Vying for the hearts and minds of religious conservatives, Mitt Romney is pulling ahead in the all-important name game.
Moral Majority co-founder Paul Weyrich is the latest social conservative A-lister to throw his support behind the former Massachusetts governor. Romney already has won endorsements from Bob Jones III, chancellor of Bob Jones University, and Jay Sekulow, a Pat Robertson acolyte and head of the American Center for Law and Justice. With Weyrich, Romney lands an even bigger fish – the founder of the Heritage Foundation and the man often described as the father of the religious right.
As reported by The Brody File and the New York Times’ The Caucus blog, Weyrich is impressed by Romney’s “clear conservative vision” and “exceptional record of putting conservative values to work.” By giving Romney his blessing, Weyrich also sends a message to wavering Christian Right leaders – who have threatened to bolt the GOP if either Romney, a Mormon and recent convert on abortion, or the pro-choice Rudy Giuliani are nominated – to stay the course. As The Caucus observes:

…this is a win for Mr. Romney. And, for those keeping score, it is a loss for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who has enjoyed much grassroots support from Christian conservatives but continues to struggle to gain the confidence of many of the prominent leaders of the movement.

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