2012

GOP Hopefuls Court Religious Right

At Faith and Freedom Coalition’s conference.

Republican presidential hopefuls gathered Saturday at a two-day conference hosted by the Faith and Freedom Coalition, an activist group founded by Ralph Reed. The conference was something of a tryout for candidates who hope to win support that otherwise would likely have gone to Mike Huckabee, who has said he won't run in 2012. Most candidates devoted more time to money issues, but they attempted to portray the federal debt and health-care policies as moral concerns. Mitt Romney said that job losses can push marriages to the breaking point and it is “a moral crisis.” He also went against some of his previous statements, citing “our belief in the sanctity of human life,” and said that marriage should apply to “one man and one woman.”