Recovery Board
: RfM
Recovery from Mormonism (RfM) discussion forum.
But then, what did you expect? Mitt knew that his Mormonism was a major obstacle in his quest for the White House. He avoided talking about his beliefs as much as possible -- "I'm not running as a Mormon" ... "I'm not running to talk about Mormonism" Romney said in a 2007 radio interview (off air).
The "Mormon Moment" was seen, by Mormons, as an opportunity to promote Mormonism to the world and to experience unprecedented growth and worldwide respect.
The very nature of Mormonism precludes it from ever having a "moment".
The Mormon Moment -- an opportunity squandered? No. That opportunity doesn't exist.
The "Mormon Moment" was seen, by Mormons, as an opportunity to promote Mormonism to the world and to experience unprecedented growth and worldwide respect.
The very nature of Mormonism precludes it from ever having a "moment".
The Mormon Moment -- an opportunity squandered? No. That opportunity doesn't exist.
At UVU, there is a discussion about "perspectives on the Mormon moment" led by New York Times writer Laurie Goodstein. I was able to speak with her a couple of times during my little moment last fall. I wish I could attend.
https://www.uvu.edu/religiousstudies/
https://www.uvu.edu/religiousstudies/
The problem with Mittens wasn't mormonism. It was Romney himself and the GOP. Mormonism just didn't help.
The church can't hide in the internet age. Sacred doesn't mean secret. If you can't talk about something then people have to wonder what you are hiding. And with the internet, anyone can now find out.
The church can't hide in the internet age. Sacred doesn't mean secret. If you can't talk about something then people have to wonder what you are hiding. And with the internet, anyone can now find out.
Mormonism isn't unpopular just because it's a religion.
He lost, and Mormonism is losing, because of their right-wing tilt.
I noticed there was very little cry of persecution from Mormons after Mitt's defeat...because he was defeated by women, blacks, latinos, and gays. He was defeated BY people who are persecuted...by right wing prejudice.
The mormons blew it starting with Prop H8.
They spent a whole generation of saved up "PR capital" that had been accumulating since they laid low after the ERA. All at once they alienated a huge minority of their own membership and discredited themselves in the eyes of the average fair-minded person.
Mitt blew it when he wasted his saved up "politial capital" he'd earned by being a POPULAR centrist governor of a blue state...by moving to the far-right to win the nomination. Problem is, he couldn't get back. For every voter he won by moving right, he lost two centrists. Even many center-rightists like he had been ended up being more comfortable voting center-left for Obama than far-right for Mitt...it had NOTHING to do with him being mormon...is was ALL about his badly tilted right-wing platform.
Their right-wing platform is killing mormonism. People would be tolerant of mormonism where they aren't tolerant of far-rightism. Mormonism has been at a lifetime high of far-rightism during the "moment", which, arguably, is the reason there WAS a "moment" in the first place. Utah County is possibly the reddest county in the US (when you look at a population-weighted by-county US electoral map, it's like Rudolph's nose), and it represents the core of mormonism. The cultural Mecca is Provo, not Salt lake City (which, ironically, is blue).
The church's political neutrality is a farce. Lefty's FEEL the pressure and many if not most just can't last. MOST of the apostles are Republicans or voted in the republican primary, and NONE are democrats (Nevermind all of them are white, white-collar-professional men).
Yes, the church squandered the "mormon moment", just like Mitt squandered the nomination...but it's a circular equation. The reason there WAS a mormon moment in the first place is the same as there was a nomination in the first place, because the church and Mitt both made audacious rightward-plays to cause it.
So to have benefitted from the Mormon moment, the church would have had to undo the very things that caused the moment.
Now the church is emerging from 5 years of this. Prop H8 is a dud, both the courts and the president are on the side if gay-rights. Mitt's done. No more mega-PR. It's like a stadium after the game, trash everywhere, everyone going home. What will the church do?
I bet they do what they did after ERA, lay low for a generation so that their OWN left-leaning members don't KNOW that they're in a fundamentalist right-wing sect. How many left-leaning mormons, before this, actually BELIEVED that the church was politcially neutral, centrist, and mainstream. Well alot fewer do now.
Can the church ever recoup the loss?
He lost, and Mormonism is losing, because of their right-wing tilt.
I noticed there was very little cry of persecution from Mormons after Mitt's defeat...because he was defeated by women, blacks, latinos, and gays. He was defeated BY people who are persecuted...by right wing prejudice.
The mormons blew it starting with Prop H8.
They spent a whole generation of saved up "PR capital" that had been accumulating since they laid low after the ERA. All at once they alienated a huge minority of their own membership and discredited themselves in the eyes of the average fair-minded person.
Mitt blew it when he wasted his saved up "politial capital" he'd earned by being a POPULAR centrist governor of a blue state...by moving to the far-right to win the nomination. Problem is, he couldn't get back. For every voter he won by moving right, he lost two centrists. Even many center-rightists like he had been ended up being more comfortable voting center-left for Obama than far-right for Mitt...it had NOTHING to do with him being mormon...is was ALL about his badly tilted right-wing platform.
Their right-wing platform is killing mormonism. People would be tolerant of mormonism where they aren't tolerant of far-rightism. Mormonism has been at a lifetime high of far-rightism during the "moment", which, arguably, is the reason there WAS a "moment" in the first place. Utah County is possibly the reddest county in the US (when you look at a population-weighted by-county US electoral map, it's like Rudolph's nose), and it represents the core of mormonism. The cultural Mecca is Provo, not Salt lake City (which, ironically, is blue).
The church's political neutrality is a farce. Lefty's FEEL the pressure and many if not most just can't last. MOST of the apostles are Republicans or voted in the republican primary, and NONE are democrats (Nevermind all of them are white, white-collar-professional men).
Yes, the church squandered the "mormon moment", just like Mitt squandered the nomination...but it's a circular equation. The reason there WAS a mormon moment in the first place is the same as there was a nomination in the first place, because the church and Mitt both made audacious rightward-plays to cause it.
So to have benefitted from the Mormon moment, the church would have had to undo the very things that caused the moment.
Now the church is emerging from 5 years of this. Prop H8 is a dud, both the courts and the president are on the side if gay-rights. Mitt's done. No more mega-PR. It's like a stadium after the game, trash everywhere, everyone going home. What will the church do?
I bet they do what they did after ERA, lay low for a generation so that their OWN left-leaning members don't KNOW that they're in a fundamentalist right-wing sect. How many left-leaning mormons, before this, actually BELIEVED that the church was politcially neutral, centrist, and mainstream. Well alot fewer do now.
Can the church ever recoup the loss?