| Before being elected governor of Massachusetts | | | | give him a big advantage over many of the other |
| in 2002, Mitt Romney headed up the Salt Lake | | | | GOP hopefuls, which are perceived by many to |
| City Olympic Organizing Committee earlier that | | | | be dull and boring. However, his Mormon faith |
| same year. He had also made a run for the U.S. | | | | could hurt him with religious fundamentalists in the |
| Senate against Ted Kennedy in 1994 and lost. | | | | GOP primaries. Many of them feel that |
| However, he did so much better against Kennedy | | | | Mormonism is a cult. |
| that most of his previous challengers had done, | | | | His father, the late George Romney, served as |
| that his loss actually helped boost his political | | | | governor of Michigan and sought the Republican |
| career. | | | | presidential nomination in 1968 but lost to Richard |
| Since being elected governor, he has become one | | | | Nixon. His father's remarks made during the |
| of the bright young stars of the Republican Party | | | | nominating process about having been |
| and surprisingly finished second in a recent straw | | | | "brainwashed" about Viet Nam ultimately cost him |
| poll of Republican insiders. Romney is a good | | | | the nomination. |
| speaker and an excellent campaigner. This could | | | | |