This is one of those posts where I would use a polling mechanism if I knew how to use it. But being the Luddite I am, no polling available.
The question is simple: would you as a Latter-day Saint feel more comfortable voting for McCain, who has had problems with his Republican base, if he chose Romney as his running mate? Here’s my take:
UPDATE: this New York Times article, which I saw after I posted this, indicates Romney appears to be the front-runner as McCain’s VP.
The issue here is that McCain has to choose SOMEBODY as his running mate. Virtually all of them seem to have huge problems. A running mate has to be loyal, be able to raise money, hopefully bring in votes in swing states, be well-vetted and not embarrassing and not hurt the ticket. By that criteria, Romney is the best choice.
I will admit I have some sentimental choices that are intriguing. Bobby Jindal, the La. governor, would be a great choice. Portman from Ohio looks good. But I don’t think Jindal or Portman help the McCain ticket as much as Romney does. (Readers should know right now that several conservative publications such as the Washington Times and Investor’s Business Daily have already called on McCain to choose Romney).
As a conservative, I really have two criteria in a running mate for McCain: I want somebody more conservative than he is, hopefully a movement conservative, and I want somebody who will help him beat Obama. Romney was my man in the primaries, mostly because I simply identified with him politically and personally.
I have no enthusiasm for McCain. I’ve written elsewhere that I perhaps agree with him 40 to 50 percent of the time. If he chooses another “moderate” Republican (like Charlie Crist or Chuck Hagel) or, heaven forbid, an independent like Bloomberg or Lieberman, my enthusiasm will go from lukewarm to downright cold. So far I haven’t sent him any money or talked him up or campaigned for him in any way. With the wrong running mate, that will continue.
Still, even if he chooses a horrible running mate, I will hold my nose and vote for McCain (Ann Coulter says conservatives should get drunk and vote for McCain, but I need to keep my temple recommend). But if he chooses a true conservative, I can see myself getting more excited about the septuagenarian.
Romney would be a good choice because he understands the economy, can fix things and can inspire optimism during difficult times; he helps McCain in Nevada, Colorado and Michigan, three key states that McCain probably has to win to have a chance; he can raise a lot of money; and he has been completely vetted and is unlikely to embarrass McCain.
Please note that I have not mentioned religion in this at all — if Romney were a Baptist or Catholic I would be just as excited about him.
What do my fellow Latter-day Saints say about this issue?
Updated: Link to BCC poll. (Thanks, Steve.)
yes
Is anyone not scared by this?
“Generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal. — Barack Obama, June 2, 2008″
Or this?
“We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.” Barack Obama (Colorado Springs) July 2, 2008
Be afraid, be afraid.
Roger Kimball referring to first quote in my previous post:
“economist Irwin Stelzer noted in his London Daily Telegraph column, ‘Moses made the waters recede, but he had help.’ Obama apparently works alone.”
MR is ‘even’ more Plastic than JM is.
McCain will probably carry Utah, (+ID, AZ) but that’s about all.
Funny… how when you’re ‘Everything’ to ‘Everyone’ you lose a lot that you might not have planned on.
It’s time people in the LDS community realized the down side of being Yes Men.
After the evolution and education decision down there I think that would be a horrible choice.
I was very disappointed by Romney in the primaries. But I think he’d at least give McCain some chops on economic matters.
Overall it’s kind of pointless though. McCain doesn’t have a hope come November. Bush and the Republican leadership have messed up too much the past years.
By the way Geoff, since I never really answered,
Yes, Romney as VP would make me “more likely” to vote for McCain. I think he shores McCain up in areas where McCain is rather weak.
Like actually having a plan for our nation’s economy, for instance. So far, McCain has given no indication whatsoever that he has any clue what to do with the economy.
I’ll be voting Obama though.
Face it, the GOP just pissed me off too badly these past eight years for a token Mormon candidate to make any difference to me. I’d like to see the GOP once again the loyal minority opposition party it was always designed to be.
I think Romney would give McCain some economic chops, but I’d rather see him choose somebody like Sarah Palin.
1) She’s a real conservative,
2) She’d steal some of Obama’s “young and good-looking” hype,
3) She appeals to both Mormons and evangelicals,
4) She’d shatter the stereotype of Republicans being old, uptight white men,
5) She’d likely be running for president in 4 years after McCain decides 1 term is enough.
Then she could pick Mitt.
After going to a Town Hall Meeting and listening to Gov. Romney, I was able to see how well he has honed his stumping style. I also spoke with Sen. McCain in a conference call and he seemed like a pitchman from the used car dealership. Romney is criticized for being too slick and McCain as being a “smooth on over on ‘ya” kind of guy. But, given the issue seems to be would I be more likely to vote for McCain with Romney on the ticket suggests that being a Mormon would appeal to a voter (or not). I seem to remember Romney just giving a speech about that. I think what he said was: “I’m a Mormon! So what!” It follows that if McCain picks him, my response is “So what!” My gut tells me Romney cannot save the election for McCain. This is going to another one of those catalyst elections as with Reagan. America is going to change, that’s for sure. It would be far better for the world for Romney to start working in LDS. If he lives to be 100, we could see 60 million LDS members and 100 million “Mormons” worldwide by 2050.
Aluwid @ 9:42:
The Mormon aspect could possibly help deflect some of the soft-support that Senator Obama will be getting from the media stories due to his skin color. It’s a given that we’ll be inundated with stories about whether or not people are willing to vote for a black president along with many suggestions that racism is hurting Obama. (If Obama loses than America is still racist!) If they are also doing stories delving into the effect of religious prejudice against the McCain/Romney ticket then that might help cancel out such silliness since accusations of bigotry could be leveled whichever way you voted.
