GOP Hopefuls Set Sights On "Values Voters"

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter David Miller.

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Seeking to win over a key constituency that has exhibited signs of dissatisfaction with their current choices, Republican presidential candidates will converge on Washington this weekend for a chance to connect with around 2,000 influential members of the Christian conservative community - a group that could effectively decide the GOP nomination in early 2008.

The Family Research Council's Washington Briefing - better-known as the Values Voter Summit - will include speeches from all the Republican candidates, as well as a straw poll that could serve as a gauge of each candidates' strength within this crucial group. Though the number of expected attendees is relatively small, FRC's president, Tony Perkins, says the event's impact can extend far beyond Washington.

"These are the influencers, these are the talkers," Perkins said of the attendees that will take over the Washington Hilton hotel. "This could be when things start to shake out and a candidate begins to emerge with a certain level of support. I don't think anybody's going to walk away with a lock, but maybe one or two candidates, maybe three, will begin to take off with strong support from the base."

That no candidate has yet locked up the support of evangelicals may be one of the most interesting facets of the summit. In 2000, Christian conservatives were quick to rally around George W. Bush and stuck with him, helping him win two terms in office. But now, with the Iowa caucuses less than three months away, no single candidate has emerged as the favorite of social conservatives - making this weekend's summit all the more important.

Of the top four Republicans in the race, none has come close to becoming a true standard bearer for evangelicals. Mitt Romney sounds the right note on issues like abortion and gay marriage, but his recent rightward leaps on those issues, and his Mormon faith, have generated skepticism. John McCain has also been a reliable conservative vote, but has never been strongly identified with the evangelical base. Fred Thompson was once hyped as the candidate conservative voters have been waiting for, but his campaign has stumbled out of the gate after a late start.

And then there's Rudy Giuliani, who, as Perkins said, "is in a class by himself." Giuliani is Catholic, but supports abortion rights and expanded gay rights during his tenure as New York mayor - stances that are anathema to evangelical voters. He was the last major Republican candidate to accept the invitation to speak at the summit. Perkins said Giuliani can score points this weekend, but not too many.

"I don't think there's any risk of him winning the straw poll there this weekend, but I think he's a winner for coming, to be honest," Perkins said. "Had he not come it would have been a really bad political mistake."

Among the second-tier contenders, the only one who is cozy with the party's conservative Christian wing is Mike Huckabee, especially with Sen. Sam Brownback departing the race. Huckabee, who is a Baptist minister as well as a former Arkansas governor, has had trouble gaining traction since his second-place finish in the Ames, Iowa straw poll in August.

But that may not matter much to those in attendance this weekend, nor will the high poll numbers and large war chests of the front-runners, Perkins said. "For the rank and file conservatives, viability is not an issue," he said. "In the 1999-2000 election, I supported Gary Bauer because he was right on all the issues." Bauer now heads the conservative organization American Values, one of the co-sponsors of the Values Voter Summit.

While Perkins said he couldn't predict which candidate - or candidates - would emerge from the Summit with momentum headed into the closing months of the primary campaign, he sounded confident that evangelical voters' days of indecision would soon come to an end. "They've been doing window shopping and I think they're ready to buy," he said.

[nmsuip]

The Pope & a Republican were both killed in an automobile accident. The 2 were in line to see St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter asked the Republican his name & looked it up in the Book. He then asked the Pope for his name, & then looked it up in the Book too.
"Now if you''ll come with me, I''ll show you your eternal dwellings," said St. Peter. They walked along the clouds & came to a huge mansion with all sorts of lavish trappings. St. Peter turned to the Republican & told him that this was to be his house. The Pope, knowing how important he was to the church could hardly imagine what his house would be like.
St. Peter & the Pope continued on to a small, beat-up wooden shack. St. Peter told the Pope that this would be his dwelling.
The Pope, shocked, said to St. Peter, "Just a minute! That other guy was a Republican & he gets a mansion. I was the head of the Roman Catholic Church & this is all the reward I get???"
St. Peter looked at the Pope & said, "True, you''ve done great things. But we have lots of Popes in Heaven, & that guy was the 1st Republican ever to make it up here."

