Comments about ‘Utah Demos hoping to hook LDS’

As a Mormon, the democrats would have to abandon abortion rights, gay marriage, legalizing marijuana, communist tax practices, supporting and funding crooked institutions like Acorn, and start defending the US constitution. In addition fine businesses that hire illegal aliens, shrink govt to reduce our tax model to an acceptable level of 10-15%! When the Democrats accept that kind of platform...then I am interested?

"And this year church leaders have encouraged church members living in California to vote against legalizing gay marriage in that state."

Close, but not quite right. Same-sex marriage is currently legal in CA. The church is encouraging its members to vote for banning it.

I was raised a democrat (deep family ties), but with their liberal stances on all kinds of issues, I still cannot bring myself to vote democratic. Entitlements, pro-abortion, gay marriage, tax the rich, class warfare etc. I shudder to think of a yobama, pelosi and reid trying to lead? this great country.

Since moving to Utah 18 years ago, it has continually surprised me that the majority of LDS folks here seem to be Republican. Outside of the state of Utah, Mormons are generally not considered to be "Christian" by the fundamentalists. The Democrats are certainly more interested in promoting religious freedoms than the Republicans. So while the Democrats have other issues on their party's platform, shouldn't the freedom to excercise the LDS religion be paramount?

Sorry, I wouldn't care to be too closely associated with the party that by design catches flak from the LDS church on moral issues. Demo. LDS would not have to talk around so many moral "wedge issues" if they were members of another party.

If the Democrats want to catch more LDS votes, they need to stop being the de facto anti-LDS party. They need to make sure that active LDS who uphold the moral values of the church are actually welcome in the party.

Abortion and gay marriage and unlimited access to booze need to be dropped as litmus tests to acceptance in the Democrat party. If they would do that and stop attacking guns, RKBA, and the right to self defense, I think the Democrats could do very well in Utah.

While we are very GOP, we are not really very conservative on fiscal matters. And not nearly as puritanical on social matters as those who never go father than Nevada or Cali would like to think. MANY Utahns would be very comfortable with much of the Democrat platform as evidenced by the fact that so much of it is implemented despite massive GOP majorities.

And we'd probably be better off if we had a more balanced power structure in the State.

But that isn't going to happen until LDS can attend Democrat functions without over hearing conversations attacking and mocking LDS values and members.

Advice: Stick to under 45 year olds. Anybody older than 45 is in the bag for the Republicans forever.

In 2006 Utah had less than 40% of the voters turn out to vote. The Democrats are focusing on the wrong group of people. Rather than trying to change the mind of the 40% who vote, they should concentrate on the 60% who don't.
Most of the non-voters don't vote in this state because they believe that the Republicans have it in the bag, so why go through the trouble?
Actually if even 80% of those who vote are voting for Republicans, then that's really only 32% of the population setting the agenda for everyone else.
If the focus was in motivating the non-voters, then the conservative strangle-hold on this state could be easily turned back.

Why would members of the church espouse a party that clearly believes in opposite values? I may some day change to the "Independent" party, but would never cross over to the liberal hate filled Democrats.

"With some work, and a public campaign, hopefully some LDS voters can see that Utah Democratic candidates represent their views, said Holland. 'Over 70 percent of our party's candidates belong to the LDS Church. We are part of their communities, part of their lives.'"

I was Republican before joining the Church and it was only after becoming a member that I learned that the Democratic Party better reflects my values as a member than the Republican Party which has been hijacked by far-right extremists.

There's little I share in common with the far-right as a member of the Church. I would no more feel welcome in the Democratic Party of California than I would in the Republican Party of Utah since both have been hijacked by nut jobs.

This is the problem with American politics. It's too hard to classify everyone's preferences on issues into two parties. For example, Jim Matheson is pro-life. However Barack Obama is one of the furthest left of all pro-choicers out there. It doesn't seem right to put them into the same party. Oh how I wish that there were many political parties. I'm a registered Republican, but I, in no way, feel that the Republican platform matches my ideals perfectly.

Yeah, that should work.

The Democrats have significant issues to overcome.

1. Republicans also believe in stewardship of the land. They just are not willing to take away a persons property rights to achieve it. If it is that important, pay for the land.
2. The Democrats position on abortion will have to change at the national level.
3. The LDS people consider the constitution to be a sacred document. Negating portions of the constitution and calling it a 'Living Constitution' will have to change.
4. The constitution allows the government to take money by force (called taxes) and use it for 'The Necessary Expenses of Government.' Using tax dollars for the redistribution of wealth (social welfare) is called steeling.
5. Homosexual Marriage is a whole other can of worms.

If the LDS people begin to agree with the Democrats, they won't be LDS anymore.

