February 15, 2007

Some social conservatives say they won’t vote for Mitt Romney for president because he’s a Mormon. This is blind prejudice. His father, also a Mormon, was governor of Michigan. He did not sell the state to the LDS church. Other Mormons have served in Congress, including majority leader Harry Reid.

Some claim Romney has flipped on abortion and gay rights. So have lots of democrats. Even Ted Kennedy was pro-life as far back as 1971. So were Dick Gephardt, Jesse Jackson and Al Gore. All of them flipped when it became politically expedient. When republicans change their minds on this issue, why are they considered hypocrites and democrats are simply using good judgment?

I’m not endorsing Romney. I’ve met and interviewed him on several occasions. He practices family values, like one wife, unlike some other Republicans who are running. So who would you rather have – a much-married, pro-gay rights, pro-abortion Republican, or one who agrees with you and who is a Mormon? If that’s the choice, it’s not a problem for me. This isn’t church. It’s about who can best lead the country. Maybe it’s Romney; maybe not. But he shouldn’t be opposed solely for his faith.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.