My AmSpec
piece 11 days ago on evangelicals' concerns with Mitt Romney's
Mormon faith drew many
rebuttals from his defenders. Over the weekend Drudge noticed
an Associated Press article about how Romney's
political consultants are advising him against giving a special
speech addressing his religion:
Republican
presidential contender Mitt Romney said Saturday his political
advisers have warned him against giving a speech explaining his
Mormon faith.
During a house party overlooking Squam Lake, Romney was asked by
voters if he would give a speech outlining his religious beliefs
and how those beliefs might impact his administration, much like
then-Sen. John F. Kennedy did as he sought to explain his Catholic
faith during the 1960 election.
"I'm happy to answer any questions people have about my faith
and do so pretty regularly," the former Massachusetts governor
said. "Is there going to be a special speech? Perhaps, at some
point. I sort of like the idea myself. The political advisers tell
me no, no, no - it's not a good idea. It draws too much attention
to that issue alone."
I'd never seen or
heard how JFK handled those questions about his Catholicism during
his presidential campaign, but last night C-SPAN
gave a window into his management of the issue by showing a Q&A
session he held with the Greater Houston Ministerial Association.
His performance was impressive and if Romney could do half as well
in a similar forum, he might gain significant support among the
electorate.
This link is to a Google cache of the C-SPAN
broadcast, as I had trouble bringing it up directly from their own
site. Well worth watching.
topics:
Religion, Catholicism
