Benson, Editorial Cartoonist, Reacts to Reaction He Received for Ripping Romney on Mormonism

By: Dave Astor When editorial cartoonist Steve Benson criticized current Mormon Mitt Romney in an E&P story earlier this week, reaction was fast and furious.

Many blog posters backed Benson, but many others blasted the grandson of former Mormon Church President Ezra Taft Benson.

For instance, they asked why the Arizona Republic/Creators Syndicate cartoonist didn't also criticize Mormon politicians such as Democrat Harry Reid, and they said Benson's 1993 switch from Mormonism to ex-Mormonism made him as much of a "flip-flopper" as he accused Republican presidential candidate Romney of being.

E&P called Benson again today to get his response.

Benson -- who contended in the earlier story that a devout, "temple-endowed" Mormon U.S. president can't be truly independent of the Mormon Church -- said he didn't criticize Reid because the Senate Majority Leader "is not making an issue of his Mormon devotion. He's not standing up in a carefully orchestrated stage play and explaining his religion to the American people. Romney's speech was a tactical move to woo fundamentalist Christians in the hotly contested Iowa political caucus. He invited this scrutiny. And, unlike Romney, Reid's not running for the most powerful position in the free world."

The cartoonist continued: "Besides, it doesn't seem that Harry Reid's religion is as strong an operating force in his life or decisions as it is for Romney." Benson added with a laugh: "How could it be, given the conservative politics of most Mormons. Hell, Reid's a Democrat!"

Responding to the flip-flop charge, Benson said he left Mormonism because church leaders were misrepresenting his aged grandfather's health and because of the "sexist, racist, and homophobic" aspects he saw in the religion. But Romney, said the 1993 Pulitzer Prize winner, has jettisoned liberal positions out of "political expediency" as the former Massachusetts governor tries to convince conservative GOP voters to make him their presidential candidate.

"I'm not running for political office," said Benson. "I left Mormonism with no pretense of remaining devout -- and I didn't do the Romney act of staying in while changing my spots faster than a leopard on steroids."

When asked his reaction to the negative e-mails he has received and the critical blog posts that have been written since the E&P story, Benson said he isn't surprised that Mormons are very defensive about his comments.

"One of my Mormon critics called me a 'turncoat,'" Benson e-mailed after today's phone interview. "So I asked him to be a good Christian, do what Jesus would do and give me his own coat. Haven't seen the coat yet. Anyway, like the old saying goes, 'hit pigeons flutter.'"

But the cartoonist feels no one has disproved anything he said about Romney or the nature of Mormonism's secret temple oaths and rituals. "The proof is in the pudding," Benson said in the e-mail. "The trouble is, the Mormon Church doesn't want anyone to go poking around in its pudding."

The previous E&P article -- which can be seen here -- links to the many negative and positive blog comments made about Benson and Mormonism. It can be found at:

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003686826
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What do you think? To comment, write Astor or go cartoonist. Scroll down for Benson/Romney postings.