Can Mormons cheer for Mitt Romney without voting for him?

This year has brought some lively discussions around the dinner table. A lot of them revolve around, “Hey, Mom, is that Mormon guy still winning?”

Of course, they’re talking about Mitt Romney, and our answer is usually, "Well, sort of.” Which always leads to a discussion about politics in general. We are a politically divided family. My 9-year-old is firmly aligned with the Democrats. (“The Republicans remind me of old Mr. Potter from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’” he announced the other day.) My 8-year-old is a Republican. The 6-year-old is undecided and the 2-year-old isn’t potty trained, so he isn’t allowed to vote in the Lewis family election.

My husband and I are… Well, I’m not telling, but I will say this: I’m not a Romney supporter. I am a Romney fan, in the way we Mormons like to see those of our faith win. We are Team Mormon. Go Jimmer Fredette! Go David Archuleta! Go Dawn Meehan on “Survivor!” Go Mitt Romney!

Of course, you see the problem here. I can cheer for Jimmer and Archuleta and Meehan because they are good at what they do, but I don’t have to align with them on beliefs about how to run the county.

Do I think Romney’s a moral guy? Sure! Do I think he’ll be honest as a president? Sure! Would it be fun to have a Mormon in the White House? You bet! I want to text in for Mitt Romney like a fan on a reality show because of the excitement and drama. Unfortunately there’s more at stake than a singing career. When I take a look at Romney’s platform, there are fundamental things I disagree with.

“If Mitt Romney is president, will he make everyone go to church?” my boys want to know. “Will Book of Mormon reading be required in school? “

“No,” I tell them. And I don’t believe those naysayers who think that a Mormon president will hurt the image of the LDS Church, especially if he turned out to be an unpopular president. But neither do I think that having a Mormon president will bring flocks of converts. We are not a fad religion. There is so much required of our members, and so much of our lives must be committed to the faith, that I don’t foresee a swelling of our numbers.

A Mormon in the White House would bring, like every piece of media that has the church’s name attached to it (whether the news is positive or negative), an increased awareness of what we stand for. This is a great thing. So why am I still hesitant?