Mormon Mitt might still make it

According to a BYU political science professor, running for president as a Mormon is not the huge hurdle people might think.

"If a Mormon can be elected as governor of Massachusetts and a Mormon can be Senate majority leader, certainly a Mormon can be president," professor Quin Monson told Diana Marrero of Gannett News Service.

At issue was whether Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has a prayer in the 2008 presidential election.

Monson: Romney's religion would matter "to only a minority of voters."

Note to Romney: You might not want to hire this guy as your Karl Rove.

Wouldn't matter? What about polls that say a third or more of Americans wouldn't vote for a Mormon for president?

What about the little detail that the state we're living in, as well as the school Monson works for, can trace their very beginnings to the fact that religion, for good or bad, matters in America? A lot.

"I'm not saying faith doesn't matter, I'm just saying (Romney's) Mormon faith and the negatives associated with it won't be a factor to a majority of voters," Monson said.

"The polls that have (the negative Mormon factor) high only ask, 'Would you vote for a Mormon?' and don't add the context of whether that candidate might be otherwise qualified."

But presidential election ballots don't go into much context, either.

And national elections are much less personal than a run for governor.

I'm not saying Romney couldn't win.

He's as charismatic as a movie star.

He's quick-witted. (There's a video on the Internet of an interaction between Romney and a Boston reporter who says, "I represent the people," and Romney answers, "No, I represent the people; you represent the media.")

He has a terrific track record at turning things around as governor, as businessman, as Olympic boss.

He has a big ego and is not bashful about disparaging those he replaces — witness the arm he almost broke patting himself on the back for his role in our Olympics while roundly ripping the organizers who preceded him (a "killer instinct" that Monson says "could come in handy").

And he's from a political family.

But he's still Mitt Romney the Mormon.

He might even be President Mitt Romney the Mormon. But if he is it won't be because his religion didn't matter, only that it didn't matter negatively and he found a Karl Rove to get that message out.

Nobody should know that better than people around here.

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Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.