The Killers' Brandon Flowers On Mitt Romney

The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers says his band won't take sides with anyone in the forthcoming US presidential election, despite meeting with fellow Mormon and Republican candidate Mitt Romney last year.

"We've always been neutral, so we just kinda stay out of it," Flowers told the Independent. "None of us is planning any rallies for anybody."

Did Romney contact him because of their shared Mormon faith? "Yeah, I'm sure," said Flowers. "I'm sure he's met with a few different people. But I think that's something that definitely made it a little bit easier to reach out to me."

He reveals little about their meeting, and says his vote won't be biased on their shared belief: "I don't think you shouldn't vote for him because of his religion. If you're gonna vote for somebody, you should learn about what their views are on things, and pick the guy that you identify with and believe in the most."

What does he think the next government could improve on? "My biggest issue is, I wish we took better care of our [war] veterans. I don't understand why we don't."

Meanwhile, Flowers recently had surgery on his left shoulder. "It's pinched a nerve, and so they go in and they saw it straight – the doctor went in three different places, with a little camera and everything... It's worse now than it was before."

Comments

[I.shower.naked]

"I don't think you shouldn't vote for him because of his religion. If you're gonna vote for somebody, you should learn about what their views are on things, and pick the guy that you identify with and believe in the most."
That's a quote to live by. I wish other people would vote that way.

[ashers67]

Just shut up and take the god damn medal, now!

[jamie_hough]

I'd agree 100% accept with religion, and paarticularly in America, its so decisive it does play a part. Ok the US is supposedly secular but remember Bush declaring that God told him to go to war with Iraq?

There are other examples of politicians fusing their religion and politics with abortion for instance and the two usually compliment each other i.e. religious person is pro-life, atheist leaves it to mother to decide - thats not a blanket theory but for the most part Id say it applies.

So although yes, you shouldnt vote for someone based on their spiritual beliefs alone, it will be hard not to find an overlap between their beliefs and the policies that politician wants to implement.

[a0kalittlema0n]

So find someone that has a religion, believes it, and makes decisions to let the people decide, not their personal beliefs. Romney did that exact thing as governor of MA, let the people decide.

[larrytheguitar]

I agree with your main point, but I don't think US is supposedly secular at all, at least in politics. "In God We Trust" is still on our bills, after all.

[Koekoeksklok]

They're still legal if you cross those words out, which Penn Jillette did for a while :d

[KISSmyass666]

How did you get that Avatar?!

[I.shower.naked]

I don't really remember.
Like the only thing I remembered was getting a small GIF file from google images then uploading it on an avatar site.

[spiff-corgi]

I'm not sure. If religion is as important to a person's life as religious people claim it is, then surely it fundamentally affects their world views. Mormonism is one of the most transparent, shoddy "religions" on the planet. It's only a couple of steps away from Scientology, and if someone believes the stuff in the Mormon book, or subscribes to Scientology, you can't help but become disillusioned in their intelligence. Also, his religion seems to drive a lot of his ideas, so it is important.

[I.shower.naked]

There's some friends of mine who describe mormonism as a cult. I don't know if it's true or not.

[Filipus]

Depends of your definition of cult.
I say mormonist is a cult, but that isn't a bad thing at all, people just give it another meaning in our days...

[spiff-corgi]

You understand what a cult is, right? You have to give up your entire life, your family and all your money to a fraudulent cause. That's not something that should be shrugged off as "it gives people purpose".

[guitar7masta]

It really does depend on what definition you choose. One definition is: a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object .

By that definition Christianity is a cult, but normally when someone says [X] religion is a cult they are talking about violent sacrifices, strange rituals, utter devotion etc. So by those standards I'd say no Mormonism isn't a cult, though I do find it to be a very messed up and nonsensical religion, more so than any other religion barring Scientology.

[Filipus]

Exactly.
And i acn't find much nonsense on mormonism, in fact its really a matter of beliving in it or not.
If you belive it all makes sense, a lot.
If you dont, its just a bunch of crap that makes you weird.

