Poll: Romney’s Religion Could Play Role In Primaries
I’ve long contended that despite his blatant political flip-flops and turning himself into a virtual poster boy for craven political pandering former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney would have a far easier time of it — and in closing the political sale — if he was not a Mormon in today’s Republican Party. And a new poll seems to back me up:
A new poll that gauges Americans’ views of the Mormon faith served up difficult news for the nation’s highest profile member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 24 percent of people it surveyed expressed a negative view of the religion, with white evangelical Protestants most likely to characterize Mormonism as “non-Christian.”
That a key part of the GOP base is squeamish about Romney’s faith suggests that his toughest days as a candidate may be right now — during the Republican nominating contest.
A Pew analysis, however, says that the former Massachusetts governor’s religion won’t have major at-the-polls implications if he wins his party’s nomination and runs against President Obama next fall.
Why?
Those most uncomfortable with Romney’s religion are also the most motivated to remove Obama from the White House, Pew found. And just 8 percent of all Republican and Republican-leaning voters said the Romney’s religion makes them less likely to vote for him.
But the details of the survey paint a more complicated electoral picture for Romney, and for any Mormon candidate, including former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, also seeking the GOP nomination.
And here are some highlights from the poll:
A third of Republicans polled said that Mormonism is not a Christian religion.
Two-thirds of Americans say they believe the faith is “very different” from their own beliefs.
Those who expressed a negative view of Mormonism used words like “cult” and “strange” to describe it.
And, despite Romney’s campaign for the GOP’s 2008 presidential nomination, which included a speech about his faith, Pew found that there has been no change in Americans’ impressions of Mormonism over the past four years.
Is anti-Mormonism now one of the few religious “anti” where the word “bigotry” gets a pass by many?
If so, Romney has his work cut ouf for him part from any positive points scored by Newt Gingrich or any of the other Republican anti-Romneys…
5 Responses to “Poll: Romney’s Religion Could Play Role In Primaries”
Those that say Mormanism is not a religion, the it is a cult most likely are talking from misinformation and not from knowledge. Many religions within the christian faith are vastly different. Catholic and Baptist are miles apart, but still have the basic belief in god. So does the Morman religion.
It seems strange that after 50+ years, little has changed in America when it comes to political figures running for President. There are still some alive today that remember the hangup that many people, especially in the south, had with Kennedy running for president. The “good ‘ol fundamental Baptist boys” were 100% sure the pope would be setting policy for the country.
But what is even more interesting was Romney’s father running for president in 1968 and little mention of his religion was brought up. His poor performance during the primaries led to a decline in popularity from being the front runner for the nomination. His “being brainwashed” statement finally did him in, not his religion. How could we have been more tolerant in 1968 than we are today?
Should Romney become the candidate, those far right conservatives will find it unimaginable to vote for Obama. And they will find the being a morman is much more acceptible than being a member of an unamerican church like the one attended by Obama. But then, we do seem to accept liberal misguided steps much more than those misguided steps on the right.
Romney’s religion might be a somewhat obstacle, but his biggest problem is that he’s a Republican, the same problem McCain had, and the same problem anyone who survives the nomination process (including Romney) is going to have. He’d be less likely to face friendly-fire attempts from his future ‘supporters’ running as a Democrat against the Democratic Incumbent, than he will likely encounter running as a Republican.
I keep seeing all these polls saying X (say 25% to round it off) percent of Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, Brown Cow dealers, what have you, probably would have a problem voting for Romney because of his religion. I’m no mathematician, but doesn’t that mean that Y percent (say 75%) think it doesn’t matter?
Why keep implying that the minority view is a deal-breaker?
Because 75 PERCENT of 27 PERCENT leaves you with only TWENTY PERCENT of the voters voting Republican.
Even when you use the Republicans (including “leaners”) number of 41% you still come up with 30.7 PERCENT voting Republican… aka “You lose”.
edit to add: If the Republicans would nominate a reasonable, sane, thoughtful person like Jon Huntsman you’d be surprised at: a) How being a Mormon became a non-factor, and, b) How many voters you’d get switching sides… myself included, maybe.
Romney is now losing to Obamama according to Rasmussen.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/11/rasmussens-race.html