Do Americans Have Faith In Romney?

Former Massachusetts Governor's Run For The White House Puts Mormon Religion In The Spotlight

(CBS)  Monday night is family night for Brian and Jennifer Williams and their four children. They gather in the kitchen of their Maryland home to prepare food for a local homeless shelter.

Later at home, they sing and pray.

Family is central to the Williams' religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; the Mormons. While their family life seems comfortable and familiar, the beliefs and practices of their Mormon faith are now in the spotlight, because one of their own is a credible contender for the presidency.

Mitt Romney, the 60-year-old former governor of Massachusetts, leads among Republican candidates in most polls in Iowa and New Hampshire and often fields questions about his religion.

"I'm not running as a Mormon, and I don't think ... and I get a little tired of coming on a show like yours and having it all about Mormon," Romney said during an interview on Aug. 2.

But if the surveys are right, a significant portion of the American electorate does not see the Mormon faith as just another branch of Christianity, reports CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield. In fact, they see some of its history and beliefs as unusual enough to give them pause about putting a Mormon in the White House.

Some of this doubt is likely rooted in the past; the recent past.

Most world religions have histories that go back thousands of years. The Mormon faith was born much more recently; in 1827, when Joseph Smith claimed to have uncovered a set of golden plates in upstate New York which told of ancient prophets in the New World.

Mormons believe in Jesus Christ as their savior. They also believe that Jesus had siblings and that after his resurrection, he preached in the Americas. They believe the Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Mo., near Kansas City. Also, they once embraced the practice of polygamy.

Despite their differences, Mormons say they are Christians.

"We teach the Bible. We believe the Bible. We are firm believers in Jesus Christ," says Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican who has represented Utah in the Senate for more than 30 years.

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Only On The Web: Sen. Hatch On Mormon Faith

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There are now 15 Mormons in Congress. Three are Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. But they all come from Utah, the center of American Mormonism, or nearby states.

In a national election, Mormonism may be a key issue for Mitt Romney, especially among evangelicals.

"When they learn some things about what Mormons believe, many of those things seem very strange, because they're out of their own experience," says John Green of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

"It does make us unique, but not because we're different from our neighbors, but because when we're asked those questions, we have a unique, truly fascinating, truly American story to kind of tell," Brian Williams says.

John F. Kennedy famously confronted doubts about his Catholic faith in 1960 by inviting skeptics to question him. Should Romney's campaign flourish, say his advisers, he will need to do the same.

[toldyouso21]

Now, let's talk about the last product you people put out. No money there! How about the kennedy's, no money there.
Also, I still want to know about obama's white people hating church. Can we talk about that??
Real person, what a laugh.
Posted by janem4 at 08:17 AM : Aug 12, 2007


Or ....we could talk about the last products put out by the GOP:

1. Unprecedented deficit nad spending on an unnecessary war

2. Unnecessary war

3. continual subversions of the Constitution and rule of law:

A. illegal wire taps
B. outing a CIA agent
C. agreeing to torture
D. refusing to honor subpoenas from congress
E. failure to use only the wh email system for official business
F. Deleting emails
G misinformation about the war
H. stacking law enforcement w/ GOP sycophants

On and on and on. As an Independent who does not care for either party. On a scale of 1 to 10 Republicans win hands down for hypocrisy, c9orruption, lies, divisiveness and unAmericanism. May they spend the next 40 years wandering thru the political wilderness in atonement for their crimes and actions against America and the world.

[toldyouso21]

Perception5 - exactly WHY do you sit here and post general, non-supportable, far-reaching comments portraying Mitt Romney as the next Reagan?

It goes on, all day, 24/7.

Posted by cattlekate at 09:27 PM : Aug 13, 2007

Maybe....Perception5 is a paid hack and works for the Romney campaign--isn't it obvious? lmao

[zergic]

It is interesting all this picking on Mormons. Being Mormon I've seen it my entire life. Like Mr Romney my great-great-great grandfather was killed for his beliefs and another who was merely married to a mormon was beaten until his brain was exposed. Of Course they had it coming. Thankfully this doesn't happen any more. A year ago my 92 year old grandmother wanted to go to the general conference in Salt Lake City for the first time. It is interesting to wade through a gauntlet of people who are telling you that you are going to hell while you wheel your grandmother into church trying to worship. It is also interesting that these people choose our religion when there are plenty of others who they would say are equally going to hell. But then that might escalate into another Northern Ireland. So let's pick on the little guy, it'll be fun.

