This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Romney to hit Utah next week. Black ministers urge faithful to stay home on Election Day. 50 days until Nov. 6.

Happy Monday. Concerned by President Barack Obama's support for same-sex marriage and that his opponent, Mitt Romney, is a Mormon whose church denied blacks full membership until 1978, some black ministers in America are telling their congregations to stay home this Election Day. That could be bad news for Obama who carried nearly all black voters in his last election. [Yahoo]

Topping the news: Politico takes a deep look at Romney's recent stumbles with interesting tidbits such as how his convention speech was scrapped days before he gave it and a new one was written. [Politico]

-> Romney makes his first and last Utah post-convention campaign stop next week for a fundraiser luncheon. [Fox13]

-> You haven't seen anything yet: The Jim Matheson vs. Mia Love campaign is expected to heat up big time in the coming weeks. [Trib]

Today's news: The Utah Transit Agency says the free-ride zone in downtown Salt Lake City invites more crime on mass transit — but the agency won't back up its point with any statistics. [Trib]

-> Utah Policy grabs some internal polling showing that Rep. Jim Matheson has a higher favorability rating in Salt Lake County than Mitt Romney. [UtahPolicy]

Tweet of the day: from @PourMeCoffee: "If the Romney campaign were the Salt Lake Olympics, they'd be calling Romney in to run it about now."

Opinion section: Scott Daniels explains how his Mormon faith prevents him from supporting the Romney-Ryan spending plan. [Trib]

-> The Tribune editorial board endorses Rep. Jim Matheson, saying Congress needs moderates while noting that it thinks Mia Love's plans are reason for concern. [Trib]

-> Paul Rolly notes that Republicans didn't want EnergySolutions to be part of the debate over an audit showing higher-than-allowed waste was buried at its Tooele County site. [Trib]

-> Frank Pignanelli and LaVarr Webb discuss the economy's role in determining the upcoming election. [DNews]

-> Ex-Sen. Bob Bennett says the Middle East will remain a dangerous and difficult region to deal with for whomever is elected president. [DNews]

Weekend in review: Democratic challenger Peter Cooke charges that Utah hasn't been run well under Gov. Gary Herbert while Herbert defends his time as guv. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13] [UtahPolicy] [Herald]

-> In a Salt Lake County mayoral debate, Democrat Ben McAdams said that mass transit should become a priority, while Republican incumbent Mark Crockett said that the roads currently in place should be seen to first. [Trib] [DNews]

-> Speakers at Utah's Freedom Conference this weekend urge a return to the Founding Fathers' principles, marking Utah as a prime example for the rest of the nation in the effort. [Trib]

-> Four Utah legislators are concerned about the short turnaround time allotted for the new superintendent of public education search, saying the Board of Education might miss out on some qualified candidates. [Fox13]

-> A low-profile law passed last year grants legislators free tickets to government-sponsored events — and, yes, that includes last weekend's BYU-Utah rivalry game. [Trib]

-> Obama honored Olympians and Paralympians on the White House lawn on Friday. [Trib]

-> Utah gun owners can now renew their permits online, saving both paper and weeks of waiting. [DNews]

-> Voter registration and application for absentee ballots can completed online at voter.utah.gov. [Trib]

2012 watch: Romney was forced to cancel a Colorado rally after a small plane crashes at the runway he was going to use. [ABCNews]

-> Since Utah is a lock for Romney, Utah Republicans are making the most of their efforts by calling potential voters in neighboring battleground states. [DNews]

-> While most polls would agree that the Obama vs. Romney vote is within five percentage points, the gap is significantly wider in the president's favor when potential voters are asked who they think will actually win. [WaPost]

-> While the nation faces a record-high poverty rate, Obama has avoided using the work poverty. [Politico]

-> The Washington Post's Dan Balz say it's now or never for Romney to shine but he really needs to spell out what he believes in and would do as president. [WaPost]

-> Romney says he's concerned that Obama will just lie in debates. [WaPost]

-> Romney has been silent on who is bundling donations for his campaign. [Globe]

-> The Democrats had hoped to gin up support by holding their convention in North Carolina, but Romney continues a strong lead there. [Rasmussen]

-> Though Obama doesn't have as much free time as Romney, he's cramming as much debate practice in as he can. [HuffPo]

-> An Associated Press-National Constitution Center poll reveals that 83 percent of voers believe there should be a campaign spending limit. [LATimes]

Where are they?

Gov. Gary Herbert spends the day in Washington, D.C., first meeting with the National Counterterrorism Center before heading to an American University College Republicans event.

Lt. Gov. Greg Bell takes a tour of the Pioneer Adult Rehab Center.

SL Co. Mayor Peter Corroon meets with Taylorsville City Mayor Russ Wall.

SLC Mayor Ralph Becker attends a Sugar House Streetcar meeting after hitting a performing arts center meeting.

WVC Mayor Mike Winder meets with the Western Growth Coalition.

President Barack Obama heads to Cincinatti, Ohio and later to Columbus for campaign events. He returns to the White House in the evening.

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to you inbox. [Trib]

— Thomas Burr and Betsy BlanchardTwitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/betsyblanchard