[ioweign]

News flash, rharrin1 - Bush ain''''t runnin, Hillary is.

Posted by speakinup at 06:52 PM : Oct 18, 2007

The Republicans - seen one, seen''em all !

What is the National Debt now ??

[ioweign]

The value of every American should be to stand strong and be loyal to the USA no matter what. Unless you feel otherwise, which in that case, there are plenty of countries you can move to.

Posted by jack3213 at 08:44 AM : Oct 19, 2007

My country right or wrong. Are you of German decent ?

I do not believe that and will do what I can to change it - according to the Constitution !!

[simonsez40]

Hunter also:

along with Ted Kennedy and John McCain, voted for the Federal takeover of education known as No Child Left Behind.

voted to impose Sarbanes-Oxley accounting regulations on American businesses, making it difficult for many small businesses to cope with these new red tape.

voted to support restrictions on free speech in political campaigns (McCain-Feingold) after first voting against it.


The Club for Growth says "he''s been part of the big government spending spree of the last six years," and gave Hunter a 49% rating on its 2005 scorecard, that''s 187th out of 230 Republicans in the House GOP Conference.

While he had higher ratings from the National Taxpayers Union earlier in his career, the group now routinely gives Hunter "C" ratings.

We don''t need another big-spending, career politician in the race for president. We need a true outsider who will end the corruption in our tax code, who will stop the Washington spending spree and veto the kind of deficit-hiking budgets Congressmen like Duncan Hunter have been sending to Pres. Bush''s desk year in and year out.

[simonsez40]

Facts on Duncan Hunter:

Rep. Hunter has served in Congress for 13 terms now, and has a proven record of wasteful, pork barrel spending in Washington. He does not deserve a promotion to the White House.

While he evokes Ronald Reagan today, for the past 26 years, he has spent and regulated like a Lyndon Johnson Democrat.

Earlier this month, Hunter, in a behind-closed-doors meeting, killed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that would have required a Department of Defense spending bill report card revealing to the public all pork barrel spending in Congressional bills, along with the names of their sponsors.

Was he worried his name would appear often on those report cards? His Website brags about "helping local companies obtain defense contracts."

But his spending spree doesn''t stop there.

He also voted for the largest expansion of Medicare since its creation, and voted to support a 2005 highway bill which was filled with tens of thousands of earmarks for Congressional spending projects, many unrelated to highways or even roads.

Choke on that Pork!

[simonsez40]

If Republicans have the foot hold on values - then prostitutes and call-girls are Mother Teresa!

I''m choking on this Republican *** - 7 years of this clown show and people are still swallowing it lock - stock and barrel.

[micma-2009]

I love it when Republicans talk about family values.

Gives me a warm woozy feeling inside.

Makes me want to dump my old wife (sorry dear) and marry a young chick like all these family values Republican do.

Way to go, Fred and Rudy!

Five wives and still counting!!

LOL


Posted by jerr11 at 12:29 AM : Oct 19, 2007

[liberalme]

The values of most of the voters are far above the repubs.

THEY-have a leader who is challenging, taunting and doing whatever else he can to tick off Iran and China.

THEIR leader wants a 3rd world war--and no one is doing anything to stop this.

Values? Repubs? Not in this country! They don''t even have any shame!

[jack3213]

Values are the back bone of this country. They have been shakey ever since someone said " It wasn''t ***" and it was. Since then, people have been confused. It says alot when a Presidents values are distorted. Some might think Bush has a distorted view, and they are angry because they are afraid. They have a right to be afraid, but anger will block you from understanding. If you read the news and get informed it is eivident that the War on terror is very real, and running and hiding is the cowardly thing to do. The value of every American should be to stand strong and be loyal to the USA no matter what. Unless you feel otherwise, which in that case, there are plenty of countries you can move to.

[chucktruck2]

Anger is fear. What are you so afraid of concerning people that want something more than we can from a slime pool and when you die you just die.Is it better to hope and act as a human being or if it feels good do it. Act for your self without hate and bigotry. The Value Voters Summit will have a straw poll Saturday night and I hope Ann''s husband Of 38 years wins.