What Are the Religious Issues to Watch for in the Debates?

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lee-jefferson/religious-issues-to-watch-for-in-the-debates_b_1928745.html

Lee Jefferson
Professor, Centre College

Posted: 10/02/2012 6:55 pm

On Meet the Press recently, Republican governor Chris Christie announced that the upcoming debates will change the course of the election in favor of Romney. While possible, that scenario is improbable; nevertheless the attention of the election will now shift to the debates that begin this week. And with that attention there is a renewed focus on issues and questions that are pertinent for each candidate. As a scholar of religion, I have been observing the trends of this election pattern with interest. The two candidates, Obama and Romney, both claim to be committed Christians, with Romney belonging to the LDS Church and Obama having a Protestant background. With Romney's Mormonism, observers of the election are wondering, "When will the Mormon card be played, or will it be played before November?"

Romney is not the first Mormon to make a run for the presidency (nor is he the first in his family to run for this office. His father ran in 1968, leading Richard Nixon for a period of time), but he now enjoys the highest profile of any Mormon candidate, and now as the Republican nominee, he is making the notion of a Mormon president closer to reality. But lost in Romney's Mormon background is the fact that both vice-presidential candidates (Biden and Ryan) are Catholics, and share very different ideologies. As a professor at Centre College, the site of the vice presidential debate on Oct. 11, my focus is on the latter debate, especially since I anticipate more religious issues raised in a Biden/Ryan debate rather than in a Romney/Obama tête-à-tête.

But the "Mormon" question regarding Romney is likely the most obvious "religious" issue that may be broached at these debates. And to answer the above question regarding when Romney's Mormonism will be on the forefront of the election news cycle, my answer is "It likely won't." At this point in the race I would be surprised if the Mormon issue comes front and center, especially in the context of a debate. With Romney lagging behind with decreased momentum, it seems his Mormon identity may be underplayed in order to appeal to undecided voters. A question about Romney's religious identity may very well come from a moderator in the debates, particularly about how his Mormonism would inform his presidency. But I can only imagine he would briefly address it and aggressively characterize himself as embodying Christian values in an effort to captivate voters. Obama's campaign has been in the position lately to let Romney trip over his own feet. Invoking Romney's Mormonism into the election spotlight could produce an undesired effect. If Romney's Mormonism comes up it will come from Romney.

Religious issues still will arise in the context of the debates aside from Mormonism. Perhaps the most important issue regarding religion involves foreign policy. A major example of recent note is the issue of Islamophobia with the "Innocence of Muslims" film and the backlash that film has fostered in different countries in the Middle East. Romney was severely condemned for attacking the administration's response after the Libya attacks, fitting into his larger criticism of Obama for constantly "apologizing" for America. Underlying Romney's critiques is a consistent trend of painting Islam with a broad brush, emphasizing Islam as extremist, radical and a religion of terrorism. The debates offer an opportunity to correct the unfortunate leap towards Islamophobia especially as it relates to foreign policy. The support of the state of Israel, especially as Netanyahu bangs the war drum with Iran, is also an area of religious interest as the debates draw near, and is a comparable occasion to correct the perception of Islam.

[longship]

1. I sincerely hope Mitt's Mormonism does not come up.

Or, President Obama's religion. Or, Ryan's. Or Biden's.

Here's why. From U.S. Constitution, Article VI:

...
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Any religious question could, and IMHO would, be interpreted as a de facto religious test. If I was a candidate and a moderator asked such a question my response would be to read the above Constitutional paragraph from memory.

Religious questions are out-of-bounds.

[cbayer]

2. I agree with you. I doubt very much that either presidential candidate will

bring it up, nor do I think Jim Lehrer will.

But I'm not so sure about the VP debate, as Biden and Ryan appear to have vastly different interpretations of Catholicism. I could see how this might become an issue.

[longship]

3. That would be in very poor taste, IMHO.

So I hope you are wrong, my friend.

[dimbear]

4. Here's a nice respectful sort of question. "Are you surprised that, given the importance of your

faith, so many of your prospective voters cannot identify you as a Mormon?"

Or for the president, "Are you surprised that so many of Mitt's prospective voters doggedly identify you as a Muslim?"

One might raise issues of delicacy and taste, but luckily for us this is politics and they don't count.