Romney is an albatross as a political candidate. I am not entirely sure which way it will go yet. I do know that an albatross was once a sign of good fortune until some idiot killed it, but normally it is taken as a bad omen. If Romney is elected, Mormons may rue the day.
The last member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to mount any kind of successful presidential campaign was also the first person so called in this millenium. Joseph Smith, Jr., Lt. General of the Nauvoo legion, mayor of Nauvoo, IL, founder and first Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ LDS mounted a fascinating campaign. I have read his platform, and while some of it sounds spectacularly silly in modern times, it was fascinating in its day. Romney's platform doesn't sound much like Smith's. Despite Romney's claim to fame as a blood member of a leading church family, he apparently forgets that God sometimes chooses farm boys and shepherds and fishermen rather than members of prominent families to do His work. Smith was also the prophet of the church at that time. Romney would do well to remember that he is not THE prophet. Smith was also assassinated by a mob during the general election. Romney would do well to remember that also.
Romney needs to realize that all of the world will be watching him. Whether justified or not, they will unjustly ascribe everything bad that happens during his presidency to him and by proxy to every other member of his Faith. Church members will be blamed for what he does, and it may curtail many of their achievements and advancements in society in addition to the existing unfairness with which they are currently regarded.
Although I cannot be entirely sure, I believe that during the General Conference last weekend the leadership of the Faith spoke to him. Whether he realized it or not, I have no idea. They spoke of unrighteous dominion, or the tendency of almost all men as soon as they acquire the least scintilla of power to immediately begin to coerce, compel, and coopt men, forcing them to act according to the mastermind. Elder Larry Wilson said, "Any time we try to compel someone to righteousness who can or should be exercising his or her own moral agency, we are acting unrighteously...We cannot simply force others to do the right thing. The scriptures teach us that this is not God's way." I would warn Mr. Romney against attempts to apply the Adversary's methods as a means to enact the Father's plan. If doing were the same as being, then Lucifer's plan would not have been rejected; we would have all been compelled to be righteous, and that would have been enough. We must lead in righteousness, and I am not convinced that Romney has internalized that message. I am not convinced that Romney believes he is capable of making any mistakes or has any need of the Atonement. If men can make other men or even themselves perfect or if they can usher in a utopia among men without changing their nature, what need have we of the Savior?
In truth, my biggest complaint against Romney is that I cannot tell the difference between him and Obama. This goes far beyond Romneycare v. Obamacare. He may think such policies are for the good of the one being controlled, but if that's the case, then why is he better than Obama who believes his policies to be likewise? As Daniel Webster might say, although both men mean in their own minds to rule well, both of them mean to rule. Compulsion builds resentment, conveys distrust, and forces people to lose learning opportunities. We are taught in the Faith that we must act only by persuasion, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned. From what I can tell, Romney does not believe in the market system; he does not believe in liberty; he believes in masterminds who tell you what to do and force you to do as you are told. He believes he knows better, but he is a MORTAL MAN. His economic activities notwithstanding, he is also flawed and needs the Atonement just as much as you or I.
I know that I am about to make many Mormons my enemies. I know that many people won't like what I say. I invite you to clarify this for yourself. Look at the man. Look at the plan. Look at his dogma, his creed, and the doctrines of the Faith he ostensibly follows. I fear Romney will contribute to exacerbation of the self-licking ice cream cone syndrome, where men surround themselves with people who parrot their politics rather than people positioned and poised to do the best job possible with the means at hand. Romney seems to me to be a trojan horse rather than a panacea. If he were as strong as everyone likes us to think he is, then how come he has just barely over 50% of the delegates he needs?
My other concern about Romney is how he campaigns. Elections seem to me like a job application. I don't know anyone who got a job by going into the interview and telling the board why they shouldn't hire the other guy. They always sell themselves. Romney attacks not the ideas of his opponents but their character; ideas are where Obama is weak, but Romney is weak on them as well. They will not talk about their records; they will probably sling mud, and the problem with that is that the first person to sling mud is the first person who gets dirty. Do we want success and freedom and happiness or do we want to centrally plan? Even in the Faith Romney ostensibly practices, the men who hold positions of authority bow to the will of God, not to the will of any man, who is fallen. I am not aware of any ceremony under the auspices of which Romney has been made immortal and been exalted to the status of deity. Then again, maybe I'm just not invited to those kind of ceremonies. Romney should consider the folley of trying to make earth, which is fallen, the utopia that heaven alone can sustain.
It is, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, in Christ that we trust. We do not worship Romney. He cannot save us. He cannot even save himself. Just because he sits among us and calls himself a Christian does not make it true any more than it makes me a car to spend lots of time in my garage. I have said for years that membership in the Kingdom of Christ depends more on who has your heart than who has your records. If Romney will realize his true position, I think he'll do better, as we will also if we remember it too.
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