Newsweek's Mitt Romney Mormon Cover (PHOTOS)

Newsweek has an eye-catching cover for its latest issue: a dancing Mitt Romney.

The picture, which shows a smiling Romney in mid-leap, is a takeoff of a poster for the Broadway smash "The Book of Mormon." A small text box on the cover reads, "Mitt Romney, Mormon for President." The accompanying story asserts that Mormons are "having a moment," though the religion remains controversial.

Also controversial? The cover itself. Some conservative websites are up in arms. The National Review called it "appalling," and Newsbusters wrote, "is this an appropriate way to introduce a serious presidential candidate to your readers?"

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Comments

[Saxton]

06:03 PM on 06/11/2011

The Obama and Michelle fist bump in The New Yorker was seen as okay by the right. Loosen your magical underware and get a sense of humor.

[Angie Tyne 1]

04:20 PM on 06/09/2011

I am getting really tired of these religious tests of office. Other countries think it's absurd combine the two. In Canada voicing your religious views publicly is considered to be a handicap.

A Canadian Christian publication laments the lack of religion in politics:
http://www.christianweek.org/stories.php?id=1086

[jkb5371]

01:54 PM on 06/09/2011

I wonder if Newsweek would mock Muslims?
I think not, and if they would not mock Muslims they shouldn't be mocking Mormons, Catholics or any other religion.

[Mister Wu]

12:13 PM on 06/12/2011

Mormons don't wear suicide vest so it is a lot easier to take pokes at them.

[Hareega]

12:43 AM on 06/09/2011

He looks creepy with this cover.

[WiltonDiary]

04:01 AM on 06/09/2011

He is creepy!

[Sea Kitty]

08:58 AM on 06/09/2011

That was the intent. What's also creepy is that some people actually take Newsweek as a serious news source.

[TimtheEnchanted]

11:01 PM on 06/08/2011

his religion, so what. He gets behind a mic. and says he's qualified and fit for the job based on his business experience and acumen. Well, gdubya was a business man, (traded Sammy Sosa to the White Sox). Current Florida Gov. Rick Scott was a business man. How' that working out for a businessman going into a high state or federal office?

[ElBruce]

09:40 PM on 06/17/2011

Something Republicans never understand: macroeconomics =/= microeconomics.

[Debbie100]

06:15 PM on 06/08/2011

He looks very lifelike.

[Iceguy75]

03:47 PM on 06/08/2011

Okay, am I missing it ...I don't see the backpack or bike.

[Kansas1]

04:29 PM on 06/08/2011

Isn't that Jehovah Witness?

[storeysound]

05:15 PM on 06/08/2011

Nope.

[rankinkrl]

03:41 PM on 06/08/2011

If I were to tell a lie against my brother, am I protected by the first amendment or can I be prosecuted if harm was done? If I yell fire in a crowded room, have I violated my costitutional right to freedom of speech? Have I endangered others? If a picture has been manipulated to suggest someone's elses viewpoint of me, is it a violation of my rights and libel? If it were an actual photo , it would not be libelous. But, it isn't. I think Mr. Romney should sue.

[chaszer]

03:55 PM on 06/08/2011

Libel requires that the statement would harm the person's reputation. I don't think being happy harms Mitt's rep, and I imagine he has danced at some point in his life.

[JackHoffman]

04:15 PM on 06/08/2011

Next you'll be suing political cartoonists and satirists that create stuff like THIS! Grow a brain,

[rankinkrl]

04:47 PM on 06/08/2011

All it needed is a catchy melody, "Look at me I'm a mormon running for president. Look at m-e-e-e. I'm a mormon not a baptist. Look at m-e-e-e, I'm not a catholic or a muslim, either. Look at me. Look at me." Brain dead jack.

[ashabot]

05:28 PM on 06/08/2011

Exactly or they will be putting a jihad on cartoonists, satirists, commentators and non Mormons for "defiling" the guy. Gimme a break.

[thelimoliberal]

02:53 PM on 06/08/2011

As a resident of Massachusetts under his horrible reign as Governor, I think I speak on behalf of clear-minded citizens of Mass. when I say, "Who the HECK cares about the Mormon part?!"

Oh wait, HIS Party.

