Mitt's post mortem
Like the forensic detectives in a CSI episode, political and religious observers have begun the autopsy on the Romney campaign. What killed it?
Peggy Stack of the Tribune says Mitt dragged Mormons into public scrutiny that they thought would be a good thing.
LDS historian Richard Bushman told Stack, "We have to live with the fact that a lot of people think our beliefs are strange. Mormons have never had so much exposure as we have in the last year, so much genuine curiosity on the part of high-level media. I don't think we'll ever be the same."
The New York Times' Timothy Egan puts Romney's defeat in stark terms: "Blame Christians."
In the Deseret Morning News, Lee Benson argues the "politician" Mitt killed the true "moderate" Mitt's chances. Benson only indirectly mentions anti-Mormon bigotry.
Benson's insights come as no surprise to a group of voters broader than evangelicals and the Mormons combined — those who simply don't care about any candidate's religion, but were disgusted by Romney, the flip-flopping, pandering opportunist.
Peggy Stack of the Tribune says Mitt dragged Mormons into public scrutiny that they thought would be a good thing.
With optimistic naiveté, many believed the more people knew of Mormonism, the more Latter-day Saints would be accepted into mainstream America, legitimate players on the national stage.
That didn't happen. Instead, some said, Romney's failed campaign revealed what many Americans really think about Mormons. It forced Latter-day Saints to acknowledge that they don't just belong to another American denomination.
LDS historian Richard Bushman told Stack, "We have to live with the fact that a lot of people think our beliefs are strange. Mormons have never had so much exposure as we have in the last year, so much genuine curiosity on the part of high-level media. I don't think we'll ever be the same."
The New York Times' Timothy Egan puts Romney's defeat in stark terms: "Blame Christians."
By significant margins, in poll after poll, in vote after vote a solid block of evangelical Christians said they would never vote for a Mormon. Since evangelicals made up nearly half of the Republican primary vote in some states, Romney was up against a deep well of distrust of a religion that many evangelicals still label a cult.
In the Deseret Morning News, Lee Benson argues the "politician" Mitt killed the true "moderate" Mitt's chances. Benson only indirectly mentions anti-Mormon bigotry.
And has there been a stiffer speech in all of politics than Romney's so-called religion speech last December? Instead of defending his right to be a Mormon and let it go at that, he attacked Americans who aren't religious — a subtle but obvious pander for the Christian voting bloc. He couldn't stop campaigning even when he wasn't campaigning.Benson recalls the governor of Massachusetts and the Mitt who got along with liberal Rocky Anderson during the 2002 Olympics. "He's the absolute king of the moderates."
Benson's insights come as no surprise to a group of voters broader than evangelicals and the Mormons combined — those who simply don't care about any candidate's religion, but were disgusted by Romney, the flip-flopping, pandering opportunist.
3 Comments:
Mitt had 4 million votes to McCain's 4.7. This wasn't religion. It was where McCain's votes were that made the difference in the delegates. With a choice between Huckabee and McCain, we might see Utah go blue and vote for Obama. Utahans might vote for McCain, but will never vote for Huckabee. You don't make fun of someone and get their vote.
The irony in all this is Romney's greatest strength lied in campaigning for exactly what he is: A good businessman with the knowledge of how to fix the nation's economy and find a moderate consensus to make real change happen. Instead of chasing the conservative label, he should have owned up to what he is - a moderate who enables change. Sure - the extreme right would have gone running to Huckabee, but he would have made up for it by stealing a huge chunk of the moderate Republican vote from McCain.
Unfortunately, what's done is done. Romney ended up paying the price by trying to campaign as something he was not.
As for Utah turning blue - I just don't see it happening. Too many people in Utah have a strong tradition of voting for the letter next to a person's name rather than the name behind it. I once heard a joke that if Jesus ran as a Democrat and Hitler ran as a Repulican that Utah would vote for Hitler. (Bad joke, I know.) Unfortunately, it's likely true and I don't see McCain having too much problem rallying Utah behind him, even with the loss of our beloved Romney from the race (which Utah GOP supporters will likely all blame on Huckabee anyhow.)
I sure hope Utahns aren't dumb enough to vote for McCain just to stay red. I definitely won't go that way. McCain doesn't have my good or the states good or the nations good in mind with his platform and I hope Utah realizes this, I usually vote rep. but not this go round. Especially not for McCain or Huchabee.
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