Mormons: The Most Conservative Religious Group In America

The Atlantic ^ | Jul 24 2009 | Chris Good

[night reader]

Mormons: The Most Conservative Religious Group In America

---

That's according to a new report from Pew, released today and based on data from the group's 2007 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey.

More Mormons (60 percent) identify themselves as conservatives than any other religious group; they also lead every other group in GOP party identification (at 65 percent)--much higher than the general population in both categories.

[night reader]

Well, this may get me booted as I've come to feel that LDS are persona non grata on FR.

If so, OK. But this article seems to indicate that most of us are on the plan!

[ConservativeMind]

You’re fine posting this.

You don’t claim to have golden tablets.

[theFIRMbss]

>Well, this may get me booted as I've come to feel that LDS are persona non grata

Never noticed that.
Folks might get playful about
magic underwear . . .

[wendy1946]

The LDS church strikes me as a religious version of something which really is too big to die. It serves mainly as a support group for middle class people trying to raise children and also as a very necessary counterweight to the power of the fed govt. in areas in which 90% of the land is owned by BLAM. But you need to bag the sci-fi theology....

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Just one FReeper’s opinion:

I like, respect and admire Mormons. So much so, I am considering a move to Utah.

What turns me away from Mormons, is Mitt Romney’s flunkies attacking Sarah Palin.

If Mormons can take Mitt out behind the woodshed and break him of this bad habit, it would help both Mitt, and the LDS church - to win over those of us who actually do want to like them.

Seriously.

Someone please tell Mitt to call off his dogs.

For all of us.

[panaxanax]

ping and bump....thanks

[Salvation]

I don’t think so.

[aimhigh]

This article was already posted. But since the replies destroyed the myth, apparently this was posted again. Harry Reid is now the great Mormon political leader. So much for conservative unity within LDS. It would be nice if Mormons would quit using FreeRepublic just to promote their church.

[John Leland 1789]

Evidently whole denominations or known groups are rated. But there are thousands and thousands of autonomous Christian congregations around the country whose members are Constitutional conservatives.

[John Leland 1789]

Are Mormos the only ones who use FR to promote their church?

[PetroniusMaximus]

If I may paraphrase...

“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of “conservatives”, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

[floridavoter2]

I’m not going to become one, but I like them too!

[Artemis Webb]

The thread is about the conservatism of Mormons as a GROUP. It’s not a thread about their religious beliefs. I can feel pretty safe in assuming that Mormons as a GROUP voted far more Republican in the last election than did Catholics.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Mormons: The Most Conservative Religious Group In America

Not around Chapel Hill they're not!

[Edit35]

Romney didn’t attack Palin. That’s another ruse perpetuated by those who blindly hate Romney.

Romney DID,however, go after McCain pretty strong ... and it turns out Mitt was correct in doing so.

[MrEdd]

Pew is of course, the in house polling organization of the Tribune companies.

Spinning it off and giving it a new name hasn’t changed the bias it was crafted to produce.

[scooby321]

Harry Reid ?

[Diogenesis]

Romney goes after women and children. Disgusting.

Late in October, The American Spectator's The Prowler revealed:
"Former Mitt Romney presidential campaign staffers, some of whom are currently working for Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin's bid for the White House,
have been involved in spreading anti-Palin spin to reporters, seeking to diminish her standing after the election.
'Sarah Palin is a lightweight, she won't be the first, not even the third, person people will think of when it comes to 2012,'
says one former Romney aide, now working for McCain-Palin.
'The only serious candidate ready to challenge to lead the Republican Party is Mitt Romney.
He's in charge on November 5th.'"
The Prowler added: "Some former Romney aides were behind the recent leaks to media, including CNN, that Governor Sarah Palin was a 'diva' and was going off message intentionally."
The Romney supporters in the McCain campaign had access to internal polling which indicated well in advance of the November 4 election that McCain had no chance to win.
So they began working to position their man Mitt for a run in 2012. Just two days after the election,The Palmetto Scoop reported:
"One of the first stories to hit the national airwaves was the claim of a major internal strife between close McCain aides and the folks handling his running mate Sarah Palin."
"I’m told by very good sources that this was indeed the case and that a rift had developed, but it was between Palin’s people and the staffers brought on from the failed presidential campaign of former Gov. Mitt Romney, not McCain aides."
"The sources said nearly 80 percent of Romney’s former staff was absorbed by McCain and these individuals were responsible for what amounts to a premeditated, last-minute sabotage of Palin."
These aides loyal to Romney inside the McCain campaign, said The Scoop, reportedly saw that Palin would be a serious contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 or 2016, which made her a threat to another presidential quest by Romney.
Erick Erickson, who organized Operation Leper, said:
"Here’s what I think: I think there are some staffers on the McCain campaign who seriously screwed up the roll out of Sarah Palin, to which Governor Palin herself objected.
These staffers are now out trying to finish her off thinking, as typical D.C. types do, that if they don’t do it to her, she’ll do it to them. They just never understood who Palin is or what she is about."
"Likewise, I do think there are some staffers and others who expect Mitt Romney to run again in 2012,
they decided McCain could not win, and decided to undermine Sarah Palin and her chances hoping it would ingratiate themselves with Mitt Romney."

