For Romney and social conservatives, an uneasy embrace

This story was written by Brian Montopoli and reported by Brian Montopoli and Lucy Madison.

Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney delivers the keynote address at Liberty University's 39th Annual Commencement in Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 12, 2012.

/ JIM WATSON/AFP/GettyImages

(CBS News) The socially-conservative men and women who are gathering in Washington, D.C. for the annual Faith & Freedom Conference Thursday are strong advocates of traditional marriage who have been highly critical of President Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage.

But when it comes to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, they aren't necessarily opposed to a marriage of convenience.

"At this point, I've got to feel comfortable with him," said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, who will speak at the three-day conference on Saturday.

"There's the choice before us of Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. There are no other choices as I see it," Perkins continued. "He wasn't the first choice but I look at what he has to offer as opposed to what Barack Obama has to offer, and I'm for Mitt Romney."

Perkins is among the social conservative leaders who decided at a January meeting in Texas to throw their support behind Romney's then-rival Rick Santorum - in part out of fear of Romney as a standard-bearer for the Republican Party. They worried that they could not trust the former moderate Massachusetts governor, who Santorum derided during the primary as having "one of the most liberal records" of any Republican presidential candidate in recent history, to stand with them on issues like abortion, same-sex marriage and the relationship between religion and government.

And while the social conservatives gathering for the conference have largely made peace with Romney, who will speak to attendees via video conference on Saturday, they're not exactly bursting at the seams with excitement about his coming coronation at the Republican National Convention.

"Enthusiastic would probably not be the right word," said Jim Garlow, pastor of the evangelical California mega-church Skyline Church, who will address the conference Saturday.

Garlow said that he is backing Romney, in part, because he sees President Obama's policies as "catastrophic." But he adds that "there's simply a number of people who are waiting on the sidelines waiting to hear if there's convictional, visceral commitment" to social conservative positions. Support for Romney among evangelicals and conservative Catholics, he says, is "tepid at best."

More than one in three Americans identifies as conservative on social issues, and this group overwhelmingly supports Romney over Mr. Obama. But without high turnout from social conservatives in November, Romney will have a hard time competing in swing states such as Virginia, where he needs as many voters as he can find in the southern part of the state to offset a large advantage for Mr. Obama in the north. For that reason, Romney must continue courting skeptical social conservatives even as he tries to reach out to more moderate voters who do not share their views.

For the conservatives who will be speaking at the Faith & Freedom Conference, the most important question at this point is who Romney will tap as his running mate.

"He has publicly and privately communicated that his running mate will be a pro-life conservative," said Perkins. "The only thing that I've asked - pro-life, that's a pretty broad category. I would say that 90 percent of Republicans are pro-life. But have they actually done anything to advance the cause of life?"

"His running mate is going to be beyond somebody who has just checked boxes," he said. "They have to have had a track record of having worked toward these things."

Asked who he would like to see on the ticket, Perkins said that he was reticent to mention names because "that could take them off the list," since the Romney campaign doesn't "want to be seen as social conservatives pulling their strings." But he went on to name two men: Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., and former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., who Perkins said is "probably much more popular now than when he ran for president."

Ralph Reed, the Founder and Chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, said that Romney "is doing a fine job of building bridges to conservative voters and activists, including social conservatives." He pointed to Romney's recent speech at Liberty University and his willingness to participate in seven forums with Reed's group.

"We've had a very good relationship with him throughout, but he's still got some work to do and he knows that," said Reed. The former Christian Coalition executive director said that he expects Romney to pick "a full spectrum conservative" as his running mate, and that once he does, "you can expect to see social conservative enthusiasm, engagement and intensity gradually increase."

"People are genuinely frightened at the prospect of a second Obama term, and I think they believe that Romney has demonstrated a sufficient level of commitment to core conservative principles and is running a sufficiently competent campaign that they're coming on board," he said. "That's going to be a process - it doesn't happen overnight."

As a Senate candidate in 1994 in Massachusetts, Romney said he believed abortion should be "safe and legal." He now says he is strongly opposed to abortion rights. Penny Nance, the president of Concerned Women for America - a group that "promotes Biblical values and family traditions" - said Romney's earlier position had been a concern for her.

"But I do think he has gone above and beyond the call of duty to try to be very clear on where he is today," said Nance, who speaks to the conference Saturday. "You have to take a candidate at their word which is why you have to get a candidate on the record as to where he stands. I do think it would be a different thing, frankly, if I saw him parsing his words or backtracking. I haven't seen that."

According to Perkins, Mr. Obama's decision to endorse same-sex marriage has "helped tremendously" in driving up enthusiasm for Romney among social conservatives. "I think that gets the enthusiasm needle to about 75 or 80 percent, but I think Mitt Romney's going to have to help to get it a good way further," he said.

"There's no question that Mitt Romney as governor had some positions that were inconsistent with social conservative values...so there's some question as to can we really trust him," Perkins added. "I'd say look, we can trust Barack Obama to do what he has done for the last three years, and it is everything that is counter to what conservatives want in this country. And so I think people are going to come to the decision that we have to support Mitt Romney because we have to see change come to the country."

[divide12]

I became a Christian as a young teen, As years passed I would grow in my faith and try to understand the concept of diversity in religion. I understand there will always be agnostics, atheists, and people who have different religious views .

