MittWatch: I Am Mormon, Hear Me Roar

Former Massachusetts governor and presidential aspirant Mitt Romney has decided to reassure voters about his Mormon faith in a speech. He typically diverted questions away from his faith in interviews--but former Arkansas governor, the folksy Weight Watchers posterboy Mike Huckabee, is posing a surprise challenge.

Politico is already calling the speech a "huge gamble," but it might help. Romney's faith is the one thing he hasn't flip-flopped on. It's sad that some people can't leave his faith alone. Long, long ago, the Founding Fathers supported the separation of church and state, something that too many citizens have forgotten. Romney's Mormonism is his business, and he's made clear that it's his business. At least he hasn't announced that he's going Baptist to compete with Huckabee.

Regarding Huckabee, he might be ahead not because he's a Baptist but because he is more likable than Romney. Likability is how the nation wound up with George Bush. Many voters picked Bush over Gore (or over McCain in a head-to-head Republican mashup) because they thought they could "have a beer" with him.

Given his calorie counting, Huckabee might have a Miller Lite, but he definitely wins the beer-buddy vote over Romney, who comes off like a stiff on camera. Then again, Blue Mass Group offers plenty of reasons why Huckabee is hardly a prize.

The speech will be on Thursday at the George Bush Presidential Library in Texas. Politico reports that Romney's family will be on hand and that he will be writing the speech himself.

Image of Mitt Romney from his official website.