[spiff-corgi]

Well, Filipus, I'd advise watching the South Park episode on mormonism
Anyone who sees that and what they believe in and doesn't think "that's a bit mental" is either brainwashed or unhinged.

[Filipus]

Isn't it the same with all the rest of the religions? hahahah

[Macabre_Turtle]

A cult is a small religion. A religion is a large cult. That's all.

[thebigredjj10]

A cult typically is known as a "non mainstream" religion. There are literally hundreds of thousands of peaceful cults in the world. The word unfortunately has been confused with destructive cults, which is what most people think of when the word cult it uttered. Destructive cults are, as the name implies, damaging to a persons psyche, and often demands that the followers have complete devotion, and often follow harsh rules.
In my opinion, Mormonism is not a cult, as is it is too large to be considered as such. I also don't think that their beliefs are that much stranger than Christianity, Islam or the multitude of other religions out there. Sure they are irrational, but look at any religions beliefs without bias, and they all seem rather strange and at odds with reason.
And I do think a persons religious beliefs are relevant, as they demonstrate the persons view on the world, and often fundamentally influence a persons decisions. If a person is a quiet follower, whose religion is more of a background belief system, and they allow logic and free will determine their decisions, than religion plays a smaller part. But, if it plays a large role, and determines their decisions, than definitely it should be a central concern. We don't need politicians being influenced by their religion, when the peoples best interest is being ignored for "God's" best interest.
For example (bare with this slightly extreme example, I realize that this is most often not the case. I am using a hyperbole), if Politician A's religion says that anyone who is of a different skin color is lesser than their own, then definitely their religious beliefs are a problem, especially when that affects their other beliefs.
So to summarize my long response, religion often does matter, as it can be a primary influence on a persons decisions.

[AndyZ]

Religion can tell quite a lot about someone, depending on how religious the person exactly is.

Mormonism is widely considered pretty ridiculous religion, and knowing that this guy has done wierd crap like baptizing his deceased father-in-law (who was known to despise organized religions), you can tell that this guy is just one of those people whose religion is going to affect his policies in one way or another. That can never be a good thing (as jamie pointed out the fact about Bush).

[a0kalittlema0n]

Ignorance is bliss my friend. You're hating something you don't understand, which makes you a fool.

[Filipus]

Why the downvotes? This guy only said the truth.

[AndyZ]

Filipus, did you mean me or a0kalittlema0n?

I honestly don't think I was being ignorant or hateful in any way. I was just basically saying that yes, you should be aware of how religious the candidates are, and how it might affect their policies.

[Filipus]

i mean aoka.
I agree with your first paragraph but the second one you are clearly being ignorant and hateful.

[AndyZ]

With ignorance you probably mean this sentence:
"Mormonism is widely considered pretty ridiculous religion"

I'm not representing my opinion on mormonism or religion in general with that sentence. There's no arguing and it's not a secret, that mormonism is widely made fun of, even by many christians and some notable public figures. I wasn't judging mormonism in any way, I just stated a fact.

[Filipus]

Actually, i was refering to the whole sentence:
"Mormonism is widely considered pretty ridiculous religion, and knowing that this guy has done wierd crap like baptizing his deceased father-in-law (who was known to despise organized religions), you can tell that this guy is just one of those people whose religion is going to affect his policies in one way or another."

[AndyZ]

Yeah, I consider that weird, to me it sounds like a very disrespectful practice to baptize someone who doesn't want to be a part of religion. If you are so "extreme" with your religion that you absolutely have to do such silly rituals, then we can definitely expect that the religion will affect the person's policies.

I have absolutely no clue why would anyone think what I said was ignorant or hateful.

[Filipus]

Well, you aren't really baptizing, that is the point.
When you do that you are giving the person a chance to accept it or not, like opening a door that was once closed.
Get it?
You can always choose to cross the door or not, but it is open.

