Are We Picking on the Mormons, Again?
Just in time for Mitt Romney to be the Republikan
to replace Bush-Rove-Cheney [whoever's in charge?]
Don’t they have any double-wides in Utah?
There is a quirky new drama coming to American television next month. It is called Big Love, and HBO will air it in a plum weekly slot, just after The Sopranos. Like The Sopranos, Big Love is a tale of marital strife in a dysfunctional family, only in this case the central character is not a Mafioso but a regular guy from Utah who happens to have three wives - hence the wry title.
It is another tale of American subculture. As with the Mob in New Jersey, polygamy in rural Utah may be illegal, but is nevertheless a widely accepted part of the landscape. Big Love is being heavily promoted and boasts big-screen stars.
The truth is that the Mormon church has managed to live down the Osmonds, but it is still struggling to live down polygamy 116 years after banning the practice. Polygamy survives like a batty old aunt in the attic, sounding off at the most embarrassing moments.
A Mormon from Nevada, Harry Reid, is currently the most powerful Democrat in Congress and could take command of the Senate if the Democrats do well in congressional elections this November. Meanwhile, another Mormon, Mitt Romney, is likely to declare a run for the presidency.
No matter how Romney performs in 2008, his candidacy will do two things - it will turn him into a national figure, and it will pose the question: is America ready to put a Mormon in the White House?
We’ll all be watching the show I bet.
Posted: Mon - February 27, 2006 at 06:21 AM