The American Spectator

p> GETTING TO FIRST BASE br> Re: Liz Mair’s Romney’s Base Hit and Hunter Baker’s Romney and the American Religion : /p>

Both Liz Mair and Hunter Baker make great points about Mitt Romney’s speech. But one point omitted by both is how uniquely and consummately American the speech was, and in that respect it filled me with great pride. The British press has recently touched on how forbidden it is for a politician in Britain to publicly discuss his faith and the relevance of his faith to his being, both public and private. It is in fact in the British context almost as intolerable as an American politician publicly using the N-word. It simply cannot be done and will not be tolerated. (Please note I am drawing equivalence to the probable reactions, not to the relative validity of the reactions.) The same can probably be said for public figures throughout Continental Europe, perhaps even in Italy. How truly magnificent it is to see American freedom exercised, and to know that only here can you enjoy it.

p>On a minor point, when Mr. Baker writes, “The American model continues to serve both church and state well. Institutional separation has made the church far more influential than anyone might have expected,” he should perhaps consider the historical implications of Roman Emperor Constantine’s embrace of Christianity. There is no avoiding the historical reality of Christianity’s overwhelming spread through the Empire very much because of the institutional unity, not separation, that Constantine caused. America is arguably at the crossroads of a decision to institutionalize atheism and formally exclude religious thought and expression from all public discourse, in a sense a reverse Constantine. Mitt Romney would doubtless steer between the two extremes. But several candidates clearly would not. br> — Frank Natoli br> Newton, New Jersey /p> p> Liz Mair seems to have an uninterested take on the Romney speech. It was, however, the best presentation any of the candidates running for President, Republican or Democrat, have delivered. He clearly established that he has Presidential timber and deserves serious consideration from the voters.