[prinzowhales]

Romney is the best of the mainstream Republican candidates...but that is like saying someone is the best serial killer on death row...he compares favorably with the mainstream Democratic candidates in that he will keep the war going and probably will start another one, unless Cheney and Bush beat him to it.

Just keep voting for the War Pigs, America...you did it in 2004 and you look bound and determined to do it again in 2008.

[perception5]

This was a great win by Mitt Romney who is probably the most qualified candidate to ever run for President of the USA.
Mitt won the Iowa straw vote with 31.5% of the vote in 1999 George Bush won by a slightly smaller percentage at 31.3%. Mitt%u2019s margin of victory was even greater than Bush%u2019s in 1999. There Mitt%u2019s margin of victory was 13.4% and Bush%u2019s was 10.5%.
Mitt also was impressive in that his average polling number in Iowa to date is at 24.8% according to Real Clear Politics.com. So taking nearly 32% of the vote shows that conservative Iowans like Mitt Romney%u2019s message and where he stands on the issues. Mitt worked hard for this win and Americans like it when public officials work hard, he deserved to win. The fact that Rudy, John, and Fred were scare to compete with Mitt is going to send a message to all Americans that their organization and passion to win and compete in all States is lagging.
The Romney%u2019s would make a great First Family and I believe if Americans liked Ronald Reagan they are going to love Mitt Romney!

[donnie900]

Ronald Reagan was a good President. Its just whenever you elect based on butch, you always get weird people in their administrations. Always military minded. I don't know why the military is so closely linked to Republicans, but it is. And the people there, especially in the Pentagon, are really dirty. "Defending this country" is not just a mission, but its an obsession. Full of obsession's sisters: Paranoia, Nation Building, and Torture.

What you guys need to do is elect a Cinderella.

[wogerwabbit]

I've known a few Mormans in my time, and I must say, they were all very nice and decent people. I know diddly squat about their beliefs and honestly don't think a persons religion should be an factor in their qualifications for office. Nonetheless, I don't think the people of this country are mature enough to put such issues aside, which is why I think a Morman, a Jew, a woman or a black doesn't stand a chance of being elected president.

Having said that, I think Romney would do anything and say anything including selling his soul to be president. He's the ultimate flip-flopper and his record proves it. I'll admit the guy comes off real well on TV and sounds very reasonable... but he's a Republican, which in my mind is tainted goods these days.

Plus, my wife's family lives in Massachusettes and they hate the guys guts (almost all of them had voted for him) and let me know under no uncertain terms that he shouldn't be elected as dog catcher let alone president.

We need a real person as president... not another silver spoon fed rich guy who doesn't know what a supermarket checkout scanner is and who have no idea you practically have to take out a mortgage to shop in the meat department.

[condumism]

I hope that the ConDumbs compare Romney with Reagan, because Reagan was a HORRIBLE president. All Fascist Reagan accomplished was the destruction of public education in the USA, and a debt that is going to haunt the USA for generations to come. The results of the "dumbing of Americna's" can be observed in just about every town accross the USA. Goes without saying that alot of the ConDumbs on this board are very much a result of Reagan's DUMB AMERICAN'S, too.

