Mitt Romney Says Mormon Church Would Not Influence his Presidency

By Anastacia Mott Austin

Much as John F. Kennedy wished to clear the air about the ramifications of his faith (Kennedy was Catholic) on his presidency almost 50 years ago, Mitt Romney addressed concerns about his Mormon faith this week.

In a speech this week at the G.W. Bush Presidential Library in Texas, Romney sought to dispel any notions that his decisions as President would be dictated by the Mormon Church.

"When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God," said Romney during his speech, titled "Faith in America."

Romney finally decided to address the issue of his faith head on, despite polls showing that his core group of voters would not base their decisions on his faith.

But other polls had shown that up to 35% of the American public would not consider voting for a Mormon.

Romney has been particularly concerned about evangelical Christians, who make up a large part of the Republican party voters.

"If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A president must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States," said Romney.

Reactions to the speech were mixed. Some complained that Romney spent the bulk of his time explaining religious freedom in America, which they felt was unnecessary.

"It's just silly to have to give a speech like that," said Paul Gunderson, a Texas resident who attended the speech. "All it is dealing with is people’s prejudices."

Others felt it had been a necessary step for Romney, who hopes to recapture his early Iowa lead over Mike Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister.

"It was risky for him, and he rolled the dice doing it, but if I were in his shoes I would have done exactly what he did," said Tom Morrissey a Republican party representative. "That’s an undercurrent that could sink his campaign. He addressed it, he went right at it and that shows his character. Doing it from the perspective of freedom of religion is very smart because we all want that."

Romney had to walk a fine line, some said, to not disavow his faith, but rather to emphasize the aspects it has in common with his conservative Christian base.

"Our aspirations, our values are the same as those from the other faiths that stand upon these common foundations, and these convictions will indeed inform my presidency," said Romney.

Some who watched the speech said it served as a timely reminder that the Constitution emphasizes the people’s right to religious freedom.

As Romney put it, "A person should not be elected because of his faith, nor should he be rejected because of his faith."