Perry Camp Making Mormonism Divisive Issue

The presidential campaign of Texas Gov. Rick Perry may be purposefully bringing the issue of front-runner Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith into the contest, says Mark DeMoss, an unpaid Romney adviser, The Huffington Post reports. DeMoss works mainly with evangelical leaders in his job as a public relations executive.

"A week ago I would have said there's no way, I can't conceive of a major candidate's campaign intentionally using such tactics," DeMoss told Huff Post. "It was inconceivable to me that could be the case, just because I think it's not smart politically."

But the actions of Texas Baptist Pastor and Perry supporter Robert Jeffress, who recently said Mormonism is a cult rather than Christianity, raises doubt, DeMoss said.

"I would have bet money when Robert Jeffress surfaced there in Washington and then started going on TV programs that somebody would have gotten him to stop doing interviews. [But] he did them for a couple days," DeMoss said. "That's what made me question whether they wanted him doing it or not. If they didn't want him doing it, I think they could have stopped him from doing it. I think they would have asked him and said, 'This isn't helping us.'"

Perry spokesman Mark Miner told Huff Post the charge that Perry’s campaign has encouraged anti-Mormonism "is not true, and the governor has been very clear on this issue."