Richard Land had some interesting comments about Mitt Romney’s presidential chances today when talking about the 2008 field with Bill Bennett. (Land is the president of Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the public policy entity of the Southern Baptist Convention.)
Land mentioned Romney with McCain and Brownback as someone who might be able to get the evangelical vote. Contrary to the assumptions of the media elite Land thought Romeny’s mormonism wouldn’t be a problem. According to Land:
I have people tell me well you know a Mormon can’t be elected. Well, I disagree with that. I think that if you look at the polling that says that thirty-seven percent of Americans would not vote for a Mormon, the majority of those are seculars who don’t like religion anyway and look at Mormonism as religion on steroids. Most evangelicals understand that we’re voting for a commander-in-chief and not a theologian-in-chief, and it’s going to depend on where they stand on the issues whether or not they’ll get the support of Evangelicals.
I think Land is right. The issues a candidate stands for matters more than the church they go to to most evangelicals. Just ask Harriet Meiers.
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November 16th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
I agree. The more I look at the potential candidates Romney emerges as the obvious choice for Republicans. I don’t think I’m alone.
November 17th, 2006 at 12:01 pm
I’ve always thought Mormons were a little out there. I didn’t even think I knew any until just this year when I’ve found out my boss is Mormon, as is Harry Reid, Karl Rove and the owner of Jet Blue, which is the airline I use. Now I’m starting to think they manage things well.
November 17th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Correction: Karl Rove is not LDS (Mormon) though he did grow up in Salt Lake City.
November 17th, 2006 at 11:53 pm
Yea, a lot of my friends are Mormons, they are good and honest. They are always keeping themselves upright. By the way, I heard Dr. Stephen Covey is a Mormon, well, I don’t see any bad from him. And even the billionaire, Jon Huntsman, is a Mormon, i am very impressed with his book. Today, I am definitely, a pro-mitt since I know that he’s a dynamic and potential leader based on his achievements. We need him.
November 18th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
I didn’t know Stephen Covey was a Mormon? Is that True? During my Undergrad days at Arizona State University. I had a Long hair Hippy for a self development class and had to read this book as part of the class. I loved that book and would recommend it to anyone. It was based on sound ethics. It’s called, “Seven Habits of High Effective People”. I’m too have been impressed with the Mormons I have associated with over time although I don’t get along with them on minute things sometimes. However, it Mitt runs and covey are both Mormons, I wouldn’t have a problem with that as much because I do value that they are believers and have vision. Anyhow, let me know. Matt
November 19th, 2006 at 9:51 am
I have to disagree. Mormonism was still trying to create a theocracy as little as 100 years ago. Mormon leadership is very happy to get involved in politics, and would be very active in public policy if there was a Mormon president. The secret ceremonies and oaths of loyalty to the Mormon Church in their temples does not give me a good feeling at all. I am very familiar with the inner workings of the Mormon Church and how they have quietly manipulated public opinion on issues across the country. I spent 40 years as a Mormon. I was in leadership and was an officiator in their secret temple ceremonies. A Mormon president would be about the worst thing I could think of. There are enough people like me who would try to let people know the downside. I really pray that it would not happen.
November 19th, 2006 at 10:39 am
I like and respect most of the Mormons I know. What I’m afraid of is that he isn’t Mormon enough. Most of my Mormon friends are generally conservative, but most are also opposed to torture and domestic surveillance. I don’t get that impression from Romney. I won’t vote a G.W.Bush clone into office.
November 20th, 2006 at 5:08 am
Jim,
It’s interesting how two people can experience virtually the same things and yet see them completely differently. The LDS Church is bending over backwards to distance itself from a Romney campaign. Nothing would be worse for the Church than to stir up politics into religion. You would have congregations deeply divided over the issue and many, many people would leave the Mormon Church over it.
Additionally, most of the Church’s converts are foreigners. A lot of foreigners hate America and our president. The LDS Church would be crazy to invite a similar animosity towards their cause. Then, 4 or 8 years later when Romney is no longer in office, what good would it have done if more people hated Mormonism after his presidency, than they did before.
When it is all said and done, Mitt Romney the man would end up running the country and not Mitt Romney the Mormon puppet.
PS. Yes Matt, Steven Covey is Mormon as is one of the largest donors to your alma mater (Arizona State)–Ira Fulton. I think he has donated something like 30 to 50 million to ASU over the years.
November 20th, 2006 at 8:02 am
The Mormon Church is now bending over backwards. If you followed the stories in the Boston Globe a couple of weeks ago, it was very evident from the evidence that the Mormon Church was in the middle of campaign planning. There were emails from Sheri Dew (head of Deseret Book company) explaining the buy in by to leadership and who had been appointed as liason to the top leadership (a high ranking member of their leadership). That is not keeping their distance. Since the Boston Globe broke the story, Romney’s Salt Lake PR firm has been replaced and everything disavowed. I know how they work. They are still involved.
