This is an interesting analysis, and goes into why the Left also hates Romney (it's not because it's because he's a Mormon, but because he's rich).
A lot of Republicans hate Romney because he's Mormon, and they've been taught by their ministers that Mormons are an evil cult. This is absurdly false, but it's a serious factor in Republican politics.
They don't dare admit their Mormon-hatred openly, because the Republican Party needs the Mormon vote the way Democrats need and count on the Jewish vote -- a small and much-maligned religious minority, but one that votes as a bloc and contributes time and money far beyond their numbers.
I'm probably not the best guy to analyze this because the whole "I won't vote for him because he goes to the wrong church/wants to marry the wrong person/etc" thing is a divide by zero error for me. I just don't understand what causes the passion. But Orson Scott Card (a Mormon) writes clearly and logically on this.
All I would add is that all those polls showing that Mitt does better in the general election than Newt is strongly related to the fact that nobody knows who Mitt is (except for political wonks) and everyone knows Newt's negatives. In other words, Mitt's negatives will be much higher once the media is done bashing him in the general election; Newt's probably wouldn't be much different.
16 comments:
I really don't think that "Team Jesus" is as plentiful as all that in the GOP. Yes, they definitely punch above their weight class, politically, because they are motivated, focused, and relatively organized, but their numbers aren't as high as people suppose. And the subset of them that are intolerant to Mormons means even less impact in a final vote.
But, what do I know. I practically live inside the beltway. If it weren't for firearms I'd be a Metrocon.
I still think every evangelical could play croquet all day in lieu of voting and 'Mussolini's corpse' could beat Obama. Where did I hear that before?...
Being part of the 'evangelical cult' (though admittedly a poor example), I'm more or less put off by this study and its implications.
Really, when it comes to politics, if we 'Christians' are going to put 'religious beliefs' as a criteria to give someone our vote, why are there so many non-Christians in politics? (I recall the great and wonderful JFK begging America to, "Don't vote against me because I'm a Catholic!" ad.)
And if we're so 'unimportant' in the over-all scheme of things, why is it every politician runs a campaign claiming to be 'born again'- even to include the current POS in the Oval Office?
Nothing aboout this study seems realistic, but once more some wishful thinking by some politicall hack looking for a dog to kick.
Shy III
I'll vote for an agnostic cockroach-smooching hairless rodent before I vote for the pathetic excuse we have in the White House at present.
I suspect even the furtherest right-listing Christian conservatives will, too.
--AOA
Gotta agree with AOA... sigh
Interesting perspective, guys. It suggests that we might get a President Mittens, which is a little depressing.
It will be an upgrade, but it's still depressing.
I'm not going to vote for Willard because he's a Mormon.
I'm not going to vote for the god-father of Obamakare because he's never seen a gun control law he didn't like, raised taxes in Mass. (no matter what he called them) and is a weathervane.
Never! If he's the nominee, my ballot will start with Ted Cruze and go down from there.
I Loved Romney's acceptance speech tonight. If he can go after Obama with that same kind of zeal in the fall we may have a winner.
I've loved watching Newt the last few months but the guy does have huge problems with his resume'. One thing he has done is made Romney a better candidate
All the Mormons I ever met seemed like really nice people.
What's the BFD?
Had no idea OSC was a Mormon. Loved his books.
Orson Scott Card for President!
I'd vote for him before I'd vote for AOA's candidate.
I'm an onlooker from the UK - I can't believe the amount of religious bigotry that still exists in the US these days. I though the US Constitution allowed people freedom of religious belief - apparently not. It seems to me that not much has changed since the mobs ran the Mormons out of Missouri in the 1840's.
I'm Mormon (you may be surprised that there are more of us these days outside the USA than inside) and I consider myself and my Church to be Christian ( - the clue is in the name... ‘The Church of ‘Jesus Christ’ of Latter-day Saints’)
I have Jewish, Catholic, Muslim (etc) friends - our friendships are strengthened by those things we agree about, whilst we recognise and respect each others in things we disagree on. America.... isn't it time you did the same?
Perhaps it might be a good idea to choose a Presidential candidate based on his ability to get the USA out of its financial and social mess, rather than basing your choice on the candidates’ belief system!
A friend once expressed reservations about "those Mormons." I replied "John Moses Browning was a Mormon." With that settled we went to the range.
Collin: We have freedom of religion. We also keep a close eye on how politicians use religion as a shield, club or wedge.
On a practical level the biggest issue religion presents is omitting the sausage so Omar and Issac can share the pizza with everyone else.
"It seems to me that not much has changed since the mobs ran the Mormons out of Missouri in the 1840's."
Uh, yeah. You can tell by the way we're all running around burning Mormon churches and forming lynch mobs. It's very similar to the harsh treatment your English factory owners like Ebenezer Scrooge hand out to poor orphans like Tiny Tim, here in the 21st Century. Shameful, really.
The Christian Left including the main Religious Left-Churchy Denominations also hates Mormons for a host of reasons, from Leftwing Baptists, Leftwing Presbyterians, Leftwing Catholics with their guitar-strumming priests, Leftwing Episcopalians with gay female Bishops, the Leftwing Evangelical Lutheran Church with their Ordination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered clergy - they all hate Mormons for being so damn...Conservative.
Mormons have big families and drive big SUVs (Chevy Suburban MAV = "Moromon Assault Vehicle") and use lots of energyz and fuelz and have big houses with lotsa lightbulbs and Consumez Lotsa Resourxxesz! They're BAD for the Environment (as pristine and beautiful as a dry-lakebed in Utah is), BAD on Social Equality Issuez, BAD on unequal distribution of das Kapital and Wealthz, and probably BAD on reproductive cloning...
Lotsa rilly Progressive peopel hate Teh Mormonz.
I read your title as "Moron"... twice.
Ugh.
And the answer to North's misread is "yes."
As an evangelical Christian who has lived around Mormons all my life, my experience is that lefty/liberal secularists are far more anti-Mormon than evangelicals.
The same lefty/liberals are always trying to conflate two different things. The sociological definition of a cult (think Jim Jones, David Koresh) and the theological definition. Theologically, Mormonism is a cult of Christianity. Theologically, Christianity was a cult of Judaism. Given enough time and divergence, Mormonism could become a distinct religion. Or it could remain a religion similar to, but not the same, as Christianity. (see Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists for other examples)
None of that matters much to most evangelicals when we're talking about politics. Why? Because very, very few evangelicals consider mainstream Mormonism to be a cult in the sociological sense. (Not so the polygamists sects.) Instead, we see them as OSC described them.
Far more liberals than conservatives will refuse to vote for a Mormon simply because he's a Mormon. Thus says my experience, from a lifetime in a battleground state with probably the third highest ratio of Mormons in the country.
This lefty Mormon does not hate Romney for any reason, wealth included, but I don't trust him and won't vote for him because of his constant flip-flopping on every issue.
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