'The Donald,' Mitt Romney and the Mormonism Factor

The Pilot ^ | Wednesday, May 4, 2011 | Paul R. Dunn

[presidio9]

Mitt Romney has never experienced a blazing N.Y. Post headline the way Donald Trump has: “Best Sex I Ever Had!” (Marla Maples’ revelation about Trump when he was married to Ivana).

Trump would unceremoniously dump the pretty Marla and baby Tiffany. The larger-than-life TV personality, beauty contest promoter, real estate developer and casino operator is today’s tea party sweetheart. This to the chagrin of the squeaky-clean Romney, whose wife and kids, at least, consider him the GOP front-runner.

Donald is the unabashed huckster. If you could buy him for what he’s really worth and sell him for what he thinks he’s worth, you’d make a fortune. His pathetic attack on Obama’s place-of-birth legitimacy, which backfired disastrously for him, showed just how low he’d stoop to gain the elephant’s nod.

Romney has had a solid business career, a record of public service as the head of the troubled 2002 Salt Lake City U.S. Olympic Committee, and as Massachusetts governor. His reputation for honesty and marital fidelity is unimpeachable. Yet Romney lacks Trump’s pizzazz in an age of celebrity and glitz. Where Trump turns on a crowd, Romney puts it to sleep.

The 2012 election could resemble a Barry Goldwater-Lyndon Johnson rerun — a died-in-the-wool conservative vs. a liberal incumbent who’s inherited an unpopular war.

Goldwater was a distinguished American. His 1963 acceptance line — “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue” — sparked a disastrous campaign. Barry ran further to the right than anyone since Herbert Hoover. If Romney or Trump is nominated, expect the tea party to demand campaign stands much further to the right than Goldwater’s.

For Romney to prevail in early primaries and caucuses where the far right dominates, he must avoid positions so extreme that he turns off moderates needed in the general election. It’s a daunting task.

He’s accused of apostasy for creating a Massachusetts health care plan, which tea partiers consider too much like “Obamacare.” Women who believe in a constitutional right to privacy are offended that Romney, who supported abortion rights in liberal Massachusetts, is now cynically pro-life.

Romney reminds me of George H.W. Bush, who tried to be “one of the guys” yet always failed in the attempt. Bush had been around the GOP so long that the party finally gave him the nomination rather than watch a grown man cry.

Assuming Mitt overcomes the nastiness of a primary fight (and Trump can be nasty), then he must take on the Mormon-haters. Romney has been uncomfortable discussing church tenets. When a TV questioner asked if the Garden of Eden was in Missouri, Romney bristled, referring the answer to church leaders.

In liberal Massachusetts, he overcame anti-Mormon sentiments. But liberal Massachusetts is hardly the Bible Belt, where many Christian fundamentalists consider Mormonism an illegitimate cult. Recent pronouncements by the Catholic and United Methodist churches that Mormon converts must be rebaptized may convince skeptics that Mormonism is not a Christian denomination.

African-American voters, who research the Book of Mormon may be offended to learn how they’ve been characterized and denigrated by the Church of Latter Day Saints since its earliest days. But their votes are easily safe for Obama.

On the positive side, members of Mitt’s church are expected to “move heaven and earth” for him. As the Catholics did for Kennedy, Romney’s co-religionists will support this former Mormon bishop. Enthusiastic Mormon volunteers’ influence in early primaries should be impressive.

If the election is ultimately between Obama and Romney, I predict religion won’t be touched upon by the candidates. Romney hardly wants to discuss whether or not Adam worshiped at an altar in a western Missouri wood, as Joseph Smith claimed was revealed to him. Obama surely won’t wish to revisit his relationship with his controversial former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.

In such a presidential race, America will have two patriotic candidates who are well-informed, politically experienced, intelligent, pragmatic and deserving of voters’ attention and respect. Donald Trump isn’t in their league.

[presidio9]

LOL, people can, but a millionaire never, just two many women throwing themselves at them. In other words opportunity is always knocking. That includes both sexes.

I live in Westchester County, where the Donald used to live, and still hangs out. He is a member of my golf club. Virtually everyone in my family, and those I work and hang out with are "millionaires" many times over. I'm not saying this to be a snob, but at least among this group I can tell you that the divorce rate is far below the national average. Just a different perspective for you to consider...

[svcw]

Interesting as Romney received more than 90% of the vote in Utah. I have not seen any lds candidate that did not get at least 60% of the lds vote.

[svcw]

You are wrong.

[SVTCobra03]

Anyone who does not have enough discernment to see the blasphemy, heresy and apostasy of mormonism is not qualified to be POTUS.

[org.whodat]

You are counted as a member, in good standing of the nut fringe. There is nothing about class considered in my statement, except for your low class reply. And screwing around has nothing to do about whether you are a conservative or a liberal. Here are two examples one called Newt and one called Clinton. Anymore moon beam statements.

[lonevoice]

Oookay. You're claiming that "millionaires" aren't people (quoting you: "People can, but a millionaire never") and that millionaires can never be faithful to their spouses. That is exactly the definition of classism. Look it up.

The radical left is characterized by their negative stereotyping of the eeeevil rich. That's exactly what you've done. Not saying you're a moonbat, but correctly stating that your comments are typical of the moonbat mentality. I stand by my original comment to you that your class prejudice is full of crap.

[Colonel_Flagg]

If Romney or Trump is nominated, expect the tea party to demand campaign stands much further to the right than Goldwater’s.

I don't even know where to start with this column. If Romney or Trump is nominated, much of the Tea Party is likely to defect.

[org.whodat]

OK moon bat, so are all of them are liberals or are all of them conservatives, there may be a few that got their money given to them, but the ones that make it are a different person. And I stand by my life experiences. But I did know one rather well off attorney that told me he only had sex on Thursday. I doubt he was chasing the sectary. Now what was the names of madoffs women again. The spritzer guy, etc, etc.

[lonevoice]

OK moon bat

Your name calling is boring, and just another character trait you're exhibiting that is unbecoming of a conservative. As for the rest of your comment, it reads like someone for whom english is a second language. Buh bye.

[af_vet_rr]

The people who say I am prejudiced against Mormons because I don’t like Romney are just like the people who say I don’t like Obama because he is black. (Hint: Romney Care and Obama Care)

There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with some of the crazy stuff the Mormons push, but Romney would be lucky if that's the only problem any of us had with him.

[Elsie]

But, in all fairness, how many of the OTHER candidates were MORMON, too?