RomneyWatch: Will Mitt Face a Religious Test?

There is an interesting discussion/comment over at The American Scene. Various pundits are discussing whether Mitt Romney's religion (a religion he has in common with everyone here at The Wasatch Front, hence our diligent attention) will hurt him in a national election.

One key part of the Republican party's base are evangelist Christians and Baptists, some groups of which are particularly annoyed by Mormons. There is a large body of work speculating that these people would rather see a Democrat win than work to help a elect a Mormon.

I'm not so sure. When it comes down to political goals, Mormons, Baptists, and evangelicals agree on a lot more than they disagree. They are on the same side of the political aisle for a reason.

Ultimately, this comes down to Romney himself, and he's already chipping away at some of those preconceptions with good faith and humor.

From The Corner:

ROMNEY THE JOKER [John J. Miller]
K Lo: That Slate piece by Adam Reilly criticizes a joke that Romney likes to use, and which I've heard him say a couple of times, in order to defuse the skepticism some people have about Mormons:

I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman … and a woman … and a woman.

Reilly admits that the joke is funny (which it is, and Romney's well-practiced delivery of it is perfect) but says it merely points out the Mormons are, well, different from other kinds of Christians.

My own sense is that the joke actually helps him. Whenever I discuss Romney with a friend, the Mormonism question comes up--is he electable? I always say that I don't know, but that Romney tells this really funny joke as a way to build bonds and defuse skepticism, which I then repeat. It always gets a laugh, often followed by some positive comment about Romney's personability. At some point, everyone will have heard this joke and Romney will have to come up with a new one. But for now it works, its self-deprecation makes him likeable, and it subtly reminds listeners that Romney has fought for traditional values as hard as any conservative in the country.
Posted at 09:41 AM

This particular aspect will depend far more on Romney's personality and how he handles it - and I think his combination of good humor, honesty, and hard work can win most of his religious critics over. There will be a few holdouts - but then, they've been out there in left field for a while anyway.

[Back to RomneyWatch.]

The Friday Furo Questus

Questus Furore - Iran, Again
Hi, broken record here. Paid attention to Iran lately?

The international response is going about as expected. We want the UN to take action. Russia and China warn the UN not to antagonize Iran. Iran has blown off the UN - before the UN has even done anything.

So much for the international community.

And Iran has or is about to acquire missiles capable of hitting Europe. And has promised to share its nuclear technology.

For more reading, consider:
Mark Steyn, "Facing Down Iran."
Matthias Küntzel, "Ahmadinejad's Demons."
The Weekly Standard on Iran's offer to share.

A Clarification
I did make it back from Cleveland - but not until Wednesday. Thanks to the vagaries of air traffic control, I got an unplanned overnight stay in Chicago. (I had an hour and a half to make my connecting flight home. My plane from Cleveland, through a combination of arrival delays, terminal delays, and general stupidity, left Clevelan when it was supposed to arrive in Chicago. I finally got to Chicago a half-hour after my plane had left.) That was inconvenient.

What was annoying was United Airlines in Chicago. Consider this - Chicago O'Hare International Airport, either the or one of the busiest airports in the world depending on who you ask. It is probably the definition of a 24/7 operation. It is a major hub for United Airlines.

But United sends all their luggage room people home at 8PM. My flight from Cleveland finally got to Chicago at... 8PM. So my bags stayed overnight at the airport.

Coupled with the fact that I am a big... okay, fat... okay, really fat guy, and I tend to get hot and uncomfortable in airline seats...

I would just like to apologize to the woman who had to sit next to me on my flight home the Wednesday morning. I really did bathe that morning, honest.

P.S. This was not me. And fortunately the officer involved looks like he will recover.

Recommended Reading
Victor Davis Hanson, "Our Orphaned Middle East Policy."

James S. Robbins writes on the Zarqawi tape.

Jay Nordlinger writes on blaming the usual suspects and the conflation of facism and Communism - and much more.

From Human Events Online: "The Ten Most Harmful Government Programs." Notice how many have a constitutional justification for existance.

United 93 opens today. Rich Lowry and Alston Ramsey comment.

Thought of the Week
"Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan."
John F. Kennedy

Churchill Quote of the Week
"We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."
Winston Churchill

Moon Over Parma

Off to Cleveland, see you Wednesday.

'Till then, here are some random questions to ponder.

Happy Birthday, Your Majesty

Queen Elizabeth II turned 80 today.

Carry on.

The Friday Furo Questus

Questus Furore - What, Me Worry?
I have been thinking dark thoughts of late. The fruition of Iran's nuclear ambitions is in the wings, as the grand spectacle of Iran's mullahs announced the successful enrichment of uranium. The President's poll numbers and the general level of discourse in this country, coupled with the general fecklessness of Europe, speak volumes of what our reaction will be: nothing.

And that is a problem. And I'm not the only one who thinks so.

