Hang-ups over Mormonism proved Romney's undoing

The Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 02/10/2008 | Thomas Burr

[Utah Binger]

WASHINGTON - The day after Mitt Romney formally announced he was seeking the White House, a USA Today headline blared "Will Mormon faith hurt bid for White House?" Anchors on the major networks asked the same question and a stream of pundits predicted Romney's Mormon religion would be a significant hurdle. Almost one year later, on Thursday, Romney withdrew from the race after suffering several big losses and facing an insurmountable challenge to beat Republican rival John McCain. The degree to which his faith contributed to that defeat may never be fully known. It's clear, however, that Romney's belief in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cost him in his presidential quest. Romney himself acknowledged that had he been a Baptist, for example, he may not have lost the Iowa caucuses - a devastating setback to his early surge strategy.

[FreeReign]

No, that’s silly. The lesson of Romney is that if you’re a cultist, you’d better have something else to offer that people can really believe. That Romney’s a cultist was a minus

Mitt ran on a conservative platform. Whether you believe Mitt would govern as a conservative based on certain short comings in is political record is up to you.

Myself, after Fred left, Mitt was offering the next best platform.

About Mormonism, if you think it's a "cult", that's your problem. I don't think that it is.

[FreeReign]

How many mormons voted for a non-mormon candidate for POTUS in the primaries? Seems to me the majority of Mormons voted for Romney, just like tons of blacks are voting for Obama without even knowing what he stands for, and many women are voting for hillary because she’s a woman. And evangelicals are voting for Huckabee. Interesting.

Identity politics is alive and well.

If a Baptist votes for Huckabee simply because abortion is there number one issue and Huckabee has the best record on that so be it.

The rest of Huckabee's record and even the rest of his campaign is way too liberal for me.

[BibChr]

Same here. With Fred left, flippin' Mitt was about it. I laid it out at length here, but that's pretty academic at this point, sadly.

So if Mormonism isn't a cult, what is, and on what basis?

[Salvation]

Hard to believe that all these stories are coming out about Mormonism now.

[FreeReign]

Same here. With Fred left, flippin' Mitt was about it. I laid it out at length here, but that's pretty academic at this point, sadly. So if Mormonism isn't a cult, what is, and on what basis?

You seem like an otherwise reasonable guy. So why do you waste your time arguing that Mormonism is a cult?

Mormons have their own specific religious beliefs as do all religions. I've no problem with it. Why don't you call it a religion and leave it at that?

[BibChr]

Same reason I say a hamburger is a hamburger. I’m not being flip or sarcastic; I say it’s a cult because it’s a cult. If I stopped saying it, it’d still be one.

You know, like — wasn’t it Lincoln who asked, “If you called a tail a leg, how many legs would a dog have?” And the answer was “Four,” because it doesn’t matter what you call it, it is what it is.

Maybe if you told me what you think a cult is, I could understand your objection.

[FreeReign]

Same reason I say a hamburger is a hamburger. I’m not being flip or sarcastic; I say it’s a cult because it’s a cult. If I stopped saying it, it’d still be one. You know, like — wasn’t it Lincoln who asked, “If you called a tail a leg, how many legs would a dog have?” And the answer was “Four,” because it doesn’t matter what you call it, it is what it is. Maybe if you told me what you think a cult is, I could understand your objection.

Hold on now. You first. You've called Mormonism a "cult". Mormonism is a religion. What makes it a cult to you?

[Utah Binger]

Now? You been living in the jungle with no radio for the last six weeks?

[Twink]

ITA. I’m pro life, all the time for any reason. I won’t vote for him or anyone just on that issue if the rest of their platform or voting record is ludicrous. It’s a huge issue for me but it’s not the only one. It’s fine if those who vote that way vote that way. On any of the issues.

I think huckabee is a liberal/socialist on everything but abortion but what good is that going to do us if we’re not the country so many fought for? I don’t think ill of those who vote for him because of that or anyone but I do get ticked when people harass me for how I vote or how I view things. Is it ok for me to vote pro 2nd A and only that? I respect McCain’s military service and I’m pro military all the time but I can’t stand him and I don’t trust him but I do think he’s better than Hillary or Obama. Just not sure I’ll vote for him come Nov since I don’t trust him or hillary or obama.

We’ve become too PC or Idenity politics for my taste. If I went by that, I should vote for hillary because she’s a girl after all and that trumps everyting even though she’s nuts and liberal and against everything I believe in and what is good for our country. But I should vote for her because she’s a women and could be the first female president regardless of how unqualified she is and what she’d do to this country. Or I should vote for huck because he has one thing right that’s important to me or Obama because that would make me not racist, rme. Or McCain because he’s moderate and reaches across the isle and lose his balls if he had any to begin with. It’s so frustrating.

[BibChr]

A good working definition would be that of Dr. Walter Martin, known for his extensive research into "cults and -isms."

Martin says that "a cult might...be defined as a group of people gathered about a specific person or person's mis-interpretation of the Bible. ...From a theological viewpoint, the cults contain many major deviations from historic Christianity. Yet paradoxically, they continue to insist that they are entitled to be classified as Christians" (Kingdom of the Cults [Bethany: 1985], p. 11).

Your turn.

[Old Mountain man]

Look it up in Webster’s. I’m too lazy to copy and paste. Besides, it could be a copyright violation for me to do so.

[colorcountry]

What? You didn’t like my six-point turn? I thought you’d be impressed by its execution.

Thank you and Mrs. Bing for a lovely time. It did my liberal sister good to talk to such a smart, talented, and charming conservative couple!

[Michael Knight]

That was an excellent post.

[Finny]

Thank you! :^)