comMITTed to Romney!

McCain’s shown his true colors today (Saturday), and as my mother-in-law would say “This is just sick.”  Even Bill Bennett, a friend of John McCain, says big Mac has gone too far.  Hugh Hewitt at Townhall says:

On CNN, he [Bennett] just called today’s Iraq hit on Romney “below the belt” and said “honor has been McCain’s watchword” — he should admit that was wrong to do.McCain going negative with such a distortion will hurt him with GOP voters who recall McCain’s many attacks on other Republicans over the years.

Apparently Suckupabee hasn’t felt McCain’s attacks yet; he gleefully supported McCain at a rally in Alabama:

I have seen some of Governor Romney’s statements on withdrawal,” Huckabee said.” I’ve seen the actual quotes and he did support that secret withdrawal plan, and its documented in a number of accounts.” 

 Senator McCain and I disagree on some things like immigration and Human Life amendment, but I’ve never known Senator McCain to be dishonest,”

Well Governor, lucky for you our own blogger Ryan Jesperson has just uncovered yet another piece of evidence showing McCain’s inability to remember his own words.  For those of you that don’t know, McCain has attacked Mitt by saying his support of benchmarks and timetables proves he is in favor of troop withdrawal from Iraq.  Back in January 2007, McCain supported Iraqi benchmarks as a pre-requisite to completing the mission. 

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the most stalwart supporters of the war in Iraq, said Thursday that he might propose that the Iraqi government meet certain benchmarks for the United States to continue its engagement.Asked what penalty would be imposed if Iraq failed to meet his benchmarks, he said: “I think everybody knows the consequences. Haven’t met the benchmarks? Obviously, then, we’re not able to complete the mission. Then you have to examine your options.”

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said: “I called for that . . . several weeks ago. I’m glad that John McCain agrees with me.

So McCranky is blasting Mitt for saying essentially the same thing McCain did 1 year ago. 

My friends, let’s have some straight talk.  John McCain lies about his own record and those of his opponents.  Mitt Romney does not.  For a fair take on the McCain attack today, go here.

Finally, Mitt wins Connecticut Republican Straw Poll:

MIDDLETOWN - A concerted effort by supporters of underdog candidate Ron Paul to win him the Connecticut Republican Party presidential straw poll, including a floundering hot air balloon, were not enough bring him victory Friday night; first place went to Mitt Romney.Republican voters gathered at the Elks Club to hear speeches by candidate supporters and cast votes in an unofficial poll of party sentiment. The final tally was Duncan Hunter (no longer in the race) 1 vote, Fred Thomson (no longer in the race) 2, Mike Huckabee 9, Rudy Giuliani 34, Paul 96, John McCain 104 and Romney 136 votes.

Here’s my question for you:  If Mitt wins Florida, how will the media spin it?  Will they still claim it’s anyone’s race?  Or will they be forced to admit that Mitt is truly the front-runner going into Feb. 5?

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As we approach the primary voting season, there are more and more new folks finding their way to our humble blog. The information I found on this blog was extremely helpful to me as I assessed the various candidates in search of “the One.” As such, I thought it would be fitting for me to share why I am a staunch supporter of Governor Mitt Romney in his run for the White House.

In a nutshell, Mitt Romney is the only “full-spectrum” Conservative who can rally the support of all three wings of the Reagan coalition, namely, Social, Economic, and Foreign Policy Conservatives.

For a full treatment of Mitt Romney’s positions, I would refer you to his comprehensive policy book “Vision for a Strong America.” Let me summarize here, however, the highlights across the major issues:

• Foreign Policy
o War against Islamic Fascism: We are engaged in a multi-front war which will require using all of our military, economic, and diplomatic might to win; we must defeat the terrorists and those who aid and abet them as well as help the Muslim people enter the 21st century (click here and here)
o Iraq and Afghanistan: The surge is working and we must do what it takes to help Iraq and Afghanistan become stable democratic allies in the war on Islamic Fascism and support our troops (click here and here)
o Iran: Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear state; diplomacy and economic sanctions are critical, but may not be enough; the military option must remain on the table (click here)
o Military: Need to increase defense spending to a minimum of 4% of GDP to make sure our armed forces have the equipment they need in the field and the support the need back home; the best ally of peace is a strong America (click here and here)

