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Topic: McCain steps in it again.
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Albireo
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3052
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posted 04 October 2007 10:10 AM
I wouldn't be so hard on McCain about this one. Here is the actual quote from the newspaper that interviewed him: quote: When asked if he considered Mormons to be Christians, McCain said, "I don't know. I respect their faith. I've never frankly looked at the Mormon religion. I've known a lot of Mormons who are wonderful people. More importantly, I don't think it should be held against Gov. Romney. The fact that he's a Mormon should not be a factor in people's judgment."
To be sure, a skilled politician should be better than that at sidestepping such a question, but I don't have any big problem with his answer. That "I don't know" may not have been an actual statement that he doesn't know if Mormons are Christians, but more like a verbal tic during a spoken interview, a way of saying, in effect, I don't want to say anything about that, but here's what I will say.... In any case, while Mormons are evidently Christians, there is a lot in their belief system from the Book of Mormon that is well outside the Christian mainstream and is found in no other sect. But a politician has to just say "Sure they are" and move on, or dodge it much more smoothly than that. Sure, he trots out a variation on the old some of my best friends are insertGroupHere chestnut, and is obviously uncomfortable with the question, but all he's saying is that there's nothing wrong with being Mormon, and that Romney shouldn't be judged on that basis. Not a wrong message. It just goes to show how being a politician is a difficult and sometimes crappy job. People ask you dumb questions that you have to answer on the spot, and then other people jump all over you if you don't say exactly the right thing at that moment.
From: --> . <-- | Registered: Sep 2002
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