The intolerance that dares not speak its name
by digby
I would love to know why the pundits refuse to see this as a significant reason for Romney's inability to close the deal:
The next Republican presidential debate – the Thanksgiving Family Forum – is tomorrow in the crucial early caucus state of Iowa. The elephant in the room will be the elephant not in the room – frontrunner Mitt Romney who is avoiding the event, presumably to prevent the “Mormon issue” from heating up again.
The Thanksgiving Family Forum is being sponsored by three right-wing organizations: Focus on the Family’s CitizenLink, the National Organization for Marriage, and the Family Leader, an Iowa-based Christian conservative organization. On the face of it, Romney fits in rather well with this crowd. He has called homosexuality “perverse” and “reprehensible” and has signed on to NOM’s pledge against equal rights for committed gay and lesbian couples. So far so good for Mitt, but there’s a theological snag.
Many Religious Right activists and organizers care first and foremost about supporting a “real” Christian. However, according to a recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute, “nearly half (49 percent) of white evangelical Protestant voters do not believe that the Mormon faith is a Christian religion.”
Romney desperately wants to avoid a repeat of the Values Voters Summit, where high profile Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress introduced Rick Perry and then claimed that Romney is not a "true, born again follower of Christ." The attack captured national headlines and greatly hindered Romney’s efforts to woo the Religious Right.
After Romney bowed out of tomorrow’s debate, which will feature all the other top GOP candidates, Family Leader founder Bob Vander Plaats went on Fox News to denounce the decision: “Mitt Romney has dissed this base in Iowa and this diss will not stay in Iowa[.]This might prove that he is not smart enough to be president.” Earlier Vander Plaats said that “should Romney decide to show up, there is no doubt that the hidden question on Mitt Romney has been his Mormon faith.”
Despite Romney’s deeply conservative social views, the “Mormon issue” will continue to haunt him, and no amount of pandering can overcome what appears to be a deep-seated theological objection. Look no further than Religious Right radio giant Focus on the Family. read on ...
Far be it from me to suggest that the GOP primary voters are religiously intolerant, but it's very odd that people seem determined to pretend that this isn't an issue.
They may come around in the end simply out of necessity. (They certainly will vote for a Mormon over a "Muslim.") But the idea that this ongoing unwillingness to rally around him is based solely on his alleged lack of conservative bona fides is facile in light of what we know about the influence of the Christian Right on the GOP.
I guess we're going to act like this isn't happening because it would be disrespectful to the social conservatives (who have no problem judging everyone around them.) And I'm sure the Democrats will be effectively pressured into not exploiting it if Mitt does get the nomination because they are terrified of being seen as anti-religion --- even if it means they can't mention religious intolerance. But considering all the handwringing about conservative religious parties around the world, it should at least be of academic interest.
.