Mormons feel satisfaction that Mitt Romney’s campaign caused no backlash for them, and his religion isn’t what kept him from the presidency.
“His faith was not a factor in the election at all. Maybe that means that people are beginning to realize that Mormons are more mainstream than they thought,” A BYU student told The New York Times.
There were doubts evangelical Christians, many of whom are taught that Mormonism is a cult, would ever vote for a Mormon candidate, The Times reported.
Such questions seemed to have been answered Tuesday.
Evangelical voters — many of whom had turned their backs on Romney during the Republican primary — supported him in the general election at the same 4-1 ratio as did Mormons, according to exit polls analyzed by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
There were those who said the outcome of the election was a win-win for the Latter-day Saints: It exposed Americans to a positive view of Mormonism without running the risk that a Mormon president might not be successful.
Romney was the first Mormon nominated by a major party for president, and from the beginning of his campaign, it was clear that he considered his faith to be a touchy issue.
Not only was there no apparent backlash, but the glimpses into Romney’s religious life may have helped to soften his image as a cool and aloof businessman.
