Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan <a href="http://www.rasmussenreports.com/Political" target="_blank">http://www.rasmussenreports.co m/Political</a>%20Tracking/Dailies/MormanMittRomney.htm This poll suggests that 43% of Americans would 'never vote for a Morman Candidate'. I had never given this any thought. I guess what religion an individual is a member of is one of those things that I don't really consider very much. I know it was a big deal when JFK was elected. I don't recall the fact that John Kerry is a Catholic as playing much of a role in his defeat, but maybe I missed it? The fact that Gov. Romney was elected in heavily Catholic Massachusetts suggests to me that this poll is off somewhere, or maybe when the question is asked in the abstract rather than tying it to an individual, the result is different.
Originally Posted By jonvn I think mormons are considered weird, and people won't vote for one. Cultists. Not now. It'd be more likely for a Jew to get in, and I think that's basically impossible.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip As long as stories of guys with 17 wives keep coming out of Utah you'll never elect a Mormon president. I know the church no longer supports polygamy, but the two are still connected in the public's mind.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Massachusetts may be heavily Catholic, but it's also a bastian of multi-culti liberalism, as well as stubborn New England individualism. It doesn't surprise me that they, more than most states, could elect a Mormon governor, or a black senator (one of the still few states to have done so), or a Jewish congressman in a largely non-Jewish district, etc. Elsewhere in America, I'm not sure how well a Mormon would do.
Originally Posted By fkurucz He will be hard pressed to get the evangelical vote. They pretty much consider the Mormon Church to be the spawn of the devil.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA When I first read your post, Kar2oonMan I thought it read 'Can a Moron Be Elected President' and then I thought, wull yeah, because there have been some people elected President who seem like they're kind of stupid, but then, when I re-read your topic and realized that it read 'Mormon' I stopped thinking about stupid people.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Did you guys know that 'LOST' isn't coming back until frickin' February 2007? What's up with that? Maybe the guys in charge of that show are Mormon.
Originally Posted By debtee haha Jim I though the same thing when I read the title.... Can a Moron be elected president! LOL
Originally Posted By DlandJB Clearly a moron can..but look for a lot of public scruitiny of the tenets of the LDS Church should Mit Romney get the nod. Like Kennedy (JFK) he should be considered as an American first, but there is not really a great deal known about LDS in the mainstream and some of it may seem unusual to the average voter. I will say that the Mormons that I have known from childhood on were very decent people.
Originally Posted By alexbook I don't remember this being an issue when Romney's father ran for President in 1968 (and lost the Republican nomination to Nixon), but I was only a kid and might have missed it.
Originally Posted By jonvn Did you guys know that "Mormon" was originally an epithet used to insult people who were members of the LDS? I'll tell you something about Mormon folks I know. Their religion may be a bit weird, but they are generally the nicest people of any religious group I've met. Of course there are good and bad in every group, but as a rule, these folks are pretty decent people. I don't agree with much of what they think, but aside from that, they are pretty good people.
Originally Posted By ecdc I believe a Mormon (full disclosure, I am one and have authored articles and a book on Mormon history, though I don't attend church services often anymore) could be elected President, but it's a longshot. Our media goes for the outlandish and controversial; they'll air exactly what's been said here first: Mormons are nice, hardworking folks. Then the stories on polygamy, garments, the temple ceremony, violence in Mormon history, and polytheistic theology will emerge. Some will be accurate, others less so. Few will have any context. There's no reason why a Mormon shouldn't be President, but they will go under the microscope.
