Does this Newsweek cover go too far in caricaturing Mormons and stereotyping presidential candidate Mitt Romney? Liberal blogger Oliver Willis thinks so: (my emph)
I’m obviously no fan of Mitt Romney or his brand of politics, but this cover trivializes his Mormon faith in a way that simply wouldn’t be acceptable with mainline Christian politicians. It just wouldn’t. Romney is a legitimate candidate for the presidency who doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment from a publication that purports to be a serious journalism product.
I don’t even think this cover would be tasteful in the hands of an ideological publication opposed to Romney and his ideas (eg. The Nation, The American Prospect), let alone Newsweek. If we’re going to have an atmosphere that encourages and embraces freedom of religion (or the lack thereof) we should be respectful of denominations no matter how small.
What do you think? Fair game, or offensive overreach? For what it's worth, there are actually words on the inside of the magazine as well.
One could argue that Romney and Huntsman, like their Mormon colleagues in Congress, are right to take religion off the table; after all, many politicians are all too eager to exploit it. But ignoring voters’ concerns about the Mormon faith won’t make them go away—and by trying, Romney and Huntsman may miss an unprecedented opportunity to dispel misconceptions, blunt biases, and make real progress.
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In a vacuum, some people will inevitably conclude that Mormonism is too weird for mainstream America. But just because Romney and Huntsman aren’t making the case for their faith doesn’t mean there isn’t a case to be made.
Should candidates have to explain, defend or argue for their faith just to campaign for elected office? Must they be defined by a denominational label, and a caricature of one at that?
