This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Washington • If Republicans choose Mitt Romney as their presidential nominee come 2012, staging his coronation as the party's candidate in Salt Lake City could be a great opportunity or a dangerous venture for the Mormon politician — depending on whom you ask.
Romney's 2008 campaign faced a backlash from some Protestant evangelical voters who don't believe Mormons count as Christians.
If Romney overcomes some of that hesitancy this time around and wins the primary battle, some political pundits say convening Republicans only blocks from the LDS Church headquarters, and its iconic Salt Lake Temple, will remind voters everywhere of his Mormon faith.
But Daniel Schnur, a GOP strategist who was Sen. John McCain's communications director in 2000, says that's not a bad thing.
"If he is the nominee, it could end up being a great asset," says Schnur, now the head of the Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California. "His religious background is going to be part of the conversation regardless, but having a chance to frame that discussion on his own terms would be a huge advantage for him."
Schnur sees no reason to believe Romney's faith would overshadow his messaging on policy priorities any more than President Barack Obama's or Sen John Kerry's backgrounds dominated their conventions.
Romney, for his part, says he's neutral on whether Salt Lake City, Tampa or Phoenix should win out in their convention bids.
"I remember what an extraordinary host Salt Lake was for the 2002 Winter Games," Romney, who oversaw Utah's Olympic effort, told The Salt Lake Tribune recently. "But one thing I will stay a mile away from is any discussion of which city should be the host for the convention."