Originally Posted By Elderp As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I will say that I personally find the way some people here are using the name Mormon very derogatory. Mormon, just for your info. describes a prophet that helped write the Book of Mormon. I would like to point out that for a very long time in our history we thought it would never be possible for a Catholic to become a President but yet it happened. Mit Romney is currently the Gov. of Massachusetts. As far as political races go I think Romney could arguably be the closest to whom any Kennedy has had in a long time to actually losing a Senate race in that state. This is not the first nor will it be the last time a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has held a high post in government. In fact we (meaning those of our faith) have seen various local, state and federal leaders. In fact one of our Apostles was appointed to a Presidential cabinet post. Religion right now is definitely a hot button issue but in the realm of politics to me it is nothing but a red herring. Bush in both elections sided heavily with the evangelical issue. I wouldn't say it won him the election but it definitely put him over the top. Yet, despite this strong political base what exactly has he actually done for his support. If I were an Evangelist I would feel really burned out, luckily I am not. So can a member of the Church become President? Yes, I believe it is possible. Will it be tough? Of course it will be, but it isn't impossible. Here is a different thought. I believe that for as much as we profess a separation of church and state. There is more of a chance that a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints become President than an Atheist will ever have.
Originally Posted By jonvn "There is more of a chance that a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints become President than an Atheist will ever have." I really don't think either is electable.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj I think it would be very difficult for a Mormon to make it in politics since they don't drink alcohol. Most social gatherings in the political world involve social drinking, and some people tend to get very uncomfortable when there is someone in that environment not partaking. Just in terms of social networking, I think that would be the kiss of death. Politics is largely a game of cronyism, and to make it to the presidential level, I think you would have to fit in socially in a number of environments in order to pass muster with all the groups that you need to support you. When you get into the world of international politics, being a non-drinker can be offensive to some cultures and I'm not sure how will that would play on the world stage.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I will say that I personally find the way some people here are using the name Mormon very derogatory.<< My apologies, Elderp. No disrespect intended at all.
Originally Posted By crapshoot <a href="http://www.kimopress.com/nixon.html" target="_blank">http://www.kimopress.com/nixon .html</a> "That the Nixons were pietistic and puritanical is true enough, but by itself this doesn't tell us a lot. Nor can Aitken get much from the sect's one distinctive feature he can't avoid mentioning: the tradition of Quaker pacifism. With the coming of World War Two, this conviction ought to have confronted the young Nixon with a major moral choice, between becoming a conscientious objector and joining the military. Biographer Henry Spalding, in The Nixon Nobody Knows (1972), confidently asserted that Nixon's 1942 Navy enlistment came only after "many months of agonized soul-searching"; this version was confirmed by Pat Nixon in Bela Kornitzer's The Real Nixon (1960), where she says that "Because of Richard's upbringing, he did much soul-searching before he made his decision." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This may be the most bizzare piece of presidential history. A religious upbringing including Pacifism. Anything is possible.
Originally Posted By DlandDug I tend to doubt that most people who would oppose a Mormon President actually understand why they do so. In the minds of many there is a vague sense that Mormonism is unusual. Some are aware of the "polygamy thing," without being aware that Plural Marriage, while a tenet of LDS, is not a practice of that church. (Doctrines and Covenants declares that the doctrine is both a requirement for progression to Godhead, as well as a proscribed practice.) Others may have the sense that Mormonism is somehow "cultish." In the sense that Mormons are a group set apart, that would be accurate. (In that sense, Boy Scouts and Mouseketeers are cultish.) The secret (Mormons would say sacred) nature of their Temples adds fuel to speculation on the part of those who charge Mormons with esoteric cultic practices. While the Mormon Temple ceremonies are unusual, they are not unprecedented. (Just ask any Mason who is familiar with the content of the various rituals and endowments.) What is largely unknown within the general population is the Mormon historical and theological belief that America is destined to become a theocracy, with the Prophet, Seer and Revelator of the LDS Church as both secular and spiritual leader. This is based on statements made by Brigham Young in 1854 and 1855. In a nutshell, he claimed, "...when the Constitution of the United States hangs, as it were, upon a single thread, they will have to call for the Mormon Elders to save it from utter destruction; and they will step forth and do it." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, pge. 182) Do all Mormons believe this? It is doubtful. Like many devotees of specific religions, there are many who are probably unaware that this belief has never been repudiated, and is held as an article of faith by many. Does Mitt Romney believe this? Who knows. And it seems unlikely to me that at this late date, anyone will bring it up. But, if it does become an issue, it could well provide fodder for those who oppose Romney.