November 20th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not officially endorse any polical candidate. The Church does encourage its members to be involved in the political process regardless of the country in which they live. Yes, I am LDS. No, I do not live in Utah, I live in New Jersey. But I have lived in Utah and have heard babble ad nauseum about the church running the state. It’s an absurd statement. The LDS Church no more runs the state of Utah than do the Southern Baptists run any state south of the Mason-Dixon line. People run a state–any state–and in most cases the majority of people who run the state likewise come from the predominant religion.
November 20th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
They do not endorse any candidate, but the support given to Mitt was questioned as an infringement on their 501 (c)(3) status, because it went far beyond what is allowed under the religious nonprofit regulations. Read the Boston Globe, the Arizona Republican and the Salt Lake Tribune on the current subject. I remember several times hearing from the pulpit that the Mormon Church was not involved in political activism, then got a call from the Elders Quorum President or High Priest Group leader about how to manage programs of involvement in the area.
I know the one on the ERA in the 70s was directed from Salt Lake, personally by Hinckley(yes I am that old)who was special assistant to the First Presidency. That went so far as having delegates in the meetings with walky talkys conneted to the Priesthood leaders outside of the meetings to get direction on the votes. They disavowed any knowledge of that one as well.
Saying it doesn’t happen does not change reality.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:12 pm
Jim,
I must have misread… are you talking about political events that occurred in the year 1970?
November 21st, 2006 at 6:38 pm
I can give you information on later events, but the specific documentation I have is the formation of the Special Affairs Committee organized in 1974. There is a lot of documentation of the Mormon involvement in scuttling the ERA. Hinckely was an assistant to the First Presidency as early as 1958 and was then called to the First Presidency in 1981 as a special counselor to Kimball, because the failing health and mental facilities of the First Presidency. He was actually running a lot of the Church business for most of that time. Based on information from Steve Benson, his grandfather was in advanced senility in 1985 when he became President. Hinckley and Monson ran the Church. In 1974, because of his relationship with the First Presidency and as head of Mormon PR, Hinckley oversaw the combined effort against the ERA, then in 1977 developed the plan to scuttle the International Women’s Year convention using Ezra Taft Benson’s name and connections. All well documented through Mormon and public sources.
Now - today - on 10/19/06 the Boston Globe broke a story about meetings between Mitt Romney and Mormon leadership and what it might mean. Fairly innocuous.
10/20/06 – Romney and the Mormon Church answered with outrage that there was NO tie – that leadership had NOT been consulted and that the Mormon Church was in NO way associated with the campaign.
10/21/06 - an official statement was released from the Mormon Church making the same statement.
10/22/06 – the Boston Globe released and article that included emails between Mitt Romney’s PR agency and the head of the Mormon publishing company who reports to the First Presidency. The emails said in part; ” I had a positive meeting with Kem Gardner this week. Josh Romney was also there (one of Mitt’s sons, who lives in UT). Kem said he had met prior with Elder Holland in regard to how the efforts to help Governor Romney could move forward amongst the LDS community while not creating undue heartburn. (According to Kem, Elder Holland has been designated/assumed the role of coordinating these matters.) Elder Holland surfaced the idea of using BYU Management Society, and its locally-based organizations as a starting point to rally and organize the troops on a grass-roots level. Elder Holland subsequently surfaced the idea with Presidents Hinckley and Faust, who voiced no objections.”
10/23/06 - Press release from the Mormon Church denying everything. Several people working for the Mormon Church were fired, because they had access to the emails and could have been the leak. The Salt Lake PR firm which worked with both the Mormon Church and Romney was fired.
This is business as usual in the Mormon Church.
November 24th, 2006 at 10:46 am
Here is an update on my previous post:
The program has been moved from Mormon and Mormon college phones and email, but is continuing. Below is something I recieved from a current member who knows the laws.
I’m late, as always, opening my mail, and in doing so I found a two page letter signed by prominent LDS leaders–former bishops, high council, etc., telling us who to vote for, and justifying it with LDS scripture. They had the nerve to say that no stake or ward directories were used because all of our names and addresses were public record. However, unless there is some kind of sorting mechanism in public records that says, “Sort by religion,” they’re lying.
Religion is not an availible field on public records. This is a Mormon member who feels that it is improper (it is also illegal) for a Church to be active in promoting a political candidate. Mormons are taking membership lists and alumni lists and doing mass mailings and phone calls. Under section 501(c)(3), this is illegal and could result in loss of the religious nonprofit status.
November 24th, 2006 at 4:04 pm
Here is something to watch on Mitt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUm8sAwsEw4
November 24th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
The link I just gave doesn’t work. Here is the correct link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sG8CnxesY0
November 29th, 2006 at 10:40 pm
Hey Guys — Please visit the website www.EvangelicalsforMitt.com to see an Evangelical perspective of the Romney candidacy…
Thanks!