American liberals are the new face of anti-Mormonism, according to a new study by American National Election Studies (ANES). According to ANES, 35 percent of Americans in February said they weren’t inclined to vote for a Mormon, an upswing of nine percent from 2007. But while the press has suggested that anti-Mormon sentiment springs largely from the Evangelical Christian community, the study shows something different: while 36 percent of Evangelicals don’t like Mormonism, 41 percent of liberals don’t like it, up 20 percent from 2007. Moderates also swung up 10 percent in terms of dislike for Mormons.
According to the study, these statistics will be important come November – feelings about Mormonism are the best predictor of whether someone will vote for Mitt Romney. The study does suggest that anti-Mormon Republicans will stay home in November.
Liberal tolerance is a popular catchphrase among the press opinion-makers. Increasingly, it’s also a myth when it comes to Mormons.
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