Byron York, who now seems to be realizing that Romney could well be the GOP nominee, writes at some length about The Speech.  There's much to say about York's column, but one comment by Romney is probably the most important.  York focuses (wrongly, I believe) on the now-tired question of whether Mormons are Christians, and apparently goaded Romney into an answer:

“You know, the term ‘Christian’ means different things to different people,” Romney told me. “Jews aren’t Christian. That doesn’t preclude a Jew from being able to run for office and become president. I believe that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world and is the son of God. Now, some people say, well, that doesn’t necessarily make you a Christian because Christian refers to a certain group of evangelical Christian faiths. That’s fine. That’s their view. Others say, no, anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as the son of God and the savior should be called Christian. That’s fine, too. I’ll just describe what I believe and not try to distinguish my faith from others. That’s really something for my faith to do and for the churches amongst themselves to consider.” (Emphasis added.)

How much more does the man need to say?  The italicized portion accurately describes the essence of the debate: Theo-nerds ("Christian" means orthodox Christian, or "my faith, not yours") versus the expansive, heterodox dictionary definition of "Christian" accepted by nearly everyone else. 

My personal view is that the theo-nerd view is terribly destructive in this context.  To insist that in order to call oneself "Christian," one must believe in certain creeds and specific doctrines, beyond the divine sonship of Jesus and his status as Savior and the only name by which anyone can achieve salvation, is to walk down the path of a very semantic and potentially misleading discussion.  It really borders on being a smear, intentional or not.

How can it be a smear?  Well, consider the term "Christian" in a push polling context:  When a push poll caller says, "Romney's not a Christian," the caller may mean Romnny's not an orthodox, or creedal Christian.  That's actually true.  But what the listener hears is that Romney does not believe in Christ; and that, my friends, is a damnable lie. 

I think Romney's answer to York is about all he can say to destroy that lie.  John?

John comments:  Romney's answer is a great answer, and really the only possible answer to the question itself.  The problem is that it is becoming increasingly obvious that people do not really care about the question, "are Mormons Christians?" per se.  What they are really asking is "Is he one of us?"

Any number of sources, including this blog, have addressed very specifically the term "Christian" - but no one seems to care.  People who keep pushing this clearly want to hear something else.  The only thing I can figure that will satisfy is for Mormons to deny what they believe.  Mormons believe they are Christians, and it is in the great American tradition for them to be entitled to that belief, as much as I am entitled to my beliefs.

I think the people that keep asking this question fall into two camps.  The first is the "blackmail" camp.  These are people that seem to be withholding a vote for Romney until he somehow makes it clear that his claim to being a Christian is illegitimate.  To these of my brethren , I say, what if you were required to repudiate some tenant of your faith to qualify for office?

The other camp are people that simply want Romney to emphasize Mormon distinctives in order to alienate some segment of those that might otherwise vote for him.

Either way you cut it, what we have here is an attempt to legitimize the politics of identity.  America was founded in a fashion specifically designed to eliminate politics of this type.  This is just despicable.  The question "Are Mormons Christian?" is a great question for the seminaries of the world, but in this context it is simply despicable. 

John adds a related note: The Romney push-polled himself meme has made the big time.  It is looking like a bad day for NRO.  Lowell already clarified much claimed in that piece here.  Fortunately, some sanity still reigns as at The Corner, K-Lo reprints an unequivicol denial from the Romney campaign.

Update:  Seems that Mark Hemingway, who wrote NRO's "Romney dunnit" disaster piece has drawn the ire of not only the Romney campaign, but of the consulting firm Hemingway attempts to implicate.  This came over the transom today:

“Wrong Target”

 

To the Editor (ed. note: of NRO)

 

Today’s unfortunate article written by Mark Hemingway concerning allegations over anti-Romney push-polling that suggests that TargetPoint Consulting was somehow involved is both inaccurate and inexcusable.

 

To set the record straight: TargetPoint Consulting has absolutely nothing to do with the calls in question. To be even clearer: TargetPoint Consulting has NEVER and will NEVER conduct a push-poll. TargetPoint is in the business of promoting Governor Romney, not manufacturing fantasy plots that involve smearing him.

 

It is very disappointing that the person who wrote this piece included the bizarre fabrication that perhaps the Romney campaign push-polled itself. As “proof,” the author offered up the supposed “fact” that TargetPoint Consulting may have in the past used Western Wats to conduct telephone interviews and concluding: “If there is a relationship between the two firms, then Alex Gage and TargetPoint should immediately clarify the extent and nature of the work that it has contracted out to Western Wats to end speculation and exonerate Romney.”

 

Neither I nor TargetPoint was contacted before publication of this piece. Not by email. Not by voice mail. If the person representing National Review had bothered to take this most basic journalistic step, we would have told him on the record that TargetPoint Consulting had nothing to do with this and that his theory was entirely erroneous and absent any merit. The truth would have dulled the sensationalism considerably – probably to the point that responsibility would have dictated not publishing it at all.

 

I am not sure what, if any, motives the author may have, but now that it has been published, this piece has unfairly smeared me, my firm and the Romney campaign.

 

We can only hope in the future that National Review will be more consistently involved in reporting the news, and not taking off on detours into the fever-swamps of loony conspiracies. If there is any mystery to be uncovered regarding these polls, it will be by real reporting and not irresponsible speculation that tramples the good names of reputable pollsters and polling firms.

 

Sincerely,

 

Alex Gage
TargetPoint Consulting
Alexandria, Va.

Technorati Tags: push polling, Mitt Romney, Byron York, Christianity, Mormon, orthodox

Sphere: Related Content

Posted in Political Strategy, Religious Bigotry, Understanding Religion | 1 Comment » |  Print this post |  Email This Post

Recently:

• A Complete Breakdown in the Religion/Politics Line
• Obama’s Policies and Religious Issues
• The Price Of Being Who We Are
• This IS Interesting
• Here’s Something to Talk About Over The Weekend
• Is History Doomed To Repetition?
• Go Join The Discussion
• Recall Jerry Brown? And Yet Another Mormon Hit Piece
• Weekend Reading
• Proof - Biased Media