Today’s Reading List – March 9, 2007

Posted by: John Schroeder at 06:50 am, March 9th 2007 — Comment on this post »

We've been talking all week about how what the left would love most would be for Evangelicals and other creedals to "disqualify" a Mormon, because that would provide an opportunity to pillory both groups. Yet another example.

This is truly interesting. It is ostensibly a look at the faltering Christian Coalition, but consider this paragraph:

Even by its own admission, the coalition, which was founded by Robertson and which for years served as a key ally for conservative candidates, faces a changed landscape. Scads of other conservative Christian organizations concerned with many of the same issues, with opposition to abortion and gay marriage at the top of the list, now vie for candidate attention and may offer endorsements. [Emphasis added.]

The religious right is not the monolith it used to be, and it never was as monolithic as the press painted it. That so many groups exist now means competiton, which changes a candidate's job completely. The candidate must now build a coalition of organizations to create a base, and that becomes much easier when that candidate can leverage the groups against one another. If one evangelical group rejects Romney because of his faith, there is another he can turn to. As he succeeds, the group(s) that rejected him will have to come around or lose power. For a guy with Romney's deal-making skills, this should be a no-brainer.

Not sure how to read this, it could be that Mike Huckabee is very slyly being a religious bigot, or it could be the SLTrib, no friend of the CJCLDS, taking him out of context to make their point. Here's where I think Huckabee is taking his shot:

"I think its fair game to ask a person about his or her faith," Huckabee told The Salt Lake Tribune. "I mean, I'm asked about mine all the time. I don't find that offensive."

That may be true, but nobody is asking him to justify the creation story or explain how it was Jesus was raised from the dead. Nor has Romney cried "offense" at being asked reasonable questions. It's the unreasonable ones that are the problem.

An op-ed in the Boston Herald looks at the guy that runs JetBlue, who is a Mormon. When it comes to character, that's pretty hard to beat. On the other hand, this demonstration of character by a Democrat is awfully easy to beat.

Which brings me to a couple of pieces that I find troubling. David Brody is discussing whether Obama's church is "Christian" enough and over at the Ankle-Biters, the Bull Dog Pundit is wondering about the sincerity of Newt Gingrich's recent "confession" regarding his marital infidelities. While I find it refreshing to see someone besides Romney get this kind of garbage, IT REMAINS GARBAGE. This is pure and simple gutter politics. I'll take Newt's confession at face value and praise God for his personal growth, but he remains unqualified to run because he has lacked, very recently, the kind of personal discipline, religious or otherwise, required by the office. I don't care about how "Christian" Obama's church is, I care that they are racist.

Romney likes blogs. I just hope he tells his friends about us.