I understand what you are saying. But my point is that Obama’s “church” was every bit as non-mainstream, out of touch with American values as the Mormon Church. But “we” elected Obama Gang Leader (or General Secretary of the Communist Party) by a not-trivial amount.
So, why do we hold Mitt to a higher standard than Obama on the religious front?
Obama’s church had 800 people. Basically, save political junkies, no one knows or knows them, even still.
Obama is a conformist, he has spent all his life faking it. He’s a good actor. Mitt isn’t.
Mitt is a political liberal, personally conservative person, running in a political conservative party. Obama is leftist, running as leftist in a leftist party.
On another level, I don’t think Mitt has close to him a cadre of truth tellers. Family, friends yes, but striped to the bones beaters no.
Also, one way or another, the GOP voters like fighters. Either in wars, or taking on political opponents. McCain had that. Mitt didn’t. Mitt is, and comes across as managerial. Corporate. Timid. Platitudinous.
Outside of anomalies, errors, chance that doesn’t work in the GOP.
Further, ideas. Mitt is about as failure with political economy and ideas as a used car Rotarian from Paducah.
So, basically you have a liberal Republican, unfamiliar with political theory, with mediocre cultural sense, as boring and technocratic as a East German Michael Dukakis, that doesn’t fight and whos one time claim to fame was instituting HillaryCare/ObamaCare before most every other state.
That sneaker never going to shine.
Its politically correct to bash Mormons unless you’re Harry Reid.
Liberals dislike the Mormon church’s vocal opposition to gay marriage and abortion. Blacks don’t like the fact that the Mormon Church forbade blacks to be Church Elders as recently as 1975. Evangelicals are taught that Mormons are a cult. So Mormons get hit from all sides.