Jay Cost has an excellent post on Mitt Romney's long-rumored "Mormon speech". Cost offers advice Romney should take:
I think Romney needs to be a little bit charitable here - and do something other than rail against religious "bias." I think his speech should recognize that Mormons and non-Mormons have had a complicated relationship that is still evolving - and that a lack of knowledge about each other, rather than simple religious bigotry, may explain some of the skepticism he has encountered. This is not to say that his speech should be the Cliff Notes for the Book of Mormon. It is not Romney's responsibility to explain his beliefs. Nor is it his job to defend them. The Mormon Church does a fine job of both. What I would like to see Romney do is acknowledge that a divide exists, and that the feelings of doubt and even suspicion on both sides are understandable in light of it. Non-Mormons just do not know much about Mormonism - and so their suspicions might be the product of something other than "bias." In so doing, I think he can flip the whole thing on its head. He can acknowledge and respect the concerns that non-Mormons have about Mormon theology. He can then go on to argue that, as far as politics goes, these differences simply do not matter. While Mormons and non-Mormons might have different theological beliefs, those different beliefs nevertheless point to identical values, which is what really matters in politics. For instance, religious voters who care about family values might be skeptical about Romney because of his beliefs; in response, Romney can acknowledge their questions about his beliefs, but then go on to argue that he - not in spite of those beliefs, but because of them - is the most pro-family candidate in the country.
Cost goes on to say that "this is similar to the strategy that Giuliani is pursuing with abortion," because Giuliani, while pro-choice, has signaled he will appoint strict constructionist judges of whom pro-lifers may approve. I think this is an overly charitable interpretation of Giuliani's views on abortion - he has said in the past that a strict constructionist could both uphold or overturn Roe - but that's a quibble. Cost has some of the smartest analysis around.