Romney left issue unresolved

Webb: I thought Mitt Romney gave a terrific speech Thursday morning and, overall, helped his presidential prospects. It was a high-stakes speech, and he delivered. However, it wasn't a grand slam home run or a major turning point in the campaign, and it isn't going to put to rest the "Mormon" issue.

As a Republican, a Mormon and a Romney supporter, I really liked the speech (read it here: www.mittromney.com/News/Speeches/Faith_In_America). It was an excellent discourse on religious freedom and religion in politics. It had some great lines and a lot of substance. Romney's delivery didn't melt many hearts, but it was solid.

This was a high-profile campaign event, and much of its success depends not on the actual speech but on what the commentators, bloggers and reporters say about it. That's a test of how well the Romney "spin" operation works.

In a sense, the speech was a success because it wasn't a failure. The potential downside to giving the speech was always much greater than the upside. The fact that Romney pulled it off without any damage is a victory in itself.

So Romney made a good speech, got a lot of publicity, dominated the political headlines for a few days and did it without hurting himself. Consider it a couple of good days for Romney. It won't make or break his campaign, and that's about all he could expect.

Very early in the campaign, I quite naively assumed that the Mormon issue would generate a lot of interest and media attention, all the major media would do some obligatory Mormon stories, and then the issue would fade away, with only the hard-core Mormon-haters trying to keep it alive.

Now it's very clear that this issue isn't going away. The better Romney does, the more it will intensify, with even more attention paid to the LDS Church. So Mormons and Romney supporters might as well get used to it.

And, anyway, we like a little "persecution." It's in our genes.

Romney has had a good presidential run. He has exceeded my expectations. He is clearly the most competent, in a managerial sort of way, of all the candidates. He'll out-organize anybody. He is charismatic and likable, although he's no Ronald Reagan, who just naturally engendered warm feelings and love. Romney is still a little too wonkish and structured.

But all the other candidates have flaws as great or greater. So sit down, buckle up and watch the fun. It is a historic presidential campaign, and actual voting begins in a matter of weeks.