From POLITICO:
Crazy as Wright sounds, “Mormonism could scare Romney’s own base even more.”
Conservative far right wing evangelicals were not and are not enthused about Mitt Romney (due to his Mormon views) because religion tends to matter to them more. There is a
Invoking Rev. Wright will only bring attention to Mitt Romney's Mormon background, also.
reason why Mitt Romney’s millions were really unable to really beat Rick Santorum (an evangelical favorite) and his shoe string budget during the early 2012 Presidential primary elections. That said…it looks like Mitt Romney is stepping into a political landmine when he chose to chime in on the Rev. Wright issue.
Romney spoke on a Hannity show program that will simply remind Republicans of Mitt Romney’s Mormon background. It would have been better for Romney not to say anything at all. Some evangelicals and several Americans really don’t know about Mormonism in general, but they are about to find out, and it certainly does not help to learn about some of the polygamous beginnings of Mormonism in the women’s department. It also will not help when Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson will bring awareness to how the Mormon Church did not allow minority priests until the late 1970′s. The Mormon Church did not allow black men to be ordained as priests in the church until 1978.
At least Senator John McCain was smart enough not to touch the Rev. Wright issue, and Romney invoking Wright will now backfire. I believe the issue will also strike a nerve with women, especially women who believe polygamous views are demeaning to women. It would have been better if Mitt Romney would have said nothing at all — but now the flood gates will open.
Mark my words, everything will be invoked — race, women, religion, birth control, immigrants and what have ya. What the National Tequila Party Movement will concentrate on is the Latin and Mexican matriarch votes in key swing states.
But Romney himself raised the controversial reverend during a radio interview with Sean Hannity in February, after the host aired a clip of President Obama saying, “Given the increasing diversity of America’s populations, the dangers of sectarianism are greater than ever. Whatever we once were we are no longer a Christian nation.”
Romney replied, “The other part of his quote is also an unusual thing, where he says that sectarianism (presents) a great threat. Look, he may not be much of a student of history but perhaps he doesn’t recall that from the very beginning, America had many different sects, many different religions, that part of our founding principle was that we would be a nation of religious tolerance. Also, without question, the legal code in this country is based upon Judeo-Christian values and teachings, Biblical teachings, and for the president not to understand that a wide array of religions and a conviction that Judeo-Christian philosophy is an integral part of our foundation is really an extraordinary thing. I think again that the president takes his philosophical leanings in this regard, not from those who are ardent believers in various faiths but instead from those who would like to see America (more secular. And I’m not sure which is worse, him listening to Reverend Wright or him saying that we … must be a less Christian nation.”
Some Republicans have said privately since the 2008 campaign that they wished John McCain would have used the incendiary words of the reverend, who was Obama’s longtime pastor, against the then-candidate.
McCain refused to do it.
