Will conservative Christians support a Mormon for President?

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN/AP: Thursday, December 21, 2006
Will conservative Christians support a Mormon for president?

BOSTON (AP) -- As a clean-living, church-going father and grandfather, Gov. Mitt Romney has a natural appeal among conservative Christians.

The Massachusetts Republican, though, faces a delicate dilemma: How does a devout Mormon woo religious activists critical to winning the GOP presidential nomination when many of those same activists are openly hostile to a faith they consider no more than cult?

For his all-but-announced presidential bid to succeed, Romney must win primary votes across the Bible Belt from people whose churches have a historical antagonism with his own Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Romney also will angle for support from millions of Americans whose own preachers have criticized past Mormon practices such as polygamy, as well as the Mormons' refusal to allow black priests until 1978.

Yet he just may be able to overcome those concerns because of two things: his family-oriented lifestyle, and a primary campaign that could pit him against rivals like Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Not only have both of them have been divorced, but Giuliani harbors liberal social views antithetical to many evangelicals, and McCain has clashed in very public fashion in the past with the religious right.

"Most Americans are pragmatists. There will be a fraction of evangelical Protestants who will be vociferous in their opposition to Romney, but depending on who the other candidates are, that could be a very small fraction," said Mark Noll, an evangelical expert who teaches American religious history at Notre Dame.

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2006/12/will-conservative-christians-support.html

[daveskilt]

1. Im fine with that - as long as the mormon president is Harry Reid

[Broken_Hero]

2. I seriously doubt the conservatives

will support a Mormon president...especially the Religous Fundamentalists. Most of the hate I've seen against Mormons, was from that group.

[daveskilt]

5. I secretly hope for a Romney vs Hillary race - just to see the fundies heads explode

An evil mormon or the liberal antichrist - this is the stuff that the Pat Robertson watching, snake handling, flinstones as history believing, rolling on the ground convulsing, nutcases have nightmares about.

[Broken_Hero]

6. I believe, if Romney wins the Republican

nomination, you could run a toaster oven against him, and he would still lose 60-40....

If it was HRC vs Romney, I believe a lot of RW's would sit at home...

[daveskilt]

8. in that case - Go Mittster! win that thing

[Broken_Hero]

9. The rub

is, I don't believe Mitt has a chance of winning the RW Nom...but we cam dream, huh...:D

[Moloch]

29. Orrin Hatch did horrendously in the thug primaries...

in 2000. I think he got about 1% in Iowa and dropped out shortly afterward.

[buddysmellgood]

3. Only if he is secretly gay.

[lvx35]

14. I'm not so sure...

there's a pretty big rift between the fundies and the mormons...he may just have to be a secretly gay pedophile to really make it in 2008.

[daveskilt]

21. or if he has a southeast asian sweatshop/brothel

or a few extra wives stashed away in the basement

[Erika]

4. Depends on how sexist the fundies are

Mormon women can only get to heaven if their husbands call them "up". They are subject to the will of their husbands. Sounds like the extremists Muslims.

No, I would never vote for a Mormon.

[daveskilt]

7. where did you get that idea? - from the internets I bet.

just remember there are mormons in all schools of thought and all political persuasions. the theology, like in any religion, has a few interpretations - mormonism's extremists (while really irritating and disgusting) are generally more benign than the clinic bombing nutters from evangelical religions.

[Rosemary2205]

23. Just to set the record straight

I was a mormon for years and women can only get into the highest level of eternity (heaven to everyone else but Mormons have 3 levels of heaven) if their eternal companion (husband) calls them from beyond the veil by their temple name (no not their given name but a special name given women at their temple endowments). Technically, if hubby were to decide to leave wifey #47 then he can refuse to call her up. What happens to her soul then is a bit of a mystery however.

[Radical Activist]

27. Isn't the same true of men?

Men can only reach the highest level of heaven if they are married in the temple? That may be odd but its not sexist since the same is true for both men and women.

[fuzzyball]

35. Mormons are no more monolithic than Catholics who practice

birth control forbidden by the pope. Mormons come in
all shades of devoutness.

[JABBS]

10. The short answer is no.

Click here for poll information on the subject.

Click here for Romney's 2005 comments on the subject, in which he admits that his religion may make some Republican voters feel uncomfortable.

[Broken_Hero]

12. interesting reading

thanks for the links...

