...has some very interesting things to say about Gov. Romney. Take this:

Mr Romney's emergence as a conservative champion owes...more to years of investment [than to luck]. Mr Romney has not only fought harder than any other governor on “social issues”, particularly gay marriage. He has done so in the heart of enemy territory.

And then there's this:

So will the whiz-kid governor be doomed by the Book of Mormon? Not necessarily. That 37% is certainly not an encouraging figure. But back in 1960 35% of people told pollsters that they would have qualms about voting for a Catholic, and in that year a Catholic reached the White House. Today, 21% of people say they would have qualms about voting for an evangelical; time may tell differently. For most voters, religion is just one factor among many that they consider: there is a difference between rejecting a generic Mormon and rejecting a smooth operator with a plan for universal health insurance.

As for evangelical Christians, they can be a remarkably pragmatic bunch. They have spent the past few decades building alliances with “people of faith” whom they once regarded as spawn of the devil. And they know a winner when they see one: they happily forgave Reagan his divorce and eccentric theological views. In an ideal world they might prefer a more orthodox man of faith. But if it comes to a choice between Mr Romney and a maverick like Mr McCain or an avowed social liberal like Rudy Giuliani, they may be willing to swallow the Book of Mormon.