Romney speech a hit — on blogs, talk radio

Check the blogs, editorials and talk radio shows across the country, and chances are you'll hear something about presidential candidate Mitt Romney's delivery this week of his "Faith in America" address in Texas. The topic of discussion: Did he hit or miss the mark? Did he defend religious freedom, or did he alienate those who choose no religion? How do his words compare to those of John F. Kennedy, who spoke about his Catholicism nearly half a century ago?

Here is a sampling of the commentary:

• "I think he appealed to a lot of moderates out there in the Republican party.... He is making excellent points about manger scenes being banned from the public square and menorahs being unwelcome. And empty European cathedrals and what that tells us about the direction that Europe is going." — Laura Ingraham, author and syndicated radio host, speaking on radio's "Imus In the Morning"

• "If Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination, it will be due in large measure to his splendid and moving defense of his faith and beliefs delivered today at the George Bush Presidential Library. The address was courageous in a way that John F. Kennedy's speech to the Baptist ministers was not.... Romney did not truckle. He did not suggest that his faith was irrelevant to the formation of his political philosophy." — Patrick J. Buchanan, conservative columnist, buchanan.org

• "Mitt Romney gave a tactically astute speech yesterday about the importance of religion in American life, but he addressed it to a particular audience: those who believe in evangelical Christianity as deeply as he holds to the tenets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... Someone with ambitions to lead all the people in a pluralistic society should not identify so closely with any religion or religious figure, even one as revered as Jesus. ... the building of a just country and world, not religious fervor, should be the focus of the 2008 presidential campaign." — Boston Globe editorial

• "I hope that Romney has helped to set this thing behind him once and for all. Kennedy did a good job. I think Romney hit the ball out of the ballpark today in separating his religious convictions from the role that he would play if elected president." — Tony Compolo, president of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education, speaking on the "Hannity and Colmes" talk show.

• "I wish Mitt Romney didn't have to give the speech that he gave earlier today. I think it's an unfortunate truth, but he has been, from almost the very beginning, in my estimation, the victim of a very vicious, nasty campaign by people that are attacking religion and using religion as a wedge." — Sean Hannity, co-host of "Hannity and Colmes"