Romney courts young evangelicals
2012-05-12 08:19
Lynchburg - Republican Mitt Romney heads to
America's largest Christian university this weekend to court young religious
conservatives and push family values in the wake of President Barack Obama's
gay marriage endorsement.
The presumptive Republican nominee will also
urge graduates not to "lose heart" in the face of diminished job
prospects when he gives the commencement address Saturday at Liberty University
in this small city in central Virginia, according to excerpts of his speech
released by the campaign.
Virginia is one the key battlegrounds of the
2012 election, and First Lady Michelle Obama preempted Romney by delivering her
own moving commencement speech in the state at a university less than 145km
away.
Romney, taking advantage of his largest
student audience of the year, will urge graduates to remain optimistic even
though "our current troubles can be discouraging," according to the
excerpts.
"Millions wait on the day when there are
jobs for everyone willing to work, and opportunities to match your hopes and
your goals. But don't lose heart, because that day is coming."
With thousands of Christian graduates in his
audience, Romney will touch on the importance of faith and "the
commitments of family."
"Take those away, or take them for
granted, and so many things can go wrong in a life. Keep them strong, and so
many things will go right," he said.
With Obama's landmark public endorsement of
gay marriage, and this week's splashy fundraiser at Hollywood heartthrob George
Clooney's home raising an unprecedented $15 million, it seemed an ideal time
for the Republican candidate to tout family values and draw sharp contrasts
with his rival.
But "this is not a policy speech,"
a senior campaign official told reporters on background.
"Marriage isn't the focus of the speech
but he will mention the fact that marriage is an enduring institution."
Romney is against gay marriage but says
same-sex couples should have some rights including the ability to adopt
children.
He steered clear of the issue on Friday, despite
addressing supporters in North Carolina, where voters this week overwhelmingly
approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Instead he returned to his economic message,
bashing Obama as "a president who's installed some of the old liberal
policies from the past," The Washington Post quoted Romney as saying.
"And they didn't work then, and they
sure as heck are not working now and they'll not work in the future."
Many core Republicans remain wary of Romney,
citing his shifting stance on issues like abortion.
The Democratic National Committee
acknowledged a tough road ahead to sell Obama to evangelicals, but insisted it
was possible.
In a DNC conference call, Liberty graduate
student Christine Darby said it was Obama more than Romney whose policies
"reflect the justice and compassion that Christ preaches."
Obama, Darby said, "respects my values,
and is looking out not only for my best interest, but for the best interests of
all Americans and not just the wealthy few."
Romney and the president have spent much of
the last two weeks angling pitches at young Americans.
Liberty University, the largest evangelical
university in the world with more than 80 000 students enrolled on campus or
online, has faced controversy over inviting Romney, a Mormon.
Ties between evangelicals and the Mormon
church have been strained. Pastor Robert Jeffress, a leader of the Southern
Baptist Convention - the largest US evangelical movement - last year described
Mormonism as "a cult".
While Romney prepared for his address,
Michelle Obama spoke to thousands of graduating seniors at Virginia Tech, scene
in 2007 of the deadliest school shooting in US history.
"In the end, people can only define you
if you let them," she said, in reference to the tragedy.
"That is why, when you all are out there
in the world and you meet someone and you tell them that you're from Virginia
Tech, and they say, 'Huh, isn't that the school where' - I want you to
interrupt them right there and say, 'Yes, it is the school where we have some
of the best academic programmes and professors in the country.' That's what you
tell them."