I dont find that disrespectful in anyway if you belive in it. He did that because he loved is father and belives in that.
It should't make a difference to anyone except him and his family.

[Deflection]

Disagree. Imagine you agree with someone when it comes to their view on politics, but that person firmly believes that the world will be swallowed by a purple hippo in the year 2015. He also believes that all cats are aliens from a distant galaxy. Etc, etc, etc. Sure, you might agree with him 100% when it comes to his political views, but I doubt you'd still vote for that guy, because his world view is off.

[guitar7masta]

I never like to make it a main issue but it is still important to know where a person gets their morals. Let's say there's a fanatical Christian running for office and because of his good book he believes homosexuals don't deserve equal treatment, I definitely think it's worth the time to discuss it a bit.

Or maybe a fanatical Muslim that believes we should instate Sharia Law, once again I'd find that a worthy topic of discussion.

[hansome21]

meh, he uses a double negative and sounds like an idiot IMO, but the second part is correct. Also, I plan on not voting for Romney because of his religion, his tax plans, and his medicare plans.

If you knew more about the mormon religion, you wouldn't vote for him either (fun fact: if your a black mormon and you die, you either go to hell, or to heaven, and the highest you can be is a slave. A slave in heaven. Sound heavenly? Or just racist?)

[Smegal]

Sadly most Americans would vote based on trivial things such as religion with no regards to their policies. At least one person understands what they should be voting for... Unlike Ted Nugent whom I am surprised was not mentioned in this article

[NoMoreNoMore66]

Hey, Flowers, this is UG. Make a completely ignorant political remark or get out.

[Neon_Buffalo]

Maybe if Mitt would actually tell you what he plans to do if he wins, rather than this whole 'ill make America better by making jobs, saving money, lowering taxes and bringing families together' thing hes been feeding you. If you want to run a country, you need to give at least some specifics. Seems pretty simple to me.

[BigMikeBDD]

Because what Obama has been feeding you is intelligent worthwhile promises?

[guitar7masta]

Ok, so if that's your stance why not avoid voting for either of them? I'll never understand why some people think it's smart to take a shot in the dark just because they don't like the "opposition".

[eVwaylon]

never heard of this guy before and judging on the title and picture thought "liberal". just assumed. good lesson in judgment for me. agree 100% on his reasoning behind voting for an individual.
Dave Mustaine for secretary of defense!!!!

[RichieJovie]

So this is singer meets politician and nothing really happened.
Cool story bro.

[squirttilithurt]

vote for Romney.. you are a moron.
vote for Obama... you are a moron.
END GAME

[vinnym86]

don't vote... you're a moron.

[third(-)eye]

This is my relationship with politics exactly.

[thebigredjj10]

Words from Romney... Bullshit, don't vote for this guy
Words from Obama... Bullshit, don't vote for this guy
Words from Ron Paul... well he legitimately believes the stuff he says, it's just a little too crazy, so don't vote for this guy (not that he would win anyways)
Words from any of the other independents... no one cares
Ignore everything and don't vote....then you are a lazy ******* and the country is going to hell because of you.
Either way the system is designed so that you are screwed whatever you do.

[RadioTape]

Totally on the money there. I'm not from the US, but does Obama have support in the US still? Or are people still blindly following like 4 years ago?

[KISSmyass666]

Mitt's filp floping nature make's it hard for people that arn't hardcore Republican's or a Democrat's to vote for him.

BTW i think republicans are for "more freedom".
I Think that mean's Gay marriage Should be legal?
"more freedom" Right?
But they don't support it.

[Vabolo]

They do want "more freedom" for you.

Assuming you are a white, heterosexual, wealthy male.

[KISSmyass666]

Or a token Black,Asian or Woman.

[latinromans]

but only if your life style exactly matches up the fifty's ideals they live by, otherwise your destroying america with your reckless ideas such as demanding equal pay and access to birth control.

