More on Romney Religion Speech

The venue is not a surprise, since Romney has given a previous major address (on defense policy) at the Bush library, and the two families are very close. And Texas, of course, was also the venue for John F. Kennedy’s famous speech on religion in 1960 — the one to which this event will be endlessly compared.

While Romney has long considered giving such an address, he has up until now declined. But polls continue to show that many voters have reservations about (or outright hostility to) his Mormon faith. This is thought to be a particular problem in the early-voting states of Iowa and South Carolina. Some recent endorsements from religious conservative leaders were intended in part to defuse the issue.

Up until now, Romney has focused on a three-part strategy in trying to indirectly address the matter: putting his telegenic and deeply supportive family front-and-center in the campaign, to try to contextualize himself as a “typical” American of faith and family; emphasizing his place in the Judeo-Christian tradition of the nation’s spiritual life; and emphasizing that he was running as an American who happens to be a Mormon, not as a Mormon American.

While reporters seemed to focus more on Romney’s religion than do voters at town meetings openly do, the campaign — and Romney himself — obviously have decided the time is right to take the matter on explicitly. There had been a flurry of speculation recently — and at least one report — that Romney had decided not to give such a speech until after the first round of nominating contests.

In a field of candidates this big and in the hubbub of the nation’s presidential politics, it is rare that there are big, emotional campaign moments. This speech, however, will be just that.