This is the big question that will keep getting asked. Now, out of curiosity but if he's our candidate, in a negative and implied bigoted way:
As he begins campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, is facing a threshold issue: Will his religion — he is a Mormon — be a big obstacle to winning the White House?There are some Christians who have a problem with Romney because they look at Mormons as cult members. He is going to have a big problem in the south as the NYT notes:
Polls show a substantial number of Americans will not vote for a Mormon for president. The religion is viewed with suspicion by Christian conservatives, a vital part of the Republicans’ primary base.
Gloria A. Haskins, a state representative from South Carolina who is supporting Senator John McCain for the Republican nomination, said discussions with her constituents in Greenville, an evangelical stronghold, convinced her that a Mormon like Mr. Romney could not win a Republican primary in her state. South Carolina has one of the earliest, and most critical, primaries next year.I think that it's smart of him to try to overcome this early so that it won't be as big an issue next year (at least with the base):
“From what I hear in my district, it is very doubtful,” Ms. Haskins said. “This is South Carolina. We’re very mainstream, evangelical, Christian, conservative. It will come up. In this of all states, it will come up.”
Still, Mr. Romney is taking no chances. He has set up a meeting this month in Florida with 100 ministers and religious broadcasters. That gathering follows what was by all accounts a successful meeting at his home last fall with evangelical leaders, including the Rev. Jerry Falwell; the Rev. Franklin Graham, who is a son of the Rev. Billy Graham; and Paula White, a popular preacher.(via)
Mr. Romney appears to be making some headway. Several prominent evangelical leaders said that, after meeting him, they had grown sufficiently comfortable with the notion of Mr. Romney as president to overcome any concerns they might have about his religion.
On a pragmatic level, some said that Mr. Romney — despite questions among conservatives about his shifting views on abortion and gay rights — struck them as the Republican candidate best able to win and carry their social conservative agenda to the White House.
“There’s this growing acceptance of this idea that Mitt Romney may well be and is our best candidate,” said Jay Sekulow, the chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative legal advocacy group, and a prominent host on Christian radio.
Mark DeMoss, an evangelical public relations consultant who represents many conservative Christian groups, said it was “more important to me that a candidate shares my values than my faith,” adding, “And if I look at it this way, Mr. Romney would be my top choice.”
Maybe he can wear people down to the point that they can understand that there is a separation between the church and the state and that the state does not need to be governed by a Christian. Deists like Jefferson were able to govern, I would think that Romney would be able to as well.
I'm not supporting Romney yet (I'm still holding out hope for Fred Thompson) but since I'm an "anyone but McCain" Republican, I'll vote for him and Giuliani over McCain. Though, all of this is pretty moot as far as I'm concerned, the nominee will have been decided before we even get a primary (unless they finally d0 change the date of our primary like they keep saying they will).
Related posts:
Tags:
