To boldly go where no Mormon has gone before
Mitt Romney's trip to Rome to see Boston archbishop Sean O'Malley elevated to cardinal is a big deal. Just ask him!
"This is extraordinary, and particularly for someone of my faith," said
Romney, a Mormon, before he spoke at a St. Patrick's Day breakfast in
New Hampshire, an early presidential state. "I don't know that there's
ever been a Mormon guy that's been to the Vatican for a Mass held by
the Pope, so it's a personal honor."
Interesting strategy here. By playing up his Roman holiday, Romney sends a reassuring message to leery Catholic voters: the Pope
digs me, so you can, too. On the other hand, Romney's crowing also
serves as a reminer that he belongs to a faith that some people
find--how to put it?--just a little bit sketchy.
Free advice for the governor: by all means, remind people that you were
in Rome for O'Malley's installation when you're on the stump. But tone
it down a bit.