Remember when CNN ran those fun facts about Mormonism during Mitt Romney’s speech about religion?

They talked about how Mormons in the past promoted polygamy and excluded blacks.  But now that Obama’s reverend his screaming about “whitey” from his podium right up until this last Sunday suddenly a candidate’s religion isn’t relevant according to people like CNN’s own Anderson Cooper?

This is what Cooper was saying about religion in politics in May of last year:

Weather is the lead tonight, on a night we’re talking about God and politics and public life, there is weather of biblical proportions all across the country, including the remains of a wildfire that threatened Los Angeles and nearly overran a squad of L.A.’s bravest. We will talk to one of them tonight who had to fight his way out of this inferno

Also: Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith and what he says Reverend Al Sharpton said about it. Was it bigotry? And are evangelical voters intolerant when it comes to Mormons?

This is what Cooper is saying about religion in politics now that Obama is under the gun:

ANDERSON COOPER: Is this just the kind of thing that happens in campaigns? It seems we’re almost at a point now where it’s this or other issues for the Clinton campaign where people are just latching onto anything to strike a blow against their opponent. All this seems to have nothing to do with actual issues that the country is facing which these candidates should be talking about and we probably should be talking about.

[...]

It’s also frustrating just from a news standpoint because on the one hand people are talking about it. It’s clearly an issue that’s bubbling up on the campaign trail, so we end up covering it. But at the same time it does feel just completely off track. And there have been other issues in this campaign which just felt completely off track from the real differences between these candidates, the real issues. It’s frustrating that yet again we seem to be mired in this politics as usual.

Just to review: Mormon doctrine from 34 years ago?  Relevant

Obama’s reverend’s sermon from this last Sunday?  Not relevant.

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