dagblog - Comments for "Will This Election Be the Mormon Breakthrough?"

That's perfect. The Arrow

EmmaZahn — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:08:36 +0000

In reply to Yes. I am actually surprised

That's perfect. The Arrow Shirt guy. He fits the image even more than Reagan who also had that sort of vibe.

Yes. I am actually surprised

artappraiser — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:23:36 +0000

In reply to I always thought the whole

Yes. I am actually surprised when I don't see more commentary on his appearance, too. (Except for the broad shoulders thing.) He always struck me as mythic Americana handsome WASP out of an Arrow shirt ad by Leyendecker, the Arrow Collar Man. Jack Kennedy had a bit of that but not so perfect as the Mittster. And Reagan when younger, of course.

Here's Mitt in a 1920 Arrow ad by another artist:

I am one of those who didn't need the lessons, apparently. Hadn't much of an idea that so much of the "distrusted cult" associations remained until he started running for pres. I'm one of those who always thought of modern Mormons as American as apple pie and very Christian, as well as part of the whole pioneer story. Certainly more "American as apple pie" than Catholics. All pioneer groups always had a little something strange about them, otherwise they'd have stuck around civilization. Yes I knew about the history of persecution, but that was mainly the polygamy which they quit. What other religious group would change a main tenet to fit in with society? Really kinda don't get the current prejudice, where it comes from. They've got that whole wholesome family thing that social conservatives should love.

I always thought the whole

EmmaZahn — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:01:13 +0000

In reply to Will This Election Be the Mormon Breakthrough?

I always thought the whole point of Romney's career was to mainstream Mormonism in the same way JFK mainstreamed Catholicism. Everything about him, his appearance, his experience, his political positions are designed to appeal to Main Street America.

Of course, the Choir, the Osmonds and Ancestry.com help too.

Romney's Mormon Faith Likely

artappraiser — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:54:34 +0000

In reply to Will This Election Be the Mormon Breakthrough?

Romney's Mormon Faith Likely a Factor in Primaries, Not in a General Election
POLL, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, November 23, 2011

....a new national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, conducted Nov. 9-14 among 2,001 adults, including 1,576 registered voters....

Mormon Campaign Seeks to

artappraiser — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:19:38 +0000

In reply to Will This Election Be the Mormon Breakthrough?

Mormon Campaign Seeks to Improve Perceptions
By Laurie Goodstein, New York Times, Nov. 17/18, 2011

....Top Mormon leaders had hired two big-name advertising agencies in 2009, Ogilvy & Mather and Hall & Partners, to find out what Americans think of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Using focus groups and surveys, they found that Americans who had any opinion at all used adjectives that were downright negative: “secretive,” “cultish,” “sexist,” “controlling,” “pushy,” “anti-gay.”

On seeing these results, some of those watching the presentation booed while others laughed, according to people at the meetings. But then they were told that the church was ready with a response: a multimillion-dollar television, billboard and Internet advertising campaign that uses the tagline, “I’m a Mormon.” The campaign, which began last year but was recently extended to 21 media markets, features the personal stories of members who defy stereotyping....