"The telephone survey of more than 1,000 adults found that though a majority of citizens would support a Mormon candidate, 18 percent of Republican voters and 27 percent of Democrats would not vote for a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Indifference to voting for a Mormon has not changed much since 1967." Nationl Journal
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The MSM, "Coasties," big city folks generally, the academically gifted and other elites in the USA do not have a problem with the idea of a Mormon president. They shrink from even mentioning the possibility that being a Mormon might keep one from being elected president. Well, perhaps they are wrong.
According to this Gallup poll, mom and pop out in flyover America are not so generous in their "political thinking." Why is that?
In trying to cope with the "remote" possibility that something as "trivial" as religion might be an obstacle to national political office, the MSM babble about polygamy (plural marriage in LDS parlance). The truth is that aside from mere titillation at the thought, most Americans could hardly care less about this issue. After all, the LDS church gave up the doctrine in the 19th Century in return for the admission of Utah to the Union. The handful of Mormons who are still polygamous are thought of as schismatics by the main LDS Church.
No, the main issue for all the moms and pops "glued" to their TV sets and watching Fox News is not polygamy. It is theology. People who are deeply and personally Christian in the way that sectarian evengelicals are know that Mormons are "Christian" only by their own peculiar definition of Christianity. The LDS Church is not a monotheist, trinitarian religion. Mormons believe that God the Father and Jesus are both gods but that they are separate gods who live in bodies like those of humans on a planet that they favor with their accumulated wives, family, etc. They further believe that a virtuous life lived here on earth will lead to transformation of humans to godhood and to a future destiny as the "savior" of some other planet. This is not anything like the Nicene Creed that defines "orthodox" Christianity. One man"s theology is another man's fairy tale, but there are tens of millions of voting Americans who would not agree with that statement. They are sure that they know the "truth."
Should this matter in a presidential election? No, it should not, but it will. 20% is a big number in a close election. I think Romney is probably the best alternative to Obama and I would vote for him, but that means nothing in terms of victory or defeat. Huntsman seems to be a fils a papa type to me and not a serious candidate for president, but Romney is another matter altogether.
Republicans should think carefully before nominating a candidate who would carry such a burden. pl
Colonel,
Frankly IMO, Obama/Biden needs to be 'Impeached', and 3/4ths of the Congress 'removed from office', and both the Dem and GOP Headquarters 'billed' for both the Iraq and Afghan wars. The remaining 1/4 of the Congress needs to reinstate both Glass-Stegal to correct the steering of the nation's financial ship, and reinstate the Hill-Burton Act to correct our nation's ailing medical deficencies. To mention either one to the current White House and Congress, they both turn pale as ghosts.
Our nation is far more important that the Obama administration, the Congress, or the Democratic and Republican power struggles.
DoD has the power (and sufficient justifications) to physically remove from office President Obama under Article 25 of our Constitution.
Posted by: J | 21 June 2011 at 10:41 AM
The idea of the Garden of Eden being in Missouri offends my aesthetic integrity. And that says nothing about the magic underwear.
Posted by: jonst | 21 June 2011 at 10:44 AM
jonst
Mormons in my experience are generally worthwhile people but some of the imagery is delghtful. The buffoon in me would love to somehow relate the BofM Indian thing to Mardi
Gras Indians but I am not going to do it. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 21 June 2011 at 11:26 AM
I've noticed that the political Mormons have really full heads of hair and wonder if the refusal to drink wine, coffee, and coca cola have anything to do with it. There were quite a few Mormons at CIA, though mostly in the domestic collection division. The ones who went overseas had problems because they couldn't draw the line between proselytizing and recruiting spies. Once in positions of authority, they adhered to each other and promoted each other which caused considerable resentment among those who were passed over. Guess they feel more comfortable associating with others who embrace their mythology. Would a Mormon president dare to have a cabinet packed with his coreligionists?
