Why I think that it's a mistake for Latter-day Saints to support Mitt Romney

While I don't have a problem with people who support Governor Romney based on his record as a businessman, I have a huge problem with his record as a governor. It's atrocious, and what's more, it's nothing like what he's trying to cast himself as now: a fiscal and social conservative. If Governor Romney wins another office and actually develops the record of a fiscal conservative, then I may support him in a future election (if I can convince myself that he has actually had a true change of heart where his political ideologies are concerned).

And, while I don't think that government has any business trying to regulate social norms, and therefore find social conservatives who try to dictate morals through legislation to be antithetical to liberty (and the development and wise use of free agency by individual citizens), I also have a huge problem with how Governor Romney is trying to portray himself as a social conservative, when his prior history and statements are clearly and unequivocally NOT those of a social conservative. Again, since I lean Libertarian, I wouldn't have a problem with him being a social moderate, I just have a problem with him not being honest with the public about his views. It's especially disturbing since his stated views always adapt to whatever will garner him the most support with his current electorate (people can grow in their views, but it's suspicious when their growth matches whatever is the most popular for the group they're in). I think that any Latter-day Saint who is so obviously willing to be "carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14), will reflect poorly on the faith as a whole. If Governor Romney actually becomes President of the United States, then he'll be one of the most visible people in the entire world, and the most visible and widely recognized Mormon. Do we really want to be represented by someone who is unwilling to hold to and stand up for his own values every time he runs for office? He's either ashamed of who he is politically, or willing to change to whatever will garner the most support (regardless of how it contradicts his prior stances).

If I had to guess, then I would say that much as President George W. Bush was shaped by his father's re-election defeat and decided on a no-holds-barred approach to his own political future, Governor Romney decided early on that he would redeem his own father's political legacy, and that the ends would justify the means. This is par for the course for politicians, but in this case, the politician has portrayed himself as a shining light of the LDS faith. However, Latter-day Saints strive for integrity. Following is the Wikipedia definition for integrity (emphasis added).

Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy, in that it regards internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs.

The word "integrity" stems from the Latin adjective integer (whole, complete). In this context, integrity is the inner sense of "wholeness" deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others "have integrity" to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.

As far as I know, Governor Romney has demonstrated exemplary integrity as a businessman, spouse, father, and Church leader. The integrity of his personal life is not in question. The integrity of his political ideology is horribly questionable. In the rest of his life, it would be ridiculous to even bring up the word "hypocrisy", but where his politics are concerned it is distressingly apt. Explaining his prior record — especially where healthcare and the expansion of government is concerned — requires painful, disturbing contortions.

People can genuinely grow and mature in their political ideologies. My own political ideologies evolved during college, and enormously in the past four years. (I once ridiculed someone for suggesting that government could subsist on a flat income tax / tithe of 10%. Now, I would argue that government doesn't even deserve 10%.) However, I am happy to acknowledge my prior political views and then explain how they've grown and evolved since then. Governor Romney is unwilling to own his past views. Rather than explaining them, he engages in the aforementioned wild contortions to claim that we just didn't understand what he was saying or doing then. Governor Romney seems to be ashamed of his own political fruits.

There's a chance that having Governor Romney as President will be a boon for the Church. Based on Governor Romney's record, I would put this chance at 30% or less. There is the far greater likelihood of at least 70% that his political contortions will tarnish the image of the Church and its members in the hearts and minds of those who do not already know us well. They will assume that we are power hungry, willing to do and say whatever it takes to achieve office — that we are lacking in integrity when it comes to public matters. While that may be true of Governor Romney, that's not the values of the Church nor the vast majority of its members.

Again, if people support Governor Romney because of his business record, then I say go for it. I doubt that anyone supports him because of his politics, because they change so much that no one has any idea what his political values really are. If, however, people are supporting him because he is a member of the Church, then I think that it's a big mistake because Governor Romney will most likely be a huge setback for people's understanding of the Church and what it really represents — a faith of deep integrity, whose members are willing to stand up for their values, their Savior, and their God, at all times and in all places, and through this come to know and draw closer to Them.