Most voters said that Mitt Romney‘s Mormon faith didn’t matter to them. But did it prevent him from really connecting with voters?
CBN News spoke with Author Stephen Mansfield, who’s latest book is called The Mormonizing of America. He explains how Romney’s theology may have impacted his ability to appeal to voters.
“Mormonism stresses almost hyper-performance; almost being an over-achiever; almost being perfect,” Mansfield said. “Look at Mitt Romney. He’s straight from central casting. As far as we know, he’s never had a bad hair day. He’s got the perfect family. He’s got the degrees from the top schools.
“He is a man almost without flaw. He is a man who what flaws he does have are an extension of his striving for perfection and striving for excellence,” he continued. “Americans like the story of redemption. They like the guy who’s flawed; who’s had the failures and has ascended again.”
Mansfield, who has also written biographies of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said the past two presidents were flawed individuals with a redemption story.
“People prefer George W. Bush, believe it or not. They prefer the man who had a drinking problem, then found Jesus,” he said. “They prefer the young half-white/half-black kid who’s moving between worlds, as his sister said, then found faith and found purpose in life.”
“And I think people like that appeal more to the electorate,” Mansfield said.
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