The American Spectator

David Brody has some insightful advice for Romney: "Well, if Romney wants to grab those crucial Evangelical votes in Iowa and elsewhere, he will earn their respect and come across as honest and authentic if he acknowledges the differences between the two religions. Evangelicals, for the most part, don't want him to lump Mormonism and Christianity into the 'we're all the same' category. I know Mormons feel differently about this but I'm just giving it to you straight. Values wise the two religions have a lot in common and I'm sure that will be a big part of his speech. But Evangelicals would trust him more, appreciate him more and respect him more if he came clean about the differences. I'm not saying he needs to do theological bullet points here. Of course not. But a little more would go a long way." However, I wonder whether Romney is ready for or wants weeks of discussion about the doctrinal differences between his religion and others.

Others pick up on the "retooling" theme but most agree this is a big, big gamble. Romney folks insist the decision to make the speech was made last week before the Des Moines Register polling but I can bet internal polling from Romney was showing a similar slippage in Iowa and loss of the crucial Evangelical vote. Given his reputation as a guru of data I am certain that the biggest decision of his campaign wasn't made without a lot of thought and polling input. Marc Ambinder has a good run down of the pros and cons of the speech.