Conservative Republicans Prejudiced Vs. Mormons

7:55 pm EST February 7th, 2008 | News | 11 Comments

A post-mortem on the Romney campaign.

Mitt Romney’s losses Tuesday in a string of primary elections in the South likely stand as final proof that many evangelical Christians were unwilling to overlook his Mormon faith, say religious and political observers who analyzed the vote.

Exit polls showed that more than 60 percent of Republican voters in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia identified themselves as evangelical or born again Christians. In those states, Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist preacher, received about four in 10 of their votes. Arizona Sen. John McCain placed second in evangelical support in Alabama and Tennessee, splitting the remaining vote with Romney in Georgia.

“I think there’s a lesson: No Mormon should ever consider running for president in the Republican Party,” said Alan Wolfe, an expert in religion and politics at Boston College. “The evidence from the South speaks volumes.”

A Pew Research Center poll this week found Huckabee’s supporters divided in their view of Romney, with 41 percent holding an unfavorable view.

“The guy ran as a conservative in a time of economic difficulty,” Wolfe said. “It’s really difficult to explain why he came in third in so many Southern states without making reference to his religion.”

Flashback:

Hewitt baselessly claimed Romney is “going to have problem with anti-Mormon bigots on the left, especially”

Hewitt claimed attacks on Romney’s Mormonism and “flip-flop[ping]” “come from the left”

Mike Huckabee: “Don’t Mormons believe Jesus and the devil are brothers?”

This is the part where I note that the highest ranking Democrat in the Senate is a Mormon, and his party hasn’t rejected him.

Topic: 2008 Election

« Annoy Chris Matthews, Donate To Clinton
links for 2008-02-08 »

11 Responses to “Conservative Republicans Prejudiced Vs. Mormons”

C.S.Strowbridge says:

February 7, 2008 at 10:09 pm

The secret word of the day is, ‘Projection.’

Nearly always when Republicans attack others, their complaints are merely projections about themselves.
Repack Rider says:

February 7, 2008 at 10:10 pm

This is obviously good news for Romney and the GOP.
Jay says:

February 7, 2008 at 10:13 pm

This is the part where I note that the highest ranking Democrat in the Senate is a Mormon, and his party hasn’t rejected him.

Yeah and Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch are both Mormons as well.

In addition, you make your grand announcement, but fail to highlight the following, just a few paragraphs down:

Ryan Erwin, a Nevada political consultant who served as an adviser to Romney’s Nevada campaign, noted that Romney won both the Mormon and evangelical votes in the caucuses here last month. Each group made up a quarter of the Nevada Republican electorate. Still, Romney was the only Republican who campaigned here in a serious way.

Merle Black, an expert on Southern politics at Emory University in Atlanta and co-author of “Divided America,” said Romney’s faith was only part of the Super Tuesday story. “It’s tough for Romney when he’s competing against a Baptist minister,” he said. “But it’s very hard to say that’s what really did him in.”

As a former governor of Massachusetts, Romney was a “cultural outsider” and faced issues of credibility in the South, Black said.
C.S.Strowbridge says:

February 8, 2008 at 1:23 am

“Yeah and Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch are both Mormons as well.”

… They are both from Utah. How the hell is that a compelling argument? It’s not like they’ve ever had to try and win the votes of Southern Evangelicals.

“In addition, you make your grand announcement, but fail to highlight the following, just a few paragraphs down:”

So he failed to note the wisdom of a Romney adviser. Hmmm, that must be proof that Oliver is biased and wrong.

By the way, did you even read the paragraph in question? I ask cause it clearly states that Romney was the only one who really campaigned in Nevada, which might have something to do with his showing there.

“Merle Black, an expert on Southern politics at Emory University in Atlanta and co-author of “Divided America,” said Romney’s faith was only part of the Super Tuesday story.”

Hardly a repudiation of the theory put forth. At most you could get, ‘There were other factors as well.’ You could not get, ‘Romney’s Mormonism didn’t hurt his cause.’

Remember, there is a significant portion of Southern Baptists who think Catholicism is a Satan worshiping cult. Mormonism isn’t held in higher regard by these people.
Diamond LeGrande says:

February 8, 2008 at 7:40 am

Well, the Republican pundocracy class loved the guy. Limbaugh was worshipping the guy as he announced the end of his campaign.
Jay says:

February 8, 2008 at 8:31 am

They are both from Utah. How the hell is that a compelling argument?

Read Oliver’s statement again. He suggests Mitt Romney was “rejected” by the “the party” because he’s Mormon and then goes on to cite Harry Reid’s Mormonism as some kind of evidence of an arms wide open mindset on the part of Democrats. Considering that both Bennett and Hatch are Mormons, Oliver’s pronouncement is pretty silly.

In addition, the conclusions reached by these people who “analyzed” the vote is in question. They see that self-identified evangelicals voted more with Mike Huckabee and that’s evidence that they’re prejudiced against Mormons? That’s like saying black voters in South Carolina are prejudiced against white women because 80% of them voted for Obama. It’s irresponsible for these ‘observers’ to look at the results and come to such conclusions.

This article offers a much better analysis of why Romney had to end his campaign:

Yet Mr. Romney’s advisers acknowledged Thursday an array of tactical missteps and miscalculations. Perhaps most significantly, they conceded that they had failed to overcome doubts about Mr. Romney’s authenticity as they sought to position him as the most electable conservative in the race, a jarring contrast to his more moderate record as governor of Massachusetts. And during the January nominating contests, as his opponents attacked his shifting on issues, polls showed his favorability ratings plummeting.

What has Oliver been harping on ever since Romney joined the race? The fact that he’s positioned himself as this staunch conservative, despite having a record that was much more moderate and claiming that his positions hadn’t changed. Romney’s Mormonism had nothing to do with my not voting for him in the Florida primary, and I suspect that it wasn’t a major factor with the majority of voters in the South.
SaveFarris says:

February 8, 2008 at 8:43 am

Could just be that Evangelical Conservatives don’t like flip-floppers.
OxyCon says:

February 8, 2008 at 11:35 am

Mitt who?
Nimrod Gently says:

February 8, 2008 at 4:49 pm

Save Farris in “talking sense” shock.
C.S.Strowbridge says:

February 8, 2008 at 7:25 pm

Me: “They are both from Utah. How the hell is that a compelling argument?”

Jay: “Read Oliver’s statement again. He suggests Mitt Romney was ‘rejected’ by the ‘the party’ because he’s Mormon and then goes on to cite Harry Reid’s Mormonism as some kind of evidence of an arms wide open mindset on the part of Democrats. Considering that both Bennett and Hatch are Mormons, Oliver’s pronouncement is pretty silly.”

I did read read it and these two men have never had to face the party. They’ve only had to campaign in Utah, which is more than 60% Mormon.

Jay: “…and I suspect that it wasn’t a major factor with the majority of voters in the South.”

What you suspect is not really a major selling point.

Only Muslims had less support than Mormons…

http://messengerandadvocate.wordpress.com/2006/07/03/los-angeles-times-poll-suggests-mormon-president-unlikely/

And here’s another…

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/02/black_president_more_likely_than_mormon_or_atheist_/
C.S.Strowbridge says:

February 9, 2008 at 8:40 pm

I go to all the work to look up and post links, and these assholes run away.

This is why I generally just insult people like Jay and SaveFarris. They are just not worth the effort to deal with.