What's up with this Romney speech and why should anyone care?

[babylonsister]

MSNBC does. Is Mittens the rethugs' last best hope of a viable candidate? I'm astonished at the coverage for a speech about someone's religion. Is this speech supposed to assuage people that Mormonism doesn't matter?

[Fridays Child]

1. Romney will try to say that he believes in the separation of chuch and state but...

...not in removing religion from the public sphere.

Interesting tightrope, eh?

[babylonsister]

3. So he's going to provided a non-apology apology for his faith, and

convince us all to vote for him. I bet he loses his balance on that tightrope!

[Fridays Child]

11. Egad. He is TOO well put together--a living Ken doll.

I am so creeped out, already. And he just started.

[babylonsister]

14. There's that tightrope; you called it! nt

[Armstead]

16. Get used to it

I have a hunch that he's going to come out on top in the GOP race.

[saltpoint]

2. Good point. The media, as usual, isn't really getting the point of the

speech. They're trying to fashion it as Willard's "Kennedy moment."

That just doesn't do the trick, I don't think. Kennedy's address on Catholicism wasn't an effort to pander to the Republican Far Right.

And demographically, there are a lot more Catholics than there are Mormons. The fundies who vote red aren't going to vote blue no matter what, so Romney's address is off-balance in intent and in his target audience.

Kennedy defused misgivings in part because he was consistently John Kennedy. Romney lacks that consistent profile, and the speech is likely to draw more attention to his waywardness than assuage fundie fears.

[Fridays Child]

4. But I don't think he's trying to keep red-voting fundies from voting blue.

I think he's trying to keep red-voting fundies from voting Huckabee.

[saltpoint]

5. Yes, they're fighting for the same turf in the nutbag demographic.

Romney is "allowing" the notion that this is his "Kennedy moment."

[Fridays Child]

7. You're right.

[Fridays Child]

9. self delete

[babylonsister]

8. I find it so ironic he's trying to piggyback on the legacy of a Dem! nt

[saltpoint]

10. Bingo. He was trespassing in very blue Massachusetts and now he's

ripping off its most famous politician.

babylonsister, you rock.

[haroldgiowa]

12. Ding ding ding ding

You are absolutely right. He is putting the horse before the cart. He is not going to win the republican nomination without the religious right. If he needs in the fall, he will have to readdress it then. If he gets that far.

[saltpoint]

20. haroldgiowa, I'm tardy with this message, but welcome to DU.

Also would like to say that your choice in presidential candidates is a worthy soul and deserving of far greater consideration than the mainstream media currently gives him.

Thumbs up, & a warm welcome.

[Skidmore]

6. Romney and Huckabee are essentially duking it out over who is

the real Christian (answer: neither), thus it is about theology not separation of church and state. Secondly, Romney is Jebbie's boy, and this is an attempt to keep BFEE in governance.

[babylonsister]

18. Jebbie's and GHWB's, apparently. Scary thoughts there. nt

[Renew Deal]

13. You nailed it. "He's their last best hope at a viable candidate."

And it's not a good hope.

[babylonsister]

17. He's the only one that doesn't have skeletons falling out of his closet.

At least not yet.

[jn2375]

15. Romney NEVER says the word Mormon

[rucky]

19. He cribbed from JFK

And the public case he was pretty much obligated to make to defend his Catholicism.

In Mitt's crazy mind, this is no different.