Americans views of Mormons Gallup poll - Page 4 - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

jay santos · 03-02-2007, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

He is a demi-god to you now but wait until the election gauntlet leaves him physically and reputationally in tatters as it did his father. De ja vu. Then it would not seem so good an investment, backfiring as you say.

Also, I think there are laws against what you are suggesting.

I'm sure the church could hire someone like you to figure out how to get around the laws. I didn't mean suggest it as a serious strategy, only to comment that the PR value is obviously there. It's pretty obvious the Romney election is going to be a huge PR boon for the church, no matter how physically and reputationally tattered he finishes.

He's good looking, smart, and says "Jesus Christ is my personal savior" over and over. How is that going to end up backfiring on the church? The only reason I say it would backfire on the church if the church funded him would be that people would be suspect that the church was using him just for PR.

myboynoah · 03-03-2007, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goatnapper'96

I have often wondered if the mormon movement towards the right is too simplified in blaming ETB. If I am not mistaken didn't Utah lose a great deal of its mining industry and other historical blue collar unionized labor that had long supported the Democrat party in the 70's-80's? I also think that flat out most mormons are less appalled by right wing wackos than left wing wackos, and as has been pointed out fringe wackos in both parties has disproportionate influence.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goatnapper'96

The change in values society wide that happened in the sixties pushed many mormons towards being more conservative.

I think this makes the most sense and is confirmed by my own family's experience.

Back to the poll, I am not at all surprised that the group with the best net favorable percentage is Catholics with +25 percent. In the relgious world, our true brothers and sisters look to Rome for guidance.

UtahDan · 03-03-2007, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay santos

I'm sure the church could hire someone like you to figure out how to get around the laws. I didn't mean suggest it as a serious strategy, only to comment that the PR value is obviously there. It's pretty obvious the Romney election is going to be a huge PR boon for the church, no matter how physically and reputationally tattered he finishes.

He's good looking, smart, and says "Jesus Christ is my personal savior" over and over. How is that going to end up backfiring on the church? The only reason I say it would backfire on the church if the church funded him would be that people would be suspect that the church was using him just for PR.

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.

SeattleUte · 03-03-2007, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay santos

He says "Jesus Christ is my personal savior" over and over.

Really? I bet he doesn't on the campaign trail or in front of the press. Not if he wants any chance of being elected he doesn't.

myboynoah · 03-03-2007, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UtahDan

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.

I only see upside (barring some strangely major and bizarre PR mistake). The more Americans know about Mormons the better. Not because they might be inclined to join up, but because familiarity breeds less hostility and greater understanding.

Jeff Lebowski · 03-03-2007, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myboynoah

The more Americans know about Mormons the better. Not because they might be inclined to join up, but because familiarity breeds less hostility and greater understanding.

Wholeheartedly agree.

Cali Coug · 03-03-2007, 10:30 PM

I believe ETB did influence Mormons to move more to the right. He isn't solely responsible for the movement, but he certainly had an impact.

As a prophet, he was not a radical conservative. As an apostle, he was. By becoming prophet, many of his radical conservative positions began to be viewed as church positions, and many Mormons after time began to forget that certain of his statements were made before he became prophet (like "you can't be a Democrat and be a good Mormon").

The fact that he was allowed to serve as a Republican in a Republican president's cabinet WHILE serving as an apostle only bolstered the impression that the church tacitly supported the Republican party.

If you don't think he had any effect on making Mormons more conservative, I would challenge you to post that you can be a good Mormon and a Democrat on cougarboard and look at the responses (or just mention it in Elder's Quorum).

Cali Coug · 03-03-2007, 10:33 PM

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.

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.

SeattleUte · 03-03-2007, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

If you don't think he had any effect on making Mormons more conservative, I would challenge you to post that you can be a good Mormon and a Democrat on cougarboard and look at the responses (or just mention it in Elder's Quorum).

Mormons are conservative therefore Benson did it. Sound reasoning counslor. It's really sad how little Mormon liberals who purvey this nonsense know themselves or their own people and their philosophical roots. I guess this type of pretzel logic is necessary when you belong to a community of poeple whom you find mostly so awful. Nobody except Mormon liberals and grapevine types really cares or even remembers what Benson said over the pulpit anymore. Mormon liberals think they're so much smarter than everyone else but don't give the rank and file nearly enough credit.

SeattleUte · 03-03-2007, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

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.

Americans don't want a president saying "Jesus is my personal savior" over and over again as he sends troops to the Middle East.

03-03-2007, 10:30 PM	#37
Cali Coug Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5,996	I believe ETB did influence Mormons to move more to the right. He isn't solely responsible for the movement, but he certainly had an impact. As a prophet, he was not a radical conservative. As an apostle, he was. By becoming prophet, many of his radical conservative positions began to be viewed as church positions, and many Mormons after time began to forget that certain of his statements were made before he became prophet (like "you can't be a Democrat and be a good Mormon"). The fact that he was allowed to serve as a Republican in a Republican president's cabinet WHILE serving as an apostle only bolstered the impression that the church tacitly supported the Republican party. If you don't think he had any effect on making Mormons more conservative, I would challenge you to post that you can be a good Mormon and a Democrat on cougarboard and look at the responses (or just mention it in Elder's Quorum).