Thursday, December 06, 2007

Only Men Run For Public Office?



This is something odd I noticed about Romney's speech: his insistence that candidates for the presidency are of the male gender. Either that, or he decided to use "he" for both men and women. Or only men can commune with God. This is as revealing in its own way, of course.

Here are the bits that made me wonder. I have bolded the key words and sentences:

Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.

...

Almost 50 years ago another candidate from Massachusetts explained that he was an American running for president, not a Catholic running for president. Like him, I am an American running for president. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.

...

What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind.

There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes president he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.

...

Nor would I separate us from our religious heritage. Perhaps the most important question to ask a person of faith who seeks a political office, is this: Does he share these American values - the equality of human kind, the obligation to serve one another and a steadfast commitment to liberty?

I think this might be yet another coded message in the speech, to reassure the anti-feminists that he will ignore women in power as much as he ignores their existence in this speech.