Probably lots of other people are saying this, but I’ll add my voice to the choir: I feel sorry for progressive Mormons right now. As a Catholic, I can sympathize. Progressive Mormons must be cringing every time Mitt Romney comes on TV, sort of like I was while Rick Santorum was all over the news acting like he was the quintessence of Catholicism. My solidarity to the good folks at The Mormon Worker and like groups: http://themormonworker.wordpress.com/ (cool, right?).

Left-leaning Catholics are acutely aware that there can be a difference between being an ordinary practicing believer in the pews and believing every statement that comes out of the Vatican or the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. We also know that there is a difference between both of those things, on the one hand, and the right-wing politicians and pundits who claim the banner of our faith, on the other. The situation for progressive/left Mormons is similar.

Further, Catholics, like Mormons, have suffered religious persecution during our history in the United States. (Quick caveat: No, I do not think Catholics are currently a persecuted group in the United States, contra the belief of some right-wing Catholics.) And having a presidential candidate of our faith in the headlines, while many Americans speculated unreasonably about whether the leaders of our faith were trying to control the government from afar? Been there, done that (the Kennedy campaign, of course).

So, solidarity, left-wing Mormons: Although I don’t support the Democrats or the Republicans and will most likely stubbornly vote third party as usual, I hope Mitt Romney loses, so that you can stop having to answer stupid questions all the time and we can all get back to protesting our corporate overlords in relative peace.