[Kathryn Schorr]

09:45 AM on 06/08/2011

At least he looks happy...crazy, but happy.

[Demarcus Jackson]

09:44 AM on 06/08/2011

The cover was a bit much, but I'll admit that I smiled a little :-)

...Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

[Gretchen Watson]

03:44 PM on 06/08/2011

After a few too many encounters with Mormons, it's very funny. :)

[WiltonDiary]

04:06 AM on 06/09/2011

If only it showed his magical manties while he walzed thru the Garden of Eden south of Saint Louie.

Wilford Woodruff quoting Brigham Young (1879):
[spelling as original diary] Again Presdet [sic] Young said Joseph the Prophet told me that the garden of Eden was in Jackson Co Missouri, & when Adam was driven out of the garden of Eden He went about 40 miles to the Place which we Named Adam Ondi Ahman, & there built an Altar of Stone & offered Sacrifize [sic]. That Altar remains to this day. I saw it as Adam left it as did many others, & through all the revolution­s of the world that Altar had not been disturbed

[DisgustedbyHypocrisy]

09:43 AM on 06/08/2011

Is any of it not true? Isn't Romney a mormon? I think it's great that we know the religion (or non-religion) of a candiate - maybe there will be a few million americans that didn't know Romney was mormon.

Still hoping for an agnostic president one day so this country will be ran strictly by good policy for everyone instead of what the christians right believe should be important (anti abortion, no gay marriage, etc etc - all social issues that are less important than jobs, economy, jobs, economy)

[ibreathe4u]

08:53 AM on 06/09/2011

Can't wait to vote for the first openly agnostic/atheistic president!

[carljr]

08:50 AM on 06/08/2011

To me, not really any different than the Tea party Obama posters that portray Obama as the "Joker."

The country needs real news and real dialogue about its problems. Clearly, Newsweek has elected not to be a part of that debate early in the game.

[Coloradem]

10:43 AM on 06/08/2011

Tea Party posters are one thing; this is a national news magazine. Can you imagine the outcry (and I'd be one of them) if Newsweek used the Joker/Obama pic for a coverstory?

[WiltonDiary]

04:10 AM on 06/09/2011

This is just kids at play, brace yourself for the real stuff that's about to come.

Guess you missed the cover of the New Yorker and the famous fist-bump. After the way the main-steam media has treated President and Mrs Obama anything is political season is fair game against any Republican, and their wives and husbands are all fair game as well.

This is what the Republicans asked for and now they are getting a dose of their own tonic. Can't wait until the season really heats up.

[ElBruce]

09:45 PM on 06/17/2011

What? This isn't lambasting Romney at all. He actually is a Mormon. The show is about Mormons. He's the front-runner, and the show is popular. The "Obama/Joker" thing is clearly a slur. This is not.

Mormons need to get into the national conversation if the nation is ever going to fully accept them. I think TBOM musical is a huge step towards that, much in the way that Jews gained a great deal of acceptance after "Fiddler On The Roof." Yes, it makes fun of their beliefs, but there's also an undercurrent of affection there. Most other religions have gotten this kind of affectionate ribbing before, but the Mormons have always been kept at sort of arms-length by the culture at large. I'm not a religious person, but I think that needs to change. If you're going to be accepting of Mormons as your neighbors and fellow citizens, then you've got to accept the fact that they believe some things you might consider weird, and accept them anyways.

[MarvinMarks]

08:38 AM on 06/08/2011

It'll be interesting to see if the Mormon thing becomes a big deal in the Republican primaries (and then in the general election if he wins the nomination.)

Are there Republican voters who don't know that he's Mormon?

[carljr]

08:51 AM on 06/08/2011

NOT ANY MORE.

[WiltonDiary]

04:12 AM on 06/09/2011

The majority of Republicans voters don't have Internet service or a PC, the others are glued to FOX News, so it depends on how this plays out on FOX.

[RABSR]

12:45 PM on 06/09/2011

“The majority of Republican¬s voters don't have Internet service or a PC, the others are glued to FOX News, so it depends on how this plays out on FOX. “


Ignorant but typical.

You know we have internet and PC’s…….. We just hire people to use them for us.

[ChelleAgain]

07:37 AM on 06/08/2011

I doubt this is the introduction of Mitt Romney for anyone who reads Newsweek.