Latter-Day Politics
Mitt Romney believes American values, not Mormon doctrine, should rule a President.
Interview by Collin Hansen | posted 9/26/2007 08:48AM
Mitt Romney is not the first Mormon to run for President. Nor is he the highest-ranking Mormon in politics (that would be Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid). Yet his campaign to earn the Republican nomination has triggered endless discussion about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The former Massachusetts governor talked with CT associate editor Collin Hansen about doctrinal differences and common values.
Growing up in Michigan, how did you get along with evangelicals?
In a state like Michigan, there's very little attention paid to the different faiths of different people.
I went to an Episcopal school where maybe 15 to 20 percent of the student body was Jewish. But I didn't really know who was Jewish and who wasn't.
So no evangelicals ever tried to convert you?
No, I don't recall that ever occurring.
How do you think relations between Mormons and Trinitarian Christians have changed during your lifetime?
I don't know that there's been a significant change relating to doctrine. [But] several months ago, not long before he died, I had the occasion of having the Rev. Jerry Falwell at our home. He said that when he was getting ready to oppose same-sex marriage in California, he met with the president of my church in Salt Lake City, and they agreed to work together in a campaign in California. He said, "Far be it from me to suggest that we don't have the same values and the same objectives."
Have you seen changes between 1968, when your father ran for President, and now?
In terms of the relationship between the faiths, I don't see any particular differences. I know the media today focus far more on people of faith. In some circles, the bias against believers is pronounced. There are some people who would like to establish a religion of secularism in this country to replace all others. So people of faith are routinely scrutinized in a way they were not when my dad ran in 1968.
What traits and views do you think evangelicals want in the next President?
I don't know that I'm qualified to suggest what people of other faiths specifically would want. But I think Americans of faith generally hope that the next President will be a person of faith who shares their values and their views on the key issues that the nation faces.
What would those issues be?
There are, of course, the international and economic issues, such as the war against the violent jihad and the need to be competitive long-term with an emerging Asian economy. On the home front, we need to become energy independent. And on values issues, priorities include abortion and same-sex marriage.
Many Christians voted for President Bush out of a feeling of faith kinship. Do you see any drawbacks to that type of voter affinity?
People should be able to vote for who they like on whatever basis they like. I try not to counsel my fellow Americans on how they make their decisions. I think by and large democracy works pretty well.
Many times, people are misinformed about a candidate or their positions, and that's unfortunate. But if they have accurate, complete views, I say let them vote as they wish.
How are voters misinformed about you?
I just don't think many people know me very well at this stage, and that's to be expected. I'm a governor, and therefore not yet a national figure. I anticipate by the time the primary season rolls around next year that I will be very well known and will either be strongly supported or will be someone people don't want to back. I'm pleased that I'm connecting with voters in the states where I've spoken most frequently—states like Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, South Carolina, and Florida.
September 2007, Vol. 51, No. 9
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