[Charley2715]

One can be a Republican while still retaining an open mind and modern thought process. Sadly, The Republican party cant seem to find those and make them run for office. I suppose I am somewhat Republican, but I try not to align with that identification because of the exact stereotype you pointed out.

[jrdpeeler]

^this

[iommi600]

"won't take sides with anyone in the forthcoming US presidential election"

It's refreshing to read this... Between picking the lesser of two evils and not picking any evil, I choose the second.

[MegaDTSX]

I find it humbling to know there are people out there who actually think with their head about politics rather than biasing themselves with religious views.

[MegaDTSX]

Not sure why I got a -1 for that since this is supposed to be a secular government. There is a time and place for religious views (at home or in a church). I was in no way knocking religion itself.

[spiff-corgi]

"If you're gonna vote for somebody, you should learn about what their views are on things, and pick the guy that you identify with and believe in the most."
Not sure I really agree with this. Unless you're a selfless person who only wants good for society then picking a leader based on your own views is a bad path to go down. Democracy is based around electing the most competent leader for the job, not the one you get along with the best. If you vote for something that's good for you but not for thousands of other people then you're going to screw up your country. That's what social responsibility is about. People can lie on their policies, so don't vote for the policies, vote for the person/party.

[guitar7masta]

"People can lie on their policies, so don't vote for the policies, vote for the person/party. "

That's why you take the time to research what they really have done. Find the person that supports your ideas the most, then vote for them. NEVER, EVER vote strictly by party.

[spiff-corgi]

Well yeah, that's what I'm saying, even if I bungled the message somewhat. In Britain it makes sense to vote on party because the Tories have always looked out for the rich and Labour the poor. That's how it's always worked and even when they claim to change the Tories never do, and they keep proving it. However, that being said, Ed Miliband would be an awful leader so I'm not particularly excited about voting Labour either. Having good intentions is important, but you should vote for a competent leader, not a well-meaning one.

[guitar7masta]

I agree, of course different people will look at things very differently though, one person finds this candidate to be competent while this guy over here thinks he's a wasteful piece of garbage. At the same time I don't think either side (American politics) truly researches their preferred candidates, and they most certainly don't read about candidates that aren't Democrats or Republicans.

I feel if you take the time to research their past achievements it becomes quite evident who is competent enough to lead/represent. Many times we have a chance to get a candidate that is both well-meaning and competent, but, ya know, we gotta stick with Left VS Right for some inexplicable reason.

[spiff-corgi]

It's all rather moot though as given an option between Obama and Romney you'd really have to go with Obama, despite with his lack of progress.

[guitar7masta]

I agree with that too. If we do only focus on those two candidates, the clear choice is obviously Obama. Another major problem in this country though is how so few people actually pay attention to the Congress. Every 4 years I watch as people on both sides pretend like every problem in America, every possible issue rests on the shoulders of one man, whoever it may be.

It's the job of Congress to create/pass new budget proposals and new laws. The President can only do so much, even if he presents a proposal of his own, Congress has to debate it and they end up amending it and filling it with earmarks until it doesn't even represent the original vision of the President, whomever that may be at the time.

[Kill A Kitten]

Brandon Flowers is a Mormon....dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

[BigMikeBDD]

Says Kill a Kitten. Now that's intelligence.

[spiff-corgi]

It's almost as if someone's username on a guitar website is as important as their religious choices... almost.

[Jimmyboba]

In that case, I'm ****ed....

[guitar7masta]

I can outplay Satriani ANY day of the week. No need to test me, you can trust me. I'm a frickin MASTA

[thebigredjj10]

Holy crap. I think I could have beat you in a battle if you were just a "master" at guitar, but you are a "MASTA", and I definitely can't beat that.

[Abacus11]

It seriously frightens me that any human being with a functioning brain would vote for Mitt Romney... and I'm NOT a democrat or Obama fan. To me he's the epitome of an evil, fake and soulless politician. Most of them are but Romney is just over the top.

That's my political rant... now I'm gonna listen to some Black Sabbath and not give a sh*t about politics. I'm happier that way.

