Romney's lack of faith in America

This entry is a reaction to Mitt Romney's "Faith in America" speech, given earlier today. It can be found here: http://www.mittromney.com/News/Speeches/Faith_In_America

First off, if you haven't read the speech then I highly suggest you do so. It is very well-written and I hope to hear Romney's presentation of it soon. The man is an excellent orator. That being said, I have a few of problems with what he actually says in the speech. I think these problems reflect on larger issues and as such am talking about them here.

In the middle of the speech, Romney says, "There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths."

This, perhaps deliberately, misses the point.

Beyond being a cultural oddity, most Americans don't seem to really care about Mormonism that much. They don't care that the Mormon church used to be racist, but now is less so. They don't care that the Mormon church used to be sexist, but now is less so. They don't even really care that the Mormon church used to endorse polygamy, but now does so less vehemently. Nobody really cares about these things, beyond their just being interesting or wierd.

What people care about is what Mitt Romney thinks and believes. Americans want to know if Mitt Romney is a racist. They want to know if Mitt Romney is a sexist. They want to know if Mitt Romney will discriminate against blacks, women, or gays. They'd like to know if Mitt will discriminate economically. But Mitt's political positions have "evolved," and that inconsistency creates doubt. As such, people will look to the place where it is unusual to change one's mind lightly...religion.

Romney says, "I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers – I will be true to them and to my beliefs."

One must wonder if he was being true to his faith when he supported Roe v. Wade in 1994. If so, is he being true to his faith now by rescinding his support? He says his views on this issue have evolved, but I'd like a good answer as to how and why. It has been 13 years, and I'd accept that he changed his mind if he'd tell me why. The same criticism can be brought to bear on his support of civil unions for homosexuals in 2005, and his lack of support in 2006. Why the change? I can accept a change of mind if there is a good reason, especially if one posits a sound religious reason for that change. But, no matter the reason I'd like to know what it is. Otherwise, I'm just left to assume that Romney holds whatever opinion will garner him political power.

I don't deny that Romney would probably be a capable president. He has been successful in business, and successful as Governor of Massachusetts. He strikes me as a shrewd and energetic man with a sound moral framework to guide his actions. I disagree with most of his positions, but I have no evidence to claim that his positions are not moral from his perspective. That is why I think it is vital that the public know what that moral framework is. Saying you "believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind" will simply not pass muster. Until you explain to me what your moral compass is in very precise language, I must assume that you have no moral compass.

Every politician must give me a good reason to assume that they want political power to do good, and that they can precisely define what that good is. Romney wants presidential power to cut taxes for they hyper-wealthy (such as himself), deny gays the right to have their marriages recognized by the state, rescind the right of women to have whatever medical procedure they wish and can afford, and continue occupying a foreign country despite the objections of most of his countrymen. How are these things good? How are these things informed by his faith? He hasn't answered these questions. For that matter, no GOP candidate has answered these questions all that well.

I know religion is a hot topic, and morality is a wooly topic. Moral issues are tough to talk about, and don't fit well into a 30 second debate response. That's fine, Mitt. We can handle it. If you want to have faith in America, perhaps you should have faith in Americans.

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