Academic

"They want the Mormons' money, but they hate to sacrifice the bigot vote?"

By Gordon Smith, Christine, Hurt, Vic Fleischer, Fred Tung, Lisa Fairfax, David Zaring

Ann asks a piercing question about the McCain camp's deliberations regarding the possibility of selecting Mitt Romney as his Vice-Presidential candidate. Romney's list of particulars, which prompted Ann's question:

One of the chief reasons the Massachusetts governor is looking so attractive is his ability to raise huge amounts of money quickly through his former business partners and from fellow members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormons.

McCain sources tell Politico that they believe Romney could raise $50 million in 60 days. One close Romney adviser said it could even be $60 million.

Romney?s other advantages, according to people involved in McCain?s screening process:

? He is queaky-clean and fully vetted by the national media.

? He has presidential looks and bearing and immediately would be a strong campaigner who could be trusted to stay on message.

? His family?s Michigan roots would help in a swing state that went Democratic in 2004.

But there?s one big problem: Despite the buddy-picture choreography of a McCain-Romney campaign swing, McCain remains less than enamored with Romney.

And it?s not just the candidate. Some of McCain?s closest confidants evince little enthusiasm for Romney, feelings that are owed in part to lingering bad blood from the GOP primary, a genuine skepticism that such a conventional pick could bolster the ticket in a grim year for the GOP and concerns about whether his Mormon faith could imperil McCain in Southern states that Obama hopes to put into play.

I won't pretend to speak for other Mormons, but my initial reaction to seeing Romney's name floated by the McCain campaign was this.

Many of us initially hoped that a Romney campaign might lead to less anti-Mormon bigotry, but our hopes were dashed. My impression is that mainstream reporting about Mormonism improved considerably over the course of Romney's campaign, as many reporters worked diligently to get the facts straight, but the volume of anti-Mormon venom that surfaced among the "Christian Right" was disgusting and surprising, even to those of us who have lived and worked closely with so-called "Christians."

While my initial reaction to the prospect of a McCain-Romney ticket was negative, I am starting to warm to the idea. If the bigots want to flee the Republican Party, let them go.

Full post as published by Conglomerate on July 01, 2008 (boomark / email).