Webb: The likely presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney raises an obvious question that is being discussed in local and national political circles: Can a Mormon become president?

I believe the answer is yes. But it would have to be the ideal candidate with perfect timing under the ideal circumstances. Being elected president is tough enough, and being a Mormon probably adds to the difficulty.

Still, it's possible. We could have asked a few years ago, "Can a Mormon Republican become governor of liberal, Catholic-dominated Massachusetts?" And we would have probably said no. But the stars aligned and the circumstances were ideal for Romney to win.

A presidential race is much bigger and far more complex, of course. The big issue is: What is the attitude of informed, voting Americans toward Mormons? Certainly, the image of the LDS Church has improved considerably over the past few decades.

My guess is that most informed people know a Mormon or two and probably respect them. There are many prominent Mormon athletes, celebrities, business leaders and politicians. However, the "weirdness" factor is still out there and can't be ignored.

The church has dissidents and detractors, and a Mormon presidential candidate would give them a forum to spout their hatred and vitriol. A number of articles and Web sites would be published about Romney's "bizarre" religion, and some evangelical Christian groups would try to discredit him. The question is how much influence these groups would have on informed, voting Americans, and whether a Mormon candidate could even turn the attacks to an advantage, winning sympathy if the attackers cross the line into bigotry and extremism.

Being a Mormon presidential candidate who is taken seriously actually has a few benefits. For one thing, a significant curiosity factor exists, resulting in an increased amount of media exposure. Numerous national publications, the most recent being The Atlantic magazine, have done in-depth pieces on Romney precisely because the Mormon angle makes him an interesting subject.

For the most part, the coverage has been fair and reporters take a Romney candidacy seriously. They're all interested in the Mormon angle. In a National Journal Insiders Poll earlier this year, Romney was ranked fifth among 10 contenders on the ballot. He clearly has the smarts, communication skills and presence to be president.

Another benefit is the number of Mormons in the country, especially in the West, who could provide Romney a small but committed and hard-working base.

I'm guessing the Main Street wing of the Republican Party likes Romney and his solid business background just fine. A majority of social conservatives would find him generally acceptable. He would have a hard time with the evangelical Christians who consider Mormonism a non-Christian cult. But Romney would be in good company because those folks also don't like John McCain, George Pataki, or Rudy Giuliani.