The aftermath of Mitt's departure

"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win, and in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."

Those were the words last week from Mitt as he announced his withdrawl before the ultra conservative group CPAC. Does anyone outside of CPAC really believe the Iraq war was about or is about terror? The one thing we know for certain about terror since our invasion of Iraq in '03 is that world wide terrorist acts have increased seven fold. We know too that we have killed and caused the deaths of more Iraqi's than Saddam did in his reign of terror.

I am not surprised with Mitt's statement. It is just like so many others from this man who has claimed to have such executive experience. How could he expect to be the president of the US when his thinking or at least his statements are so flawed? Where are the advisors any good CEO must have to give him sound advice? Who has advised him on foreign policy issues? Dick Cheney? For all of Mitt's executive experience to me he is very flawed. Politically positioning and pandering to the right may be the only explanation for this statement and his odd behavior.

To my Mormon friends and family who cannot stomach Gov. Huckabee or Senator McCain pick up Sen Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope". You will be inspired.

Mormons DISmayed By Harsh Spotlight

Nephew H brought me his copy of the Wall Street Journal today and wanted me to read a front page article entitled: "Mormons Dismayed By Harsh Spotlight" A few excerpts are in order.

"Mitt Romney's campaign for the presidency brought more attention to the Mormon Church than it has had in years. What the church discovered was not heartening.

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in late January revealed that 50% of Americans said they would have reservations or be "very uncomfortable" about a Mormon as president. That same poll found that 81% would be "enthusiastic" or "comfortable" with an African-American and 76% with a woman.

"I don't think that any of us had any idea how much anti-Mormon stuff was out there," said Armand Mauss, a Mormon sociologist who has written extensively about church culture, in an interview last week. "The Romney campaign has given the church a wake-up call. There is the equivalent of anti-Semitism still out there."

Nevertheless, Mr. Romney's campaign exposed a surprisingly virulent strain of anti-Mormonism that had been largely hidden to the general public. In December, political pundit and actor Lawrence O'Donnell Jr. unleashed a tirade on the "McLaughlin Group" television talk show, tearing into the Mormon Church and Mr. Romney's faith. "Romney comes from a religion founded by a criminal who was anti-American, pro-slavery, and a rapist. And he comes from that lineage and says, 'I respect this religion fully.'...He's got to answer."

Soon, the Mormon Church began posting its videos on YouTube -- 22 so far. One clip, for example, showed Mr. Ballard, the church apostle, answering the question "Are Mormons Christian?" It has drawn 26,000 views. By contrast, a cartoon clip from "The God Makers," a 1980s film that mocks Mormon beliefs, has been viewed 945,000 times.

Although Mr. Romney's withdrawal from the race is likely to quiet the controversy for now, many church members believe the turmoil of the past year will have lasting effects.

"There will be a long-term consequence in the Mormon church," says Mr. Mauss, the Mormon sociologist. "I think there is going to be a wholesale reconsideration with how Mormons should deal with the latent and overt anti-Mormon propaganda. I don't think the Mormons are ever again going to sorrowfully turn away and close the door and just keep out of the fray."

As a few of the bloggers have observed and even KSL's Doug Wright maybe it is time for Mormons to reconsider their party affiliation, maybe find a place under the tent of the Democratic Party, taking their place alongside other persecuted minorities. Think of those agendas...The Gay and Lesbian, the Feminists, the Black and then we would have the Mormon agenda. Think of the impact this coalition would have on the likes of Gov. Huckabee and the evangelical right of the R party.

As a Mormon I could not vote for Mitt...

Aside from his altogether too conservative (current) posturing, I have two fundamental problems with Romney as a member of the faith I practice. First of all, he has taken a less than Christian attitude toward many of my friends who are Brown and undocumented. Doing so puts him at odds I believe with the basic tenets of compassion and charity of the LDS Church. I admit though there are more than a few in the pews who fit into the mold of 'let's send them all back to Mexico, etc', including members of our Utah State Legislature. Secondly, Romney has never disavowed the CIA use of torture including water boarding and other techniques. He follows too closely Cheney and Bush on that subject. Even our FBI has on numerous occasions testified information obtained from torture is of very low quality and refuse to partner with their CIA peers in trying to keep America safe.

Too bad Mitt does not appreciate what POW's went through in Hanoi during the Viet Nam War and know that torture does not yield good intel. John McCain, when tortured, divulged the names of members of the Green Bay Packers football team as his squadron mates. Lucky Larry Chesley, another downed pilot, POW, and member of the LDS Church, gave his captors the names of his Burley Idaho High School graduating class as members of his squadron. Information obtained from torture is junk.

It wasn't hard today at the polls for me today to touch the screen for Senator Barack Obama. It was only hard for my Mormon friends and neighbors to understand why I would not vote for Mitt.