Written by Richard Kane   

Mormons, like Catholics up to a half century ago, long to be accepted as just another part of Americana. So far the fact that two Mormons Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, were both considered respectable candidates, not representatives of a fringe cult furthers that goal. Most Americans feel good that Catholics now belong instead of considered to be agents of a foreign pope. So unless a disproportional number of Mormons are chosen for appointments, America expects whatever else Romney does just electing him would make this a more tolerant country. But the fact that Kennedy was a loved President not a disrespected one like Hoover and Bush helped make this so.

The Kennedy miracle hasn't been true elsewhere in the world. Alberto Fujimori of Japanese ancestry became President of Peru with no such Kennedy-like results. After Pakistan elected a women, Benazir Bhutto, President woman’s rights have gone down hill there ever since.

The Muslim reaction to a Mormon President especially one that promises a tough foreign policy, and a tough more evenhanded policy toward Muslims rather than continue the US fixation on al Qaeda, would be noted as a major change by the Muslim World. Every US President since Carter divided the world between good Muslims and bad, George Bush in particular was good friends with certain Muslims. A change from this direction would look to some Muslims as due to the Mormon influence in America putting the 6.5 thousand Mormons in Indonesia at risk. Romney, who takes religion far more seriously than Kennedy did, trying to defend Mormons in Indonesia could make Mormons around the world at risk.

The Muslim world is very clannish. Shiites and Sunnis can scream at each other and fight until a war with the Jews comes up then suddenly feel like they are one. Ahmadinejad actually is not longing to destroy Israel. Ahmadinejad's real goal is just enough permanent tension with Israel that the Sunni majority in the Muslim world would consider themselves one with the Shiites. When it comes to any tension with Mormons Muslims suddenly remember that Muslims and Christians besides Jews are People of the Book, and believe Mormons are something different. Hindu militants in India claim Christian and Muslim recruiters get along best when they are both trying to persuade Hindus to convert .

Jon Huntsman, an also ran, with a more tolerant policy would be more likely to get Mormons the respect that Kennedy brought to Catholics.

Ron Paul hasn't dropped out of the Republican Presidential race and is still trying to get officially uncommitted delegates to vote against Romney. If Mormons en mass start to worry about Muslims in Indonesia, Ron Paul might still stop a Romney nomination. I could be wrong but I think as President Jon Huntsman might be remembered somewhat the way Kennedy was. Romney’s many Mormon supporters would urge him to support Huntsman if a Romney Presidency is reconsidered as a to be a problem.

President Obama loves compromise to much, compromising with Jon Huntsman not Mitt Romney, or ideally with Ron Paul would make Obama a better President.


Since I ended the above with a idealized wish I will add my other wish. The money manipulators love to make everyone argue about gay rights, abortion and immigration, and ignore the economy except to believe that politicians are magicians who can pull jobs out of a hat. Harry Truman, after Hitler attacked Russia said, “If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany”. Most of the1% who made their money through manipulation can change sides back and forth on hot button issues to keep people distracted from noting how they are cornering the wealth.

I would like to see the Libertarians run Ron Paul and Jill Stein as their Presidential ticket and vice versa the Green Party run Jill Stein as President and Ron Paul as the Vice President candidate. And both parties urging their members to vote for the other party in races where the other party was clearly ahead. That way no matter what happened election day Americans would be smarter about economics. Sorry about this distraction ending but otherwise I would be inadvertently adding to hostile feelings about Mormons.

There is a lot I could add about Mormons being at the extreme edge of the Protestant Ethic, but I will only say that a Romney Presidency would be a lighting rod on determining whether Mormons belong rather than his election would be proof that they do. Many Mormons are worked hard toward getting what they might prudently get second thoughts about

By Richard Kane