first things first, if the candidate proves to be a strong candidate where their stands are what the American People want, then his or her religion won't play that big of a role....
That said though, Romney isnt that candidate and 2008 isn't going to be his year....
Count me as one of the 17 percent.
Religion has been used against some of the judicial candidates (if they're Catholic, they're painted as being unable to adjudicate a case according to law rather than papal doctrines). I wouldn't put it past the left to do the same to any person with strong faith beliefs.
If he's a conservative and a constitutionalist, I'll vote for him. His religion, or lack thereof is incidental.
I'd rather have a libertarian (small "l") who protects my constitutional freedoms than a member of the "born again" club who tries to take them away.
And there are those who would not support Romney in the primaries but given the choice between Romney and Hillary would gladly support him. (To say nothing of those who, given the choice between Beelzebub and Hillary, would gladly support him.)
I don't see anything wrong with that, and I'm LDS. America is great, in part, because its citizens can still hold and express strong and powerful opinions on matters such as religion and use these beliefs to inform important decisions without fear.
I would not want to live in a nation of milquetoasts unable or unwilling to believe anything strongly.
I won't support Romney, but my chief reason is that he is too much of a social liberal for my tastes.
I'm Catholic, btw.
"Romney balanced the 2003 budget, and he finished 2004 with a $700 million surplus. A reviving economy helped, but Romney didn't tax or borrow, and he reduced spending through government consolidation and reform."
More conservative than you can say about this White House or Congress. He would have my support.
ROFL!
Marey Carey has a better chance of being elected president than Romney!
...
Regardless of his religion by signing a smoking ban it shows
a) He has no respect for Private Property
b) He believes junk science
Either which means he shouldn't be the Republican nomination, nor President
Romney has a lot bigger problem in where he is from (Massachusetts) than in his religion. The Republican candidate is not going to come from a blue state that he couldn't carry in a general election.
I am one of that 17 percent.
No way, no how would I vote for a heretic to lead this nation.
Orrin Hatch is a liberal. He supports free postsecondary tuition for illegal aliens. HE SHOULD NOT BE PRESIDENT!
My sister married into the Mormon Church and I have remained close to her and her family despite any religious differences.
I have as many political disagreements with Methodists as I do Mormons so why would I reject a Mormon politician just because of his faith? We'll agree on a whole lot more than we disagree.
All that said, I want a presidential candidate that is rock-solid pro-life. I can handle squishies on the issue who don't have the power to appoint judges or write major laws on the subject (i.e. Secretary of State or City Councilman) but I won't support one who for president because his personal beliefs will factor into who he chooses to decide the legal issues.
IOW, I would personally disqualify my support from any potential presidential candidate who I could not feel confident would work to roll back the abortion holocaust within our borders. That's where I have problems with Mr. Romney even though the Mormon Church's position on the issue is very solid.
Ok folks I didn't read the whole thing but did it mention the name of the planet where the mormon god and his wife procreate making human babies???
As far as I can tell Romney hasn't allowed his religion to influence the way he's run as governor. I personally think the Mormon church is whacky on many levels, but it seems to me that holding his religion against him is something that liberals would do.
Did I miss it or did the real reason that some people will not vote for Mormans come out in the article.
Some people think that Mormans are not Christian.
You can count me, as well as the rest of the conservative Christians that make up the majority of the GOP, in strong opposition to a Romney candidacy. He'll get killed in the south by the "God" voters. Other than that, he'll probably do well in New England with New Hampshire at the back door. However, I would like to see someone like Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC), Representative Mike Pence (R-IN), or Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore run. Just my two cents.