Religious conservatives starting to embrace Mormon Romney

Politics » Reluctant backers gearing up for fall campaign against Obama.

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• Highlighting the differences: When the primaries end, Republicans will be able to focus on criticizing Obama rather than competing to see who among the GOP candidates is most "severely conservative," in Romney’s self-description. That in turn will show voters that "the 2012 race really represents the triumph of the conservative movement," said David French, an evangelical and a Romney ally who co-wrote a new book, Why Evangelicals Should Support Mitt Romney (and Feel Good About It!). "The daylight between the candidates on the social issues is nonexistent."

• Anyone but Obama: The Democratic president remains the opponent, and many evangelicals believe that will be enough to unify social conservatives to back the GOP ticket.

Still, others aren’t so sure. "You can’t beat what Obama brings to the table with a protest vote," said Hudson. Blackwell agreed, saying Romney must court social conservatives while pointing out his differences with Obama. "It is a combination, not just one or the other," he said.

For now, the religious conservative most critical to Romney’s prospects in November is a Roman Catholic: Santorum. The timing of Santorum’s departure from the race, the tenor of his remarks as he concedes, and, eventually, the energy and sincerity he brings to campaigning for the GOP ticket in the fall will go a long way toward determining whether the religious right gives Romney the support he will need to win.

In other words, even if Santorum is unable to beat Romney in the primaries, he could still determine his fate in November.

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