My dad’s a born troublemaker. He used to make a habit, back in 1982, of saying that he was rooting for Gerry Cooney to win over Larry Holmes in the boxing match because Cooney was white, and he was white.
When he got back the appropriate level of shock from his audience, he’d say, “Now wait. If I said I was rooting for Cooney because he’s Irish and I’m Irish, you’d have no problems with it. If I said it was because he’s from Long Island and I’m from Long Island, it’d be okay. If I said it was because he’s 6’6 and I’m 6’6…” and by that point people got the general point he was trying to make.
I was reminded of this when listening to Mitt Romeny’s speech on religion, but for all the wrong reasons. Do I vote for Giuliani because he’s a white male from New York? Should people vote for Romney because his faith really isn’t that far from his?
And in the case of ol’ Mitt, should I support someone who doesn’t want to identify with me because I don’t believe in the same god he does? (More atheists in this country than, say, Mormons.)
How about this: vote for the guy who will do the best at the job and best live up to the ideals we profess.
Just for the novelty of it all.