---

"Who's the Palin Leaker from the McCain Campaign? (Mark Wallace, Romney pimp)
National Review Online The publication of a Vanity Fair profile of Sarah Palin
appears to have opened old wounds in the McCain campaign.
... the source of the “Diva” leak was Nicolle Wallace’s husband."

---

Who benefits most from Sanford meltdown? Californian (that's right) Mitt Romney

---

"Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney"

"Someone's got to say it: IS MITT ROMNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY?"

"Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?"

"Romney Supporters Trashing Palin"

"Romney advisors sniping at Palin?"

[Diogenesis]

Poor sport spoiler Romney doing what he does best. Your hero.

Novak: "Fred Thompson drop-out rumors traced to Romney campaign"

Said Novak: "The rumors were traced in part to Mitt Romney's campaign,
trying to stir up strife between McCain and Thompson."

"Despite outspending his rivals by huge margins throughout the primaries,
(Mitt Romney, Carpetbagger UT,CA,MA,NH,Mexico) lost Iowa, South Carolina, Florida and California.
The only primaries he won were in Michigan, where Dad was governor; LDS states;
and a few states on Super Tuesday in which his California-obsessed rivals
couldn't spare the cash to advertise.
Only John Connolly in 1968 had a worse cash-to-delegates ratio.
And John McCain rightly did not like Romney's tactics during the primaries.
(W)hen (Romney's early leads) started slipping away, he resorted to unfair,
distorted, scorched-earth negative ads, betting that his opponents couldn't
afford to spend enough for the truth to catch up to his charges."
[Romney: A Mistake for McCain, 7/23/2008, Dick Morris]

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Are Mormos the only ones who use FR to promote their church?

The Catholics do that quite a bit, too.

[night reader]

If this article is correct, Latter-day Saints are more conservative in their politics than those who wear Fruit-of-the-Loom, and whose theology is mainstream... and isn't conservatism what FR is supposed to be all bout?

It is the nature of all religion to make perfect sense to its adherents and seem weird to nonbelievers.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

If that’s true, I’d sure like to see Mitt more obviously demonstrate it.

It seemed pretty clear to me, that Mitt’s organization launched an immediate attack on Governor Palin’s qualifications with a rather thin veneer of “plausible deniability”, within 24 hours of her nomination as Vice President of the United States.

Successfully. So successfully it might be said, that America is now presided over by a MARXIST.

I’ll not say congratulations.

I’ll not spit either.

I’d prefer Mitt DEMONSTRATE good faith. To an extent as to eliminate once and for all - the suspicions of myself and so many others.

This poster still has my original “Mitt 08” bumper stickers. I donated to his campaign. I am now so apalled by what I have seen that unless Mitt does something concrete (such as perhaps teaming up *with* Palin right away for the good of our country), that I may work actively to defeat him.

He’s a smart, capable guy. He needs to lead. For all of us.

Not just for him.

Now.

[Diogenesis]

Why does an article have more validity than, say, behavior?

[night reader]

What turns me away from Mormons, is Mitt Romney’s flunkies attacking Sarah Palin.

Amazing how perceptions vary! I seem to perceive Romney being attacked unfairly. But that being said, I love Sarah Palin and would vote for her in an instant. I might suggest that she put Mitt in Treasury. General Petraeus as SecDef, Ron Paul as Veep (No lefty would try to assassinate Sarah if they were afraid they'd end up with Paul in the Oval Office,)

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“Well, this may get me booted as I’ve come to feel that LDS are persona non grata on FR.”

Mormons are actually very welcome here - they just have to develop some thicker skins and learn how to defend their faith (okay, that won’t work...).

[vladimir998]

And Protestants don’t?

[night reader]

Mormons... just have to develop some thicker skins and learn how to defend their faith...

But why should I have to defend my faith in the house of my friends? I don't attack anyone else's faith.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Very good point.

I don’t recall even having seen a Mormon dismiss the faith of (any) poster here.

Ever.

Just take Mitt out behind the woodshed, please.

:)

[theFIRMbss]

>But why should I have to defend my faith in the house of my friends? I don't attack anyone else's faith

Passionate people
sometimes respond to any
discussion as an

"attack." The forum
is built for discussing things
but it can get hard

when "discussions" are
just attacks and defenses.
But time sorts that out.

[night reader]

(Governor Palin is to Comrade Zero, as Ronald Reagan was to Jimmy Carter.)

While we're into analogies, Harry Reid is to Mormons as Jimmy Carter is to Southern Baptists. Both may talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk!

