If Mittens loses, my educated guess is that things Mormon will recede from the general public's consiousness not to ever return to the same level for decades or ever perhaps.

If Mittens wins, my educated guess is that it will boast Mormon prestige. It may also draw more criticism, but the pros will out pace the negative PR.

I like outcome A. My voting will reflect that.

First off, Mitt won't win. I'm fairly certain of that.

Next, when he loses, Mitt and mormonism will fade back into obscurity

"There is no joy in MoVille, mighty Mittsey has struck out!".

One can only hope... ;)

According to Nate Silver's blog, there's an 85% chance of outcome A. And yes, I think that Mormonism will recede from the public consciousness for a while.

But I think some other votes tomorrow will be more important to Mormonism's future: if gay marriage wins some victories tomorrow, and continues its march toward public acceptance, it will eventually be a very difficult dilemma for the church to deal with, and may even someday lose them their tax exemption, and that would be huge. So that's what I'm watching for tomorrow.

Neither religion, nor morality, is as important to the morg as money. They won't give up their tax exempt status to stop gay marriage. The wouldn't give up their tax exempt status to stop people from marrying their cats...

According to Princeton University's computers (which aren't poosyfooting like Nate Silver), Obama has a 98% chance of winning.

Type in "election" and "Princeton" into Google to find the site, since I can't post the link here.

This evening, Nate Silver has Obama's chances of re-election up to 92%. Combine that with Princeton's 98% forecast, and I'm guessing some Mormons are going to be sad tomorrow night. Can't wait to find out what my TBM mom's spin will be. Mormons not faithful enough? Romney not faithful enough? Satan taking over America, maybe?

I think Romney will lose, but 8% is still too high of a chance.

It will be a long time before another Mormon makes a serious run for President. Huntsman may try again, but he got no traction in the primaries and he is a "Utah Mormon". I think Huntsman would be an exmo if he didn't want to alienate voters in Utah.

Other than Huntsman, there are no prominent Mormons on the horizon. Hatch is too old now, and Chaffetz's schtick would not play well outside Provo.

when book of mormon the musical is made into a movie mormonism will come back in the spotlight, regardless of the outcome of the election.

No matter what happens I think Mormonism has been somewhat legitimized. At the very least, people are less afraid of Mormons because Mitt has become very visible and people see he isn't insane or weird. I think Mormonism has sort of slipped into being more acceptable but I don't think anyone is running to join up. The voters came, they saw, they moved on.

Cali Sally said,

"Mitt has become very visible and people see he isn't insane or weird."

Desperate Republicans might see Mitt that way temporarily, but Mitt has said some pretty weird-@$$ things in the past few months. He's definitely a strange dude, but he's a rich strange dude, so he can get away with much weirdness.

So, no I can't agree. Mitt is weird with a capital W.

weird

robotic

Mitt Romulan

a bully

incompassionate

from another planet.

and that's what they'll think of mormons from now on.

When we went on trek a few summers ago, the scouts decided that they just didn't like one of the trek guides. And they couldn't put their finger on it.

If finally had to explain, "look, he's a fucking mormon. That's the only way he knows how to act. Of course he's self-conscious and odd. But you need to understand it's not his fault."

He was actually a pretty good guy. I enjoyed my time with him.

I don't think so. Some republicans see mormons as less weird, but I don't think it is a significant number. Dems still know them as the church who hates gays.

Even if he wins, I don't think mormons will be thought of much better. The republicans I know are going to vote for him "even if he is mormon." Again the dems will never like the mormons.

No, a weird rich guy has been in the spotlight for a couple of years. A guy who has gone a long way out of his way to, largely, deny his religion.

The public Romney resembles very few 'real' morg I know.

Romney is in this for him. His religion is secondary to him–this is why Ann, the boys and the grand kids think its great that his granddaughter can wear strapless designer dresses. He says he's a morg, but doesn't really act like one... As I've said before, Romney doesn't follow the church, the church hopes they can follow him to power. Romney's main problem is his sense of entitlement and general cluelessness.

The rest of the morg are running around singing hymns about how Romney's presidency will help them. It won't. They will think they can come out into the light with their craziness and, not only will people accept them, but want to join their cult*. When they come out, they will be slapped down, hard... And they will wander off, angry and confused, because the 'morg moment' was supposed to mean everybody loved them.

The possibility of going from what they perceive as "persecuted outcasts" to a position of any real 'power' will bend their minds. Their 'reality' is based upon being a persecuted minority. They cannot exist beyond this version of 'reality.' Therefore, they cannot become 'normalized.'

*I follow a lot of secular message boards on Slate, etc. There have been, at least, ten people who have said that once Romney is elected, everyone will join the morg and America will become a 'morg nation.'



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2012 10:55PM by John_Lyle.

If Mitt wins I'm moving to Sweden.

