Justin, I think you ARE missing the point. I've seen and heard Sharpton do this type of thing before. Sharpton's comment has to be interpreted for its intent and not its language or logic.

Sharpton's comment is a purely partisan comment. Sharpton has largely been a political, and not a religious, operative for many years in the Democratic Party. In his statement he makes an invidious slight of hand(in the verbal sense) by replacing the word Democrat with believers in God. It's not that Sharpton believes that evangelicals will not vote for Romney because of disagreement with his faith, but that eventually a Democrat will win the presidency. Sharpton's thoughts about Mormonism are probably the same as other religious leaders (a general distrust), but he doesn't share the values and purpose that Mitt, as a Republican nominee, has with other religious leaders. Thus, Sharpton feels free to disparage Mitt by using religious terminology to advance a partisan political point.

Sharpton regularly pulls this trick be making a faith argument when he really is making a partisan argument. This type of casual interchange of political and religious motives is especially harmful. It encourages stereotypes about both Mormons and Christians. Mormons in that they are still some sort of outcast or outlier of society. Christians in that they are an unwelcoming and biased group, who know better than to vote for a Mormon because of religious differences. Both of these are patently false. That a person of Sharpton's profile continues to maintain legitimacy in the face of statements that are false and bigoted on so many levels is sad to say the least.

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