Will Mitt Romney’s speech this week on his Mormon faith be delivered from a position of strength, or a position of weakness?
Romney’s religion has been the subject of speculation and criticism since he first got into the presidential race, but he had, until this weekend, refused to commit to a “JFK style” speech targeted to assuage the concerns of primary voters.
It’s worth noting that he is giving the speech as multiple polls show his support in Iowa fading, while the Huckabee campaign quickly segues from dark horse to contender.
My own suspicion is to set expectations low. Rather than delivering a groundbreaking defense of his chosen faith, look for Romney to blanket himself as a mainstream Christian who faces opposition from a secular press and other non-religious elements. It’s all but certain that he will seek to reassure voters of his independence from the LDS church if he's elected president, but as MyManMitt explains, that’s not groundbreaking because he’s already been doing that for a while now.
Here’s a sampling of what bloggers are saying so far about the speech, which Romney is scheduled to deliver this Thursday:
Romney is desperate:
Soren Dayton:"This is probably the clearest evidence yet that the Romney campaign understands how precarious its position is in IA. It will not be enough to simply attack Mike Huckabee in Iowa. Romney will have to find a way to build trust over their barrier of his religion. This is probably his last chance, and it is a … hail mary."
NRO's Jim Geraghty says the speech may be part of a larger effort to counter Huckabee's natural alliance with Iowa ministers: "If that phenomenon is part of what's eating into Romney's lead in Iowa, maybe he feels he's got to swing for the fences, and try to get as many Iowa evangelicals as possible to feel comfortable with his faith..."
How the Speech Can Help Romney:
The Moderate Voice: "Can Mitt Romney be a Mormon up front, and also be the nominee for president? I think resounding yes. It ought not be despite his Mormonism, but because of it, because of Mormonism’s deep intelligence in many matters that are still germane in our culture today…"
All This Has Happened Before and Will Happen Again:
MyManMitt: "I just don't think the news media has done a good job. They keep telling people Romney has not addressed questions about his religion, but the media should be smart enough to organize and present the responses that Romney has already given."
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