Romney kicks off White House bid

He's being interviewed on the Today show tomorrow if that makes any sense. Today show tomorrow.

CNN Article about his announcement.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/13/romney.announce/index.html

Last week here in Northern California two popular radio shows each ran a segment during their shows asking the public like if they would vote for a Mormon. The radio hosts tried very hard to be patient. I think after a while they got wore down by the nuttiness.

The first show I laughed at most of the callers. The second show I got wore down and called in as the last caller. A ton of nut jobs called the show with some crazy reasons why they wouldn't vote for a Mormon: "We can't go in their temples." "They don't believe in Grace, they think they can save themselves." "It says in their Book of Mormon that they can do anything they want to a gentile." "They follow a prophet so if a president was elected he would follow him and not the law."

It was funny to me. 99% of what people stated about Mormons were absolutely false. With the one exception of "We can't go in their temples". To which I say that isn't even necessarily so. It's easier to get in a LDS temple than to get in a lot of other buildings on this planet. Those guys out there in white shirts, ties, and name tags are inviting people everyday. If you really want to go in so badly (which I'm sure you do not, so I don't know why that bothers you so badly) get baptised and go.

The rest of the reasons were as I said very strange, and I have no idea why that would figure into why you would vote for a person or not. Not to mention they were most often wrong. Regardless, they are real issues for people out there even if I think they are bigoted.

One of the things Mitt is getting grief for is his stance on abortion. Which I don't think most people understand his stance. I know I don't. I think in Mass. he said he wouldn't do anything to change the current law. On a national platform I think he has stated he is Anti-Abortion. People call that a flip flop. I don't.

Latter Day Saints generally believe abortion acceptable is limited circumstances. Health of mother, rape, incest, etc. However, that being said I know many Mormons who are anti abortion, but believe in a woman's right to choose. It really is not a black and white issue for Latter Day Saints the way it is viewed nationally. That's why I don't call it a flip flop. Most Latter Day Saints believe in a individual adults right to choose anything he or she wants, however if it affects the overall population in a negative fashion (IE. pornography, gambling) they tend to be pretty hard line against it.

Me, the issue use to be very black and white when I was young. The older I get the more gray I see all over life. However, not too many of my views have changed. I just see things a little more softly if that makes any sense at all. I tend to think in terms of what is going to bring about the most Joy in life. Not nessesary what is easiest, or makes people happy right now, but in the long run what brings about the most joy. That is very hard to see at times in all issues. Very hard.