The myth of Mitt Romney’s evangelical problem

Washington Post ^ | September 17, 2012 | Jonathan Merritt

[Alex Murphy]

Mitt Romney has an evangelical problem. Or so we’ve been told by everyone from The New Yorker to The Huffington Post to The Daily Beast. The national media have perpetuated this narrative throughout the election season, and political pundits aplenty have assumed its reliability in their columns and commentary.

But there’s one glaring problem with the storyline: It’s not true.

[SNIP]

There are at least two explanations for why Romney’s Mormonism matters so little among this powerful voting bloc.

First, evangelicals seem to care more about political ideology than orthodox theology as far as voting is concerned. Polls show that voters care most about the economy, not faith. It’s why the Tea Party — most of them being self-described evangelicals — have gravitated toward another Mormon, Glenn Beck.

In a letter delivered to the Romney campaign on Sept. 7, more than two dozen conservative Christian leaders declared, “it is time to remind ourselves that civil government is not about a particular theology but rather about public policy.” The assertion is correct, of course, but one can’t help feeling we are witnessing a departure from evangelical politics as we’ve known them. Among the signatories were evangelist Franklin Graham, the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, and other figures who attended the Texas meeting.

Second, any discomfort about Mormonism is outweighed by an even larger disdain for President Obama. Many evangelicals bemoan the last four years of his administration’s policies and they fear what he’ll do if re-elected. As religion professor John-Charles Duffy stated it, “Evangelicals may not think Romney’s a Christian, but at least he’s not Obama.”

[Alex Murphy]

In a letter delivered to the Romney campaign on Sept. 7, more than two dozen conservative Christian leaders declared, “it is time to remind ourselves that civil government is not about a particular theology but rather about public policy.” The assertion is correct, of course, but one can’t help feeling we are witnessing a departure from evangelical politics as we’ve known them. Among the signatories were evangelist Franklin Graham, the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, and other figures who attended the Texas meeting.

Second, any discomfort about Mormonism is outweighed by an even larger disdain for President Obama. Many evangelicals bemoan the last four years of his administration’s policies and they fear what he’ll do if re-elected. As religion professor John-Charles Duffy stated it, “Evangelicals may not think Romney’s a Christian, but at least he’s not Obama.”

[Buckeye McFrog]

They sure as heck are not gonna vote for a hardcore secularist (despite whether he claims to be a Christian or a Muslim or whatever)

[napscoordinator]

I am Catholic and I have zero problem with Romney’s Religion, but I sure as heck have problems with his liberalism. Still voting for the guy but we need to be realistic and know that his Presidency is not going to be great.

[cotton1706]

I seriously doubt that after the democrats voted to keep God and Jerusalem out of their platform (the ruling of the chair notwithstanding), that the evangelicals could still be convinced not to vote for Romney, a devout and not a godless, man.

[Just mythoughts]

Obama is using old bjClinton to keep in touch with those born-bred democrat first, evangelicals... On some cable channel last night I saw two bjClinton ads, follow by Obama saying he approved this message.

[wolfman23601]

I do have problems with Romney’s religion, but I have more problems with Obama’s.

[Jedidah]

Yes. Romney has an evangelical problem.

Barry has a bigger one.

[throwback]

At my bible study last week we watched two movies explaining the problems with the LDS and why it's not Christian. After the movies were over and we were leaving, I spoke to the leader and we both said we were still voting for Romney. Finding the best path in a fallen world is always a problem, but the course of less evil appears to be to choose the non-Christian Mormon challenger over the fraud Christian incumbent. Strange times.

[Rad_J]

Exactly right.

Mormon Church: God bless America. God bless our troops.
Obama’s Church: God damn America.

[OrangeHoof]

As religion professor John-Charles Duffy stated it, “Evangelicals may not think Romney’s a Christian, but at least he’s not Obama.”

Bingo. Muslim or Mormon - which are you more comfortable with leading our country?

[pallis]

Obama still has most of the evangelical black vote, and the Marxist evangelical vote. It’s more of a black and gay thing first, with a dose of damn the country thrown in for good measure.

We are fighting a spiritual war on a political front, and the only thing the left would hate more than a Mormon would be a Christian. Welcome to the flowering of political correctness and identity politics, a place where aggrieved parasites demand their right to kill the host.

[ansel12]

Romney, a devout and not a godless, man.

Romney is a polytheist, he believes in an unlimited number of Gods. At some point, Bishop Romney will become a God himself, a God to another planet, as our God, who used to be a Mormon man like Mitt, is to us.

Yes, Mitt is devout, so devout that he first sought approval from his Holy Prophet in a private meeting, before he would run for the presidency.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

so make sure to vote Boogey Man, because just in case he does become a God you want to be on his good side

[CommerceComet]

We're not going to know whether Romney has an evangelical problem or not until after the election. Much like people who wouldn't really vote for Bradley or Wilder because of their race wouldn't tell others of that for fear of being called racists, so some non-Romney voters probably won't tell others that for fear of being call bigots. IIRC, Mitt Romney seems to have a history of polling higher than his actual results which might suggest a Bradley Effect.

Even when the election comes down to Romney v. Obama, Romney remains a tough sell among evangelicals. Evangelicals are not usually persuaded by "lesser of two evil" type arguments when non-participation is an option.

If Mitt Romney were a rock-ribbed conservative, then his Mormonism might not be as big a factor. Because Romney has liberal political history and a reputation of flip-flopping on issues, few evangelicals are comforted by his convenient "conversions" to conservative positions. This uneasiness with his politics when coupled with his Mormonism makes Romney distasteful to a lot of evangelicals.

[Tennessee Nana]

The myth of Mitt Romney’s evangelical problem
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I still dont know what an Evangelical is suppose to be or why Willard would give them a problem..

But Willard does give Christians a problem...

Mormonism is not Christianity...