Fight! Fight! Fight!

Al Sharpton claims that this statement by him doesn't really say what it says:

"As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that; that's a temporary situation."

While Mormons do believe in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic god of Abraham, this is still the kind of statement I'd like to see more of. Reporters should be asking candidates who claim a religious faith of any kind specifically whether the religious faiths of others are true or false.

An evangelical Christian almost certainly believes, strongly, that Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God. How could this not be a relevant topic for discussion, if religion is on the table in any way, and especially if a candidate has described faith as an important matter? Politely stepping around the radical, basic differences between religious faiths -- those differences that necessarily cast other faiths' core beliefs as false -- is like not asking a candidate if he or she believes in universal coverage while discussing health care.

Religious groups have a strong motivation play down their differences, as a public discussion of those differences (which are generally about the stupidest things imaginable) will put their bizarre beliefs into the spotlight instead of giving them the emperor-has-clothes protection they usually enjoy. But why should the press play along?

Maybe they just need a nudge. There's got to be some kind of stunt that could give the press the excuse it needs to start asking direct questions about the religious beliefs of candidates. Covering campaigns gets boring and monotonous. At some point (I'm thinking early 2008), the media will be dying for an angle they haven't explored yet. Hmm...

Let me know if you have any ideas.