Let us assume for a moment that Mike Huckabee gets nominated by the Republican Party for the presidency. I know it is a bold assumption.. Let us examine his chances winning the general election without votes from members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (pejoratively called "Mormons"). Given current American voting trends and demographics, he would have no chance. If the Huckster is nominated, the swing states of
Mormons are tolerant folks, but they don't tolerate anti-Mormon hostility, especially the bigotry that has been demonstrated by Huckabee's supporters and, by extension Huckabee through his failure to call them on it. These are the same people who shot, raped, killed and mobbed my ancestors out of Missouri and convinced that governor to sign an extermination order against Mormons. So, when all of these good, family-first, clean-living folks decide that they are not going to tolerate an anti-Mormon bigot in the White House, will Mormons in those states vote for a third party or just stay home?
Both options are being openly discussed in Mormon circles.
Libertarian? Independent? If it is a third party, Mormons trend Libertarian; (Ron Paul winning in Idaho? Possible.) How could you vote for someone who is completely intolerant of your faith? Mormons have marched along supporting the candidates of the evangelical right for decades and no group voted more reliably for Bush than Mormons. Not evangelicals where 20-30% voted for Clinton ('2, '96), and this Mormon and many others (elected officials, PCOs, large fundraisers, etc.) he happens to be talking to are ready to leave the party if Huckabee is nominated or if his anti-Mormon campaign continues to be tolerated or even supported by the GOP. How can the party tolerate this intolerable assault? Think of What does the electoral college map look like without Idaho, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah? It looks like the reverse of when Reagan won in a landslide. Before anyone discounts the idea of blue Mormons, consider that Harry Reid, the Democratic leader in the Senate is a (pro-life) Mormon, who, despite being a Democrat, has enjoyed splitting the typically Republican Mormon vote in Nevada, helping the democrats keep control over that legislature and other local seats. More telling is that How many conservatives stayed home and did not vote or switched and voted for moderate democratic senators in 2006 because of the party's scandals? Montana comes to mind...(with its 5% Mormon population)...Mormons would do the same in 2008. What if Huckabee's supporters were attacking Jews? In regards to intolerance and bigotry, what would have the pundits in the media had done if, in 2000, Dick Cheney came out with an ad declaring "Christian Leader" to what the Huckster has declared while running against Joe Lieberman, a Jew? "Outrage"? "Fury"? "Wrath of God"-type demands for a retraction? Mormons and Jews are approximately equal in number in this country, and how many Jews vote for the GOP? They are chased away by bigotry, Mormons are soon to follow. Having lived in If the Republican Party embraces or excuses a chief anti-Mormon bigot like Huckabee, I, and countless other Mormons, will not remain silent. I will actively leave the party, stop donating to it, encourage others to do the same and campaign against Huckabee and what will remain of his no-tent party in the West. If that means electing a Democrat, then I will do it. I would rather have a tax and spend socialist than a deceitful bigot in the White House. If anyone has any questions about how strongly many of us feel about this, let me say that I am as likely to support Mike Huckabee as Jesse Jackson would support David Duke. Is that clear enough? Would Mormons vote for the reincarnation of Governor Boggs of Missouri? No. They, will also not vote for his progeny, Governor Huckabee with his supporting band of bigots. For that matter, why would any Catholic remain in this tent, after all, the 'true Christians' think that they are an idol-worshiping cult, and the Huckster's supporters pulled the same type of anti-Catholic bigotry during the Iowa straw poll against Sam. http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/08/10/gop_iowa/ I realize that bigoted, prejudiced people in Illinois and Missouri think that they can just exterminate the Mormons again (as their governors openly permitted by an extermination order (Missouri) or passively permitted through forced expulsion from their homes, farms and churches) but Mormons will not go lightly again. My great great grandmother walked from Far West, Missouri to the Great Salt Lake desert fleeing murderers, rapists, mobsters and political persecution in the United States in an exodus for Religious Freedom in the desert, as my previous ancestors did as they came across the Atlantic on the Mayflower and then were shunned to Rhode Island because of religious persecution, but we will flee our land no more. We will freely take our votes to a party or candidate who will represent us and who will not try to eliminate us and our form of worship and religion. We will vote for someone who will not be a preacher-in-chief, and a party whose foot soldiers do not use bigotry as its tool of oppression. To the vast majority of evangelical Christians and people of all faiths who believe that family values and experience, not deep theology and religious tests, should be the stuff we measure our politicians by, I embrace your comradery as a fellow American. Let us work together to make America the haven of religious liberty that the Founders intended it to be.
Unitarians? Episcopalians? Members of the International House of Prayer for All People? Foursquares? Methodists? Which flavor of Christianity will you expel next election? I know that they are almost as anti-Jewish as anti-Mormon, but, could you imagine anyone in the media asking the question: "Would you vote for a Jew?" Of course not. The question is bigoted beyond belief. Why do you ask the same type of bigoted question for Mormons? Who will you bigots attack next? Who? Does militant Islam care which flavor I am? You? No, it does not. None of your various sects or cults form a majority in this country (or in the party) and each of you teach different principles, ignoring others, and none of you have a lineage back to Jesus Christ or Peter except the Catholics, who, according to the same bigots aren't Christians. Do you want your president demonstrating strong family values, providing fertile soil for good, clean minds to grow and direct America with a moral compass (instead of the Clinton filth that came forth from the Earth in the 90's?) --or would you prefer to continue your prejudiced ways until the GOP is the party for the largest denomination of Bigots in the country because you have expelled everyone else from your flavor or interpretation du jour of Christianity?
Mormons are independent people and are not told how to vote, but we ain't stupid, either. If someone hates me, I am not going to vote for him, in fact, I will actively work and donate against him. I have raised nearly $100,000 this year alone for candidates, and that money will shift. My mother has raised an equal amount...attack me and my core values, and I will start taking this personally and will really open up the checkbook.
--U.S. Constitution, Article VI §3
Nothing like a little sunlight to make the bigotted cockroaches and prejudice vile go crawl back under their rocks.
A special thank you to Amy Holmes on CNN Headline News for standing up against bigotry, hatred and oppression. Pat Buchanan--thank you, as well (PBS). Sean Hannity, great job. There are many others, and as we see the good deeds, we will thank you, as well. Robert Mak, fair, as always.
Stop the vile bigotry.