spacehabitats
01-08-2008, 04:04 PM
This is kind of a repost but I don't think Nevadans should miss this.
As a Mormon who lived in Nevada from 1992 through 2003 and as a survivor of the Iowa Caucuses, I would like to share my perspective about strategies that will help in this state with a large Mormon population. I was the Page County chairman here in Iowa and my wife and a couple other people from our church were the only people in three counties working actively for Dr. Paul. We were very successful in recruiting support from our church.
Latter Day Saints made up to 80% of the RP votes in our rural Iowa precincts because:
1) We revere the constitution as an inspired document.
2) We care about our nation and believe it is our duty to preserve it.
3) We take our responsibility to participate in civic matters as a sacred duty.
4) We are used to being labeled as crackpots.
5) We believe in self-reliance rather than entitlement.
6) We tend to be less prejudiced and more tolerant than most conservative religious groups.
7) We believe that every human being has the god-given right to choose between good and evil and (unless it infringes on another persons rights) should not be forced to choose good. (Doesn't that sound a little libertarian to you?)
By the way, although Mormons DO like to vote for Mormons ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, it is a mistake to stereotype us along with the know-nothing evangelicals that voted for Huckabee. And I would contend that the MSM is out to get Romney also. I know this is not a widely held theory among RP supporters but look who took 90% of the shots at the ABC forum? Romney! Who has the best stand on the issues besides Ron Paul (compare their Immigration policies, for example). Romney! The MSM could have been pushing Romney; he already had a good standing in Iowa and New Hampshire. But instead they brought Huckabee out of obscurity and made him the Romney-killer. Who are they pushing in New Hampshire, McCain. Believe me, the establishment does not want and will not tolerate Romney as president.
Not that I have any ambivalence about supporting RP. But I think it would be a mistake, and completely unnecessary, to attack Romney to recruit a Mormon. (For hard cases a big selling point is that Mitt did not veto the Gay marriage bill in Massachusetts. You do not need to contrast this with Ron Paul's stance. It is enough to show that he is not all that strong of a Mormon.)
Do this, ask them:
1) who has been a better and more consistent defender of the constitution?
2) whose stance on the issues is most in harmony with the founding fathers?
3) who has a better track record for defending individual (including religious) freedom?
You may not have to go past point #1. I'm telling you, there is no other group in America more comitted to defending the constitution than members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And once you have convinced them they will do more than caucus, they will also GOTV!
You guys in Nevada should have a slam dunk.
As a Mormon who lived in Nevada from 1992 through 2003 and as a survivor of the Iowa Caucuses, I would like to share my perspective about strategies that will help in this state with a large Mormon population. I was the Page County chairman here in Iowa and my wife and a couple other people from our church were the only people in three counties working actively for Dr. Paul. We were very successful in recruiting support from our church.
Latter Day Saints made up to 80% of the RP votes in our rural Iowa precincts because:
1) We revere the constitution as an inspired document.
2) We care about our nation and believe it is our duty to preserve it.
3) We take our responsibility to participate in civic matters as a sacred duty.
4) We are used to being labeled as crackpots.
5) We believe in self-reliance rather than entitlement.
6) We tend to be less prejudiced and more tolerant than most conservative religious groups.
7) We believe that every human being has the god-given right to choose between good and evil and (unless it infringes on another persons rights) should not be forced to choose good. (Doesn't that sound a little libertarian to you?)
By the way, although Mormons DO like to vote for Mormons ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, it is a mistake to stereotype us along with the know-nothing evangelicals that voted for Huckabee. And I would contend that the MSM is out to get Romney also. I know this is not a widely held theory among RP supporters but look who took 90% of the shots at the ABC forum? Romney! Who has the best stand on the issues besides Ron Paul (compare their Immigration policies, for example). Romney! The MSM could have been pushing Romney; he already had a good standing in Iowa and New Hampshire. But instead they brought Huckabee out of obscurity and made him the Romney-killer. Who are they pushing in New Hampshire, McCain. Believe me, the establishment does not want and will not tolerate Romney as president.
Not that I have any ambivalence about supporting RP. But I think it would be a mistake, and completely unnecessary, to attack Romney to recruit a Mormon. (For hard cases a big selling point is that Mitt did not veto the Gay marriage bill in Massachusetts. You do not need to contrast this with Ron Paul's stance. It is enough to show that he is not all that strong of a Mormon.)
Do this, ask them:
1) who has been a better and more consistent defender of the constitution?
2) whose stance on the issues is most in harmony with the founding fathers?
3) who has a better track record for defending individual (including religious) freedom?
You may not have to go past point #1. I'm telling you, there is no other group in America more comitted to defending the constitution than members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And once you have convinced them they will do more than caucus, they will also GOTV!
You guys in Nevada should have a slam dunk.