I wasn't going to do the Willard Mitt Romney, a.k.a. Cap'n Brylcreem, thing after his religion speech yesterday. I comment only for a major point I don't see getting play.Cap'n Media Note: Look on his home page in the Mitt TV box. Click the Faith in America link for the pop up of the 6-minute version. The 21-minute one has lots of podium shots and embarrassing spans of former President G.H.W. Bush patronizing the Cap'n, and distancing them.
Many analysts draw comparisons with then Presidential candidate John Kennedy's I'm-an-American-who-happens-to-be-Catholic template. That's fair. Clearly, the Cap'n hoped for the same mollifying effect and stole Kennedy's outline.
For the bulk of the speech, note a huge difference. While both had a primary message of their churches not controlling their public policies, the second big message showed their minds, and Romney's great flaw.
Kennedy spoke forcefully of the desirable and necessary separation of church and state. Romney called for religiosity in public office. Kennedy spoke of a religion-blind America, free of "attitudes of disdain and division" and promoting "the American ideal of brotherhood." In contrast, Romney assumed all Americans were some flavor of Christian, and that this shared religion has a major role in the Presidency. The Cap'n said, "(I)n recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning."
That may play well to conservative Republicans, particularly evangelicals. However, their skeptical view of Mormonism may just as well keep them from supporting Romney anyway.
As is his wont, the Cap'n was too spongy and too slick. Kennedy stood to confront preachers who distrusted Roman Catholicism. Romney went before a handpicked claque. Even there, he did not make strong personal statements. He did nothing to placate the Protestants other than noting that they all had a tie to Christ (even though their ropes lead down different cliffs). That's about as effective as contending Jews and Arabs in the Middle East claim the God of Abraham together.
Nope. The Cap'n is smarmy. He is and remains a salesman. Are you buying...from a God in your politics and government guy?
Tags: massmarrier, Presidential, Massachusetts, Mormonism, religion, Willard Mitt Romney, speech
2 comments:
The time has come for us as Americans to REALLY walk the walk here. Let us ask the question: Do we really want a person who is part of an organization that has to have a "revelation from God" given to its leadership to allow all races of people be in its leadership? I'm speaking of of the fact that from the time of Brigham Young until 1978, Mormanism would not allow Blacks or any other dark skinned race be involved in its leadership. I'm also speaking of an organization that says that there was a war in Heaven, where Satan and Jesus were brothers, and all the "best" of it organization will reside on a planet called "Kolob". Yes my friends.. these are all part of the belief systems of Mormanism. I am just as willing to give any body a chance to run for president as the next guy, but come on... this goes beyond the pate of any common sense or reason.. Yes he was a Govenor of a very liberal state. But I liken that to keeping the crazy brother monitored and playing in the back yard.. We should NOT give this guy a pass.. He is NOT speaking of religious freedom as we know it..No pass for Mitt
The first time I heard that Wilbur was running for President I laughed my head off. When I was able to speak I blurted out how the circle would come full when he was the victim of the same type of discrimination he helped promote here in Massachusetts.
The same people he stood with against GLBT people, well, now they are turning on him and saying, "We aren't ready for a Mormon as President."
This is so delicious it should be fattening!
Post a Comment