[BigMikeBDD]

^ This is exactly what I've been talking about. Pure 100% political ignorance. I'd bet that this guy knows nothing about politics to make a statement like this.

[Abacus11]

"Political ignorance"? Do have any idea how vague this statement is before I even get into how wrong it is?

When someone doesn't agree with you it's not called ignorance... it's called disagreeing with you.

We call get to have our own thoughts and opinions. You should probably get used to it.

[Apollo X]

He's just following the Romney platform. "That guy's wrong, we'll fix it. We won't tell you how but just trust us."

Now all he has to do is steal some of your own ideas to support his own point. It's GENIUS.

[spiff-corgi]

The thing that worries me is that's exactly how the Conservatives got in two years ago in Britain and they've ****ed everything up. If Romney gets in it's going to be even worse for everyone.

[Xomar]

thank you brandon! I thought he was gonna bash romney or bash obama. Actors and musicians should just stay out of it! good call man

[Apollo X]

Another misleading UG title. I came in here expecting Brandon Flowers on Romney action! He got nowhere near on top!

[Obama FTW]

And boom goes the dynamite.

[third(-)eye]

Keep posting these awesome political stories, UG! We all care about and benefit greatly from them!

/sarcasm

[Lagunaguitar]

at least this isnt as bad as the Dave Mustaine stuff they post. he gets so damn annoying

[SSaxdude]

This is a refreshing change of pace from the usual musician who thinks they know everything about politics and says outlandish statements about the other side.

[wolvesofmibu]

Man, that BigMike guy has been trolling hard for Romney for weeks now...

[KerNeL_KLuTcH]

how is stating one's opinions trolling? Just because there are people out there who see through Obama and the Mainstream Media's attempts at creating the illusion that the GOP wants to take away rights of everyone. I wish people in this country would wake up to the fact that they were scammed 4 years ago.

[LiquidColors18]

Brandon Flowers Slams people who vote for candidates because of their religion.

[Rule Britannia]

But when somebody's religion clouds their opinions and beliefs then it's a problem. If (probably won't happen) Mitt Romney decides to outlaw gay marriage throughout USA it would be based upon his own, wrong, beliefs.

[Kortez3000]

Sometimes we have to decide between voting for a turd sandwich or a giant douche.

[RedClown]

Saw Killers at Electric Picnic the other day. Not normally my kind of stuff but have to admit they are a really solid band live. They were good at Reading a few years ago as well but that was partially down to the awesome light show.

[sickassfoo]

does it really matter on who we vote for? it is not like they are going to stay true to their promises. we are just voting for some guy to get a free house for 4 years

[guitar7masta]

They aren't ALL bad, I get where you're coming from but man, have some hope.

[dbudday]

It's great to see a musician realize that they shouldn't use their fame as a platform to push political views... I get so sick of bands thinking they know all about politics and bashing candidates. If your good with music, stick to that...I mean I don's ask my mechanic for advice on buying a house...

[GenerationKILL]

do you realize how crazy that is for George Bush to have said "god told me to go to war with Iraq?!"

"my CHRISTIAN GOD told me to go to war in Iraq against the MUSLIM people."

No wonder people over there viewed the invasion force as "crusaders" it was doomed from the start, ONLY because of how the west handled the whole thing, right down to the PR for president blockhead.

[SpaceJunkie]

Well I think we should get rid of politics but who cares? F*** mitt

[gkex]

Oh my god, it's like he actually thinks for himself or something. No way!

[aig91]

Checked.
I am so done listening to political debate lately.

[KingNothing666]

Did anyone else read it as moron at first glance, not Mormon?

[forsaken_faetus]

Mormons are sick to say the least.

How it is possible, that everything in bible happens in Middle East, and there is no single word about USA?! Allmighty USA!

Seriously, adults shall not believe in fairy tales.

[benjixoath]

i love how if dave mustaine had said this you'd all be throwing a stroppy fit now