[PollM]

Nothing is different about Romneys' politics he's the political view are the same as Bush, so faith is not the right question how about are his policies right or wrong http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=283

[perception5]

If Americans liked Ronald Reagan they are going to love Mitt Romney.
Mitt Romney is a "solid" candidate. He has accomplished more than any other candidate out there in his career so far. 1. Took apart failing companies and put them back to together again...............2. Took the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics games that were 369 million in debt with massive corruption and pulled off one of the most incrediable "turn arounds" three months after 9/11................3. Became Governor of the bluest state in the Union with a projected $3 billion deficit and balanced the budget WITHOUT RAISING TAXES...............4. Brought private health insurance to every citzen in Massachusetts WITHOUT RASIING TAXES..... There simply isn't ANYONE as qualified to run as this man. If our corrupt liberal press wants to "nickpick" and create a "negative" sterotype of this man this so be it. ALL the other candidates running for President "TALK" about what they will do........Mitt Romney has already WALKED THE WALK. He has actually DONE things. Mitt would make a great President for All Americans....

[john3-1516]

MyIDonCBS at 05:25 PM : Aug 11, 2007

There is absolutely no truth to your last post. Mormons do believe that Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary. Mormons study the King James Version of the Bible (the most common version). Mormons believe Jesus and Lucifer are brothers. Where are you getting these untruths? Oh, that is right, the interenet where anyone can put out as much false information as they want and suckers will believe it.
Ask your neighbor, co-worker or friend that is a Mormon if you want some truth.

It should not matter what the religion background is of The President of the United States of America as long as he will do what is right for the people of America.

GO MITT!

[condumism]

I've known since childhood that there were all these "smiling liars" (PHONEYS) all over America. But not until the arrogant Bush Administration did I realize that all of these "phoneys" were Repuglicons. NOw I, and anybody else that has been paying attention realize that all Repuglicons are liars, which seems to be a prerequisite to being a conservative. These same smiling liar's all seem to be Fascist's, too. It's no wonder the vast majority of individuals in the world hate American's. Eurpopeans defeated the fascists in World War II. NOw they see US for what the USA has become: a nation with lots of "smiling liars" (PHONEYS), or arrogant Conservatives buttheads.

[ssm9451]

Americans do not have faith, anymore, with our elected officals.

[donnie900]

So what do you suggest? Maybe it isn't their fault that it costs so much money. Maybe its the media's. After all, the cost is the ads. Ya want corporate america out of yer politics? How about stopping paying them? How about offering up free advertising.. for everybody?

Ya think that'd be a better system?

[sparks224]

MyIDonCBS,
Very True, We have a 1 dollar = 1 vote democracy.
The class war is over. The rich have won.

[randalds]

Posted by donnie900 at 04:41 PM : Aug 11, 2007

Ok, do you feel better getting that out of your system?

[myidoncbs]

"A president can be anything in the world. ... ANYTHING! And there's nothing but the will of the people that determines it.. Nothing"

donnie900, you seem pretty upset today, so I don't know if you'll be able to deal with this, but you are overlooking something very obvious: MONEY is what determines who becomes president, not the "will of the people". Politicians, for the most part, are nothing but people who are very good at getting other people to give them money. So, it is the will of the few, the powerful, the extremely wealthy, that determines who becomes president. Sadly, the "will of the people" has very little influence. And, therefore, the FREEDOM to choose is not involved, either.

[frb01]

I say what if an athiest ran? Would we all be embracing that candidacy. I have not studied the Mormon faith in detail, I know he served his mission work and all his sons did? How many of us would give up a year or two of our lives for our faith? I really don't have any issue with his faith, I will vote for him if I think he is the right guy.

It is far better than seeing Bubba Clinton come out of church holding the bible every week after the Monica affair.

If Romney gets close to the nomination, he should have a press conference or a press release detailing the Mormon faith, and how he practices it, to end the endless questions and have truths.

[donnie900]

You think rationality is on yer side? Mr. Innuendo? Mr. Grapevine? Mr. Vast Right Wing Conspiracy?

It ain't. I met her.. and she tole me you were fulla yerself.

[donnie900]

And whose the azzzhole anyway? How many people have been fired? How many times does someone have to apologize to you guys? Whose the condemner, really?

We've been blamed for the weather, for the war, for the scandals "august politics".. and how many other things that liberals themselves do in the sovereignty of their fashions?

Your buddies aren't any better than they are, fella. Not one iota. And its refreshing, in a morbid kind of a way, that nobody likes us no more. Maybe this is compassionate conservatism after all..