[Broken_Hero]

13. btw, nice blog

easy to navigate, and its easy on the eyes...and thats a plus.

[JABBS]

15. thanks

feel free to come back ...

[snowbear]

11. No.. we can't handle having 18 first ladies at once..

Taint gonna happen..

[BoneDaddy]

16. Good question

I find it hard to believe they would as most fundamentalists think Mormonism is a devil cult, but they may choose one over a "god damned, pinko, commie librul". Their words, not mine.

[redstateblues]

17. Many Fundies consider Mormonism to be a cult

[kentuck]

18. Would they support a Muslim?

That's your answer.

[blondeatlast]

19. He's clear with the Heritage Foundation--a big plus for conservatives...

Regnery Publishing has started to push him--2 books praising him within two years. The latest:
http://www.amazon.com/Mormon-White-House-Things-Conservative/dp/159698502X

Regnery is an offshoot of the tax-exempt Heritage Foundation and therefore a Neocon tool.

[Hippo_Tron]

20. A rasmussen poll said that 43% of the country won't vote for a mormon

I'd be willing to bet that most of those people are not liberal Democrats. Massachusetts had no problem electing Mitt Romney, because liberals and moderates don't have a problem with electing Mormons. Now I'd like to see Mitt Romney try to win a GOP primary in South Carolina because I'll be laughing my ass off while he makes that attempt.

[daveskilt]

22. dems clearly voted for a mormon in Nevada - Harry Reid

[cleveramerican]

24. Romney won't get near the nomination

Mcain has learned from W and will put the knife in( and leave no fingerprints) when the moment arrives.

[TankLV]

25. At first I thought you said "morons"!

Then I realized you essentially did...

[Radical Activist]

26. This is the same group that drove Mormons violently into the desert

in the 1840's. No, they won't vote for one. Romney will be the victim of the prejudices of the conservative movement.

[rep the dems]

28. It seems like this article is on CNN or MSNBC every day pracitcally.

I wish they would all just stop! They're just making Romney and his cronies more stuck up. The guy is a fucking moron, and he does not deserve ANY of the attention he is getting! I really don't know what I'll do if this shiteating jerk ever becomes President.

[snowbear]

30. Romney's VP pick: Warren Jeffs

Romney/Jeffs 2008...

[LiviaOlivia]

34. Another good reason not to read Raw Story. You are offensive.

As I lifelong Dem and a 3rd generation Utah Mormon you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
Jeffs is not a Mormon. Jeffs is a freak. But if you call yourself a reporter why don't you know this?

Your post busts you as such a know-nothing. You should apologize.

Why don't you get to know some "outside" of DC people Larissa? Anyone.

Hey Larissa..do some reading up on history of the late Utah Senator Frank Moss and Medicare.

[fujiyama]

37. LOL

Those are two very creepy bastards.

Romney strikes me as a first class ass hole the way he immediately began trashing the people of the state after he got elected by them.

[sofa king]

31. Depends on who he hates and how much.

That, after all, seems to be how a conservative Christian gets street cred.

[whalerider55]

32. I don't think so.

I think Romney and Guiliani are screwed in the south, the only reliable base left for the republicans. Romeny might pick up the some in the west, but he'll have to tear it out of McCain's dead hands.

Also, remember that Romeny has a rather unsavory past as an capitalistic entrenpreneur; he bought companies, downsized the crap out of them, throwing hundreds of people out of jobs, and then sold them. He did nothing in Massachusetts without the permisiion of the Dem legislature, and according to todays headline in the globe spent 212 days in the last year out of the state.

He's an empty suit, albeit one wearing a $10,000 suit. I'm excited to see him hobnobbing in places like Meridian and Biloxi. His act should play well there.

whalerider55

[whalerider55]

33. there IS another side to this question...

will conservative mormons support a christian for president?

whalerider55

[fuzzyball]

36. They may support a mormon over Obama with a muslim father....

I think after 911, the anti-muslim feelings are much
stronger than anti-mormon. That is until.....mormons
start strapping bombs and exploding them in crowded malls.

[Trajan]

38. Short answer - NO

Many knowledgable christians know the history of the Mormon flight, and will wrongly carry that tired old banner automatically ..... I would posit that xtians who are ignorant of Mormon history would be more accepting, and not simply follow the prevailing attitude which had existed for nearly 2 centuries ...