Let's say Mo Udall was alive, around Romney's age and running for Prez as a Dem.

[Drunken Irishman]

Would you have trouble voting for him in the primary or general election because he happened to be Mormon? I ask because I'm from Utah and interact with a lot of Utah Mormons and I'm constantly telling them that the Republican Party is not right for their religion, because many Republicans are bigots and hate Mormons, no matter how kind or conservative they really are. The common response, however, is that the Democratic base is the exact same and would not vote for a Democratic candidate if he/she happened to be Mormon as well. I disagree, though I have no evidence to back me up on this. I think Democrats aren't attached to a candidate based solely on his/her religion. Republicans, however, appear to be. They wouldn't vote for Kennedy because he was Catholic, probably would never vote for a Muslim or Jewish candidate and most likely won't get behind a Mormon.

So, would you not vote for Mo Udall because he happened to be Mormon?

[ChazII]

1. No problem voting for him

at all, however, I am from Arizona.

[MNDemNY]

2. Harry Reid?

[IndianaGreen]

3. The Udall's religion was never an issue, and neither was George Romney's religion

Unlike his father, Mitt Romney has allied himself with the most intolerant people on this planet, the American Taleban. That they now turn on him, is his problem, not ours!

[JerseygirlCT]

7. Yes, that's the difference

Mitt Romney is attempting to USE his religion as a way to be elected. He's saying he will adhere to the religious beliefs of the far right.

I don't really care what religion a person practices (or IF a person is religious), but it shouldn't be used as either an excuse or a selling point. And I don't want anyone beholden to any religious entity in the WH.

I think it's perfectly fine for candidates to include their faith in a list of things that influence their thoughts, beliefs and motivations. It's when they expect their personal religion to influence MY life (or yours) that I have a problem!

[Drunken Irishman]

9. Very good point.

I know there are many Mormons who are offended by Romney's cozying up to the religious right, who have a history of hating the LDS faith. Romney talks about how his faith is important to him, however, he has no problem compromising it for votes.

[Stop Cornyn]

4. If Udall was trying to offer his religion as a reason to vote for him because his religion "proves"

his values, and if Udall based his campaign on the idea that it was OK to be Mormon, Jewish, or Christian so long as you believed in one True God and must eschew secularism, I'd consider that disqualifying.

If on the other hand, he treated his Mormonism as a private matter and not a qualification for president, I'd have no problem with it.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. I supported Mo's run in 1976.

I don't think I knew at the time that he was a Mormon. Wouldn't have cared, either. That whole religion business just was not a big deal back in those days. As it was, I ended up voting for Carter even though he was a Baptist--a sect I consider no saner on average than the Mormons. One bunch believes in the Lost Tribes 'n' such, and the other thinks some guy got swallowed and regurgitated by a whale, and that some other guy crowded two members of each species on earth onto a little boat.

[saltpoint]

10. I volunteered for Mo in 76 also, Jackpine Radical. He was a good man.

I really miss his gentle humor and his huge brains. Those 2 things are in too short supply in the 110th Congress.

[Jackpine Radical]

12. Not just in short supply.

Them as got'em gotta hide 'em from the droolers.

[saltpoint]

13. And droolers they be.

Love your Feingold avatar. Hell of a terrific public servant -- exactly the sort of person I'd like to see in the White House, or barring that, then at least Attorney General.

We'll have somebody order him a stapler and a box of pens, and he can start by noon tomorrow.

[Jackpine Radical]

14. Would we realy want Russ anywhere but in the Senate?

(Given that he just doesn't have the connections, the ego-driven monomania or the slipperiness it takes to run for President.)

Anyway, now that Gore's out of the game once and for all, I'm gravitating toward that Edwards guy. I like Kooch on the issues, but I just don't see any direct path from here to there on things like universal health care. Even if he won the nomination, the big-money guys would unleash such a firestorm of propaganda against him that his kids and wife would be voting Republican.

[saltpoint]

15. Kucinich is sad for me in two ways. I lived briefly in NE Ohio when he was

Mayor of Cleveland.

His presidential campaigns have made it possible for me to meet a lot of great people who have been attracted to his candidacy. These are grassroots folks from the word 'go' and they are the cream of the crop of U.S. citizenry, and I know you know I don't mean by income.

If he cannot be our nominee I hope the person who is will appoint him to an influential role. He could do an awful lot of people an awful lot of good.

Your criticism of big media is fair because it's accurate. The less a candidate is covered, the more that candidate tends to threaten the status quo.

On Feingold -- yes, I'd love to have him in the Senate always, but as AG he could put the bad guys' toes to the flame. the last 2 or 3 Bush-appointed AGs have have scared the bejesus out of me. I want somebody decent in that job.

It's a selfish request of the political future, but no matter which of our Democrats wins the White House, the AG job has got to go to a good person this time.

[Cha]

6. Why don't you just

bring up Mo Udall with your interaction of Utah Mormons?

Mo sounds like he was sensible whereas romney is an oportunist who believes in killing innocent people for the greater bad.

[Drunken Irishman]

8. Oh I have...

And they just brush it off.

Utah Mormons are not the most tolerant, whereas I think most Mormons outside of Utah are actually pretty level headed (which would explain Harry Reid and the Udall family, since they aren't from Utah).

[dbackjon]

11. Mo left the Mormon Church

During the Michigan primary, the Carter campaign had Coleman Young, the mayor of Detroit, accuse Udall of racism for belonging to the Mormon church, which at the time, did not allow blacks to serve in the church's priesthood (since changed in 1978 by revelation to the Mormon prophet, Spencer W. Kimball). Young's attack was at least somewhat unfair, since Udall had been a longtime critic of that church policy, and had ceased being an active member because of it. Carter's subsequent sweeping of the black vote in the Michigan primary was key to his crucial and narrow victory in Michigan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_Udall

So Democrats DID use his Mormonism against him - old Southern Baptist Carter swift-boated him...

[kentuck]

16. This issue is not a Democratic "problem:.

This belongs to the Republican Party. They created it over the last 25 years or so and now they have to deal with it. Personally, it doesn't matter to me what religion he is.

[Rowdyboy]

17. As a college student in the 1970's Mo Udall was my political hero....

I voted for him then and I only wish I could again. He was a class act.

I knew that he was Mormon but religion really wasn't much of a factor in politics in the 1970's (other than Carter being a born-again). Politics was cleaner then. His religion didn't play any rple in media coverage.

[Kat45]

18. Mo Udall was a Mormon? I didn't know that.

He was my candidate when he ran for President. If I had known he was a Mormon, I'm sure it wouldn't have made a difference to me.

[CTLawGuy]

19. Not at all

I would vote for him based on his positions and character not his religion.

[Occam Bandage]

20. Romeny's Mormonism isn't my problem with him.