The results were mixed. In the words of Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, “In some ways, it’s the speech John Kennedy should have given in Houston, but didn’t.”
“Romney, unlike Kennedy in Houston, does not separate his faith from informing his citizenship, and by extension, his vision of public service,” the Catholic leader wrote in an e-mail response to questions. “Romney offered a more reasonable and fruitful explanation of how faith actually works in public service, regardless of one’s political party.”
Evangelicals, a key audience for the speech, were more circumspect.
“Gov. Romney’s speech was a magnificent reminder of the role religious faith must play in government and public policy,” James Dobson, the founder of the evangelical ministry Focus on the Family, said in a prepared statement.
“(Romney’s) delivery was passionate and his message was inspirational,” Dobson wrote. “Whether it will answer all the questions and concerns of evangelical Christian voters is yet to be determined, but the governor is to be commended for articulating the importance of our religious heritage as it relates to today.”