Mitt Romney never was my cup of tea. That said, why the hell is Michael Steele saying that Romney’s Mormonism was a major contributing factor in his failed presidential bid? Does he not see that the President is biracial? Is he not aware that he himself, Michael Steele, is an African-American and was elected by Republicans? What about Eric Cantor from Virginia, a Jewish Republican?

The truth of the matter is that the American electorate has looked beyond socially divisive issues like race and faith, Republicans included. Just look at Glenn Beck, a very popular, very conservative, and very MORMON commentator on FOX, or look at Colin Powell an African-American (actually, a Jamaican-American) who, prior to his betrayal of the Republicans during the presidential election, was loved by many Republicans. What matters to voters in the modern day is not social or religious differences, but the character of the individual and the ideas of the individual.

So when Michael Steele mentions Romney’s faith as a reason that he was not elected, he is making a serious mistake, and he is calling the Republican base bigoted. Steele is disappointing me again. The rest of what Steele says is accurate and is the real reason that Romney did not win the primary. Romney changed his position on abortion from pro-choice to pro-life creating doubt in his true stand on the matter. Strike One. Romney raised taxes and/or state fees in Massachusetts. Strike Two. Romney supported a timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq and then lied about it during a debate with Huckabee. Strike Three. He’s out.

Michael Steele correctly hit upon the abortion and economic question but missed the bus completely when he said that Mormonism was a big factor. Romney was polling very well in different states and I knew many Romney supporters down here in Miami.

Romney hit back today saying that Steele had missed “the target” on the analysis that he offered up. Michael Steele, like I have said numerous times before (here and here), needs to get back to the work of staging a Republican comeback and stop undermining his own party by casting doubt on potential candidates or picking fights with conservative commentators. Steele is very at ease in front of a microphone or a camera and that can be a great advantage or it can be an embarrassment. For Steele, it is definitely the latter.

-AG