Mormonism and the White House

Mitt Romney has become, somewhat surprisingly, one of the frontrunners for the Republican Presidential nomination for 2008. When looking at polling numbers, it is evident that Romney is slowly becoming more popular with voters previously unfamiliar with him. More importantly, he is raising significant amounts of money from party supporters.

However, there is still consternation from some sources on the topic of Romney’s presidential bid when it comes to this former Massachusetts governor’s religion. Being a devout Mormon, Romney is treading on new ground when it comes to convincing the Republican Party’s Southern Evangelicals to vote for someone of his faith.

Media and Mormonism

In media interview after media interview, Romney is asked about his Mormon views, in particular his views on polygamy. As many people know, certain Mormon groups believe in this practice, which is greatly frowned upon by most of mainstream America. In fact, polygamy is often the only thing that certain non-Mormons know about this religious faith, and this is seen as troubling.

Republican aides working for Romney, therefore, have made it their mission to make sure that their man has the chance to describe how firmly he is against such a practice. Media outlets and papers, who always love the new and unusual in politics, are only too happy to oblige the Romney campaign, by asking Mr. Romney about his religion, and particularly about the idea of multiple wives.

Religion and Presidential Bids

In the last two elections there is considerable evidence as to the weight that the Christian community brings to the Republican Party. The Christians in question, mainly evangelical Protestants and conservative Catholics, have been voting en masse for right-wing Republicans who espouse social views which are similar to their own. So-called ‘family values’ have become the catch-phrase for Republicans, and have turned once-Democratic voters to the other side.

One social norm or convention that receives much attention from these family values groups is that of marriage. Abstinence is thought to be the only form of preventing teenage pregnancy, and young men and women are encouraged to wait for marriage before engaging in sexual activities. As well, certain family values groups are very much against divorce- they advocate marriage counseling for all types of broken relationships (even if abuse or infidelity makes such counseling rather pointless). Also, the Republican Right’s aversion to gay marriage has much to do with keeping the supposed sanctity of this traditional institution. Marriage is thought to be the most important and sacred of relationships, and this must be done in the only acceptable form, with a husband and wife.

In this vein, marriage between a man and a woman and another woman is thought to be blasphemous. The emphasis that family groups place on marriage make accepting any type of polygamy absolutely impossible. It is interesting that this hatred of polygamy arises so strongly from the Right, as polygamous communities and relationships are by nature very conservative cultures as well.

Romney for President?

The future for Mitt Romney, therefore, will depend largely on his ability to convince the media, and the Republican faithful that he is just a regular Christian guy who happens to be a Mormon instead of your run-of-the-mill Baptist. The media seems to be giving Romney the time and space to tell his story, and if this media blitz is successful, it is likely that Romney’s bid for the White House will gain some important momentum.

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