"I think that's kind of stretch," said Matthew Wilson, a professor specializing in religion and politics at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "I'm not saying that I think Romney will necessarily be picked, but if he's not, it won't be because of this event."

Wilson said most voters won't connect the actions of a "self-contained cult" with Romney's membership in the LDS Church. But, he added, "That being said, I still think Romney's Mormonism is a negative factor in terms of being chosen by McCain."

That's because polls have shown some Americans will not vote for a Mormon presidential candidate. Romney attempted to deal with those concerns last December by delivering a speech on religion, also in Texas.

Robert George, a Princeton law professor and director of that university's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, also said that most Americans will see the FLDS Church for what it is.

"I think that the vast majority of the American people, even if they're not very familiar with Mormonism, even if they're suspicious of Mormonism, fully recognize that the LDS Church is not to be confused with these wild, cult-like organizations," George said.

He, too, said the FLDS issue wouldn't be a factor in McCain's choice for vice president.

"I trust the McCain campaign to trust the American people to make that distinction. I don't know if Romney will be chosen as the nominee. I think he'd be a good choice, but if he's not chosen, it won't be because of that crazy offshoot," George said.

He said Romney should pay more attention to reassuring voters that his conservative positions on issues like abortion and gay marriage are sincere, even though he adopted them after he was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2002.

"What's a lingering problem for Romney is not his LDS faith," George said, rating Romney as one of McCain's most likely picks for vice president. "What's lingering is that his positions in Massachusetts were not those characteristic of Mormons."

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