Nice post Jay. I agree with much of what you wrote. I don't like the guy for lots of reasons but any idiot who thinks his religion should disqualify him from the WH probably is a reincarnation of a witch burner. JFK had to make the same kind of speech 40+ years ago. That was a sad thing he had to do and it's sad Romney thinks he has to do it.

Have you seen lawn care services? Here in Michigan I've seen more Hispanics in the past 4-5 years working lawncare than I've seen Hispanics in my life. Most seem barely functional in English so I assume they are recent 'immigrants'.

Finding an established lawncare service (more than a couple of employees) that doesn't use illegals seems pretty impossible to me. Seems like working out a deal to try to not have illegals worker come your specific yard would have about as much success as hiring another company would.

I think Romney's biggest mistake is having a lawn. That would be the only practical way to avoid not having an illegal arrive for work eventually short of going to ridiculous measures to enforce it.

It's not necessarily that Mitt has a blind spot when it comes to his fellow Mormons. Maybe he has a blind spot when it comes to his fellow man.

Jay has shown us numerous attempts by the Globe to blur the line between illegal aliens and legal residents. But because Romney is a Republican and a Mormon they think they're pointing out his hypocrisy without highlighting their own?

Shame that Romney's "friend" betrayed him like that. But that's where Reagan's "trust but verify" advice should have come into play. Romney screwed up big time.

A good post Jay...It is curious that the people who have a real problem with Romney's faith are conservative evangelicals...Freud's 'narcissism of small differences'...The idea that these solid gold plates could ascend into heaven, is quite a stretch. Hey Mitt believes this but then all Mormons do...What saves them as you imply is that they are so straight and serious and all other denominations require a generous 'leap of faith' and suspension of disbelief, too.

As a sidebar, it is curious that Mitt's father also a leading member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when he was frontrunner for the Republican presidency 40 years ago.

On 31 August 1967, Governor Romney of Michigan made a statement that ruined his chances for getting the nomination. In a taped interview with Lou Gordon of WKBD-TV in Detroit. Romney stated, "When I came back from Viet Nam [in November 1965], I'd just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get." He then shifted to opposing the war: "I no longer believe that it was necessary for us to get involved in South Vietnam to stop Communist aggression in Southeast Asia," he declared. Decrying the "tragic" conflict, he urged "a sound peace in South Vietnam at an early time."

American voters will allow you, even encourage you to be 'brainwashed' about religion, (if it didn't, that would disqualify all the candidates from both parties) but if you admit that you may have been 'brainwashed' about some of the other recurring politically totems of each age, you will be electorally toast.

>> "Mitt Romney's Mormonism can be argued to be at the root of his recent illegal alien problem"

As Judaism is at the root of America's pro-Israel bias in the Middle East - right JT?

Or is religion only an issue when it's not yours?

Scientology isn't funnier than Mormonism?

It seems to me that most of the handwringing over Romney's Mormonism is coming from the MSM. I'm not hearing conservatives talk about it that much.

More troubling to me is the fact that Romney hails from Massachusetts, and that he is a recent convert to conservatism.

When people first heard that Jesus came from Nazareth - a town with a terrible reputation - they skeptically queried, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

That pretty much sums up my attitude towards Massachusetts.

Totally off topic, and just out of curiosity - what happened to the weirdly cryptic Kim? Was he/she banished by Odin?

I'm quite disappointed in Romney.

As a Mormon myself, Romney knows that his service to no "one interest" is impossible in his religion. In the Mormon temples all devout members take strict oaths, one of which being that all time and talents are used first and foremost to build only the Mormon Church, and that we are to have the strictest obedience to its leaders and the church's public stand on issues. A member who speaks out in public must be in-line with church ideals and doctrines or risk excommunication.

Yesterday afternoon, I was thinking the same thing Jeff. I was planning on asking about her here today. I miss her comments, "weirdly cripytic" is a good description, but her comments always made you think and they made sense, once you figured them out.

I believe at least a part of Romney's problem here is his religion. Not any particular tenet of Mormonism, but the fact that Mr. Saenz is also a Mormon. Romney met Mr. Saenz through the church, and later hired his company, "Community Lawn Service With A Heart."

This happens quite a bit. The Mormon church apparently has an extensive employment network for its members to plug into. In fact, so much so, that if a Mormon becomes either head of HR or VP, or some other position of authority in a company, that company will soon have substantial numbers of Mormon employees.

Being from AZ, I've grown up with and around Mormons my whole life. We've had several succesful Mormon politicians representing us at the state and national levels and they haven't legislated as "Mormons." What Mormonism brings to many is very sound principles of honesty, integrity, hard work etc. The majority of Mormons I've known aren't kooks, or starry eyed, but upright honest, good people. I'd much rather have a committed Mormon in office than a Catholic in name only.

Veeshir,

I agree. I liked having her(?) around.

I think South Park did a pretty good job on the whole Mormonism thing (as well as a hilarious Scientology sendup). I'm not proud that it took a cartoon to get me to examine the ideas further, but dang if they weren't accurate in their portrayals.

I also understand the Showtime series "Big Love", which I also enjoy, is a pretty accurate representation of the polygamy set.

I've noticed more bigotry against Mormons from those left of center than christian evangelicals in my experience.

