As we draw closer to the nation's first political caucus in Iowa, the campaign rhetoric heats up, names are called, accusations are made, fingers are pointed, and one can almost hear an audible "gotcha" each time a campaign launches a successful "zinger" against an opponent. Poll numbers fluctuate with each accusation and corresponding answer which serves to do nothing more than to add fuel to an already intense fire. Oddly, however, while Americans express a particular disdain for such political campaign antics, a candidate's numbers can surge after an especially brutal attack, having somehow proved that they have the gumption to stand up and answer to such attacks. Poll numbers and expressions of disdain do not always seem to correspond especially when we say we hate such behavior while simultaneously rewarding it by continually electing and re-electing these same persons over and again.
More strange, perhaps, is that most of the candidates from both parties have openly spoken of their faith and proclaimed allegiance to religion, predominately Christianity, which demands a moral standard, the commonality of a standard which prohibits "bearing false witness". Now consider Mr. Romney's latest attack against former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in which Mr. Romney stated that Gov. Huckabee attempted to establish a "special" college scholarship fund for illegal aliens. Let it be noted that as an Arkansas citizen, I was keenly aware of Gov. Huckabee's proposal. Mr. Romney's characterization of this proposal is either seriously misinformed, ignorant, or a downright lie. Considering that Mr. Romney is probably of above average intelligence and will be called upon often to render decisions based on accurate information if elected, one might think that Mr. Romney would ask more questions about a specific proposal of a political opponent before lashing out in such a careless way especially when he asked the nation to entrust to him the “most powerful office” on earth.
I suspect that Mr. Romney is simply "playing the game" because Mr. Huckabee has directly disputed this accusation, and Mr. Romney has not, to my knowledge, retracted his "accusation". A little fact-checking would provide Mr. Romney with sufficient "egg in the face" but would also require that Mr. Romney take a moral stance and admit that he was dead wrong and out of line. According to his professed Mormon faith, this would be required of him.
In spite of all this, or perhaps because of it, Mr. Romney has decided that it is in his best interest to give a speech on Thursday (12/6/07) to enlighten the nation about his Mormon faith. Considering the exchange with and about Mr. Huckabee on only one particular issue, how will he religiously or faithfully or morally explain his attack especially when he should have reasonably known that his information about Mr. Huckabee was not correct? Will it be that we will discover that Mormonism requires that its adherents deliberately mislead others? I think not, but this dilemma goes a long way toward answering a question that asks honestly: what does a politician's religious faith have to do with anything especially when they clearly do not live according to a particularly religious standard? Or has religion in America become so bastardized to the point of being completely unrecognizable? If it is true, as Mr. Paul Greenberg of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette points out, that the central metaphor of all religious belief is “revealing light”, we are left to wonder exactly what sort of religion is being revealed in political races especially when a candidate’s particular religion becomes an issue.
For the record, I am the last man on the face of this planet who has any right to stand in judgment of anyone. What I find most distressing about the references to religion is that it appears that candidates from both parties seem to be pandering to a particular crowd while they continue to tear one another apart, make misleading accusations, and accuse one another of being less than sincere. If this is how their faith informs their politicking, I shudder at how their faith may inform their job performance especially when it comes to public policy.
As a Christian, I do not feel threatened by Mr. Romney’s Mormon religion and I’m in no position to question his spiritual faith, but I have to say that I question his sense of propriety in light of his gross mischaracterization of Mr. Huckabee’s policy proposals especially when, as of this writing, Mr. Huckabee has taken the #1 spot in national polls and had been steadily gaining in the past week. Is Mr. Romney panicking? Is this indicative of how he will react to an international crisis before he gets his facts straight?
Better pray on this one.
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