Well, let's see, nonstatist, you've already made a dead-wrong statement in post #20, corrected by Colorcountry in post #24...so rather than acknowledge how off-base you are, you just keep plowing into a pile of...
Let's just look even at history for a moment. Do you realize that most Lds political leaders from the 19th century into the early 20th century were Democrats?
Do you realized that the second representative voted into congress from the new state of Utah in the 1890s was so "progressive" of a Democrat that he (B.H. Roberts) had three wives simultaneously -- one added AFTER the so-called proclamation addressing new polygamous unions by the Mormons?
Do you realize that grassroots America was so opposed to this that they gathered 7 million signatures and placed them on 28 banners asking that Congress NOT seat Mr. Roberts as a congressman?
Do you realize Congress agreed with America & sent Mr. Roberts packing back home?
Now let's fast-forward to contemporary Mormon reps on the Hill...let's just look at the Mormon Democrats:
* Thomas Udall of NM (& the CO Udall, too)
* James Matheson of UT
* Leonard Boswell of IA
* ex-Congressman Baron Hill of IN
You don't think these men weren't liberal on some social issue?
Even among the Republican Mormons, neither Sen. Gordon Smith (OR), Dean Heller of NV [I'm sure Fast Coyote could tell us more] or Gov. Mitt Romney have been known for consistently conservative positions. National Right to Life gave Smith a 50% rating. Romney was AWOL on pro-life stuff for all but a few pro-life statements he managed to make in 2004 or 05, 2007, and 2008. He did absolutely NOTHING substantive "Pro-life" wise.
Romney changed his position three times on embryonic stem cells -- going back to an attempted waffle position Dec. of 2007; he changed his position three times on classifying "sexual orientation" in the workplace -- again going back to an attempted middle-ground waffle position; and he's changed his position on abortion more often than that...and Romney, the high priest served as a bishop & local missionary prez.
At the Web site "on the issues" is this comment about Smith: "Works often with Sen. Wyden (D-OR) & Sen. Obama (D-IL). (Oct 2008)"
Doctrinally, there is nothing in Mormonism that would prohibit abortion (as we have seen reflected in the stance of many Mormon politicians and even Mormon Freepers.)
Mormonism teaches that a spirit is eternal - has always existed, and that little spirit babies are in heaven awaiting the chance to receive a body and be born into earthly existence. When a pregnancy is cut short, either through a miscarriage or and abortion, that little spirit will get another chance to be born. Thus, an abortion isn’t really killing anything except a chance.
What ? That Harry Reid is "religious"?? Thats settled because he went to a convention?
The guy is for gay marriage and a basket of left wing programs. Thats not what Mormonism espouses or what Mormons believe, generally. Theres a lot of circumstantial evidence that Harry Reid is an opportunist, he has behaved his entire adult life like one.
I dont give a spit that you hate Mormons because of some doctrinal thing or whatever, but Harry Reid is no more sincere than the guy who beats his wife on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and then goes to church on Sunday.
If you want a history of Mormon Democrats in heavily Mormon Nevada who have gone astray, you start with Harry Reid, then look at Richard Bunker and the sweetheart land deal to Harvey Whittemore (Whittemore buys lots of land for $20 mil then sells immediately $22 mil of water rights, Bunker is on Southern Nevada Water District). Then you look at Dario Herrera who just got done with doing jail time for taking money and lapdances from the Cheetah’s topless bar. There are more out there.
Some goes back to Howard Hughes and his Mormon Mafia, led by Mayheu who was a buddy of gangster Johnny Roselli, both while Mayheu was CIA setting up the mob to kill Castro, and then later when all the casino skim deals were happening. Even tough guy Mormon Sheriff Lamb was a bit shady and now works for Kerkorian (and presumably Pansy Ho, daughter of Stanley the Macao pimp and gaming king).
So, if you really want to get into how Democrat Mormons can take a walk on the dark side, we can go there.
No they weren't. The enabling act for Utah's admission to the union was signed by a Democrat in anticipation of a new Democratic State. That didn't happen. Despite being a western mining state admitted during the height of the free silver and Populist/Democratic movement Utah dallied with the Democrats for a brief moment and went straight Republican. It is one of the most conservative and Republican of states. They will, on occasion, vote a popular personality with a Democratic tag but since admission the LDS has always been Republican. Always.
I was just a kid up on the Kansas-Nebraska border when I stumbled across the Pro-life movement back in the early ’70s. They were collecting money for the fight down in Louisiana. It was a Catholic fight but the money was coming from little towns and churches all across the country and the money came from all denominations, including mine. I don't know as I had ever seen one at that time but the Mormons out west were rallying and contributing like no one else. I wondered who they were and why they were taking up this fight half a continent away. Later I got to meet them face to face as I bounced across the West. I was always welcomed and soon learned to seek them out when I was in a new town. Their religion was different from mine but there never was any doubt but that we bowed to the same Lord and Savior.
We had a lot in common. The same Bible-thumping freaks that had run the Mormons out of Missouri had turned on my people next. The murdering bastards crossed the border into Kansas vowing to “Mormonize” us. They killed enough to earn Kansas the title of “Bleeding Kansas”. My people were Anabaptists, pacifists, but they were first in line to go and fight this dark and glowering evil. At the risk of their very souls by a God that commanded “Thou shalt not kill” they went into the heart of this beast to stamp out this people and their God of slavery and murder. A hundred years later we were back doing what we could to stop the slaughter of innocents by a people who claimed a divine sanction of their actions. Baptists.
In the run-up to the 1980 election the Reagan campaign in the West was Mormon. They had the most efficient and effective organization that I have ever seen. Someone would say something in San Diego and the next morning there were campaign workers on the street in Boise, in Phoenix, in Albuquerque, in Denver, in Butte and a hundred other cities. We won the West, all of it, in no small part due to the Mormons. Utah voted Reagan with 73%.
If you want to see the future of the conservatism and the Republican Party just take a tour of Utah. We are actively seeking bright young talent for the Republican Party. It’s not really easy to find young people well grounded in God and in Country with the educational background and talent necessary to be leaders. When I go to Utah, I can chuck a rock in any direction and hit two or three. Utah is Reagan country and essential to the future of the Republican Party. If you don’t like that, I suggest that you find another Party.