Jonathan Martin compares and contrasts statements on fiscal policy by Huck and Tom Coburn under the heading:

The Christian conservative debate-cum-smackdown I want to see

The statements are what they are, and Coburn’s invocation of Scripture is a bit too much, but Martin’s presentation makes it clear that Evangelicals are appearing sillier and sillier to most astute political observers.

Politics is serious business, I wish we took it more that way.

The Overview

The Christian Science Monitor had a pretty interesting overview piece on the role that religion has played in this cycle. Here is a couple of key graphs:

Inappropriate use of religion “can be dangerous and divisive for our pluralistic democracy … and it can end up harming the integrity of religion,” says Melissa Rogers, who teaches religion and public affairs at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. Religious ideas are much bigger than political parties or candidates, she says, but they lose their dimension when people in the pulpit suggest that voters of faith should support a particular candidate or that God looks with favor on one party over another. [Emphasis added.]

[…]

Critics also cite news media that turn faith into mere entertainment or play it for controversy. Some questions asked during televised debates have been helpful, they say, but others have been inappropriate or irrelevant, bordering on religious vetting. The Interfaith Alliance (TIA), a religious liberty watchdog, became so concerned it released a video called “Top Ten Moments in the Race for Pastor-in-Chief.” Among the questions it criticized: “What’s the worst sin you’ve committed?” and “Do you believe every word of the Bible?”

That last paragraph says a mouthful and plays back into the first one. That media play is actually attractive to some. (Bill Keller, Evangelical Mormon hater in chief, comes to mind.) And so, many overplay their hand for the sake of the attention and a serious downward spiral results, and as Roberts points out, it harms religion far more than politics.

Back to the Veepstakes

Lowell adding thoughts here. None other than Michael Medved had this to say about Romney’s “cons” as the Veep nominee (Michael listed “pros” too):

Romney’s Mormon faith won’t hurt him in states where Evangelicals are important (McCain should be solid in those Southern and Midwestern states in any event) but it won’t help him among the Catholic, ethnic voters who provide the most important swing group in crucial battlegrounds like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Um, Michael, in the primaries Romney’s best performance were among Catholic voters. This is odd indeed. Medved can’t seem to make up his mind about Romney. First, he ardently defended Romney and pooh-poohed concerns about Mitt’s Mormonism. Then Medved became an unabashed McCain-promoter and relentless Romney-basher. Now he thinks Mitt might be a decent choice except for that nasty Mormon faith of his.

Go figure.

John says, “BUT WAIT - THERE’S MORE:” Check out what Medved says about Huckabee in the same piece:

Members of the LDS church still resent Huckabee for his bruising campaign against Romney (particularly in Iowa) and Mormons, loyal Republicans for the most part, will be an important component for GOP victory in ferocious battleground states like Nevada and Colorado. Whether or not he’s McCain’s running mate, Huckabee should move immediately to secure his political future by making amends to LDS members who suspect him of anti-Mormon bigotry.

First of all - “Suspect him of anti-Mormon bigotry”?!?!? Uh no, I think things are well past suspicions. I am not sure Huck is an anti-Mormon bigot, but I am very sure he is not afraid to “play one on television,” as it were. Give me a break here, Medved.

Bottom line is this - Michael Medved does not “get” Christians, creedal or Mormon variety. The Jewish faith is a very different animal than the faith that either Mormons or creedals hold. Every time I hear Medved talk about Christians, he just sounds like he is talking about different sorts of Jews. He treats it more like ethnicity, which, of course, Judaism in part is, than what either of us think a religion is.

He is right about what Huck needs to do if he thinks he has a future in politics, though.
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