• Economic Policy
o Taxes: We need to keep the Bush tax cuts permanent, eliminate the Death Tax, and cut taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest to zero for the Middle Class (click here, and here)
o Spending: We need to restrain Federal spending and close the deficit; will veto any budget where non-defense discretionary spending growth exceeds inflation minus 1%; Need to give the President a line-item veto; Strong track record of financial management from Massachusetts where he closed a $3B deficit and turned it into a $1B surplus without raising taxes; carry out a comprehensive review of government spending to increase efficiency and effectiveness (click here and here)
o Entitlements reform: Maintain benefits for current Seniors, but institute fundamental reforms combining slowing the rate of increase for benefits based on income, extending the retirement age, individual retirement accounts, and no tax increases (click here)
o Healthcare: Mitt Romney is the only candidate on either side of the aisle who implemented a universal health care plan; He covered all of the citizens of Massachusetts using market-based insurance without raising taxes; Governor Romney advocates a Federalist state-by-state approach to make health insurance more affordable for everyone (click here)
o Globalization: Continue to trade around the world but make sure we negotiate level playing fields in foreign markets and upgrade American competitiveness through investments in education and innovation (click here and here)

• Culture and Values
o Illegal immigration: Control the border first and turn of the “magnets” that attract illegal immigrants by implementing an employment verification system, no special path for illegal immigrants to become citizens (i.e. no amnesty), no sanctuary cities, increased enforcement by local police agencies (click here, here, and here)
o Traditional marriage: In favor of amending the constitution to keep marriage defined as between a man and a woman; fought the Massachusetts Supreme Court to prevent the state from becoming a destination for same-sex couples looking for marriage licenses (click here and here and here)
o Life: Much has been made of Governor Romney’s switch from being Pro-Abortion to Pro-Life; This is a critical issue for me; I have heard many times why he made this change, and I believe him; I believe that Mitt Romney will fight for the rights of the unborn and be a great leader in supporting Life (click here, here, and here)

The choice of a nominee and President, however, is not strictly a “right-brained” decision based on policy statements and positions. There needs to be something inspirational about a candidate whether it’s the way that they speak to a crowd, interact one on one, or something about their personal story that sets them apart.

Experiencing Mitt through articles and videos really helped seal the deal for me. Below, I have listed some of what I would consider the best of the best articles and videos that helped me come to the decision to support Mitt actively. I’m sure I’m missing some great material, but there is a lot down below. I would encourage you to click through as much of this as you can, and if you have a favorite that wasn’t listed, please leave a link in the comments!

Key videos, speeches, appearances, and articles:
• Articles
o Romney to the Rescue (Newsmax) – Great overview of Mitt Romney
o National Review’s endorsement of Mitt Romney
o The House that Mitt Built (Private Equity International) – Behind the scenes view of how Mitt ran Bain Capital and his leadership style
o The Making of Mitt Romney (Boston Globe) – Reasonably balanced biography of each of the major phases of Mitt’s life starting from his youth through today
o Consultant in Chief (Wall Street Journal) – Interview of Mitt where he talks about how he would fix the Federal Government
o For Romney & Company, Campaign is all Business (NY Times) – How Mitt runs his campaign and what it would mean for his Presidency
o Evangelicals for Mitt statement of support
o Mark DeMoss on why Evangelicals should support Mitt
o Ann Romney Opens Up (People Magazine) – Great interview with Ann; she would be a fantastic First Lady!

• Speeches
o “Faith in America” – Seminal address on the role of religious faith and liberty in our nation
o Address to the Value Voters Summit – Seminal address on culture and value issues
o Iowa Straw Poll victory speech
o Highlights from the Republican debates (click 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th)
o Speech at CPAC 2007 – One of Mitt’s first major addresses to the leading grassroots gathering of Conservatives; one of his best speeches in my opinion
o Presidential Campaign Announcement – Mitt announcing that he’s running and why he’s running

• Campaign videos
o Biographical overview video of Mitt Romney (click part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII)
o “Path to Victory” webcast – Mitt and Meg Whitman (CEO of eBay) discussing the 2007 campaign and discussing the plan for 2008
o Retrospective of Governor Romney’s campaign in 2007
o Online “Ask Mitt Anything” – For those of us who don’t live in an early primary state, Mitt held an online town hall meeting which provides a really good overview of his key positions
o Christmas 2006 – Behind the scenes look at the Romney family and how they made the decision together that Mitt should run for President; cynics have criticized this video as contrived, but I love the fact that he has held his family together while achieving such exceptional success; you can’t fake this stuff

• Media appearances
o Mitt on Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money – Great interview by Jim Cramer where he calls Mitt the “Best businessman in America”
o Mitt on ABC News talking about Ann – Great interview of Mitt where he discusses what he loves so much about Ann
o Mitt on Meet the Press – Tim Russert throws everything he’s got plus the kitchen sink at Mitt who proceeds to address each point in a clear, classy, and compelling way

