Rick Santorum Aide: "Why Is Mormonism Off Limits?"

[CQUIRK]

From Politico:

Via Byron York, Rick Santorum's advisers are frustrated by the focus on Santorum's "Satan" and "good and evil" comments without similar attention to Mitt Romney's faith:

Specifically religious questioning of Romney is as rare as specific Romney statements about Mormon beliefs. Given the current grilling of Santorum, that is a source of growing frustration to Santorum's advisers. "Why is Mormonism off limits?" asks one. "I'm not saying it's a seminal issue in the campaign, but we're having to spend days answering questions about Rick's faith, which he has been open about. Romney will turn on a dime when you talk about religion. We're getting asked about specific tenets of Rick's faith, and when Romney says, 'I want to focus on the economy,' they say, OK, we'll focus on the economy."

With the headlines Santorum's faith has made, and the fact that today is Ash Wednesday, issues of faith and religion are sure to come up at tonight's debate — but whether that includes focus, by candidates or moderators, on Romney's Mormonism is an open question.

[Avatar4321]

I welcome a public discussion on Mormonism. It will strengthen the Church.

[Kenngo1969]

Translation? Romney's the religious kook. Our candidate's mainstream.

[Calm]

Because Santorum makes his religion a central part of his platform perhaps?

[Jeff K.]

Romney is trying mightily to be logical in his campaign without using faith as the key component as to why he should be elected. Santorum has posited that his ethos in religion is a strong reason to vote for him. While this works with evangelical voters who are desperate for a reason NOT to vote for Romney, it also further isolates Santorum what Americans prefer to be a predominantly secular race. Santorum's peeps believe they can further isolate Romney by focusing not on the secular issues, but the underlying religious questions as to who's God is who's.

[BCSpace]

I welcome a public discussion on Mormonism. It will strengthen the Church.

Santorum's religion doesn't have the strength and power ours does to back up comments about Satan and good and evil especially as it relates to the USA. For example, we have awesome verses like Ether 2:10-12 which says that we must serve the God of the land, Jesus Christ, or be swept off. Would anyone here be willing to state that in a campaign outside Utah though? I might mention that verse in private talks with other Christian and Conservative leaders if I sensed their questions about my LDS faith were sincere.

[CQUIRK]

Well, this certainly came at the same moment when Santorum blew it in the latest GOP debate, so his numbers will began to slide now.

[Scott Lloyd]

Interesting.

While Santorum's people are skittish about going after Mormonism themselves -- thereby running the risk of appearing as bigots -- they would love it if others would do so.

It seems they're trying to do what Huckabee did in 2008, sic the dogs on Romney's Mormon faith, but they're being more subtle about it.

[thesometimesaint]

I don't believe that Romney is all that interested in fighting the Culture Wars. He really did govern Massachussetts as a moderate.

I expect that there will ups and downs in the Republican primaries, but Romney will be the eventual nominee.

[Jeff K.]

Is it a requirement to fight the "culture wars" for a leader of the nation? I recall how certain Book of Mormon leaders while righteous led their less righteous nations as best they could.

[thesometimesaint]

Jeff K.:

I don't see it as desireable, let alone a requirement. Keep the wall of the separation of Church and State as high as possible until the Return of the King.

I would like to see fewer politicians and more statesmen as our governmental leaders.

[Jeff K.]

Not sure what Tolkien has to do with it, but I tend to agree. I think in general most men try to do the right thing, even those I disagree with vehemently. Their religious life isn't what sways me so much as the methodology of what they are doing. I do not see a huge moral difference between most of the candidates (even President Obama who i,s for all I have heard, a good father and husband, the most important jobs he has).

[blueadept]

Jeff K.:

I don't see it as desireable, let alone a requirement. Keep the wall of the separation of Church and State as high as possible until the Return of the King.