I'll accept Mitt's Mormon mafia over Huckabee's hypocrisies as a politicized populist Southern Baptist any day. He did what many have done, trusted "family" and got burned, big deal. That said, all the candidates seem to have a weakness or two that still makes selection difficult for someone wanting a more classic conservative who can win. Both parties have mediocre to weak candidates; modern American politics just sucks.

I've noticed more bigotry from those right of center/ christian evangelicals in my experience.

I agree that it is the liberal left that has made a big issue of Romney 's mormonism. The left is a major source of bigotry these days.

I agree that it is the right wing/evangelicals who are making an issue of Romney's religion, just as they did with JFK's. You might want to come to Iowa where you will find the truth LAI.

Romneys biggest mistake is not taking care of the lawn Himself..the dweeb has all the time in the world to do so, but if Hes so busy that He does not? then Hes too busy to be looking at it anyways..

Justin Utley comment 10:

Your a Mormon? I don't think so. Or, if so, you may not have been paying close enough attention in Sunday School. You sure have a skewed version of the covenants we make before God in our Temples. Your version sounds scarry and cult like (which is the standard line from anti-mormons). Whereas the covenant to consecrate our time and talents to building up the LDS church and the Kingdom of God on Earth is really not very sinister. I mean, don't all churches wish for their members to build up their church and thus advance the work of God? Yeah, that is really scarry!!!

JFO,
It is the left (eg. Boston Globe and the alphabet TV channels) who has asked Romney about his mormonism. Just like it was the left who made excuse for Clinton's sexual harassment and who linked homosexuality to pedophiles. It is well documented that the left is now the home of modern anti-semitism. SInce you want to go back the JFK day. The dem party was the home of the KKK and Robert Byrd was a former wizard. But as usual, JFO doesn't want to face the truth and doesn't have the courage to admit who he is.

Also as Jay pointed out, the dem party and their media arm is a shameless no-value movement, it is expected that they will make a big deal of romeny 's lawn service while ignoring all the illegal fund-raising activities related to the Hillary campaign for example.

Yeah, JFO, admit that you're a homo pedophile anti-semite Klan member who hates Mormons, just like everyone on the left. Admit it! If you don't you're just cowardly.

it! If you don't you're just cowardly.
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Exactly the point instead of projecting that on others.

Mantis, and they wonder why they're on the fringe wondering why the world is passing them by.

JFO is still not honest enough to admit that he is a moonbat who is simply here to spin for the corrupt Dem party.

BTW, when will the left stop asking Romney about his Mormon faith or other Reps about Romney 's faith? Where is the outrage of the honest liberals instead of the faux spin of the moonbats?

Love America Immigrant speaks for 30% of the general public (and I'm being generous). They are loud, but easily ignored.

"Robert Byrd used to be in the KKK! Yeeeeeargh!" Put on a sandwich board and go yell at people on the street. It would be an optimal utilization of your talent.

The way you equate a harder stance against Israeli policy with anti-semitism is ridiculous, by the way. I know quite a few Jews who don't support Zionist expansion, and have no allegiance to the state of Israel more generally. Are they anti-semitic? Also, do you know what "semitic" means? Look it up, 'cause I don't think you do.

matthew, don't want to face the truth about the bigotry of the left then you shouldn't complain about bigotry then.

Yeah, JFO, admit that you're a homo pedophile anti-semite Klan member who hates Mormons, just like everyone on the left.

mantis shows an appalling lack of reading comprehension.

I'll give you an analogy.
If I say "Jeff plays for the Giants", that doesn't mean everybody on the Giants is named Jeff, it means Jeff is on the Giants.
So if I say that something is a province of lefties, that doesn't mean that all lefties have that trait.

I understand you don't really have a point, you're just a sophist who likes to sidetrack the conversation into new and stupid areas, but you should understand that it makes you look like a jerk and quite often, as in this case, a nitwit.

I just don't understand people. Why would someone act like that? Seriously, are you so full of hate that you just have to attack people who disagree with you? Do you think you're actually accomplishing anything good? Do you need attention so much that you will do anything, including fact- and logic-free attack comments, to get that attention?
I really can't figure out why some people just have to act like jerks.

Get over it Veeshir. You obviously spend way too much time thinking about me. You and LAI should get together and go bowling.

Exactly the substance free comment I expect from you mantis.
And exactly why I mess with you, you could be so much more than a nitwit, sophist gadfly. You could actually contribute something, but alas, you don't. And that's what I can't figure out.
Why do people act that way?

Mitt Romney's Mormon Problem...(JT)

From Romney's speech:
"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin."

"As governor, I tried to do the right as best I knew it, serving the law and answering to the Constitution. I did not confuse the particular teachings of my church with the obligations of the office and of the Constitution - and of course, I would not do so as President. I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law."

So, what's the "problem" again?

I don't believe that any person's religious convictions should be playing a part in the Presidential election process, but it appears that the media, (for incomplete or unknown motives) and, of course our host here, have brought the framing of religious values and interpretations into the debate.

While the dedication to one's particular faith should be admirable, and the values of that faith measured, we should not use this metric to discriminate against any candidate who's "soul" purpose is to represent this nation's interest.

Why do people act that way?
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Because they are more committed to the ideology than the truth. Since they don't have the truth on their side, they have to spin.