• My favorite TV spots
o “Searched” – Compelling true story of how Mitt Romney shut down Bain Capital and moved all the employees to NYC to search for and find the daughter of one of his partners
o “Choice: Judgment” – Striking contrast ad highlighting Mike Huckabee’s 1,033 pardons and clemencies (more than 2x his three predecessors) vs. zero from Mitt Romney
o “Choice: The Record” – Ad contrasting Mitt’s record on illegal immigration vs. Mike Huckabee’s record of supporting tax payer funded scholarships and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
o “Not Politically Correct” – Mitt’s record supporting life, English immersion education, and traditional marriage
o “Experience Matters” – Ad highlighting the lack of real world, executive experience on the part of Hillary Clinton (and equally applicable to the other Democrats)
o “Ready for Action” – Summary of Governor Romney’s stump speech in 60 seconds; user-generated ad based on a contest that was run back in September
o “Our Home” – Some precious footage of Mitt playing with his children and grandchildren; focuses on the importance of strengthening our families
o “Leadership” and “Energy” – I just love the images of Mitt jogging through the backwoods and the focus on his track record in business; I think he’s the only politician I’ve seen jogging where it looked like he was actually in shape…not just a photo op
o “Ocean” – Ad lamenting the degradation of our culture and Mitt’s thoughts on how he would like to address it; as a parent this one really resonated with me
o “Tested, Proven” – One of his early ads highlighting his track record in Massachusetts
o “I Like Vetoes” – Ad highlights his track record of vetoing excessive spending; no doubt in my mind that he’ll control spending after seeing this ad and other times when he has addressed this topic

Finally, it is one thing to support Mitt with your vote, but I’d like to ask you to consider supporting Mitt in a more active way. Like many of you, I had always followed politics, but never became active in politics (other than voting) until this year in support of Governor Romney.

This year is different. First, this is arguably the most consequential election in over twenty years. The challenges and issues that will be faced by our next President will have far reaching ramifications for our children and grandchildren.

Additionally, we face a set of candidates on the Republican side who represent vastly different positions and perspectives, some of whom threaten to tear asunder the Reagan coalition that has served us so well. Whether it is the socially liberal and sanctuary city defending Rudy Giuliani, the divisive, theocratic, soft on crime and illegal immigration, and fiscally populist Mike Huckabee, or the McCain Feingold, “Gang of 14”, and pro-Amnesty John McCain, there are clear differences in the way that each of these individuals would take the Republican Party.

If you’ve found this persuasive, please do whatever you can to support Mitt Romney’s candidacy. If you’re from Iowa, please caucus for Mitt (get more information here). Winning Iowa is job one between now and January 3.

If you are not from Iowa, please stay informed by checking in here at Elect Romney in 2008 every day. Make a donation to help Mitt win the media air war. Put on a bumper sticker or put up a yard sign (get them here). And most importantly, talk with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors about why you’re supporting Mitt Romney! Personal testimonials from trusted individuals are by far the most effective ways to gain more supporters for Mitt!

If you still have questions or remain unconvinced, leave a comment and we’ll do our best to answer your question. Or better yet, if you are also a Mitt supporter, leave a comment telling us why! Thank you for reading!

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Well, presidential straw polls will be a thing of the past in the very near future — do I hear a resounding applause? This is a rather clever poll and is fairly sophisticated. It is a very simple vote that takes 1.2 seconds to take.

This one is probably a very big one considering the shear number of AOL eyeballs. I just entered my vote for Governor Romney and he came out at 15%. Let’s change that. Here are the results at the time I pulled the lever:

RP — 28%
RG — 17%
MH — 16%
MR — 15%
JM — 14%
FT — 9%
DH — 1%

This AOL poll is open December 21st to January 4th. Click here to vote:

America Online Presidential Poll

~ Vic

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From our fellow Romney supporter over at Free Republic, RedGirlInABlueState, the results of the So. Cal. voting.

“First in the South”
Southern California Straw Poll Results

(SAN DIEGO) — Last night the Republican Party of San Diego County held its “first-in-the-south” Southern California Presidential Straw Poll at the Rancho Bernardo Inn Golf Resort and Spa as part of its annual Salute to Republican Elected Officials.

512 Republican enthusiasts of voting age from Orange, Imperial, Riverside and San Diego Counties RSVD’d to participate in the event and the Presidential straw poll.