I don’t think this is a likely scenario. The media know how to use Google. Unfortunately, if McCain chooses Romney this will inadvertently become useful for the race issue in favor of Obama because, even though all of us (Mormons) know that Romney is not now and never was a racist, the media have Alvin R. Dyer and Mark E. Petersen just a mouse click away.
Personally, yes — but only because it’s a daily struggle to remember why I’d rather vote for McCain than a write-in candidate. I’ve only voted in two presidential elections, and I don’t think I picked the right one either time (I voted for two different people.) I at least had some enthusiasm for Mitt.
But I will be truly surprised if McCain wins, so I’m not sure whether it matters.
Call me cynical but I am leaning to Bobby Jindal, He is smart and personable and he will draw out the incipient racism of the left and neutralize the moral high ground that the bleeding hearts have claimed for themselves.
John F,
“I don’t think this is a likely scenario. The media know how to use Google. Unfortunately, if McCain chooses Romney this will inadvertently become useful for the race issue in favor of Obama because, even though all of us (Mormons) know that Romney is not now and never was a racist, the media have Alvin R. Dyer and Mark E. Petersen just a mouse click away.”
The line connecting Obama to racism is much more recent and personal than the line connecting Romney to racism, and it’s all on YouTube. If the “Mormons are racist” attack were played against Romney then expect to see this argument being made loudly and often. Comparisons of Romney’s father, and his work with civil rights, to Obama’s “surrogate father” will not work in Obama’s favor.
It’s a discussion that needs to be had anyway, any excuse for black racism needs to be rejected just as we reject excuses for white racism.
Sure, I would love to see Mitt Romney as McCain’s running mate because of his track record, but don’t think our country is ready for a Mormon president or vice president yet. Gov. Romney’s run for the presidency demonstrated how much anti-Mormon bigotry we still have in this country. On the other hand, although John McCain was blessed with a strong constitution, his years of captivity in North Vietnam took a toll on his health, and I’m not certain if he can survive even one term on the hot seat (i.e., the White House), so his vice president will need to be someone who can take over on short notice.
Anti-Mormon bigotry, you say? I was stunned to dizziness when Mitt Romney announced he would deliver a speech concerning his Mormonism. All my adult life I had believed Mormonism to be a mainstream religion. But what knocked me to the floor was the reporting on CNN throughout those two days leading to the speech. Mainly, the religious bigotry was dripping off Wolf Blitzer who ridiculed LDS doctrine with disrespect and disdain. He ridiculed the beliefs and Mormons who believe them. Blitzer did this every twenty minutes for the two days he aired and no one NO ONE ever said a thing about it. NO ONE!!! Where was Rev Al Sharpton, Jesse J., and this all on the heels of Imus! Oh yes, religious bigotry. It seems you just have to run for office and be a Mormon and the religious bigotry leaks out of everything.
Our society (MWOS) or you may know it as Mormon Widows and Orphans Society ( yeah DOT ORG of course) is one of the most inclusive Mormon organizations around. We don’t ask if you are a member of any church or if you regularly attend.
So, the other side of my rant is that we go over backward to be tolerant even among Mormons, so when we experience the bigotry of this past year, it really really hurts.
I am so weary of hearing evangelical Christians characterized as anti-Mormon. That is not true! As an evangelical, conservative Christian, I have absolutely no problem with Romney. I admire him, and he’s been my first choice all along! My husband, sons and our friends largely agree. We are looking for a Vice President, not a Vice Pastor! The people who were so attached to Huckabee are not likely to allow Obama into office just because a perfectly qualified, competent and experienced person like Mitt Romney isn’t exactly their brand of Christian. Give us a little more credit! I’m much more likely, in fact, to vote for McCain with some enthusiasm IF and only IF Romney is on the ticket. I never liked Huckabee, he’s too much of a populist and I got really sick of his pontificating and class warfare rhetoric…calling us Walmart Republicans??? Geez…spare me. Anyway, I say Romney is the best choice out there and it’s time for anyone anti-Mormon to grow up and look at character and qualifications, not something that is between a man and God–his worship.
Mary, thanks for your input, and it’s great to have such a thoughtful, positive comment. Unfortunately, I think the evidence is pretty strong that anti-Mormonism played some role in Romney’s loss in several states, specifically Iowa. Huckabee appealed directly to that anti-Mormonism in a crass, populist way. Hopefully it will not become an issue if Romney is chosen as the VP candidate for McCain.
Geoff,
Hopefully it will not become an issue if Romney is chosen as the VP candidate for McCain.
It will. You think evangelicals’ views would change in a matter of months?
Dan, you’re probably right. We link a story today in which Tim LaHaye and other evangelicals call on McCain not to choose Romney. Shame on them.
“You think evangelicals’ views would change in a matter of months?”
Their views might not change, but their options have. In the primaries, a vote against Romney was a vote for McCain (or Huck); now, it is a vote for Obama. However, I think it will still be an issue.
(“now” meaning “if”—well, you know what I meant!)
Brian,
It would be very interesting, indeed, to see where evangelicals’ real priorities are. Do they vote for the non-Christian (in their eyes) Mormon, or do they let a commie-librul run America? It will be interesting indeed to see which they hate more.
I skimmed the comments above, so if this has already been posted I apologize, but here is a WashingtonTimes article on the same subject culled from Drudge: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/29/evangelicals-warn-against-mccain-romney-ticket/