Posted by: Phil Giraldi | 21 June 2011 at 11:46 AM
Col: I think Republicans are thinking long and hard about nominating a Mormon. Considering the alternative may be Michelle Bachmann with her own brand of Christianity....this RC, for one, will vote for Romney in a second over a Dispensationalist.
Posted by: Matthew | 21 June 2011 at 11:50 AM
Phil
It may be all the pie that they eat. Sugar "highs" are allowed. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 21 June 2011 at 11:53 AM
Hi Pat,
In these parts (southern NE)Romney is often referred to as Mitt the twit. He doesn't appear to generate much enthusiasm. In the NH primary the good news will he that is from Massachusetts but that will probably be the bad news as well. Were I to vote Republican, I think he is probably the best of a lackluster bunch.
I don't know much about Mormon theology but it sounds like they are America's Alawites....
Regards,
Russ
Posted by: Russ Wagenfeld | 21 June 2011 at 12:14 PM
I can see it now. A damaging rumor that Huntsman/Romney sipped an espresso while in college. Ultimate response: but I didn't swallow!
Posted by: mbrenner | 21 June 2011 at 12:47 PM
Mormons ARE Dispensationalist in eschatology insofar as they believe in and end time regathering of Jews in Palestine ("Israel.")
"Beck’s descriptions of his event as a gathering and a restoration echo his Mormon faith’s theology: there will be a “Gathering of Scattered Israel” in which Jews return to the Holy Land and are converted to Christianity as part of “the restoration of all things” and the Second Coming."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/joe-lieberman-joining-glenn-beck-a-shanda/2011/06/16/AGJfbeYH_story.html
Posted by: Ken Hoop | 21 June 2011 at 01:05 PM
How many of those 20% think that Romney is a Mormon?
Posted by: Byron Raum | 21 June 2011 at 01:47 PM
Having lived with and worked with Mormons for most of my life now I still have no idea of their religious beliefs.
As a whole their thoughts on how society should be and what it means to be an American is up there where it should be.
When it comes to choosing between equally qualified individuals most will choose a fellow believer over someone who is non Mormon, I've always had a problem with that.
But, Romney is an easterner, maybe that tight society thing doesn't exist with him as it does in the west.
Posted by: John Minnerath | 21 June 2011 at 02:17 PM
I plan on voting for Obama, but I would have no problem with voting for Romney or Huntsman for that matter if their politics were different. I do not adhere to any religion christian or otherwise but would have no trouble voting for someone who was religious as long as they were not a complete idiot like Bachman or Palin or to be fair to the male gender, Santoreum. I do not expect the person I vote for to have the same beliefs as I do, I just do not want them to shove their beliefs down my or the country's throat.
Posted by: Nancy K | 21 June 2011 at 02:33 PM
Show me the gold plates. And I want to see the title for the land of Israel with God's signature.Call me bald and bitter but all I see from the republicans is perfect hair and a desire to privatise the public commons.
When the Arrow Shirt Man was campaigning in his home state leading up to the last Republican primary, a waitress was telling Romney how his healthcare plan was destroying her life because she had a child with MS and she and her husband had to work 2 and 3 jobs each to afford the insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. She was practically in tears and he stood listening with a Cheshire grin on his face. Like most candidates for high office, he hasn't suffered enough to have the empathy to identify with the average person. Some people are born with empathy. He was not.
Posted by: optimax | 21 June 2011 at 02:42 PM
Sir,
Given your remark about the issue being between the theology and dogma of those "who are deeply and personally Christian" and that of Mormonism, I'm amazed that the polling numbers are this low. I would expect them to be a bit higher, but more importantly I would expect them to be higher among Republicans, given the greater numbers of Evangelicals (broadly defined: Evangelicals, Charismatics, and Fundamentalists) that identify with the Republican Party.
Posted by: Adam L Silverman | 21 June 2011 at 02:56 PM
Col,
Yeah, I take little of it (Mormon imagery) at anything more than an amusing level. Although I must admit that I am impressed how they (Mormon candidates) have managed to downplay the imagery from the prying eyes of the MSM.
