Should He, Or Shouldn’t He? « The Washington Independent
Jul 31, 202025.2K Shares467K Views
Illustration by: Matt Mahurin
Mitt Romney reminisced early this morning about meeting Gordon Hinckley, the Mormon church leader who died yesterday at 97. The two got to know each other when Romney was running the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and they spoke again when Romney was preparing his presidential run.
As Romney remembered it, Hinckley told him that runnning for the White House "would be a great experience if you won and a great experience if you lost."
Of course, how voters feel about Romney’s Mormonism will be a key factor in how the whole thing turns out. A Gallup poll in early December found that one in six voters wouldn’t vote for a Mormon for president if that’s who their party nominated. The issue weighs even more heavily in the Republican primary, where evangelicals often make up a large share of the electorate — and have some of the toughest views on Mormons.
Romney said he would try to attend Hinckley’s funeral. But should he? Showing up might be more of a reminder of Romney’s faith that some voters need. But not showing up would look worse, wouldn’t it?
Rhyley Carney
Reviewer
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