I do believe LDS members tend to drive home the point of separation of Church and State in regards to government and I respect that. Overall, one party seems to better represent your beliefs so I believe it's easier for you all to support one party and honor your desire of separation of Church and State.

As a staunch Catholic, neither party does a good job in representing my Catholic beliefs. They both have their strengths and weaknesses; therefore, it's harder for me to honor the separation of Church and State. Both sides trample on my values so I don't vote as a Democrat or a Republican but do vote as a Catholic. We have our extremists on both ends of the spectrum but the majority seems to be in the middle, thus it's hard to pick a side.

My 2 cents

In regards to the OP, I would keep Romney's LDS faith out of the equation.

[thesometimesaint]

blueadept:

I wouldn't want to be a member of any political party that would have me as a member.

More seriously I find political parties to be a collossal waste of time and talent. None of them truely represent what I believe, and the one or two(neither Republican nor Democractic) that come closest have other such bizarre platform planks that I can't in good conscience align myself with them either.

I don't vote as a Mormon either. I vote as a citizen of the US. Thus I can vote for a Kennedy, a Eisenhower, or a Anderson. .

[thesometimesaint]

Jeff K.:

I was alluding to the belief of all Christians. We are awaiting the return of Jesus the Christ our king.

[Deborah]

Because in spite of its weirdness, Mormonism is more practical? But I agree with Calmoriah that Santorum has made his religious views more a part of his campaign and as one of my friends put it sounds more like a preacher than a president.

[thesometimesaint]

Deborah:

I agree we are weird, but in a nice way.

[KevinG]

Because Santorum makes his religion a central part of his platform perhaps?

That is the best answer. When Mitt uses his Mormon beliefs as a platform plank on abortion, birth control or consecration of wealth then we can discuss them in the political arena.

In fact I think Romney should be more forceful about distinguishing his personal belief system from how he would govern and stress the agency of all people to choose for themselves. It would resonate with fiscal and libertarian leaning conservatives.

When Santorum or any other candidate panders to the socially conservative or dominionist movements he narrows his appeal. I think its a desperate and short sighted ploy.

The best attribute Romney has IMO is his ability to support individual rights and choices ala Thomas Jefferson.

The great irony here is when Romney does things that don't support a dominionist approach or a liberal approach (government knows best and the battle is over who controls it) he is accused of flip flopping or being unfaithful to his own beliefs. I'd much rather see a candidate who establishes his personal integrity (yeah I'm a Mormon and I'd never drink a beer) then establish the right of others to choose (but it is up to others to define and determine their own path) then reassert the governments proper role (and the government should protect life, liberty and the persuit of happiness however someone chooses to define that for themself).

[thesometimesaint]

Thomas Jefferson, whom I greatly admire, wasn't all that for individual rights for his slaves.

All due deference to the Declaration of Independence, but our governments' role and authority is established in the Constitution. SEE the Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

[Scott Lloyd]

That is the best answer. When Mitt uses his Mormon beliefs as a platform plank on abortion, birth control or consecration of wealth then we can discuss them in the political arena.

In fact I think Romney should be more forceful about distinguishing his personal belief system from how he would govern and stress the agency of all people to choose for themselves. It would resonate with fiscal and libertarian leaning conservatives.

An LDS candidate for public office, when pressed on his religious faith, could do a lot worse than cite Doctrine and Covenants 101:76-80, which gives Christ's endorsement of the Constitution of the United States as an instrument for safeguarding moral agency. I know of no other faith that includes a reverence for the U.S. Constitution as part of its codified and canonized doctrine.

Those who are worried about where a Mormon candidate would stand on separation of church and state could be shown Doctrine and Covenants 134:4.

[zelder]

Romney's religion was beat to death during his first presidential bid in 2008. The media couldn't stop talking about it, it's all they wanted to talk about and Romney wanted northing to do with it. They tried and tried and tried to get him to talk about his religion and he refused time and again. He finally gave a speach on the subject remember? Romney's religion is old news. Santorum seems like a whiner.

