You asked, "What else besides Romney's faith can explain the ex-governor's poor showing?" Let us count the ways. Is it inconceivable that primary voters would find his conversions to conservatism inauthentic? Is it inconceivable that they have a hard time believing that a man who described himself as pro-choice since 1970 would suddenly become pro-life in 2005? That somebody who once found McCain reasonable on immigration, would suddenly attack McCain's position as tantamount to amnesty? That somebody who once promised to be more pro-gay rights than Ted Kennedy would end up portraying himself as a social conservative crusader? That somebody who signed an assault weapons ban in Massachusetts would say he's a big defender of the Second Amendment, who would veto any such legislation as president? Are conservatives bigots if they don't support government mandated health care? Or $20 billion bailouts for the auto industry? Are they anti-Mormon if they decide that in a time of war, somebody with national security credentials is preferable to a one term governor?
I’ve only spoken with 2 people that voted for McCain instead of Romney, so I admit it is a small and unscientific sampling. Both of them cited religion as the main reason. I voted for Romney in spite of religion, then he dropped out. What a loser.
I wouldn't have said it quite the same way.
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I think Romneycare killed him.
There’s a reason they call it the “Bible Belt” and not the “Book of Mormon Belt”
I generally agree with the analysis offered in this piece.
I think this entire primary stinks. It’s too short — too front-loaded. Not enough time for people to get acquainted with the candidates.
Great stuff. Thanks for posting it!
Good insight indeed.
“Mormonism didn’t sink Romney”
In the South it did.
How else do you explain the, what was it, 30-40% of people polled who said they could never vote for a Mormon for president?
That question had nothing to do with Romney or his politics at all. It was a straight-forward question and a pretty clear result.
Mitt's religion clearly sunk him. With that "never vote for a Mormon" contingent eliminated, he would have been able to get the nomination, I believe.
“by switching his positions on a litany of key issues, even though his past record was moderate.”
The author repeats the line “litany of key issues” but doesn’t list them. Why? That’s because there is only one issue he switched on (abortion) and that was in the middle of his term as Governor.
The Don Kroah show on WAVA had a guest warning people to not vote for Romney because he’s Mormon, and I personally know Christians who said they wouldn’t vote for him because of that issue alone.
The bottom line is the author of this article is a bit disingenuous.
For the love of God, please, please stop posting hit pieces about Mitt Romney. Give it a rest, already!
Mitt Romney stepped aside, “for the good of the party, for the good of the country . . . during a time of war.” Mitt Romney has proved that he is a good fine family man who puts the country ahead of his own personal desires, unlike Huckabee.
Please stop trashing this good man and his religion. Enough, already!!
Actually, neither the author of the article or the poster attacked Mormonism. This issue is Romney's poorly run campaign, inability to connect with the electorate, and prodigious flip-flop output.
I don’t think Mormonism sunk Romney. I don’t think Romney sunk Romney.
George Bush sunk Romney.
It isn’t news anymore, so nobody talks about it, but Bush’s approval rating is sitting in the toilet around 30%. Taking on the mantle of more of the same is not going to sell this time around.
Evangelicals who don’t care what a politician actually does in this life because it’s the next one that counts are pretty much the only people who still like Bush, and they would vote for whoever Bush designated as a successor Mormon or not, but Huckabee was there to take those votes.
McCain was the mainstream candidate furthest from Bush, so his winning primaries open beyond the evangelical base was a foregone conclusion.
In 2005, Romney would have walked away with it.