Posted by: jonst | 21 June 2011 at 03:01 PM
At least as large a percentage of Americans wouldn't vote for an atheist, which is a real problem because you are hindering the group of people which includes the most clear headed citizens in the nation from getting into office.
Posted by: Farmer Don | 21 June 2011 at 03:03 PM
The only voters who count are the ones showing up that actually vote. Mormons do vote.Predict extremely low turnout in 2012 and we may yet have a rerun of the McCain and Obama race. Low turnout will doom an Obama second term unless the Republicans and Tea Party split.
Posted by: William R. Cumming | 21 June 2011 at 03:14 PM
Romney's support of the Iraq War, the surge in Iraq, the Afghan War and free trade are enough to disqualify him from consideration w/o reference to his Mormonism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Mitt_Romney
Does the Col believe he would partially redeem himself by supporting widescale cuts of the military budget as discussed here?
http://webofdebt.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-military-as-a-jobs-program-there-are-more-efficient-ways-to-stimulate-an-economy/#more-1560
Posted by: Ken Hoop | 21 June 2011 at 03:22 PM
Mo Udall, who was Jimmy Carter's main rival for the Democratic nomination in 1976, was a Mormon. Yet I don't recall that the matter got much attention at the time. Maybe that was because there were other features of his life story that made people curious. He was born in Apache County Arizona where he lost an eye at the age of 6 (to an Apache arrow?), which didn't prevent him from becoming a professional basketball player.
I have no idea how he felt about the Salt Lake City's NBA team being called the 'Jazz.' Then again, they were a transplant from New Orleans. For the sake of truth in nicknames, it should have been the Saints who moved.
I suspect that if either Romney or Huntsman were saying anything serious about the compelling issues of the day, the country would be less intrigued by what it means to be a Mormon.
Posted by: mbrenner | 21 June 2011 at 03:42 PM
"I have no idea how he felt about the Salt Lake City's NBA team being called the 'Jazz.' Then again, they were a transplant from New Orleans. For the sake of truth in nicknames, it should have been the Saints who moved."
"The Joes" (St. Joseph is thought by some to be the patron saint of moving home).
Posted by: markfromireland | 21 June 2011 at 04:20 PM
mbrenner,
I think that as the two national parties become less and less distinct from each other, it stands to reason that sideshows such as religion become "issues".
In 1976, perhaps Mo Udall's religion was not particularly significant due to the fact that at the time there was a difference--though diminishing--in party ideology.
Posted by: steve | 21 June 2011 at 07:02 PM
There's always Jeb Bush, recently in Michigan to tell our governor just how to improve education in the state. Maybe he's just getting ready for 2016?
Posted by: Fred | 21 June 2011 at 07:05 PM
jonst - The Garden of Eden isn't in Missouri, its in Lucas, Kansas. I've been there and it is a spectacle!
Are you referring to the spiral topped temple in Independence, MO? It really is a cool looking building, but I stay out of the religious stuff.
Posted by: Jackie | 21 June 2011 at 07:48 PM
Mormonism wasn't an issue for George Romney, Mitt's father, either. His candidacy failed, but not because people were spooked by the Magic Underwear Question. Very different Republican Party then, however.
One problem for Romney is that he can't defuse the issue once and for all with a 'separation of church and state' speech in the Kennedy manner, because the Republican base doesn't believe in such separation. He tried making such a speech in the last election season and it was hopelessly muddled.
I don't think it will hurt him as much this time, though. If he gets through the primaries, he should be fine in the general on this issue.
Posted by: Stephanie | 21 June 2011 at 08:32 PM
When I defended sailors and marines, who had otherwise clean records at their court martials or admin discharge boards, for an alcohol related incident I found that the Mormon officers were unforgiving, and could not take in to account the entire record. Once alcohol was involved there was no mercy. And a result, I felt I had no choice but to try and bounce them from any panel, if I could. It was not the religion for me, but the inflexibility.
Posted by: James Nawrocki | 21 June 2011 at 08:43 PM