A religious question: Would Mitt Romney stand a chance?

[trotsky]

I gotta think that there's no way the conservative evangelicals who have reliably voted Repuke the last umpteen elections would vote for a Mormon. Even if he were running against the Anti-Christ herself, HRC. Falwell and Robertson shill for Romney? No way in hell, I say.

Anybody have some good reasoning how he might win a majority of votes?

[thoughtanarchist]

1. If the Big Money decides he will be a good little tool

like * was, they will use the magic of the media to boost Mittens in the same manner that Dean was taken down in the '04 primaries with the now infamous "Dean Scream".

It will be a hard sell, but don't underestimate the effectiveness of an incessant voice in your ear for 2 years straight.

[pepperbear]

2. 2 phrases come to mind that make him viable...

"We must defend the sanctity of marriage." (you know what that means)

"We must protect God's most precious gift, the unborn."

if he gets called on his positions, that's one thing, but he is moving in this direction right now.

[Mist]

3. I have a couple of evangelical aquaintances who say that evangelicals and

more fundamentalist Christians do not acknowledge that Mormons are Christian. If that's so, Romney will be impossible to "sell" to conservative Christians.

[trotsky]

4. That's exactly the feeling I get.

I didn't grow up in one of those churches, but I know plenty of people who did, and those folks would have to hold their noses to vote for a Catholic - forget about a Mormon!

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. Mormons are as much Christians as Muslims are Jews.

It's an entirely new religion, based on the older one. It's relatively new, so even Mormons may consider themselves Christians, just as many 2nd century Christians still considered themselves Jews, but it is a whole nother critter.

[kiahzero]

10. That's a poor historical analogy.

The early "Christians" did consider themselves to be Jews, because they were still Jewish. It wasn't until Paul came around and started the aggressive conversion of Gentiles that Christianity really became anything more than a Jewish movement.

Further, you leave "Christian" undefined, which would seem to be rather important if one is trying to define who is and is not a "Christian."

[TwilightGardener]

5. Romney stands an excellent chance. Money is the true evangelical

religion, and he will raise tons of it--that wins him their respect, it may allow him to win the Presidency, and then the Evangelicals keep their influence going. He is trying very hard to appeal to them, and he shall be rewarded. Dobson flat-out rejected McCain, not Romney.

[Jack Sprat]

7. I am of the opinion that Romney could

get the "conservative evangelicals" if they believed that he would use religious convictions to influence government. Mormons are not really that much different than other Christians. They just have a latter day saint in Joseph Smith who divined revelation from God himself. Therein, lies the problem that many of us have. It matters not to me what religion someone chooses to guide their personal life or even if they don't choose one at all. The problem occurs when a candidate professes a belief system to attract a particular religious group and becomes indebted to them when he takes office. My opinion:
Any mention of religious belief should disqualify a candidate from public office.

[boomboom]

12. well, hey. Orrin Hatch is a senator.

And for some reason he's considered a rational "christian" voice. Right....

[kwassa]

8. I think denomination is less important than conservative/liberal

and they will vote for the only declared social conservative so far, even though Romney seems to have changed that direction for opportunistic reasons.

the religious conservatives will vote for those that represent their conservatism.

[cosmik debris]

9. I think you are wrong

I think that the very thought of another President Clinton would force the right wing to support anybody but Hillary. But that is opinion, not fact.

[boomboom]

11. frankly it bothers me. As a Christian, Mormons are considered a Christian cult.

Worship their church leader more than Christ. Close....but troublesome. Seems like a nice guy though

[NAO]

13. Mormons wear magick underwear

I dunno if the MSM could ask Mitt such an impertinent question as "do you wear the magick underpants? are they briefs or boxers? etc) if he could ever recover.