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Deep Thoughts on Romney’s Favorite Novel

...are found on Slate. Actually, they’re pretty good. Hubbard’s novel isn’t evil; it’s just really long and really bad. And, of course, liking it doesn’t necessarily imply an enorsement of Scientology or Tom Cruise. Mitt’s genuinely quirky and clearly unscripted preference reveals his geeky "inner goofball." Maybe it makes him more charming by making him less smooth and boring. Maybe it actually frees him from one Mormon stereotype. In some ways, the problem with Mormons is that they (despite their admittedly strange beliefs and rituals) seem overly wholesome.

Discussions - 3 Comments

Cute article. But I can't see Peter, given the description of the book, that it could make Mitt more charming and less boring--to me it seems less charming (I know we're starting pretty low on that scale) and MORE boring. He probably was being honest though, which I suppose is refreshing (was GWB really reading The Stranger? Charlotte Simmons I can see), but on the whole I think Steve Hayward SHOULD be right.

Peter, the "unscrpited" aspect of it was the only good thing about it. A genuine blow to my confidence in the man, I'm sorry to say. It's no worse than what we could have expected George W. to say, had he been more unscripted. But being a bad judge of novels indicates he is likely to be a bad judge of character, of common-sense, etc. Maybe that's too strongly put for someone who managed to become governor, and of Massachusetts of all states, but there it is. Being a saavy business-man/organizer is a big plus...but there's got to be evidence of high-level prudential wisdom. There is some evidence. In a thread below I praise his team's foreign policy work, and I still love his dissing of Amedijenad, but I'm growing much more wary now...I just don't have any real sense of the man, any way to square these discordant facts. I do know that the Republican party cannot afford to put another Bush-league mind in the White House. I'm reluctantly and hesitantly leaning McCain.

Although I must say, reading about Fred Thompson shows that he's got much more promise than meets the eye. And the film-acting ability is a plus. Old news to some of you, I know.

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