Balloting systems were provided by Unisyn Voting Solutions, a new state of the art voting systems manufacturer. Official results of the straw poll:

Of those attending, 313 cast ballots.

* Mitt Romney 37% 117 votes
* Ron Paul 23% 73 votes
* Rudy Giuliani 16% 51 votes
* Duncan Hunter 12% 36 votes
* Mike Huckabee 4% 14 votes
* John McCain 4% 12 votes
* Fred Thompson 3% 10 votes
* Tom Tancredo 0% 0 votes

Republican Party Chairman Tony Krvaric noted, “We are very pleased with the high level of interest in our straw poll. Straw polls demonstrate the organizational strength and unity of purpose between grassroots enthusiasts, donors, and the campaign organization. The high activity by supporters from the various Presidential campaigns shows the passion with which Republicans will campaign - united - for our eventual nominee to go up against the Democrats.”

~~John Cronin~~

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It’s sometimes easy to forget about Wyoming during the busy primary calander, but they’re still insisting on running on 1/5. Gov. Romney looks to do well in at least the county of Teton where he won a straw poll with a rather impressive 61% of the vote.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ran away with 61 percent of the vote in what the Teton County Republican Party was touting as one of Wyoming’s first straw polls Saturday night.

County GOP Chairman Joe Schloss called Romney’s showing remarkable considering the number of other candidates. About 100 people voted during the party’s Elephant Jam event Saturday at 43 North. The get-together and fundraiser celebrated the one-year countdown to the presidential election.

A straw poll is a nonbinding vote taken before an election to gauge support for each candidate.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani took second, with 12 percent of the vote. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee had 10 percent, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas each received 5 percent, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California had 4 percent, and lawyer, actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson got 2 percent. Other candidates received 1 percent or less, Schloss said.

