When Mormons Disagree, Beck Dominates The Discussion, There is an Election – all that and maybe more
Mormons Disagree on GZM…
Well, at least Orrin Hatch does. The left keeps trying to make a big deal out of it. They are trying, once again, to drive a wedge in the conservative coalition. And some are trying to divide Mormons or make some public Mormons less authentic appearing than others.
There are a lot of problems here and one of them is Orrin Hatch not holding the party line very well. But be that as it may, the real problem is people trying to paint religious people as somehow lock-step robotic ideologues. We’re not – sometimes we disagree. The key is how we handle those disagreements. And here is the thing – Hatch’s comments did not attack anyone, but many have latched on to them and used them as attack fodder.
One of the big mistakes conservatives make is that we assume everyone is as nice as we are – it hurts us every time. We cannot allow ourselves ever to turn as mean as the opposition, but we do have to protect ourselves against their tactics, and that means learning to manage our messages better. Hatch is certainly guilty of that sin, but that is about it. He has a wrong opinion – happens every day, not the issue.
And speaking of mean, from a source other than Christopher Hitchens, this piece would be one of the most offensive I have read in years, and it is unsurprisingly published in Slate. However, being from Hitchens it is just more of same. What baffles me is when such an otherwise reasonable man spits such bile – you can always tell there is something personal at play.
The Beck Rally…
…seemed to dominate the political/religious discussion all last week. We of course had our say, which Hugh Hewitt seemed to like, and which shared a lot in common with Timothy Dalrymple. But we seemed to hold a minority opinion - even though the likes of Glenn Reynolds, Maggie Gallagher, John Fund, Jonah Goldberg and James Taranto appear to be in the same ball park with us. It seems people just cannot understand the difference between a civic religion, an organized religion, a political movement, and a political campaign – or they don’t want to. Some, of course, wanted to graft a different agenda onto a successful gathering, and the analysts had to analyze even if meant discussing stuff that wasn’t really there. But no one, it seems wanted to take the thing at face value.
Some were worried that Beck was a “stalking horse” for Mormonism, some think at least on political level – even if they are suspicious of religion in general (think example of the real enemy here). Some see religious conspiracy. Some tired to put that question into a proper context, but everybody is asking if Beck is going to help Romney.
But the reliably left MSM is really trying to use it as a wedge to divide us as conservatives between faiths and between conservative and liberals inside Mormonism. (That reporter keeps going here) Uber-left Time magazine gets pretty nasty about it. Even Christianity Today is forced to ask about it.
Politically, who knows where this thing is going to end up, (as I said last week Beck is likely to blow the momentum he has gained here - he may have started to do so already) but when there are this many people talking about something this defensively, political change is in the wind – in this case maybe a hurricane.
The Field…
Tim Pawlenty has some polling problems. And some people think it’s a big deal. Actually you will read it about most governors as they leave office. I don’t put much stock in such polls. The same was true for Romney and he is still standing. Pawlenty did make what to this eye seems like one very smart move. Obamacare is a line in the stand that no Republican that wants the job can afford to cross. He also is making a mistake too. The VVS is a mixed bag politically and how to best utilize it is a tough call, but avoiding it is giving away votes.
Mitch Daniels – Chris Cilizza says it ain’t over until its over. Maybe not, but like Pawlenty he is stepping on some toes that matter – they may not be determinative, but they mater.
Mitt Romney - political comments from children should be taken with a grain of salt. Of course, the MSM will miss no shot at the GOP frontrunner.
Religion In the News…
Now FOXNews has picked up the Mormon ad story as a stalking horse for Romney. Give it a rest people, the church still has to be the church, they cannot fold up their tents completely just becasue one of their own is running.
Vanity Fair is using Sarah Palin to make fun of all of us. I keep telling you – they are after all of us.
Is Glenn Reynolds making fun of us? I feared the story line he mocks would catch on, but apparently not – Thankfully.
Not sure this is a smart argument, but it is compelling.
Unsurprisingly, religion is everywhere. But it is only an issue when someone wants to hammer conservatives.
Posted in Reading List, Religious Freedom, Understanding Religion | 1 Comment » | 
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Some Official Commentary on Mormons, Glenn Beck, Politics, and the Public Square | Article VI Blog | Lowell Brown on 07 Sep 2010 at 11:18 am #
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