Prop 8: Romney's Revenge?

[Doctor Pedantic]

There was "Yes on 8" idiots rallying in my town today. I was talking to a few of them to express my disgust when someone mentioned something about how Mitt Romney should have been nominated. And then the light bulb over my head went on. Oh. my. God. Prop 8 is about Mitt Romney.

40% of the money donated to Prop 8 has come from the LDS church. They not only hand out yard signs at church -- they actually go to their members' houses and put signs on their lawns, whether their members want them or not. Their zeal for this has never made sense to me, especially since the Mormon church was persecuted and driven into the desert, and its leaders murdered, because of its nontraditional views of marriage.

It looks to me like the church is using Prop 8 to vindicate Romney's loss, and to deal with its disappointment that he's not the nominee. They got a political infrastructure in place during the primaries, and got their members very involved in the political process. Then, poof -- his campaign was over. If they couldn't impose their religious views by putting one of their own in the White House, what was their next best option? Prop 8. We have people in Utah trying to change the law in California, just like they were hoping to have Romney change laws throughout the country that confirmed to their religiious beliefs.

Think about it: if Romney were running, then a lot of, or maybe all of, the money being spent by Mormons on Prop 8 would instead be sent to his campaign. Without the support of the church, Prop 8 would not be nearly the threat it is now. Mormons would be phone banking for Romney, not for Prop 8. They would be rallying for Romney, not for Prop 8. That may be a little simplistic -- they certainly could be involved in both campaigns -- but at the very least, their energy, interest, passion, and money would be divided.

I am not anti-religion, or anti-Mormon, but I do think the whole Romney/Prop 8 business really is a religious power grab. They failed with Romney. I pray to God they will fail with Prop 8, too.