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Ed: This has the same ring as the anti catholic, anti Kennedy STUFF in the 1960's. And toss in some of the East West stuff from recent CBF board discussions. Although Obama is from Chicago not somewhere in Texas, he is not from the "God forsaken mission area of New England" .

If anything, Romney's win of the presidential contest would more likely (in a fashion similar to what Jimmy Carter's election did for "evangelicals") shine the spotlight more brightly on LDS exclusive claims to truth, i.e., 1) their belief (taught by Joseph Smith as revelation from God and personally affirmed by all temple-worthy Mormons today, who must confess that Joseph Smith was God's true prophet and spoke the truth) that all Christian denominations are "an abomination" unto God, and 2) that true salvation can only be found through the LDS church.

Well, electing a fellow evangelical in GWB did not further anything (whatever that may be to whomever) or bring revival. I don't believe electing a non-evangelical will hinder revival. Revival is the sovereign of God. No politician of any party can do one single grain of sand's worth to bring it or suppress it.

Besides, Sandy, I believe you operate from a false premise. No evangelical I know among those with whom I associate thinks that putting the "right" politician in political office will do one thing to further a kingdom not of this world.

Sandy:

You said:"Electing Mitt Romney will be the quickest and most direct route to quench the long-held hope of evangelicals for revival in America."

I would really love to see you elaborate on this one statement. I'm not sure what you are trying to say.

I personally do not believe that electing a president has anything to do with revival in America. But I know a lot of evangelicals who think that's the case. And at any rate, if Romney, a Mormon, wins the election with the help of conservative Evangelicals, it subtracts from their credibility. The Mormons will lay claim to legitimacy among the "evangelical Christian" community. They are already doing it via his appearance on the graduation platform at Liberty. The Mormon church does not grow by winning converts to Christ, it grows by convincing people already involved in church that the one they're in is the wrong one. Baptists provide them with their largest share of proselytes.

BTW, George W. Bush was not an evangelical. He was an Episcopalian until he joined the United Methodist Church where his wife belonged. Neither of those groups self-define with conservative, evangelical Christianity in America. They comfortably consider themselves "Mainline Protestant."

The denomination is Mainline Protestant. But there are certainly evangelicals and evangelical churches within those denominations.

Ed Stetzer is highlighting an evangelical charismatic Bishop in The Episcopal Church this week on his blog.

Mark Tooley of the Institute for Religion & Democracy is most definitely an evangelical within the United Methodist Church. Over the years, most - pretty sure all - mainline denominations have had evangelical renewal movements.

The Methodist congregation that Bush attended in Crawford is evangelical. Just another rural country church not that different from many rural Texas Baptist churches in the area.

Bush spoke of having a conversion experience and being born-again, much like Jimmy Carter. I'd say that makes him an evangelical who embraced a "heresy" or two...

Ed: Aaron when you say "The denomination is Mainline Protestant" of what denomination are you speaking.

And when you say "But there are certainly evangelicals and evangelical churches within those denominations", may we assume you are including ABCUSA in "those denominations"? Indeed the Individual that the ABCNYS Board of Missions elected last week, as our new Regional Executive Minister, Introduced himself prior to the vote, as identifying theologically as an Evangelical Christian.