Saturday, February 02, 2008

Romney's Attendance At Mormon Leader's Funeral Analyzed

Today, funeral services were held in Utah for Mormon Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. The AP carries an interesting political analysis of Mitt Romney's attendance at the funeral:

The death of Mormon church President Gordon B. Hinckley renews attention on Mitt Romney's little-known religion — yet rather than being reluctant to discuss it, he's making a public embrace that shows some shifting political attitudes....

The death of Hinckley, and Romney's decision to attend his funeral on Saturday, underscores his connection to and stature within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at a pivotal time for him: He is reaching out to conservatives for their support after a series of high-profile wins and endorsements have boosted rival John McCain's campaign.

The difference now is that Romney approaches both his ongoing campaign and the funeral rites with less tension over his religion. Contests in Iowa and South Carolina, which both have significant evangelical voting blocs, are behind him.