(CBS News) Facing a group of social conservatives, his most restive constituency, likely GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Saturday tried on some talking points from former opponent Rick Santorum, a hero to the far right during the Republican primaries this year.
"Families are an important source of strength for the nation," Romney said in a speech via satellite to the Faith and Freedom Conference in Washington. He gave Santorum credit for "reminding us" that getting married, graduating from high school, and having a job have been proven to substantially cut poverty rates. The idea was central to the former Pennsylvania senator's stump speech.
Speaking shortly after Romney, Santorum (who received a standing ovation) credited Romney for being "right on" in his message, according to CNN.
"He hit the points," Santorum said. "I've talked to Gov. Romney, and I have no doubt - and I mean this in all sincerity - I have no doubt he understands the centrality of family. He understands the importance of family for our culture, for our economy, and for our future."
In both of his campaigns for president, Romney has struggled to connect with social conservatives who are skeptical of his Mormon religion and his track record of supporting gay rights and abortion rights. In remarks lasting 10 minutes, Romney vowed to repeal "Obamacare," which he said "attacks freedoms," and criticized President Obama for "impinging" on "our first freedom - religious freedom."
He barely referenced the economy, the focus of his campaign.
He instead offered a lengthy anecdote about boat anchors as a metaphor in life.
Romney said a friend once relayed to him a story about his son attempting to save a water skier who had gotten into trouble. The son dove into the water from a pleasure boat, but the boat had no anchor, and so drifted away from the struggling pair. The water skier ultimately drowned, and his friend said he learned to always have an anchor on board. The story, Romney said, pointed out the importance of families as "anchors" in life.
"I'm appreciative for the anchors I've had in my life ... the idea that a family comes together and shares a common purpose," Romney said.
Taking questions afterwards from Faith and Freedom founder Ralph Reed, who said he looked forward to hosting Romney next year "as president of the United States," Romney delved into policy issues, continuing to hit Mr. Obama for his gaffe about the private sector "doing fine," as well as calling for increased U.S. involvement in Syria.
anti-social personality is considered a human sickness, a human pathology..
"I enjoy firing people"
even If I had to, I would not "enjoy it"
he is a sociopath, his emotions do not fit his body language, or the words he says.. his emotional tones are not genuine, they sound contrived... completely opposite Obama
Romney talks with such vindictiveness and much on purpose distortion, IT will be more wars, less health care, less human rights if The GOP -corporations- takes over the US Government again.
I do not want to see our government run as a corporation... ever! that IS Facisim
Romney as directed by Republican Corporate agents is attempting an over throw of our government, a hostile corporate take over... where he can enjo firing everyone and leaving them on their own while they blood suck all the wealth of the nation, the wealth the working class created, and the consequence will be crashing the system... Romney is real good at that..
I've seen families perform both functions, sometimes both at the same time for different family members. Only conservative Republicans would pretend that "families" -- and anchors -- are always and everywhere positive symbols.
I've known plenty of dysfunctional families, jackpenn, that had a married mother and a father and strong religious involvement. And I've known lots of families that supported their kids and helped them become healthy adults even though only one parent lived in the home or the parents were a same-sex couple. I KNOW you WANT to believe that there's only one kind of "correct" family, but that's a Republican fairy tale, not reality.
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HAHAHAHA!!! Really? Where is your proof of that, seeing as there are no historical records???
That's why we value human life above all else, correct?
In 1981, when Mitt Romney was arrested for disorderly conduct for trying to launch that boat with a smudged license number, did he have an anchor?
http://www.indecisionforever.com/blog/2012/05/07/mitt-romney-arrested-for-disorderly-boating-in-1981