Article VI Blog

Never Underestimate How The Other Side Will Cause Trouble…

Remember, our primary thesis at this point is that our opponents, the Left and Democrats, will be the primary players of the religion card this forthcoming cycle.  They do so because, thanks to Mike Huckabee, we divided ourselves last time allowing them to elect Obama.  They will use any tool and any means to drive the wedge in us.  Never has it been more evident than it was last week.

On Thursday, Mark Kirkorian put up a post at the Corner that, while it made some excellent points, did so rather intemperately.  The issue was birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens.  Less than a day later, Eric Kleefeld put up something at the excruciatingly left “Talking Points Memo,” delineating a list of Republicans that had proposed something on the subject in the past.  Number 5 on his list was Mitt Romney, about whom he wrote:

The funny thing here of course is that Romney’s own family has its links to Mexico — his father George Romney was born there, as part of a Mormon colony founded by polygamists. (George Romney’s own parents were monogamists.) Interestingly enough, George Romney’s U.S. citizenship was taken for granted when the family moved to the United States when he was a child, and he later was elected governor of Michigan and even ran for president in 1968 — an office that of course has the much higher bar of “natural born citizen” that the birthers often talk so much about.

Not only did he manage to play the religion card in a story where it has no reasonable connection, but he managed to bring up polygamy with it!  Problem is, Kirkorian created the window for Kleefeld to do this.  Of course, that does no mean we have to squelch out own internal debate, but it does mean we need to use some common sense about how we have our internal debate.

The intemperance with which Kirkorian made his points served as signal to the other side that they were presented with a place where driving a wedge might be effective, and sense they believe from the last election that the religion wedge is also effective, they will work hard to work it in.  We have got to find a way to disagree and debate that does not create the appearance of such weak points.

And the sarcasm of the left is just intolerable, why set ourselves up for it.  And the Canadians seem to work in one of those out-of-the-blue Mormon references we have not seen in ages.  Although sometimes the left makes sense – Like this guy at Salon that has sized up Newt Gingrich pretty well:

…Newt Gingrich, whose flirtation with the Oval Office began anew this month when he declared in Iowa, “I’ve never been this serious [about a White House bid].”

But do not be fooled: “This serious” isn’t that serious. Like Stevenson, Newt Gingrich isn’t running for president (though he’ll go along with an “if-you-must-have-me” nomination, if they’re offering). What Gingrich is going for is something closer to running for ex-president.

It’s a campaign to be treated like that of the elder statesman he sees every time he looks into the mirror, to retain the dignitary-behind-the-closed-door lifestyle. Whether for his personal or professional failings, Newt never secured the permanence in stature afforded to former heads of state and Washington giants, the lasting transition from middle-aged gray hair to senior citizen graybeard. And he wants it. Desperately.

And speaking of Huck - this made me chuckle a bit – which is just about the only way I want to speak of the Huckster.

Meanwhile in Utah…

The CJCLDS discusses online proselytizing.  For what my opinion is worth on the subject, which is not much my not being Mormon and all, such has not worked well for Evangelicals – I think it sort of sends the wrong message about what a religion is and does.  But more, the last thing I thinks Mormons should do, if they are concerned about Romney’s potential candidacy is raise the proselytizing profile – it will make it appear that his run is really juts to aid the church (see section above – DO NOT put it past the left to work very hard to drive just such a story home)

However, on the other hand, this Deseret News story on Romney and Huntsman makes Huntsman seem dishonorable to me:

In a recent Fortune magazine interview that appeared on CNNMoney.com, his Mormon credentials were described as “soft,” unlike his more devout family. His father, Jon Huntsman Sr., is an Area Seventy in the LDS Church.

The former governor noted in the interview that his children attend Catholic schools, and his adopted daughters come from different religious cultures, one Buddhist, the other Hindu.

“I can’t say I am overly religious,” Huntsman is quoted as saying in the interview, which refers to his consideration of a 2012 run. “I get satisfaction from many different types of religions and philosophies.”

I have no idea of Huntsman is a “Jack Mormon” or what – but to run away from one’s professed faith like that indicates to me someone that lacks principles.  That’s the amazing thing about all the stuff that was hurled at Romney last time about flip-flop, etc.  He stood on his core beliefs – his faith – when denying it would have benefited him greatly, far more than any change of position of one issue or the other.   Nancy at EFM seems to note the same thing.  And Ben Smith at Politco fund Huntsman’s religious bet hedging worthy of passing on.

Silly People…

…abound.  This one makes no sense to me.  This one is just ugly and makes me really unappreciative of the “pay for play” publication sites.  Particularly in an age when getting noticed is not that hard.

Ross Douthat illustrates that he is not exactly in the Romney camp.

And the Anchoress makes the point that the left is very willing to use the silly among us to pain all of us.  *SIGH*  Sometimes I am deeply embarrassed by my coreligionists.

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