[Religion Moderator]

This thread is posted in the Religion Forum.

If you do not wish to see RF posts, do NOT use the "everything" option on the browse. Instead, browse by "News/Activism." When you log back in, the browse will reset to "everything" - so be sure to set it back to "News/Activism."

[night reader]

This thread is posted in the Religion Forum.
If you do not wish to see RF posts...

I don't mind seeing RF posts, but see no reason for attacks. Tell me how great your religion is, not how bad mine is.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

I’m happy to agree with you.

As a wayward Protestant libertarian, you have just nudged me one more tiny bit toward my first step into an LDS church.

I’m not there yet, but thanks and I am on your side.

Be nice to me please when I show up on at the door, nervous. :)

[Religion Moderator]

If that is the kind of the thread you wanted, then you should have labeled it "LDS Caucus."

Click here for guidelines pertaining to the Religion Forum.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“But why should I have to defend my faith in the house of my friends?”

Friends? Don’t go all Pollyanna on me. You may have friends here, but that doesn’t mean they agree with your religion. I don’t confuse the two. You shouldn’t either.

“I don’t attack anyone else’s faith.”

So? How does that matter? Just because you refrain from doing a thing, that doesn’t mean doing that thing is wrong. And it certainly doesn’t make LDS right.

Clear thinking is always good. Not confusing one idea with another is a must.

[ET(end tyranny)]

Doesn’t really surprise me.

[ET(end tyranny)]

Thanks for posting those.

[night reader]

If that is the kind of the thread you wanted, then you should have labeled it "LDS Caucus."

No... having read the guidelines, I believe that Ecumenic is what I should have used. I don't mind responses from other denominations; I just don't like attacks. In addition to being LDS, I am a Son of the South (another much maligned group). My mother taught me to try to be a gentleman always ("Now, you mind your manners, boy!").

In any event, thanks for the heads-up!

[ET(end tyranny)]

Ron Paul as Veep (No lefty would try to assassinate Sarah if they were afraid they'd end up with Paul in the Oval Office,)

Now that's funny! :)

[Celtman]

Evidently whole denominations or known groups are rated. But there are thousands and thousands of autonomous Christian congregations around the country whose members are Constitutional conservatives.

Excellent (and quite true) point, which bears repeating.

I understand liberals thinking in terms of large groups, but it exasperates me when conservatives do it.

[SoConPubbie]

Well, this may get me booted as I've come to feel that LDS are persona non grata on FR.

Then you must have missed all the LDS Caucus threads.

The only Mormons I have trouble with are Mitt Romney and Harry Reid.

I'm pretty sure that same sentiment is shared by the vast majority of Freepers, including Jim Robinson

[SoConPubbie]

The thread is about the conservatism of Mormons as a GROUP. It’s not a thread about their religious beliefs. I can feel pretty safe in assuming that Mormons as a GROUP voted far more Republican in the last election than did Catholics.

Probably a safe assumption.

[Alex Murphy]

I can feel pretty safe in assuming that Mormons as a GROUP voted far more Republican in the last election than did Catholics

Your assumptions would be correct - not that the Catholics like hearing it.

[circumbendibus]

Mitt Romney was destroyed on his religion by axelrod/dnc. That was wy out of line. What is Obama’s religion. Just curious. L Ron Hubbard?

[Diogenesis]

No one would have known Romney’s religion if he
and his RomneyBOTs did not bring it up all the time,
use it continuously as an excuse for his bad performance,
and use it to falsely accuse everyone of “hate” when
they did not bow before, and vote for, demented Romney.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

And Protestants don’t?

Not nearly as much as the Catholics, no.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“Not nearly as much as the Catholics, no.”

“Not nearly as much,” still means YES.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

So? Never said they didn’t, just that Catholics tend to spam up the forum with their stuff much more than do the Lutherans or Presbyterians.

[greyfoxx39]

Evidently whole denominations or known groups are rated. But there are thousands and thousands of autonomous Christian congregations around the country whose members are Constitutional conservatives.

Yeah, but these groups don't have a multi-million dollar per year public relations firm making sure they are in the newspapers and other public venues...although that kinda bit the mormons on the Prop8 matter.

Mormons have learned that two things have aided their public persona through the years....playing the "persecution" card and getting the message out that they are "special", even though as a general rule, they have as many troubled souls among their numbers as any other group of people.

Spoken from experience, as one who was born mormon and has lived in mormon enclaves a good portion of my life.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“So? Never said they didn’t, just that Catholics tend to spam up the forum with their stuff much more than do the Lutherans or Presbyterians.”

Spam? No. Multiple posts - and I mean MULTIPLE - posts on Calvin’s birthday is spaming up a forum. Also, I think Protestant posters used to post much more often than they do now. Why they stopped posting as much as they used to, I don’t know.