Judging from the broadway mega-hit The Book of Mormon musical, there seems to be a certain fascination with many things Mormon. And what is the tag most often associated with Mitt Romney? Well, yes, Romneycare too, and former governor, but for some it's "Mormon"? Yesterday, Jon Huntsman, another Mormon also jumped into the race. The day hadn't even slipped to the next before at least one national political cartoonist was opportunistically pouncing on TWO MORMONS in the race.
Living in the Texas, judging from Romney's past reception here, He could have the most viable plan to absolve this country of all its debts and yet a number of voters here would be having hallucinogenic visions in seeing "Mormon" printed on the ballot instead of "Mitt Romney" come November 2012. But what an absolutely fascinating scenario that would be to measure the comparative intolerance of Texans in their deciding between Obama and Romney. That would be Broadway baby!
So many fascinating facets to this. Would Mormons be intolerant in their own way in voting for him just because he's Mormon? Can Bible-belters look past his "cult"? Could he somehow garner enough positive sway with moderates or left-wingers who may have already doomed him to the Mormon brand that came with what happened in California in recent years?
It took the passing of several years and that prevailing social intolerance to finally elect our President, Barack Obama. Mormons have faced a far less austere rejection in their history. But they have been killed and driven like animals on grounds of there religion right here on American soil. Those are times far past. But is their a certain level of intolerance that remains?
Time will tell if Romney will be judged purely on politics. So many questions remain. Can Mitt get past his hurdles? Romneycare? The rich and elite? Mormon? Or could this be another historic first? ..........MAYBE.
(Troy Johnson is a political cartoonist with Troy's Toons & Caricatures near Dallas, Tx).
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