# Reid attacking Romney - you don't represent Mormons. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 25, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804 "2012-09-25T18:13:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/21 "2012-09-25T18:50:57Z")
> [@Kyomara](#): > > But that is the context I was looking for. The USA Today article implies that Reid’s statement was a bitter attack. Actually it was part of a larger discussion of the perception of the Mormon religion. I agree. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/22 "2012-09-25T18:54:18Z")
I was only commenting that the USA today gave proper cites. That’s rare in reporting anymore. I often see comments attributed to someone and there’s no indication where it originated from. Sloppy journalism. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/23 "2012-09-25T18:59:29Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Oh, him? He’s harmless. Part of the free speech movement at Berkeley in the Sixties. I think he did a little too much LDS. Just going through and checking to make sure every thread on the Dope has at least one Star Trek reference. Looks like we’re all set here. ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/24 "2012-09-25T19:00:15Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I was only commenting that the USA today gave proper cites. > > That’s rare in reporting anymore. I often see comments attributed to someone and there’s no indication where it originated from. Sloppy journalism. I don’t necessarily agree, but I see your point. But would you agree that Reid’s comments were removed from their context for the sake of creating conflict? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/25 "2012-09-25T19:14:37Z")
Reid was agreeing with another persons comments. I didn’t see the article as a direct attack. Or vicious. It was meant to show conflict between Reid and Romney. Just dirty politics. Something you’d expect in a local election. Not the highest office in the U.S. I find it incredible that anyone would see Mormonism as a group. There’s liberals and conservatives and people that won’t vote. They’re Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/26 "2012-09-25T19:15:31Z")
What’s dirty about it and why is this different from all the other times people have said things like this about other candidates? Referring back to the OP, I actually don’t agree that Romney has taken a lot of flack for being a Mormon. His political opponents and the press have been extremely hands off, I presume because they don’t want to be accused of prejudice. Romney himself hasn’t talked about it all that much either despite the fact that he is very devout and very involved with the church. Other than one or two comments by Rick Perry’s pastor, there has been almost no public discussion about Romney’s faith. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/27 "2012-09-25T19:22:40Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Reid was agreeing with another persons comments. > > I didn’t see the article as a direct attack. Or vicious. It was meant to show conflict between Reid and Romney. > > Just dirty politics. Something you’d expect in a local election. Not the highest office in the U.S. So what makes this specific quote especially dirty? I’m just not seeing it. He’s not saying Romney’s a bad Mormon or even questioning his Mormon credentials. As far as religion-in-politics stories go, this just seems to be remarkably un-controversial. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/28 "2012-09-25T19:29:42Z")
I guess it’s how you interpret the phrase “is not the face of Mormonism,”. I saw it as saying he isn’t a good Mormon. YMMV It’s such a strange quote. As Marley points out, Romney has not made a lot of comments about his faith. He’s never said the church will elect him to office. Mormons are typical Americans. There are Liberals and conservatives just like any other group. Romney is not representing his church. I’m not sure why this Prince guy and Reid even brought it up. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/29 "2012-09-25T19:31:24Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Wow, :eek: that’s got to be a new dirty low for any campaign. It’s way, way out of bounds to attack someone like this. You’ve got to be kidding. _This_ is what has made you outraged? Not “Obama isn’t American”? Not “Obama is a socialist,” nor “Bush was behind 9/11,” nor “Obama is a secret Muslim,” etc.? But rather “Romney is not the face of Mormonism”? Seriously? Give me break. Sorry, but this OP deserves little more than a :rolleyes:. ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/30 "2012-09-25T19:33:20Z")
Nevermind ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/31 "2012-09-25T19:37:11Z")