I don't know what the answer to the Iran crisis is. All I am certain is that the longer the clock ticks, the more war becomes the only remaining option. A nuclear-armed Iran presents a whole new problem, for there can be no balance of terror with a power that regards its own population as expendable.

The time is rapidly approaching when our post-Holocaust vow of "never again" will be put to its sorest test. Iran's Ahmadinejad has made several public promises of destroying Israel. While a common promise of Arabic leaders, it never has been a credible threat - until now.

I can hear the ghost of Hitler laughing.

Recommended Reading
John O'Sullivan, "Nothing Sprouts From Brussels."

Rich Lowry, "Asia Rising."

Jay Nordlinger. Just read him.

David Gelertner, "Back To Federalism."

Thought of the Week
"Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion."
Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)
Speech to the electors of Bristol. 3 Nov. 1774

Churchill Quote of the Week
"It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required."
Winston Churchill

The Church Of Anything Goes

Interesting piece over at National Review today by Father Thomas Williams. I recommend you check it out, but here's a sample:

There is a difference between a church saying “We welcome all persons” and “We welcome all behavior.” After all, two things distinguish Christian belief: a body of doctrine and a moral code. Following Jesus entails both. Jesus welcomed prostitutes, but he never welcomed prostitution. He was soft on adulterers, but unyielding on adultery. After forgiving the adulterous woman, in fact, he adds: “Go and sin no more.” And the tax collector Zacchaeus, on encountering Jesus, promises to pay back all those he has cheated — fourfold. Jesus never welcomed cheating, but he did welcome reformed cheaters. This is not just a matter of semantic hair-splitting. Jesus came to call sinners but to condemn sin, much as a doctor heals sick people but eradicates sickness.

It's an interesting, and well-said, piece on homosexuality and religion that is one of the currently active fault lines of our society.

April 19, 1775

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled;
Here once the embattled farmers stood;
And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps,
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream that seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We place with joy a votive stone,
That memory may their deeds redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

O Thou who made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free, --
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raised to them and Thee.

"Concord Hymn," Ralph Waldo Emerson

More at The Pacific Slope.

The Friday Furo Questus

Questus Furore - The Persian Problem
It's official, Iran now has its uranium. Now the crisis truly begins. While diplomacy will be tried again and again and again, I hold out little hope for its success. Either Iran will get nukes, or we will go to war. Either option is bad.

Appeasement never works. But we never seem to learn.

Questus Furore - Does Anyone Remember Chivalry?
Tonight (early tomorrow morning, actually) marks the anniversary of the loss of the RMS Titanic. This week, I came across an interesting article by Carrie Lukas.

When the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, the answer was obvious: women and children had first priority. Why was this? Certainly, the male passengers could have over-powered most of the women and saved their own lives. What kept them from doing so?

Chivalry. The idea that part of being a man (and certainly part of being a gentleman) is to sacrifice willingly to protect those who are more vulnerable. Of course, all those aboard the Titanic were equally vulnerable to the near freezing water. The men who gave their seats in the lifeboats gave their lives. Out of all of the Titanic's passengers, 74 percent of women lived while 80 percent of the men died.

Of course, a few did try to sneak onto the lifeboats. But here is the difference between then and today - those who did slink away were scandalized, and led a life of shame.

Now, a tearful apology cleanses away all sin, whether the penitant means his confession or not.

So, I have a suggestion, for all us men out there. Tonight, go out under the stars. Think back to a cold North Atlantic night ninety-four years ago. Then ask yourself this question: could you have done what the men on the Titanic did?

They did it as a matter of course. Society expected it of them.

Now society expects nothing. The loss is ours.

Recommended Reading
VDH, "Dead-End Debates."

David Frum, "So Why Not Just Give Them The Bomb, Then?"

Mohamed Eljahmi, "True to His Terrorist Ways."

Argghhh!, "Wars, and Rumors of War."

Dan Simmons, "The Time Traveller."

Thought of the Week
"I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards to avenge even a look that threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone."
Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)

Churchill Quote of the Week
"You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police. Yet in their hearts there is unspoken – unspeakable! – fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts! Words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home, all the more powerful because they are forbidden. These terrify them. A little mouse – a little tiny mouse! – of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic."
Winston Churchill

What's Up With The Mormons Lately? (Part II)

I just thought I would bring this article to your attention:

BELMONT, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Stepping into a Mormon temple is like watching a cinematic take on heaven: everything glows in white -- from the rich upholstery to the ivory outfits of worshipers and polished marble floors.

It's also a step more people are taking in the heavily Roman Catholic U.S. Northeast, where Mormon numbers have jumped 37 percent in 10 years, nearly double the religion's national growth rate of 21 percent, church data show.

"The number of new members here is just utterly amazing," said Allan Barker, president of the Massachusetts temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the faith is formally known.

Interesting...