However, I don't think he will, and Mormonism will fade from the media outlets in the face of the uncertain economy, a decade of war, continued unemployment woes, the Kardashians and other chronic societal ills. (Not that the church isn't a chronic societal ill, but there are others that are more serious.)

My girlfriend already has a place picked out for us in Guatemala...

This is not an idle threat. I fear losing my job is Romney wins, and I moved to the US from Montréal to take this job 3 years ago.

Many liberals threaten to move to Canada, but few of them have a grad degree from McGill.

It won't fade. It will be kicked into a dark hole with Mormons wondering how the blessed one lost to a cursed one. The faith of the faithful shaken and their hero sliced and diced by his friends and foes.

The ex-mormon moment just gets more fun.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2012 09:00PM by thingsithink.

There will be a lot of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth among Mormons.

Most never-Mos already thought it was a weird cult.

That ain't gonna change.

And not on the fact that Mittens is just a rich out of touch jerk?

A lot of them will feel persecuted although I don't think religion will be a big factor. Romney is just not likeable and he is a flip flopper. That is why he will lose IMO

It's over, and has been for some time. In a few more years it will become undeniably obvious that the Cult peaked at the end of the 20th Century. They have enough money, for now, to hide this, but the truth is coming out.

I've thought (since the day it happened) that the mormon church peaked when they dedicated their so-called "temple" in Nauvoo, IL. in 2002.

That was a high point that will never be reached again.

TTFC.

Haven't you considered that we will be blamed?

The exmormon websites spreading lies about the Mormon church did it and Satan, who controls water, moved a hurricane in to stop Romney's momentum.

And the members will be blamed...

If only the saints had been more faithful, if only they had paid more, donated more time, masturbated less, attended more, kept their convenants, THEN Mitt Rombot would have won.

I don't believe Mormons will fade away. Now that the political correctness of lancing the Mormon pimple on the American butt will no longer be in question, we will see a hail of stories.

There will be a release of Mitt Romney's tax returns showing he used Mormon tax exemptions to avoid paying taxes for fifteen years. (this rumor is already circulating). Somebody will sell the story to the National Enquirer for five figures...

Then the movie Under the Banner of Heaven will come out and there will be a discussion about Joseph Smith and Mormon sexuality and abortion and how we almost got a crazy abortion-hating Mormon from a religion whose founder went everywhere with John Bennett, the abortionist who carried a hook up his coat sleeve "just in case."

Then the Book of Mormon will be made into a movie and everyone will be gasping that America dodged a bullet because the guy comes from a bunch of lovable loonies who can't keep their gold plates from leaving the earth with an angel. Nevermind, they weren't in the room when they were being "translated" anyway.

Then the show will come out Leaving the Saints and reality will be on display to a fascinated nation of voyeurs. Garments? Sex with garments on? Masturbating interviews? This is Maury Povich stuff- America loves it. Bring it on, the odder the better.

Americans will be bored with no more campaign news and they will return to pick at the oddness of Mitt Romney's religion.


Anagrammy

Planet Kolob is now referred to in the mainstream media without it even having to be explained!!

Polygamy, Magic Underwear, Mitt Romney, and Kolob! This is what most people associate with Mormonism.

Most of the country thinks this cult is Bat Sh!t Crazy!!!

If he loses, morg go back on the cult list on Billy Graham's website...

I can't imagine either party will ever want to, knowingly, nominate a candidate who's religion is so potentially devisive.

They will go back to nominating your run of the mill right wing religious extremists...

If Romney starts WWIII in pursuit of some apocalypse fetish, it isn't going to make the rest of the mormons look good.

Mormons will blame Obama's win on The Adversary.

The very fact that nearly half the country was gullible enough to be fooled by a lying salesman of bogus mormon-style dogma is just depressing.

I did like the fact that if finally came down to both Chrysler and GM whipping Romney in public for lying.

I still think his Peter Penishoodness prevents him from acknowledging mistakes, and that it also prevents him from sorting reality from wishful thinking.

If Mitt wins, the Mormon moment will last for the next four years. Mormons will work even harder to convince everyone they're "normal." Any attention they get by thrusting themselves into the spotlight will backfire, because Mormons don't realize how very strange they appear to the rest of the world.

Also, the more attention TSCC gets, the more people will go online and find out about all the issues that make the Church look bizarre and bad.

If Mitt loses, Mormons will get to slink back into obscurity, which will be better for them than they realize.

It's still to close to call, but I will go on the record as saying that I personally know several people who normally vote Republican, who switched because they are worried about Mormon values being forced down the throats of the rest of the country.

(any Not watching the results?)

SSM: Winning

DEMO candidates in places where sexuality/women's rights were factors are WINNING.

Once Ohio goes Blue, a lot of people going to bed Knowing who won, even if Mittens takes FL, where polls are backed up with people waiting to vote LATE into the night...