It would make a decent pick-up after a win in Iowa on the way to New Hampshire.

~~~Thomas

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Having read just about every major article that has come out about Rudy Giuliani this year, I have always been surprised by how poorly RG has capitalized on his enormously broad name recognition. Clearly, he has been in first position in the polls for months based largely on his celebrity. Proof? Just look at Fred Thompson. Those in the know in politics, and the average American who does pay attention to the race, have mostly diminished FT’s chances based on his underwhelming campaign start over several weeks and yet he still polls very high nationally. What does this tell us? There is a direct correlation between name recognition and poll ranking. Though polls are not completely simplistic, depending on the way questions are posed, they do reflect what a wide selection of people know. Most Americans are not paying attention and what they know are the faces and names of RG and FT.

I believe this Wall Street Journal article exposes several weaknesses in RG’s campaign and reveals a rather presumptive attitude that his staff seems to have. Namely, that the polls cannot lie and therefore “I must be as good as I think I am in South Carolina….”

Lastly, what has RG done with his name recognition? For the most part, he has really done nothing with it. For the most part, his fundraising for just the primaries has lagged GMR’s. His endorsements among Evangelical leaders is non-existent. It is widely known that his organizational strength is weak by comparison to GMR’s. And as you can see from this article, his marketing capacity and organization are amateurish at best.

The Wall Street Journal article is by Michael M. Phillips, page A4 in the print edition of October 22nd (to read the entire article, go to the bottom of this post and click the link) — [emphasis is mine]:

It’s pretty frustrating being Rudy Giuliani’s man in what may well be the most conservative county in one of the most conservative states in the Union.

Statewide, Mr. Giuliani is doing surprisingly well in South Carolina. Most polls show him tied for the lead in the Republican nominating contest with former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, the South’s favorite son in the race.

Mr. Giuliani’s support seems strongest on the less-conservative coast. His political history of supporting abortion rights, gay civil unions and gun control, along with his personal history of infidelity and divorce, make him a tough sell among the Bible-believing folk of Greenville County, which accounts for one in 10 of the state’s Republican primary voters.

Greenville is a particularly stark example of the challenge Mr. Giuliani faces nationwide in his quest to lead the party. Over the weekend, he confronted it directly with a speech to a convention of religious and social conservatives in Washington, telling the “Values Voters Summit” that he came “with an open mind and an open heart, and all I ask is that you do the same.”

 

The results were mixed. The audience gave him a relatively warm reception. But in a straw poll of nearly 6,000 Family Research Council members, Mr. Giuliani placed eighth of nine candidates, with less than 2% of the vote.

 

So Mr. Jones was quick to volunteer after Mr. Giuliani declared his candidacy earlier this year. It hasn’t been easy — and sometimes the campaign itself seems to make things tougher.

When Mr. Giuliani spoke at the county Republican Party convention this spring, he declined to buy a $250 full-page ad in the program, even though former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney did so. “Giuliani’s own campaign didn’t see the value in purchasing an ad in the convention program,” says county Republican chairman Samuel Harms, still cross about the slight. To soothe bruised feelings, Mr. Jones paid for a half-page ad himself. At the convention, Mr. Romney won a delegates’ straw poll; Mr. Giuliani came in a distant fourth.

Mr. Giuliani came through town earlier this month for a brief public meet-and-greet at a local coffee shop. Perhaps 100 people showed up. Inside, Mr. Jones ran into Doug Wavle, who represents Greenville on the state Republican executive committee. Mr. Wavle describes the county as “Bible-believing” and predicts peace won’t come to the Middle East until “the Lord Jesus Christ returns to Earth.” Mr. Giuliani, he says, doesn’t meet the strict moral standards he and his neighbors set. “I’m here just to be a good host,” Mr. Wavle told Mr. Jones. “This is not my candidate, and you know why.”

Asked during the event how well he’d do among the local social conservatives, Mr. Giuliani pointed to polls that rank him high among Evangelical voters. Mr. Giuliani is betting that Sept. 11 caused a fundamental shift in the party, leaving Republicans who once have voted on social issues willing to support a moderate candidate strong on national defense.

“The big, surprising news is how strong a candidate I am in South Carolina,” Mr. Giuliani told the crowd.

But the Republicans of Greenville County seem particularly resistant to his message. “Americans have become far more accepting of the stances which Giuliani has carried forth,” says Frank S. Page, pastor of First Baptist Church in nearby Taylors and president of the national Southern Baptist Convention. “That being said, I do believe in Greenville County he will face serious opposition.”

Mr. Jones says poor organization is also hurting Mr. Giuliani here. For months he has been attending Republican functions, handing out campaign literature that he has photocopied himself and looking enviously at the glossy brochures, stickers and DVDs at the Romney table.

Earlier this month, Ryan Meerstein, the state campaign director, finally sent him 10 Giuliani buttons and a small packet of brochures. “I’ve been telling Ryan — send us the ones on abortion, the ones on gun control and the ones on health care,” Mr. Jones said. “A lot of people here have questions about those.”

Mr. Jones brought a few buttons to the coffee-shop event, where a campaign official advised him to “keep those for the hard-core people — we’ve got stickers for everyone else.” That evening, Mr. Jones went to the $15-a-head barbecue for the Upstate Republican Women’s Club. He chatted with Bob Taylor, dean of the college of arts and sciences at Bob Jones University, a conservative Christian school in Greenville. Mr. Taylor told Mr. Jones bluntly that if Mr. Giuliani wins the nomination, he might not vote for him — and he wouldn’t be the only one to abandon the party.

“I’ve got a tough row to hoe,” Mr. Jones said on the drive home. “There’s no doubt about it.”

I don’t have time to provide the analysis of Giuliani’s financial situation including funds in the bank, burn rate, and limited ability to raise money, but suffice to say that when he has to step it up to compete with Romney head on, he will begin to suck air. His terrible strategy to surrender the Ames Straw Poll to Gov. Romney in August places him in a lousy position in the Iowa caucus causing him to ramp up his office space and staff in Iowa to compete for third or fourth place in the caucus — AT BEST. Effectively, RG is going to end up spending far more money in Iowa than he would have had he competed in the ASP in August, in the first place; and for what? Just so that he does not come in last place!

