# WTF Romney's cozy with Pat Robertson? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 11, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360 "2012-09-11T00:24:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/21 "2012-09-11T17:30:37Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He explicitly says that we don’t condone wife beating. But if you really think he’s evangelizing for Islam, then I don’t see any point in further discussion. You’re quite wrong. Here’s the video: [http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/\_news/2012/09/11/13805925-pat-robertson-marital-counselor](http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/11/13805925-pat-robertson-marital-counselor) He says he doesn’t think we condone wife beating, but something’s got to be done. That’s about as far from explicitly saying we don’t condone it as you can get without outright endorsing it. It’s like telling teenagers that we don’t think we condone alcohol use, but you have to do something. If you watch the video, the rest of the discussion, even outside the issue of beating your wife, is arguably as bad. He gets into a rambling speculation that this is a woman who was oppositional and argumentative as a child and has a problem submitting to authority. All of this is based on the assertion from the guy writing the letter. Who knows what the relationship between these two people really is like, and how the wife, or an outside observer, might describe the situation. All Robertson knows is that this is a woman with problems submitting to authority who we probably shouldn’t say ought to be beaten, but heck what are you gonna do? ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/22 "2012-09-11T18:04:29Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He explicitly says that we don’t condone wife beating. But if you really think he’s evangelizing for Islam, then I don’t see any point in further discussion. Yeah, no.. he sure as hell is condoning wife beating. He gives absolutely NO alternatives. That’s his way of saying BEAT HER. Of course he’s not evangelizing for Islam, he’s advocating their methods of keeping the little woman in line. ergo, Move to Saudi Arabia. To call this woman a child is not only insulting it’s his way of “spare the rod” bullshit. Because women MUST OBEY… and divorce is not an option, unless your spouse has Alzeheimers, he says that’s one option open . ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/23 "2012-09-11T19:01:49Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Oh, I think more people than that are (or should be) insulted. Oh, yes. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > He explicitly says that we don’t condone wife beating. But if you really think he’s evangelizing for Islam, then I don’t see any point in further discussion. I don’t think he’s evangelizing for Islam. I think he’s evangelizing for The Good Old Days. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/24 "2012-09-11T19:53:00Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He explicitly says that we don’t condone wife beating. But if you really think he’s evangelizing for Islam, then I don’t see any point in further discussion. The transcript: > [@](#): > > ``` > TERRY MEEUWSEN (COHOST): This first one comes from Michael who says, “My wife has become a real problem. She has no respect for me as the head of the house. She insults me and she even went as far as stretching her hand to beat me. I’ve lost my self confidence. Her words hurt so much and she refuses to talk through our problems. Please tell me what I can do." > > PAT ROBERTSON (HOST): Well, you could become a Muslim and you could beat her. > > MEEUWSEN: But in lieu of that. > > ROBERTSON: You don’t want to go to Saudi Arabia? > > MEEUWSEN: No, no. > > ROBERTSON: You know, I think this man has got to stand up to her. And he can’t let her get away with this stuff. And you know, I don’t know – I don’t ***think*** we condone wife beating these days, but something’s got to be done to make her— > > MEEUWSEN: Not physically, but I mean why would she not want to talk through their problems? That’s so unlike— > > ROBERTSON: She is just totally—Well she’s rebellious, and chances are she was rebellious with her father and mother, she’s a rebellious child and she doesn’t want to submit to any authority. And she probably had temper tantrums when she was a kid and, you know—you know, the little girl, “I hate you, I hate you,” and she wants to slap her father. Well that’s the same kind of thing. She’s just—she’s transferred the father now. She might—I hate to say everything’s gotta be some psychological counseling, but, you know— > > MEEUWSEN: Well no, but I think you need a third party here. > > ROBERTSON: Yeah, definitely. But that’s the problem. She does not understand authority, when she was growing up nobody made her behave, and now you’ve got a thirteen-year-old in a thirty-year-old woman’s body, and she is acting like a child. > > MEEUWSEN: Yeah. > > ROBERTSON: Now, what do you do with that? You can’t divorce her, according to the scripture, **so I say move to Saudi Arabia.** > > ``` (Bolding mine) To me, this is endorsing moving to a culture that will allow wife beating because the viewer “can’t let her get away with [that] stuff.” So, what would you say if the police are called to this man’s house next week for having beaten his wife? WHY is wife beating a part of a discussion about a communications problem between a man and wife? Especially when he only has the man’s side of the events. For all he knows, the man is demanding that his wife drive a get away car for bank robberies or bombings. Would he then condone beating her? Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” Roberts is a walking-talking sphincter. The Church needs to stand up and denounce him for what he is. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/25 "2012-09-11T21:52:28Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Look, there are lots of things to bash Robertson about, but it’s pretty pathetic for you to trot out that video and claim that he advocates wife beating. You’d be better off using that as Muslim bashing. Pat Roberston is scum. > [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Begin the thawing of Billy Graham!! Billy Graham never struck me as scum. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/26 "2012-09-11T22:40:11Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Pat Roberston is scum. > > Billy Graham never struck me as scum. I will heartily endorse this. Growing up I was exposed to both of them. While I disagree with Billy Graham about many things he has never been motivated by his faith. Robertson has always struck my as an Elmer Gantry type in it for his own personal enrichment. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/27 "2012-09-11T23:30:20Z")
Y’know, if you take a look at that letter, it’s not even self-consistent. Her words are hurtful, but she refuses to talk through their problems? It sounds like the guy is upset that she _is_ trying to talk through their problems. And if he’s not advocating beating her, then what **is** he advocating? He doesn’t tell the guy to seek a marriage counselor, he doesn’t tell the guy to love his wife, he doesn’t say that he can’t give advice without hearing both sides of the story. The only thing he talks about is beating her. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/28 "2012-09-11T23:52:35Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > . . . The Church needs to stand up and denounce him for what he is. The church should, indeed, denounce evil wherever it is found. That’s a good Rule of Thumb. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/29 "2012-09-12T00:13:48Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He explicitly says that we don’t condone wife beating. But if you really think he’s evangelizing for Islam, then I don’t see any point in further discussion. Why in the world would you think advocating moving to Saudi Arabia and advocating converting to Islam is the same thing? He wants him to move there and be a Christian, but also legally being able to beat his wife. It’s a joke, of course, but it’s an offensive one. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/30 "2012-09-12T01:18:22Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Billy Graham never struck me as scum. His son, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/31 "2012-09-12T16:17:47Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” The verse immediately preceding adds a lot of context: “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” > [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > I will heartily endorse this. I only know of Graham through [Hitchens](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubLu-9SicSM). ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/32 "2012-09-12T16:20:46Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > The verse immediately preceding adds a lot of context: > > “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” Sorry. You were quoting the part that Robertson was relying on to “jokingly” advocate for wife beating. I was posting the part of the quote that is always left out by the Robertson ilk. My mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360/33 "2012-09-12T17:33:36Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > The verse immediately preceding adds a lot of context: > > “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” > > I only know of Graham through [Hitchens](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubLu-9SicSM). “This religious valet” 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-romneys-cozy-with-pat-robertson/634360.md?page=1)