When asked about his favorite novel, Mitt Romney responded with an odd choice: Battlefield Earth, L. Ron Hubbard's bizarre Scientology-inspired sci fi novel.
Recognizing that this might present a problem for his campaign, Romney's spokesperson later clarified that Romney's favorite book is actually "The Bible."
First of all, that's a cop-out as bad as choosing Jesus as your favorite philosopher. Not only does the answer not tell us anything new, it is clearly an attempt to pander to a specific audience. I mean, c'mon...
Second, I'd love to know which parts of the Bible are Mitt's favorite. What, for example, does he think about the Song of Solomon? Or about Leviticus? Or Revelations? The Bible is a massive book, one from which every form of Christianity reads very selectively. Which sections foes Romney like, and which ones does he ignore?
Third, what about the Book of Mormon? If the Bible is his favorite book, I have to imagine that the Book of Mormon is his number two. But here similar concerns apply. Which parts of the Book does he embrace, and which does he reject?
If we're going to use such absurd questions in judging our presidential candidates, can't we at least make them useful?
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