Why have you turned this around? You're the one who's seemingly wanting to sideline this national conversation whenever possible to the "religion" section. (Some kind of segregated separate but equal convo, eh?) I think an open discussion is time well spent, whereas you label it as some "hobby" equivalent of a "train set."
Defense of Mormonism is only a political matter when the anti-Mormons use Mormonism to attack Romney.
OK, this statement had to make me seriously chuckle. You frame this as a "defensive" mindset only. (Maybe that's your mindset, but I don't think you represent the LDS PR professionals & others). I could almost guarantee you that the LDS PR budget would skyrocket with a Mormon in the White House. Romney is the LDS HQ ticket to mainstream acceptance. They see an "offensive" that's never been there before, because they know they can play the victim card & have their grassroots call out "bigot" @ every turn where Mormonism is opposed.
And this "offensive" is already underway direct from both SLC & wherever LDS are accessing online forums.
If they judged his candidacy on the merits, we’d all be singing Kum-Bay-Yah.
If you go to http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1945204/posts?q=1&;page=94#94 & click on posts 76, 77, 80 & 81, you'll see there's no shared merits accumulated in Romney's track record. Yes, LDS & Christians share many values. Romney's track record leaves him too untrustworthy to count upon.
~”Romney is the LDS HQ ticket to mainstream acceptance.”~
Once again, we come to it. Without discussing the merits of the assertion, that’s what really bothers you. Mormons bother you so much that you’ll do anything to see to it that we aren’t offered the privilege of mainstream acceptance.
Where’s your faith in God? If we are wrong, we will fail along with every other false doctrine. Why is the mainstreaming of Mormonism such a problem, if it’s in opposition to God? Doesn’t He have the power to defeat the false? That’s why I leave your religion alone.
~”...you’ll see there’s no shared merits accumulated in Romney’s track record.”~
Then why do you expend so much energy attacking his religion, if attacking his record is so much more effective?