Quote:
Originally Posted by UtahDan
The way it backfires on the church is if it throws its support behind him and then we find out somehow, that he is a human being (ie he does something immoral or has a skeleton come out of the closet). Not that I think that either the support of the church or the skeleton are likely.
I agree that overall his election would be a PR boon for the church. Its just that if somehow he became wildly unpopular that could rub off on the church too IF he is the "mormon candidate. Come to think of it, I think there are equal parts upside and downside.
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I don't think so. His candidacy is all upside for the church, IMO. Even if he won and was terrible, it wouldn't be a blemish on the church (just as Kennedy didn't convert the masses to Catholicism after his assassination and wild popularity).
Americans don't want to vote for a Mormon because they don't know what that means just yet. Many think it means the guy they saw on Newsweek's cover with 36 wives, many of whom were his nieces. Once they learn more, Romney's largest contribution may, assuming he doesn't win, be to make Mormonism a non-issue for the next Mormon candidate by informing the masses about what the religion actually is.