we are in a position of limited options right now, and voting for anyone but Biden is gonna help trump.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Romney isn’t voting for Biden. I agree that we all should. I have always voted for dems and always will. Obviously it’s the lesser of two evils. I didn’t say anything about my beliefs on that. I said Romney isn’t endorsing Biden.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago

I think he might even vote for Biden tbh. He knows it's an either/or choice.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (3 children)

If Romney endorsed Biden it would probably lose him votes

[–] [email protected] 34 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Romney will probably never get another vote in his life, unless randos decide to write him in for stuff

Edit: to clarify, he is retiring after this term

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Oh yeah, I know, I meant if Romney endorsed Biden it would probably cost Biden votes

[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I doubt that. Democratic voters aren't going to choose to not vote for Biden based on anything this tool says. Independent voters, on the other hand, might decide to vote for Biden if a moderate like Romney supports him.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The bigger issue is that if Romney endorsed Biden the magats would go after him, including death threats or worse.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago (1 children)

He already gets death threats and was apparently a target of Jan-6ers.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

including more death threats or worse.

FTFY.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Isn’t that basically what he’s doing here?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (2 children)

It was an either or question.
So in this particular scenario not voting for Trump would be voting for Biden.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

But he never actually said that. If someone says “will you vote for Biden or Trump?” Most people answer with their choice, but he basically said “I’m not voting for Trump.” It’s dodging the question.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

As I recall, Biden won a number of districts last time due to Republicans voting R down ballot but leaving the president vote blank

[–] merc -1 points 5 months ago

Or not voting.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The trouble with not voting for someone because you don't like them is that it's indistinguishable from any number of other positions. You aren't influencing any form of change.

If you're not going to vote for either candidate, vote for a 3rd party. Your vote will still have just as little effect on the outcome of the two horse race, but at least it will more clearly portray your position.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago (2 children)

This isn't debate club. In this election, there are two real choices. It sucks but many folks need to get it together and vote for what they want to see less( i.e. if you hate trump, vote Biden, even if you don't love Biden)

I don't want this country to continue to slip into Alabamian christiostate, and although it's a mess right now, Biden is the better bet to forestall or reverse that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Compulsory RCV when

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

i.e. if you hate trump, vote Biden, even if you don't love Biden

I didn't say that wasn't my position. That's what people should do, because the alternative is worse.

However, if you're not going to vote at all, that is worse than both of those but also worse than voting for a 3rd party candidate.