The Other Mormon Running for President

[downtown]

What, Jon Huntsman? Naaah, we're talking about Yeah Samaké, who is running for President in Mali. Yeah might actually be the first LDS head of state...and in a country that is nearly 100% black, and 90% *Muslim*.

He has a politician’s quick smile and looks like he was born to wear a suit. He has a beautiful wife and picture-perfect children. His ancestor’s name is plastered on buildings all over his family’s hometown. He went to Brigham Young University. He has executive experience in both the private and public sectors. He’s a Mormon, and he’s running for president.



But his name is not Mitt Romney. It is Yeah Samaké. He’s the reformist mayor of Ouéléssébougou, a city of some 35,000 residents in the southwest corner of Mali. His anti-corruption policies have made that city a model of civil engagement, and this April Samaké expects to be elected president. If that happens, Yeah Samaké will be the first Mormon head of state in the world.



***


Part of Samaké’s appeal stems from his ability to upend the stereotypes that Romney reinforces

Courtesy the Samake 2012 campaign.

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Mitt Romney’s emergence as the front-runner for the Republican nomination has been a mixed blessing for Mormons. It has led to unprecedented interest in the LDS Church and its members, but the dominant image of Romney—too wooden, too rich, too secretive about his faith, too white—has reinforced existing stereotypes about members of the faith. Some Mormons, including a few conservative ones, hope Romney is not elected, since a defeat would end the ceaseless questions about Mormon baptisms for the dead, Mormon tithing, Mormon racism, and so on.



Yeah Samaké, on the other hand, is a candidate nearly all Mormons can get behind. And many have. Utah’s conservative Republican governor, Gary Herbert, endorses Samaké in a video that appears on the candidate’s website, calling Samaké “a wonderful man and an inspired leader.” Next to his endorsement is one from Warner Woodworth, a professor at BYU’s Marriott School of Management who has openly questioned Romney’s dedication to the Mormon gospel because of his lack of professed care for the poor. Woodworth praises Samaké for promoting the kind of social entrepreneurship he himself has long championed; Samaké, he says, wants to “find ways to build economic self-reliance from the bottom up instead of the top down.”



Samaké’s appeal across the Mormon political spectrum stems in part from his ability to upend the stereotypes that Romney reinforces. He represents a church that is international and diverse, more nonwhite than white, and more poor than rich. He is also happier to publicly profess his faith than the GOP front-runner, who, as Frank Rich recently said, seems “closeted about his religion.”



But who is Yeah Samaké? How did he end up professing a faith that for years would not have allowed him—or any black man—to fully participate in its practices? And how did a Mormon end up running for president in a country that is more than 90 percent Muslim?

Full article (which is great), is here
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_..._mormon_candidate_for_president_of_mali_.html

So, possible topics to discuss here...

1) Does this guy sound like a good candidate?
2) Is it wrong that much of his campaign war chest has come from outside the country (especially compared to the apparent corruption of in-country donations?)
3) What are the implications of having a black world leader be for a church that has very few black members, and struggles with it's overwhelming whiteness in it's power center (the US?)
4) Would this help Mitt Romney? The LDS church?

GENERAL THOUGHTS? I think this is really neat!

 

[Save_Ferris]

A Mormon running for office in a violent, 90% Muslim country? His future does not look good...

 

[Terxpahseyton]

It almost seems like the Mormons are becoming the new Jews.

 

[Silurian]

It almost seems like the Mormons are becoming the new Jews.

Well they do like to baptise dead Jews into Mormonism.

 

[downtown]

A Mormon running for office in a violent, 90% Muslim country? His future does not look good...

The article touched on this a little bit...since virtually nobody in Mali knows anything about Mormons, his religion hasn't been much of an issue...being a Christian is different enough.

Of course, that could change after he is elected. I suspect his anti-corruption message might actually put him in more danger....

 

[Virote_Considon]

His name is Yeah?

I feel like this song was written in the 60s as a prophetical campaign song:


Link to video.

He's got my vote.


(EDIT: Also even better of course is this Symarip song which it inspired.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Well they do like to baptise dead Jews into Mormonism.

That reminds me of dead people appearing on election polls. "Vote for Mormonism!"

 

[warpus]

Why do we care what his religious affiliation is?

I suppose it is nice to see examples of countries where religion doesn't play such a large role in politics.. especially in a Muslim country.. but.. why do we care that he's Mormon specifically? I don't think it'll affect anything here in North America, except maybe in the Mormon community, which we only have what.. 2 representatives of here?

 

[_random_]

Why do we care what his religious affiliation is?

I suppose it is nice to see examples of countries where religion doesn't play such a large role in politics.. especially in a Muslim country.. but.. why do we care that he's Mormon specifically? I don't think it'll affect anything here in North America, except maybe in the Mormon community, which we only have what.. 2 representatives of here?

Well, it says a lot about the position of Mormonism in the Third World and the perception of Mormons in Muslim society. Admittedly, it's probably not terribly interesting if you lack interest in religion to begin with.

 

[warpus]

Well, it says a lot about the position of Mormonism in the Third World and the perception of Mormons in Muslim society.

he article touched on this a little bit...since virtually nobody in Mali knows anything about Mormons, his religion hasn't been much of an issue.

Just sayin

And I don't mean to deride the article or whatever, or its merit as a conversation piece, I just typed out my initial reaction to what I read

 

[NickyJ]

At first I thought you were announcing your candidacy. Now I am disappointed.

1) Does this guy sound like a good candidate?

Depends on his policies. Religion does not automatically make someone good or bad as a leader.

2) Is it wrong that much of his campaign war chest has come from outside the country (especially compared to the apparent corruption of in-country donations?)

Meh, it isn't bad, but it isn't great either.

3) What are the implications of having a black world leader be for a church that has very few black members, and struggles with it's overwhelming whiteness in it's power center (the US?)

The implications are that people can follow whatever they believe in.

4) Would this help Mitt Romney? The LDS church?

I don't see it making a difference for Romney, but for the LDS, I could see the benefit of saying that a Mormon was elected the head of a country in such and such a place.

GENERAL THOUGHTS?

Mildly interesting, probably more interesting for Mormons than others.

 

[bombshoo]

I like that he is tough on corruption. That is exactly what places like Mali need, as it is an absolutely huge factor holding them back. Mali doesn't even have the usual problems with the military having too much power, and it's religious violence is low for the region, so if they had a strong leader who could target corruption, allowing for real reform in the economic and health sectors, things could really up for them. I imagine he will get U.S. backing, regardless of who is President (the U.S. already backs Mali a little bit) so that should help, as long as he doesn't come across as a sellout to the West. I also hope he would be smart enough to realize he is an extreme minority and would take that into consideration with government appointments and whatnot. Even though Mali is fairly tolerant all things considered, he'll have to tread carefully.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Does the fact that he is Mormon give him a stronger connection to the US than another candidate would? Even one who is Christian, and has the exact same message and platform?