Barack Obama's Secret Weapon (or, Why Mitt Romney is Guaranteed to Lose)

Mitt Romney cannot win.  He doesn't have a chance.  And the reason:  Barack Obama has a secret weapon.

So, what is this so-called "secret weapon"?  Answer:  Independent Baptists (which is the PC name for "Fundamentalists") and many others among the Protestant Christian Right.  What makes this particularly interesting is that this cohort pretty much despises President Obama.

It's time for a bit of empathy to fully understand what I'm saying.  Just picture yourself on "Judgment Day" coming before God and trying to explain why you helped legitimize Mormonism -- which you perceive as a cult -- by voting for a Mormon, perhaps for two terms.

I'm not saying that the Protestant Christian Right will be eager to pull the lever or punch the card (or touch the screen) for President Obama.  This would be almost fantastical.  But they will not vote for former Governor Romney.

My "bet" is that if it's a close race, the deciding factor will be the Protestant Christian Right, not "Independents."  The Protestant Christian Right will not help to legitimize Mormonism.  Whether this perspective -- on the part of the Protestant Christian Right -- is right or wrong is not the point.  The point is that the Protestant Christian Right would rather support a liberal mainline Protestant (Barack Obama) rather than a member of the LDS (Mitt Romney).  Do you want to "burn in hell" (or, at the very least, displease God) by supporting what you perceive as a cult group?  I doubt it.  You may not want to reelect President Obama, but you do not want to elect Mitt Romney.  Better to keep the liberal mainline Protestant.

FTR, at this time, I do not believe it will be a close race; I'm projecting that President Obama will win in 2012 by a greater margin than he did in 2008, perhaps by a landslide.  But there are just about seven months remaining before the general election and forthcoming events may help Romney.  Your guess is as good as (or better than) mine as to what these events may be, but seven months is a long time in the American political arena.

Also, I'll follow up this post with a take on the Catholic Christian Right (yes, there is a Catholic Christian Right and it's larger than any Protestant denomination, perhaps excluding the Southern Baptist Convention; and, depending on how the "Catholic Christian Right" is defined, it's larger in number than the SBC).  Certainly the Catholic Christian Right favors former Senator Rick Santorum, but if it's a match between President Obama and Governor Romney, my guess is that they'll go with Obama or simply not vote.  I'll peruse the writings among the Catholic Christian Right and report back, although I may wait until after the summer party conventions.  That's when I expect to see a lot more in print.  For now, as previously stated, the Catholic Christian Right is supporting Mr. Santorum.

Pax,

David