Hey Joe: I wish there were a Mormon in the White House!

Joe Carter wonders if there should ever be a Mormon in the White House.

Actually, I wish there was a better president in the White House . . . and I am quite confident one Mormon in American public life would be doing a better job.

If Mitt Romney were in the White House, abortion policy would be better, taxes would be lower, and the budget deficit smaller. If that sounds good to you, then you too wish a Mormon were in the White House, Of course, we were not voting for Governor Romney because of his sincerely held faith, but because of his policy views and competence.

Harry Reid, the Mormon with the most political clout, will soon not be in the Senate . . . an outcome most of us, including most of my Mormon friends, view as a blessed hope. The only time it will be safe for the Republic for Reid to be in the White House will be on the visitor’s tour.

So I don’t want just any Mormon in the White House, but could vote for the right one.



When Joe Carter asks if religion should count when we vote, the answer is: “Of course, it should. No Satan worshipers need apply!” If someone is in a religion where good is . . . evil, then that seems relevant to my vote.

Of course, this issue mostly comes up when discussing Governor Mitt Romney. I am on record as wishing Romney had been the nominee in 2008, though I am now glad we did not waste his potential on a doomed run.

Should Romney’s Mormonism count against him?

If you live in California, it might count for him.

Californians must be thankful the LDS (Mormon) community for the yeoman work they did in protecting traditional marriage and the abuse they took for it. It is difficult for any traditional Christian in my state to think of enough ways to say “thank you” for the dangers faced by so many of our LDS friends. Many acted heroically and suffered quietly.

I honor them as co-laborers in an important battle.

Here are my thoughts from last year on why I would want a Mormon in the White House:

Should Christians Vote for Mormons?

Mitt Romney is a picture perfect Republican candidate for President. Some on the left have suggested that Romney carries extra baggage: He is a member of the LDS (Mormon) Church. Will traditional Christians vote for a Mormon?

Traditional Christians believe their faith can inform politics. Other faiths can reach similar conclusions and become allies. Americans are electing the President of the United States not the Patriarch of Antioch, the Bishop of Rome, or the President of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Any labeling of Mormons as too “weird” to serve the public sets a risky precedent that will come back to haunt traditional Christians.

Most such attacks on Mormonism are name calling, the result of bigotry or ignorance, but not always. If bigotry narrows the field too much, it is possible to be too open-minded about religion.

Is Mormonism too “weird” or “dangerous?”

A traditional Christian should only make political alliances with groups that embrace reason, with a theology with agreeable public policy implications, and with a history of successful participation in the Republic. Fortunately for Romney, Mormonism easily passes these tests.

First, the religious beliefs of the candidate should be held by a significant number of people willing to defend them (even if unsuccessfully) in a rational manner.

The mere existence of a fully accredited Brigham Young University and Mormon apologetic groups settles this question. The Evangelical Torrey Honors Institute has hosted thoughtful Mormons willing to debate their ideas.

Second, the group in question should not make religious claims that will naturally lead to horrific, or at least far out, public policy. If the Mormon Church ever had views that would have led to weird public policy positions, they are part of its past. The LDS Church has a remarkable record of care for others and support for family values. LDS opposition to abortion and gay marriage are well within the American political mainstream. There is no good reason to think that Mormon ideas will lead to “weird” public policy.

Third, the group should have a long track record of generally playing by republican rules in areas where it is dominant. The Presidency is too powerful a prize to trust to a new group that might have secret authoritarian leanings.

The Mormon community has an excellent track record on this issue. Utah has been “majority Mormon” for over one hundred years, has a republican constitution, and allows free and fair elections. Mormons have served with honor in both Houses of Congress, in Presidential cabinets, in prominent roles in the Armed Forces, and as cultural and business leaders. Harry Reid is a Mormon and so is Orin Hatch. Both men are more remarkable for being unremarkable than for political “weirdness.”

Traditional Christians are commanded to love their neighbor and so cannot vote their fears or prejudices. Mitt Romney deserves a chance to make his case to traditional Christians without his religion being an issue.