> [@Kyomara](#): > > Harry Reid is a partisan blowhard, not a presidential candidate. Willard Mitt Romney is a partisan blowhard _and_ a presidential candidate. So I guess that puts him one step up in the pecking order. No, I don’t judge the Mormon faith by Mitt Romney. However, I **am** inclined to judge the Mormon hierarchy by the fact that Mitt Romney, who really IS the public face of their faith at this point (being far more prominent and publicly visible nationally than any previous Mormon since Brigham Young), has based his entire campaign around blatantly bearing false witness against another, and is getting absolutely no public criticism from the Mormon hierarchy about that. A religious faith can either be about God and spiritual principles and stuff, or it can be a community of like-minded people who stick together, or it can be somewhere on the scale in between. It’s up to the practitioners of that faith to make that call, with the faith’s leaders having a somewhat greater role. AFAICT, the Mormons have decided to stick pretty close to the ‘community of like-minded people who stick together’ end of the spectrum. I don’t expect that makes them a whole lot different from a lot of other religious denominations, but the others don’t come knocking on my door to try to persuade me to join. This certainly undermines their sales pitch. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/32 "2012-09-25T19:37:32Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I saw it as saying he isn’t a good Mormon. I think in the context of the SL Tribune article, it’s clear enough that’s not what Reid was saying. > [@](#): > > Mormons are typical Americans. There are Liberals and conservatives just like any other group. That’s debatable, and from a political standpoint Mormons are overwhelmingly conservative. You might’ve noticed what red state Utah is. And from what I recall the Mormon church is very active in supporting conservative political causes. > [@](#): > > Romney is not representing his church. I’m not sure why this Prince guy and Reid even brought it up. Because he’s the first Mormon presidential nominee and thus probably the most famous living Mormon? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/33 "2012-09-25T19:38:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Romney is not representing his church. I saw this as you saying that Romney is a secret Satanist that eats Jew babies when he’s not raping Episcopalian\* grandmothers. YMMV. \*Nailed the spelling on the first try. It’s the little things in life that bring joy. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/34 "2012-09-25T19:42:13Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I guess it’s how you interpret the phrase “is not the face of Mormonism,”. I saw it as saying he isn’t a good Mormon. YMMV > > It’s such a strange quote. As Marley points out, Romney has not made a lot of comments about his faith. He’s never said the church will elect him to office. Mormons are typical Americans. There are Liberals and conservatives just like any other group. > > Romney is not representing his church. I’m not sure why this Prince guy and Reid even brought it up. Possibly because one or both of them honestly hold the perception that many non-Mormons are basing their impression of Mormonism on what they see of Mitt Romney. Or at least that there is a real potential for that to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/35 "2012-09-25T19:47:38Z")
If I was a Mormon, I’d thank Reid for that statement. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/36 "2012-09-25T19:56:48Z")
> [@Astral\_Rejection](#): > > Once again, the point needs to be made: what is the functional difference between Reid’s comments and, say, claiming the president is an atheist Muslim foreigner? Are you serious? Reid, a fellow Mormon, said that Romney isn’t the face of Mormonism. I take this to mean that Reid feels that Romney’s way of acting and thinking does not represent all Mormons. That is contrasted with those who falsely claim that Obama is not a practicing Christian, but is rather an atheist or a Muslim or a foreigner. These two things could not be further apart if you tried. ---
**Author:** ![mtomm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@mtomm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtomm)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/37 "2012-09-25T20:01:27Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > If I was a Mormon, I’d thank Reid for that statement. I am a Mormon and I thank Harry Reid for that statement. He is correct, Mitt does not represent all Mormons. You may find us at [mormonsforobama.org](http://mormonsforobama.org). TYVM. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/38 "2012-09-25T20:03:22Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Mormons are typical Americans. There are Liberals and conservatives just like any other group. So then you’re suggesting that Reid was _right_ in saying Romney is not the face of Mormonism? ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/39 "2012-09-25T20:17:28Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I saw this as you saying that Romney is a secret Satanist that eats Jew babies when he’s not raping Episcopalian\* grandmothers. YMMV. A new dirty low for the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804/40 "2012-09-25T20:24:43Z")
Well Reid is the obvious Liberal face of Mormonism. 😉 I guess that makes Romney the conservative face. Another reason why it’s a bad idea to drag any religion into politics. Do they really want to spark a fight within the church? It’s a really bad idea to go down this road. I’ve been in a church that split. Not over politics. One segment of the congregation just didn’t like the pastor. They eventually left and formed their own church. It was a hurtful and painful process. Close friends didn’t speak to each other for years. > [@Bosstone](#): > > So then you’re suggesting that Reid was _right_ in saying Romney is not the face of Mormonism? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reid-attacking-romney-you-dont-represent-mormons/635804.md?page=3)