LDS Democrats are taking their organization national this week at the Democratic convention. What kind of impact do you think the group will have on American politics?

Some anonymous comments:

They are on opposites rims of the Grand Canyon on issues like abortion, family values, gay marriage. Even Uncle Sam hasn't tried to bridge that national park canyon.

Minimal impact on NATIONAL elections and Utah's electoral votes. But can/will have a major impact on local and state elections. Yipee!!

LDS Democrats will have some impact on the 2012 elections, especially in Utah, but the greatest benefits will come in the future if they continue to grow and move forward.

With the Democrats support of gay marriage, how can any Latter-Day Saint affiliate themselves with that organization and still hold a temple recommend?

Moderate impact this year, much more long-termI think the group will have a significant impact on Utah politics, however, as word gets out that is is not only OK to be Mormon and Democratic, but that many people already are!

Hopefully the LDS will begin to rediscover their collective heritage.No discernible impact in the present, but LDS members will gradually diversify in political and cultural attitudes, and so the LDS vote, including in Utah, will gradually become less predictable.

At the very least, LDS Dems should indicate to many Mormons that it's OK to be both Mormon and Democrat.

Let's get serious here!

I think that the biggest impact they could have is not nationally, but locally. The Democratic party has an opportunity to make strides in Utah, but only if it can prove to Utahns that you can be a democrat in Utah without blindly accepting the national party's policies. The Utah democrats will be strengthened locally if they can show some significance on the national level, but I doubt an LDS democrat organization can have a significant impact on the national party. Not yet.

The problem the Mormons have are with the far right so LDS Democrats won't have much of an effect nationally.

LDS dems coming together give LDS people the courage to come out of the closet and demonstrate their liberal values which all religious groups should have the option to do.

As soon as the younger generation LDS Dems realize today's Democratic Party is not the party their gentle parents belonged to, the exodus will ensue. Very simply, main stream Mormons don't have the same values that today's liberal Dems do.

As long as national democrat platform has abortion, same sex marriage and now no God, the democrats belonging to the Church will have trouble getting more to join.

Members of the Church tend to lean very conservative to moderate. The Democratic platform continues to move to a more liberal bias -- not improving the likelihood that a landslide of LDS members will support the party.

The impact will be felt in states with large LDS populations. Many Mormons feel that there is one true church and one true party. LDS Dems and their adherence to LDS values may enlighten them that there are good people and ideas in both parties and that the Democrat's concern for all people, not just the wealthy, may be more in line with those values.

Utah Republicans' worst nightmare is for Democrats to become a socially acceptable option for Mormons- kinda like the church's clarified position on caffeine and the word of wisdom. It gives Mormons permission to partake of both caffeine and liberal (at least democratic) politics. In the long term, BYU will serve caffeinated drinks and Democrats will start winning elections. On a more serious note, the free ride for Republicans is coming to an end. They will have to start justifying and explaining their positions and campaign for votes and not rely on getting elected by association. And that is a good thing for everyone.

The very fact that LDS Democrats take their efforts national on the same week that God is omitted from the Democratic platform only underscores how irrelevant religious values have become to the national Democratic party, and thus how irrelevant LDS Democrats' efforts will ultimately be.

Nice idea, but one built on the future.

If Utah Republicans tried this crap they would be vilified.

They won't even have an impact in Utah politics, let along American politics.

Impact will be felt in Utah.Nice try but monkeys will fly out of my butt before this picks up any steam.

Baby steps.

A lot of Mormons are looking for ways to justify their progressive leanings but their religion has them locked in with the Big 2: abortion and gay rights. As the church continues to go mainstream, members (especially the younger ones) will will find their way into the Democratic party.It is not going to yield a benefit in a year when the Democratic platform includes support for gay marriage and federal funding for unlimited abortion.

Cultural and demographics shifts are moving towards the Democrats in both the general population and to a lesser extent in the LDS membership. The aggressive efforts in outreach will give younger and minority members a political path away from increasingly radical Republican party.

A cute meeting and a cute organization doesn't mean crap as long as the Democrat Party and the Democrat platform contains policies and beliefs that are contrary to the beliefs of the LDS church and most church members. It started in 1972 with the McGovernites and has continued on a downward slope since.Won't yield any dividends. Not even a "nice idea". Actually quite odd. A political group called "LDS Republicans" would also be quite odd too.

Could grow into something, but not this election.

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