If the Democrats begin to agree with the LDS people, they will cease to be Democrats.

Other than that, I don't see many problems.

Good luck.

Which common values,abortion on demand, gay rights, expanded government, limiting individual rights. The litmus test for any nomination to the federal bench under an democratic administration will be how they view roe vs wade. Any one who believes abortion should be limited at all will not get nominated. If you don't believe this, look at Senator Obama's voting record in the Ill. state senate.

I've often wondered how an active member of the LDS church can support a political party whose two main tenants are gay rights and abortion on demand. We need to support the political party that most closley aligns itself to the teachings of the Lord as given through his prophets.

LDS voters should know that there is a significant national Pro-Life group within the Democratic Party called "Democrats for Life in America". For many LDS voters, the Pro-Life issue is the only one separating them from the national Democratic Party. When I first heard of this group, I felt like I was coming home. I could now still be pro-life and opposed to gay marriage and yet not support the other aspects of the Republican Party for which I disagree (the oil companies running our country, etc.) Check out this group!

Rights of the unborn keep me from seriously considering the Democratic Party. Note from the 2008 Democratic National Platform:

"The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a womans right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right." (p.50)

For some reason, Democrats believe that preventing a mother from being inconvenienced by a pregnancy trumps the right of that child to live. Neither politicians, nor doctors, nor scientists are able to tell us exactly when life begins in the womb, but it's clearly at some point between conception and birth (witness extremely premature babies who live). Anyone who's felt an in utero child move and respond to music, voices and sound recognizes life. Since no one knows exactly when it begins, we're on scary ground when we assume we have the right to terminate a pregnancy which may be a life. Having to carry a baby for nine months seems a low price to pay for preserving a life. For those unable to provide a home after that, millions of childless prospective adoptive parents wait anxiously for the chance.

Wait, how is pro-abortion family friendly?

I know that there are readers who seem annoyed at those of us who quote scripture in these comments but I'm one of those LDS Democrats whose beliefs are scripturally based. To my fellow LDS members, here's why I feel the Democratic values are more consistant with my LDS beliefs and why I hope other LDS members reconsider their own voting record:

Dems are more inclined to look after the poor and needy. "When you have done it unto one of the least of these...you have done it unto me." "Are we not all beggars...?" See also, Jacob 2:16-17 and Mormon 8:37-39.

Republicans are more inclined to protect their abundance at the expense of the working class. See Luke 12: 15-21.

Republicans demonstrate a larger interest in separating into social classes. "If ye are not one, ye are not mine." This very issue is what destroyed the peace of the people over and over again throughout Book of Mormon history. See 4th Nephi 24-26.

As LDS members I would think that we would be aware of these things, be more humble and consider prayerfully and seriously the consequences of our choices.

I'm LDS and voting Democratic.

I'm not opposed to voting for a Democrat because there are a lot of Democrats who hold the same values as I do. The only problem is that they belong to a party that has values that are polar opposite from mine, such as abortion, same sex marriage, wealth redistribution, high taxes, etc. etc. etc. I have done a lot of introspection, and have decided that I cannot vote for Democrats any longer. A Democrat majority would force all of those things to which I am opposed onto me and the country. The individual might have the same values as I do, but they are always beholden to their party first and to their constituents second. A vote for a Democrat is a vote for the Democrats' national platform, which is not good for America.
I should state out of fairness that the Republicans aren't much better, but their values are closer to mine than the Democrats. If there were a VIABLE third party out there, I would most certainly take a good look at them.

There are a lot of parallels between the Democratic Party and Mormonism

- Government social and education programs for the poor
- Higher taxes on upper income
- Sharing the wealth
- Opposition to vouchers
- State ownership of critical industries

Mormonism is basically puritanical socialism. If we could get over the social issues, Democrats would run Utah.

Let's think about this: Pro-Abortion, Pro-Gay Marriage, Pro-Taxation, Pro-Big Brother Government, No School Choice, Universal Health Care, Punish those who succeed by raising their taxes, Pro-Socialism. Gee Wiz, I can't think of one single reason why an LDS voter wouldn't want to VOTE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LINES under that kind of Godly Platform, can any of you?

Then again we are not TOLD WHO or what to vote for, it seems only obvious that other than the occasional democratic candidate we would vote Democrat. You see it has nothing to do with Church Members voting as a BLOCK in favor of one party, it has EVERYTHING to do with the ideals that a party represents. For instance in the 60's and earlier, Democrats seemed to get the majority of LDS vote. It's not the fact that your the "Democratic" Party rather than the things you stand for and endorse. The Party of the 60's never would have stood for those things, and if men like JFK or FDR were alive today they would be Republicans, or condemn the democratic party for what it stands for today, and that is tearing down the successful, and spreading the wealth.