Mitt Gets the Kissoff

Mormons in this country share many things that go even beyond the obvious matters of a common thrology. The church is made up of overwhelmingly white folks, many of whom could trace their families back to 19th century European convert immigrants. The members are predominantly family people and typically find themselves on the same side of many public questions.
And it gets even weirder to folks outside the church. Sunday meetings are always presided over by volunteers, with the men all in white shirts and ties. Things like Sunday School lessons always seem to emphasize proper thoughts and actions for TODAY, while actual scriptural knowledge often gets consigned to the back seat.
The desire to be one of the "fold" stretches to include things that haven't actually been mentioned by church leaders but seem to spill over into what others call Mormon "culture". Holiday observations, courting practices, demographic norms, musical tastes, shoe styles and many other things get included, many merely by "custom".
I bring this up in order to confess: Mitt Romney and I share some things that wouldn't show up on a political poll. My preference is, naturally, that he show himself a person of principles, foresight, wisdom and inspiration. I waited through the '08 campaign for him to say things that spoke to ME, his fellow Latter-Day Saint, but never got much. Sometimes Mitt, I must say, seems no deeper than a deep dish pizza, albeit one topped with precious metals and cash.
This week I fear he passed the point of no return. As recently as June, Mitt was committed to the union-busting strategy employed by certain new GOP governors, particularly in voter-rich Ohio. There's been a public uproar over public unions' rights to organize and conduct collective bargaining. The Governor, Mr. Kasich, rammed through legislation greatly restricting public
union stature, but then opponents have put on the state's ballot a measure to rescind the anti-union policies. The measure seems to have the edge in current Ohio polls.
Mitt came to the Buckeye State earlier this week and spent time at a party-run phone center drumming up opposition to the ballot measure, but then, when asked about it on camera, said he had no real dog in this local issue fight, backing off his earlier (earlier THIS year) stance to one of feigned neutrality. THEN, when others cited his stance of just the past summer, he tried to rescue the fiasco by claiming to be "110%" with the guv, the position he originally held but tried to sneak away from.
You just can't do this kind of thing by accident, and so even though I could give you any number of Mitt opinions on theology, the raising of sons and dozens of other things, I have absolutely crossed him off my list of people worthy of a vote, EVEN if he seems more level-headed than the kooks who surround him as GOP presidential wannabes. If you think you can get away with this type of poll-driven cynical flip flop as a candidate, think of the blank canvas you then bring to the Oval Office. I'll see you at church, Brother Romney, but politically, I've kissed you off.