I think the recent FLDS coverage has increased the skeev factor for a lot of people, but I find it interesting that so many Evangelicals and fundamentalist Christians object to Mormonism on the basis of their exotic beliefs.  After all, if Christians were a similarly-sized minority in this country, how exotic would we find their beliefs to be?  I was raised a Catholic, and I think some of our beliefs would be just as strange under such circumstances as those held by Mitt Romney's co-religionists.  

It is in the nature of members of established churches and super-majority religions that their believers enjoy a presumption of rationality / normalcy.  It is a presumption that rests on numbers -- a belief that so many people must be right -- and ignores the fact that halfway round the world in countries where Hindus, Buddhists, or Muslims make up the vast majority of a country's population, our beliefs are indeed as exotic as those of a Mormon.  

Of course, McCain has to appeal to the FOX news viewers and others who are incapable of thinking of their beliefs in such a non-parochial context.  Better to leave Mitt out of the picture, lest he offend the glittering intelligence and broad tolerance of the GOP base.

Neil

Michelle-

I agree: there's no way McCain can pick Romney for his VP, unless the Republican nominee is ready to write off a huge chunk of the GOP base.

As it is, evangelicals and social conservatives don't trust John McC, don't see him as one of their own. And they have similar reservations about Romney.

So if McCain were to tap Romney as his VP, it would likely mean that the base wouldn't work for the ticket en masse, wouldn't contribute, wouldn't fire up their considerable alternative Christian media networks on his behalf--many of them might not even vote for him, might vote for Obama instead.

As it stands now, there are four clear chances that McCain has to win back the GOP base:

1. if he were to pick an evangelical VP, like Huckabee or Brownback.

2. if Obama were to pick HRC as his VP (which would light a fire under the collective ass of the millions upon millions of Hillary-haters within the Republican base).

3. if BHO were to make some horrendous gaffe, one, for instance, which betrays an apparent disgust (on Obama's part) for Christ or Christians or conventional conservative mores.

4. if BHO were to be effectively swift-boated, so that, for instance, it appears that he is indeed (at least in the minds of GOP voters) a secret Muslim.

As per my comment when Romney was raised again as a potential VP: You are right on, Michelle. Having followed the Republican primary very closely--the Evangelicals don't much care for McCain, but they despise Romney because he's a Mormon.

If it were just a matter of theology, perhaps they could come to some understanding. But the big issue is the competition for converts, particularly in third world countries, between the Mormons and the Evangelicals. Conversion (evangelizing) is a huge issue for both Mormons and Evangelicals. Evangelicals are extremely concerned that having a Mormon in the White House, even as VP, would give Mormons a global leg up on them. Given that self-described Evangelicals were 23% of all voters in the last election, McCain can not afford to lose these folks or dampen their enthusiasm any more than it already is.

sabatia-

You write: "If it were just a matter of theology, perhaps they [evangelicals and Romney] could come to some understanding."

I think you underestimate the power of theology in the world of conservative evangelicals, such as the Fundamentalists and Charismatic Christians who comprise a huge chunk of the GOP base.

For believers like these--biblical literalists, dispensationalists, faith healers, devotees of Tim LaHaye's Left Behind series--theology is not an abstraction; it is the very core of their faith; and it is beyond compromise.

Such evangelicals despise Romney, not simply because they worry about competing for converts, but because they despise his very beliefs, his theology. Indeed, they see such beliefs (Mitt's beliefs) as a ticket to everlasting damnation.

This, for them, is not a metaphor. This, for them, is truth, the only truth, the Word of God.

And there is no "understanding," as you put it, no compromise, no blurring of the lines, that such evangelicals would allow themselves.

One more thing, Michelle-

As I said on another thread, it appears that Obama is now launching a strategy to exploit the significant wedge between McCain and the evangelical/social conservative wing of the GOP base.

This (below) is from the NY Times website, as of about 8:00pm today (Monday, July 1):

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ZANESVILLE, Ohio — With an eye toward courting evangelical voters, Senator Barack Obama arrived here on Tuesday to present a plan to expand on President Bush's program of investing federal money in religious-based initiatives that are intended to fight poverty and perform community aid work. . . .

On the second day of a weeklong tour intended to highlight his values, Mr. Obama traveled to the battleground state of Ohio on Tuesday to present his proposal to get religious charities more involved in government programs. . . .

The plan was met with praise from officials who crafted the Bush administration's proposal, including John DiIulio, who in 2001 served as the director of Mr. Bush's office on faith based initiatives.

"Senator Barack Obama has offered a principled, prudent, and problem-solving vision for the future of community-serving partnerships involving religious nonprofit organizations," Mr. DiIulio said in a statement. "He has focused admirably on those groups that supply vital social services to people and communities in need. . . ."

Mr. Obama and his advisers are seeking support among relatively moderate evangelicals and are trying to take advantage of signs that some conservative Christians are rethinking their politics. . .

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That last line quoted from the Times is worth repeating: "Mr. Obama and his advisers are seeking support among relatively moderate evangelicals and are trying to take advantage of signs that some conservative Christians are rethinking their politics. . ."