I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah as an 18 year old and immediately became aware of a whole new view on Jesus the Christ. I had been taught that Jesus was the son of God, Mormons believed that Jesus was one of many Gods that rule many planets. Jesus just happened to be the God that rules this one. I was taught that there was one God. Mormons tried to teach me there are many. The Mormons tried to tell me that Jesus and Satan were brothers. The Bible taught me something else. They told me that Jesus was married . It did not take long for me to realize that their Jesus was a different Jesus than mine. Their Jesus was the son of a god, that became God by being a righteous man. They taught me I could become a god if I followed their direction and became a good Mormon. I would get my own planet, procreate, and populate it with my "children" and be their God. The book of Mormon taught that the American Indian was "filthy and loathsome" and people of color had been cowards in the world of the preexistent spirit world where we all wait, as spirits, to get a body. They teach a "different Gospel " than I had learned. Fortunately I was firm in my faith to withstand the questions that the Mormons had put in my mind. I measured their teachings against the Bible and concluded they were false. Unfortunately Mormons convert Christians, who are still drinking milk, to Mormons everyday.

I began to see this as sad, and unfortunate. Using the same words, as "God" , "Salvation" , "Jesus Christ", "Gospel" , and other words they confuse believers and convert them, to what I consider, false teaching. I am disappointed that today, Evangelical Christians are supporting a Mormon for President of the United States. Why, if I am so tolerant of other faiths ,does it upset me our Christian leaders are selling out ?

The Bible taught me that there is one sin that is not forgivable, this sin is blasphemy, attributing the work of God to Satan. When I was looking into Mormonism something became very troubling. I found the founders of the Mormon church taught that Christian Pastors were agents of the devil in their temple ceremonies. They made fun of the notion that God could inhabit the whole universe and yet be in our hearts. Mormonism commits the unforgivable sin by the nature of its teachings.

I also learned that all of the early "witnesses" to the authenticity to the Book of Mormon eventually left the Mormon church and some even tried to form their own religion. Not one of the disciples of the Jesus of the bible ever did. They faced torture and death, yet none ever denied that which they had seen.

Mormons claim they are Christians, if they are than why the need to convert us ?. Mitt Romney is a member of a church that teaches many things that are at odds with historic Christianity. They take saved, believing people and convert them to fables and fairy tales, of a God that lives on planet "Kolob", and "Lamanites" and "Nephites". Civilizations that the Smithsonian Institute says "never existed".

I am tolerant of other faiths and beliefs . Does mean that I have to support a candidate for president who is a member of a "church" that has waged war on historic Christianity and whose mission is to convert millions of Christians to a false gospel ? Who will be obligated to follow the edicts of his "Elders" when it comes to decisions ?

We now have a President who has been vilified for having a "radical" as a preacher for 20 years. A "radical" Christian preacher that preached in the tradition of the Prophets. A method of teaching and preaching to leaders to consider the morals and ethics to the teachings of God before they make decisions. Brothers and sisters, you have that option.

By supporting Mitt Romney you are promoting and legitimaizing a non-Christian cult.

I believe an "Angel of light" did appear to Joseph Smith as the book of Mormon. An angel that taught a different gospel. Our gospel ( Good News ) is that God loved this world so much that he provided his only son as a substitute for our sins, a sin offering, and overcame the world by resurrecting him after his crucifiction, and receiving him back to his side. That we are saved by grace, through our faith, not by the ceremonies that we perform,being baptized after we are dead, or any other man made ceremony.

Their "Gospel" is salvation by good works, exaltation to Godhood if we follow their "ordinances", and that we will be married ,for eternity to our earthly spouses so we can populate other planets. Obviously a different gospel.


Anybody that wants to study the Mormon cult can easily do so by doing a Google search of "Mormonism"

[billholahan]

The expression "pro family" is code speak for "anti-gay". When will these so-called values-based organizations get the message that gay people ARE part of the families into which they were born? Shunning gay people is NOT a family value. We will be a healthier nation when we drop our prejudice and learn more about human nature and sexuality. We can all agree that the rules of good behavior are the same for everyone, gay or straight.

[Lindag20]

"Uneasy embrace"? Makes you wonder if Romney and the "Religious right" be exchanging wet kisses soon. LOL

[Lindag20]

USA: It seems likely with the "anyone but Obama" mantra the social conservatives have and Romney would French kiss a pig if he thought it would get him a vote.

[cnfrisch-2009]

We sort of expected that social conservatives would have buyer's remorse with Mr. Romney....and he hasn't even been offically nominated!

[Jaylah54100]

It's definitely going to be an interesting convention and election.

The "Christian Right" has split entirely off from what the "Republican" party stands for. A Republican Presidential candidate is either going to have to manage the virtually impossible task of bringing two opposite views together again, or eventually the "Christian Right" is going to have to split off and form their own party, which will mean that neither they nor the Republicans will be able to swing an election on their own.

If Romney loses in November, the "Christian Right" will have nobody but themselves to blame.

[SD92040]

Romney lose? Come on! It's shaping up to be another landslide. Smart democrats are figuring out that the progressive/communist left only attracts the welfare crowd. Folks want jobs and know that capitalists create jobs. Obama and his crew are not capitalists.......

[hypnotoad72]

And when they are betrayed, then what?

[credibility2]

If GOP conservatives don't make peace with the apparent Republican candidate Romney, then they're assuring the re-election of President Obama, which isn't what the GOP wants to happen.

[CBSDebbie]

Tony Perkins and Dr. Dobson have become the Pharisee's of todays world. If they had the faith of a mustard seed they would not need to place themselves above God as judge of mankind. I would say to "social conservatives" a religious/political term: You can rest as God is in control.

[cnfrisch-2009]

Your kids won't have a future if Romney wins the election (unless they have lots o' money).

[hypnotoad72]

So go out and earn it.

(aren't one-liners great, especially when you have no inkling of how many get theirs and at the expense of whom they get it from?)

[lesserof2evil]

or go out and swindle it from the working class like most republicons do.

[cnfrisch-2009]

True social conservatives are as comfortable wilh Willard Mitt Romney as his dog was when strapped to the roof of Romney's station wagon...