[LeSellers]

Romney's religion was beat to death during his first presidential bid in 2008. ... He finally gave a speach on the subject remember? Romney's religion is old news. Santorum seems like a whiner.

We might also note that, although Kennedy was Catholic, his relationship to the Catholic Church was more ethno-cultural than spiritual: I cannot recall his attending Mass on anything like a regular basis, he was a repeat adulterer, didn't observe most Catholic tenets. Santorum, on the other hand, seems to be quite an orthodox Catholic. So, even though he'd not be the first Catholic president, he would be the first Catholic president, if you see the difference.

As to Santorum's being a "whiner", it is an issue each must determine for himself. He does seem a bit overly defensive to me, but I have my own standard for that, and it is probably not the same as yours.

In this two-dog fight, I have no entry: I'm a Paul supporter. Paul is a veteran (the only one in the field, GOP or Dem). He's one of only two to have had a real career outside of government and created real jobs. He understands the issues, both economic and social (including medical—he's a real, practicing doctor), and he has studied history (Gingrich might beat him there, but only "might"). Romney is better only in having run much larger organizations with far greater economic consequences. Of the four, I don't know who's read the Constitution more recently, but if it's not Paul, he's second. I do know who's read it more and who actually applies the standards of the Founders: 'snot Gingrich or Santorum.

Paul is the one who's been married the longest to the same woman. He's a religious man, but not overly demonstrative about it. He comes very close to Romney on those counts, overtaking him on the numbers (although he had a head start in the marriage race: he's a decade older).

No one's really looking at the "religion" of the candidates. What they're investigating is how the candidates relate to the faiths. Gingrich is a loser there: he's only been a Catholic for a few years, and there's nothing in his record to show that he's pious. Santorum, Romney, and Paul (in reverse alphabetic order) are all very much whatevertheyare: "pious" is the most useful word here—we Saints would say, "active", others might make it "believing"; none of the three would be out of place in church, singing the hymns.

"Baptist" isn't news. "Mormon" is, but it's getting a bit worn and boring; it may even be getting a sheen of respectability in some quarters and may be "off limits" out of fear of a label of bigotry should a reporter cross a faint line in the sand. Santorum's idiosyncratic Catholicism is what's news. So he's getting the treatment. I have no doubt, however, that the elite/main stream media will pull out its own hair to attack Romney's idiosyncratic Mormonism once he's secured the nomination and O'bama turns them lose to do so.

Lehi

[Calm]

he was a repeat adulterer

My impression from history class was this wasn't something that was publicized by the press so the general public weren't aware of it.

Was the general public's perception one of him as a cultural Catholic or a believing, but perhaps not fully devout?

[LeSellers]

Even though I was fully aware of (and participated in—to the extent I was able at age 12) the 1960 campaign and his presidency, I really can't answer that question from a 1960s perspective. I really did not like him as president, so my recollections are colored by that dislike.

In the late 60s, after his assassination, in France, and even Switzerland, many people had shrines to him in the living rooms. I don't recall any of these people as being anything other than Catholic.

In the early 70s, I was in many USmerican homes with a picture of "St. John" on the wall. I am reasonably sure these homes were all Catholic.

While his adultery was not widely known, his lack of Catholic practice was. No one expected him to show up for Mass, no one was disappointed.

Lehi

[Scott Lloyd]

My impression from history class was this wasn't something that was publicized by the press so the general public weren't aware of it.

Was the general public's perception one of him as a cultural Catholic or a believing, but perhaps not fully devout?

I was only 9 when Kennedy was assassinated, but I did not learn about him being an adulterer until I was in college. I don't believe the general public knew about it during his lifetime, though I've since heard that the D.C. press corps knew, but there was kind of a gentlemen's agreement, as it were, that they not mention it. In some ways, Kennedy was in bed with the press, not just his illicit lovers.