You are right on. If a candidate is a conservative, they will be ridiculed as an idiot by the press. IMHO, this is because they are usually MORE intelligent and informed, and it’s part of the leftist playbook to attack and thus negate conservative areas of strength.
For instance, do we ever hear Bachmann is a tax attorney? Palin is an energy expert who DID have a hostile power on her doorstep as governer of Alaska? That Cain IS a “rocket scientist”?
Mormonism has huge problems, stemming from their belief God is flesh and blood. Huge problems come from small heresies. But the Mormons I know try to live exemplary lives, and value their family above all. That is not part of what disqualifies Romney. But expect huge shows on all the weird aspects of mormonism with charts and “experts” all over the alphabet networks if Romney wins the primary.
Mormons have their own version of "Taqqiya."