Sunday, December 02, 2007

MITT ROMNEY, MIKE HUCKABEE

Romney To Address "Faith in America"

From Team Romney:

On Thursday, December 6, Governor Mitt Romney will travel to College Station, Texas, to deliver an address titled "Faith in America" at the George Bush Presidential Library.  Governor Romney will be introduced by former President George H.W. Bush.  Media must be credentialed to attend.

Is this the much-discussed, much-speculated, "the speech" about his Mormon faith? Or "The Speech" in some circles? Why "The Speech," at this moment, race-watchers are asking?

Here's a dynamic that may be related to the speech's trigger: A fellow on another campaign, whose candidate was not doing gangbusters in Iowa, speculated that Huckabee's recent rapid rise stemmed from support from a "secret weapon" of sorts: Pastors. This fellow painted a compelling picture of religious pastors of all kinds of faiths (but primarily evangelicals), gently talking up Huckabee and their personal admiration for the man, not just on Sundays but during weeknight Bible study groups, etc. Not a full-fledged, ceremonial "I endorse," but just the well-placed kind word to the small groups where their words are most influential.

(This was a big element behind the Bush-Cheney turnout effort in 2004 - rather than knocking on the doors of strangers, that campaign wanted volunteers talking up their friends, neighbors, family members — the folks they already had a bond of trust with.)

If that phenomenon is part of what's eating into Romney's lead in Iowa, maybe he feels he's got to swing for the fences, and try to get as many Iowa evangelicals as possible to feel comfortable with his faith...

12/02 08:24 PMShare