BY J W HYDE
Nathan Burd has never met Mitt Romney, the Massachusetts governor who is also a Mormon. But Burd is already gunning for Romney to run for president. The 28-year-old legislative aid has launched a national grassroots movement in support of Romney?s 2008 presidential campaign ? a campaign that hasn?t even officially been announced.
But it?s not because Burd is from Massachusetts. Nor is it because he?s Mormon. Burd is actually an Evangelical Christian from Ohio. Why, then, is Burd stumping for Romney? Because he watches C-Span.
?I?m the kind of guy that?s watching politics around the clock,? said Burd. ?I?m always looking for someone I can identify with and kind of latch on to.?
Romney is his man. After watching a speech given by the governor, Burd decided to do some research. He liked what he saw enough to start an ?Ohioans for Mitt? group in 2005, and when he noticed a demand for a national organization, he converted his Web site to ?Americans for Mitt? last month.
?I was so impressed with what I saw, I wanted to get involved,? Burd said. ?I just couldn?t sit this one out.?
Instead, Burd has begun coordinating publicity and recruiting efforts with his three regional advisers in Utah, Tennessee and Massachusetts.
?We want to begin building a base of supporters,? said James Phillips, the regional adviser in Utah. ?We want to have an army.?
So far, that army is 24 members strong.
Whether Burd and his associates can muster the support needed for a successful Romney run remains to be seen. They feel confident that if they can familiarize people with Romney?s history, the governor will sell himself.
?He?s the most accomplished and electable candidate I?ve seen,? Burd said.
Romney?s accomplishments have been applauded. He received national attention for his turn-around of the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, saving a potentially disastrous Olympics from controversy and financial crisis. His fiscally conservative poli-cies have also worked in Massachusetts, where he has turned a $3 billion state deficit into a $700 million surplus without raising taxes.
Perhaps what?s most notable is the fact that, as a socially conservative Republican, he won the gubernatorial race in Massa-chusetts, one of the most liberal-voting states in the nation. And after three years in office he is still enjoying high approval ratings at the polls despite standing in opposition to his constituents on issues like abortion and gay marriage.
It?s not Romney?s capabilities, however, that are often in question. What many people are wondering is if a Mormon can actually win a presidential election.
It?s a question Romney gets almost as often as any other.
?It?s a shame it?s coming up so often,? Burd said.
But it would be a bigger surprise if it didn?t. John F. Kennedy?s Catholicism was a major issue in 1960, and his brother Ted Kennedy made Romney?s Mormonism an issue in 1994. A part of the issue is whether the political responsibilities of an elected representative could be manipulated by the mandates of a pope or prophet. To which, by the way, JFK and Romney both answered no.
But a more frequent version of the question has more to do with stereotypes and misunderstandings. The same concerns that have come up the last 150 years, like polygamy, continue to come up. When Orrin Hatch threw his hat in the ring for the 2000 election, polls showed that 18 percent of Americans wouldn?t vote for a Mormon under any circumstances. That represents a major bloc of voters, especially when elections have been decided by such narrow margins.
?It?s silly,? Burd said. ?The Republican party, for one, owes a lot to the Mormon vote. If the Mormons don?t vote in 2000, Bush loses. If they don?t vote in 2004, Bush loses. It would be a mistake to shun anyone because of their religious beliefs. I don?t base my decision on someone?s religion, but if they line up on the same side of the issues as I do. And I think the majority of Americans will do the same.?
Those interested can visit americansformitt.com for more information on Burd?s grassroots organization.
(For comments, e-mail J.W. Hyde at johnhyde@byu.net)