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Well, now, this is an interesting article. The reporter failed to mention two things. First, being a Mormon didn't hinder his late father's political career. Second, judging from the last paragraph, he can think on his feet and land a punch, too. LOL

Mormon in race against McCain
Sarah Baxter, Washington, 21 Oct 2006
In an essential rite of passage for American politicians, Mitt Romney was ushered into the presence of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher at a Washington think tank last month.
If not quite an official anointing, the handshake and chat with so venerable a figure was an unmistakable sign to conservatives that he was "one of us".
The improbably handsome right-wing Governor of left-wing Massachusetts is generating enormous buzz as the conservative with the best chance of beating independent-minded senator John McCain for the 2008 Republican nomination
------Snip------
His meeting with Baroness Thatcher was swiftly incorporated into his patter. "Can you imagine? It was such an extraordinary honour to be able to sit down with her, person-to-person," he said.
"We talked about the condition of the world and I said, 'I'm optimistic that we'll overcome these problems', and she paused and said, 'We always have'."
..... has been married to his high school sweetheart for 37 years and has five photogenic children. At 59, he is no youngster but is frequently ribbed about his film-star appearance.
He would be straight out of central casting were it not for one startling drawback: Mr Romney is a Mormon, a religion some evangelical Christians regard with disdain.
In a potential double whammy, he also speaks French (a source of ridicule for 2004 Democratic candidate John Kerry), having been a Mormon missionary as a young man in France.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outlawed polygamy long ago. But as one wag has noted, in a 2008 Republican field consisting of Senator McCain, Rudolph Giuliani and Newt Gingrich, the only man who has had one wife would be the Mormon.
-----snip-----
As Governor, Mr Romney has already proved his appeal to swing voters. One party-goer described him as an American version of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, saying: "He's extremely eloquent, with strong convictions. He's a visionary who is attempting to create a health system which could be a model for the whole country."
Mr Romney is pioneering a market-based system for universal healthcare in his home state that he believes easily trumps Hillary Clinton's botched proposal when she was first lady.
"The first difference between hers and mine is that mine got voted in," he said tartly.

Full article