[DANGER...DANGER...NOW ENTERING THE SPECIOUS SPECULATION ZONE...]
One aspect of this story that I find really interesting is that I consider the Northeast to be one of the more secular parts of the country. (The urban areas of the West Coast being the other.) Granted, the LDS Church presence there is still pretty small, but the growth is interesting. At a time when the overall rate of growth is declining, the Northeast is booming. Why?

Is the Northeast more religious than I am giving them credit for? Is the LDS Church benefiting from the disasterous self-inflicted sex-abuse scandal the Cathlic Church has underwent, a scandal which acutely affected the Catholics of New England? Are these the beginnings of a religious reawakening? Or is interest being sparked by star power, as it were, with the rise of Mitt Romney in Massachusetts politics?

In real terms, the why doesn't matter. I'm just curious. The Northeast has never struck me as a fertile ground for missionary efforts, and I am happily and obviously wrong.

Maybe Maine Man will crawl out of his hole and give us some thoughts...

Romney Continues To Catch Attention

Mitt Romney's 2008 stock continues to rise, if Jonathan Alter's Newsweek piece is any indication.

(Or is this the press finding a new favorite Republican, now that McCain has taken a stand on immigration issues? It's a fair question.)

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts health care plan, whose implementation is drawing Gov. Romney this new attention, gets critiqued by Ramesh Ponnuru at National Review. The Tyler Condensed Version: A good plan to reach a bad goal (universal coverage), and in regards to taxes the best plan Romney could get with a Democratic Legislature. It does contain some good connservative elements, but it would need more tweaking before Ponnuru would cheerlead for it. But overall - a good plan.

[Back to RomneyWatch.]

America's Best?

Curt Smith looks back at 2006's American Olympians and is largely unimpressed.

The Friday Furo Questus

Questus Furore - Report From The Scene
Weddings are fun, aren't they?

Jamo and the lovely Sarah were wed yesterday in the midst of a snowstorm. Oh well - the pictures look pretty cool.

And despite great effort by the groom - his car was decorated. Badly.

I hope to get a detailed report - with pictures - up this weekend. Stay tuned.

Recommended Reading
VDH, "Miscalculations."

Jonah Goldberg, "Egalite, Liberte, 401(k)."

Michael Ledeen, "Your Own Lying Eyes."

Thought of the Week
"Marriage is the most natural state of man, and... the state in which you will find solid happiness."
Benjamin Franklin

Churchill Quote of the Week
"My wife and I tried to breakfast together, but we had to stop or our marriage would have been wrecked."
Winston Churchill

May I Present The Bride & Groom

Jamo & Sarah



Married for Time & Eternity
April 6, 2006

A Note To Readers

Expect blogging to be light from now through the beginning of next week. [Not that it isn't already.]

There is a good reason. Inspirator and co-founder of the Wasatch Front, our own Jamo, is getting married tomorrow, April 6th.

That's right - Jamo has less than 24 hours as a free man. He says he's not nervous.

So expect his contributions to stop for at least a week. And I will be attending the rcpetion - hopefully I'll be able to put up a few pictures Friday.

Tomorrow is also Wear A Kilt To Work Day. No, I'm not planning on combining this with the wedding. Jamo's betrothed would kill me.

Venezuela's Dark Road Ahead

Appropo of a conversation Jamo and I were having just last night:

Chavez grabs oil field to fund anti-US campaign
By Jeremy McDermott
London Telegraph (Filed: 04/04/2006)

Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez yesterday seized control of a French-run oil field, strengthening his control of the country's vast oil wealth, the lifeblood of his "Bolivarian Revolution".

Total SA confirmed from its Paris headquarters that the state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA, "took control of our operations" during the weekend after it refused to turn the site over to a state-run joint venture.

Mr Chavez has decided to redefine the terms under which foreign companies can operate in Venezuela, which has the largest oil reserves outside of the Middle East.

The new terms state that the Venezuelan government must have a 60 per cent share in any venture. Sixteen companies have bowed to the demands by the president, among them BP and Shell, but Exxon Mobile, the world's largest oil company, sold its interests instead.

Total and ENI, of Italy, have refused to sign accords, hence the seizure of Total's concession. The Venezuelan government has said that both companies owe taxes and face being shut down.

Mr Chavez is using his oil windfall to promote a social reform programme, arms purchases and to engage in anti-US diplomacy, selling oil at below market rates to detach Latin American nations from Washington's orbit.

Apparently the totalitarian impulse is too much for Mr. Chavez to resist. Best case, Venezuela ends up like Mexico, corrupt and impotent; worst case they end up bankrupt, adrift, brutally repressed, and spoiling for a short victorious war to get the people's minds off their misery, like Galiteri's Argentina.

By Their Works You Shall Know Them

I wish to point you over to an interesting piece by Eugene Volokh of the Volokh Conspiracy. (Yes, I probably spelled it wrong. It's early.)

Discussed is a recent editorial by John Sexton, President of New York University, who has many well-said points on academic diversity and freedom of speech on the campus.

The problem is - NYU's deeds do not match his words.