I sure hope that RG continues to take a presumptuous approach in South Carolina and that he believes he is in the safe lead of number one in the polls. Then it will be a far better surprise when GMR eats his lunch in the SC primary. But if he wakes up to the reality to learn that South Carolinians may are not lining up for him as he thought, he will then have to expend large sums of money to compete with GMR. Either way, it is good for GMR overall.

~ Vic

More »

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A little bird (David Kim) pointed this out in an email, and it deserves to be seen here…

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OUTSTANDING! That is all I can say about Governor Romney’s performance and reviews out of yesterday’s Family Research Council. By now, we have all read the various reports and the slicing and dicing of Gov. Romney’s win of the poll. To me however, more important is what the experts and other conservatives are saying. Please take a minute and read these; they are great! Click here to see them all ——> HEADLINES

My favorite of all the quotes:

CBN’s David Brody: “And I think this week, we will look back on this week, if Mitt Romney goes on and wins the nomination and if you see other evangelical leaders in the future, come November, December, or even into January, start to endorse Mitt Romney, you’ll look back to this week as a very key week for the Romney campaign.” (C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal,” 10/20/07)

With the strong statements made by key Evangelical leaders by way of endorsement of Gov. Romney these past 10 days or so, I have felt that Gov. Romney has in fact turned the corner. I cannot put my finger on it yet, and my hunch is completely visceral, but I strongly agree with David Brody’s statement just above. It is conspicuous that major Evangelical leaders are not publicly endorsing Huckabee.

~ Vic

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From The Politico

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney increased his already growing credibility with evangelical Christians on Saturday afternoon by winning the Family Research Council’s “2008 American Values Straw Poll.”

Romney edged former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist minister who received the most enthusiastic reception of any of the speakers at the council’s “Values Voter Summit” at a Washington hotel. The results, released with a literal drumroll:

First — Mitt Romney — 1,595 votes

Second — Mike Huckabee — 1,565 votes

Third — Ron Paul — 865 votes

Fourth — Fred Thompson — 564 votes

A total of 5,576 votes were cast.

Announcing the results, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said the top four issues picked by voters were 1) abortion; 2) marriage; 3) tax cuts; and 4) permanent tax relief for families.

Here’s something important to remember about the poll: The results reflect not just the 2,000-plus attendees at the three-day conference, but also anyone who went online and contributed as little as $1 to join FRC Action, the legislative action arm of the Family Research Council.

All the Republican presidential candidates spoke to the conference. The poll is being widely watched as a barometer of the preferences of social conservatives, an electorally potent group whose leaders have not settled on a candidate.

Attendees who filled out the straw poll on-site were given colorful “I Values Voted” stickers. People had to be in line by 1 p.m., so the results could be announced at 3 p.m. sharp.

After speaking to the crowd on Saturday morning, Huckabee held both an availability with bloggers and a news conference. His campaign handed out fliers saying “Do Not Compromise Your Values,” with “Your” crossed out and replaced by “God.”

Romney’s campaign distributed a news release announcing he had been endorsed by Dr. John Willke, founder and former president of the National Right to Life Committee. Willke said on the release: “I know he will be the strong pro-life president we need in the White House.”

On the straw-poll ballot, the first question was: “Which of the following candidates for President would you be most likely to vote for?” Voters were given the choice of 18 candidates, both Republican and Democratic, plus “Undecided.”

The second question, with the same list, was: “Which of the following candidates would be least acceptable to you as President of the United States?”

The third question was, “Please indicate which issue is the most important in determining your opinion of the candidate that you will most likely vote for?” A dozen choices were provided, most of them priorities of social conservatives, plus tax cuts.

Seven candidates addressed the crowd on Friday. Two spoke Saturday morning:

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani took a conciliatory tone, promising to work toward “decreasing abortions and increasing adoptions”: “You and I know that I’m not a perfect person. I’ve made mistakes in my life, but I’ve always done the best that I could to try to learn for them. I pray for forgiveness. I pray for strength. … During what I believe were the greatest crises of my life, I prayed to God, and I needed God’s help and guidance. Religion is about love, forgiveness and inclusion – it’s about salvation. .. If we’re honest with each other, trust will follow. We may not always agree — I don’t always agree with myself. … I want to work with the community of faith to develop new ideas that can protect our shared vision.”

Huckabee took a fierier approach. After talking about protecting freedom and family, Huckabee said: “Faith is also threatened, and let me share with you how. I believe that there are many who will seek our support. But let me say that it’s important that people sing from their hearts, and don’t merely lip-synch the lyrics to our songs. I think it’s important that the language of Zion is a mother tongue, and not a recently acquired second language. It’s important that a person doesn’t have more positions on issues that Elvis had waist sizes.”

FRC says it “champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization.”

–By Mike Allen

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Woo hoo, I got my vote in. Have you? You can vote for as little as a $1.00 donation to the Family Research Council. Come on, let’s show Governor Romney what we’re made of.

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Thanks to Nancy French at Evangelicals for Mitt, here are the instructions on how to vote in the Family Research Council Straw Poll.

1. Go on-line to Family Research Council .
2. Once there, click on the large banner “Participate in the 2008 American Values Straw Poll.”
3. If you are not already a member of FRC Action, you can join by submitting an annual donation of any amount (minimum: $1.00). After joining, you will be taken directly to your on-line straw poll ballot where you can vote for Governor Romney.

Thanks to frofreak for suggesting that I make this it’s own individual post.

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