Rockin' the Evangelical House

Kathryn Jean Lopez, the editor of National Review Online, is a big fan of Mitt Romney. Today, she reports on the reception Mitt got at the Family Research Council’s “Liberty Sunday: Defending Our First Freedom” on Sunday.

While urging support for a federal marriage amendment that would protect traditional marriage, children were the focus of the governor’s remarks. “Marriage,” Romney said, “is primarily about the nurturing and development of children.” He added, “A child’s development is enhanced by the nurturing of both genders. Every child deserves a mother and a father.” And, driving the point home: “The price for same-sex marriage is paid by children.”

Romney’s presence and focus impressed Lesette Wright, an energetic youth minister at the church. “I was very impressed with what he said about children. He understands.” Talking about how violence and other behavioral problems are often seen in children she works with who come from broken families and families with no father present, she said of Romney’s remarks, “That pain is real.”

And what about the so-called "Mormon problem" we hear so much about?

Romney said, “There was probably a time when people cared which church you went to, but that’s past. People today look to see a person’s faith in the way they live in their home with their family.”

If Liberty Sunday in Boston is any indication, there may be something to Romney’s optimism — there may, in fact, be no Mormon problem. To put it less than Christianly: It’s the issues, stupid. Perhaps, despite polls and chatter suggesting hesitancy among evangelicals or others to vote for a generic Mormon, once they see that the Mormon is a politician with a in-sync record who gives a stirring speech, singing the right tune, at an already rockin’ black evangelical church, the so-called Mormon problem may be a moot point.