Presidential rivals woo Republican base
Source: Agencies |
February 11, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MITT Romney was ending a shaky week for him yesterday with a pitch to the conservative Republican base that handed him three state losses this week and continues to be wary of him because of his past, more moderate, social views.
Three of the four Republican presidential candidates were addressing a major conservative gathering in Washington that promises to give a warmer welcome to Rick Santorum, whose triple win this week was a reminder that the race to challenge United States President Barack Obama in November remains far from settled.
Santorum has far less money and campaign organization than Romney, who has been running for president for years and dropped out of the 2008 race.
But Santorum's wins in the Colorado and Minnesota caucuses this week, plus a nonbinding primary in Missouri, have raised questions once again about front-runner Romney's ability to inspire conservatives.
Romney is likely to try to reassure the conservative gathering that he represents their views and is best-positioned to beat Obama. But his past stances on issues such as abortion and health care will haunt him.
Adding to the pressure on Romney, Santorum will speak before he does to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference today Beijing Time.
Of the Republican hopefuls, Santorum is by far the most public and emphatic about his faith, drawing on his Catholicism and deeply held views on social issues as the foundation of his conservative message.
The former Pennsylvania senator is moving to push aside fellow candidate Newt Gingrich as the top conservative in the race, which could make him a force in places like Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma and others on the upcoming primary calendar.
The CPAC stage today will give Santorum a chance to sharpen a two-pronged message. He says Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is too moderate to carry the Republican banner against Obama. And he says Gingrich, a former speaker of the House of Representatives and also a Catholic, is too weighted down by past controversies and policy shifts.
Representative Ron Paul, a Baptist with libertarian leanings, does not plan to attend the CPAC.
Three of the four Republican presidential candidates were addressing a major conservative gathering in Washington that promises to give a warmer welcome to Rick Santorum, whose triple win this week was a reminder that the race to challenge United States President Barack Obama in November remains far from settled.
Santorum has far less money and campaign organization than Romney, who has been running for president for years and dropped out of the 2008 race.
But Santorum's wins in the Colorado and Minnesota caucuses this week, plus a nonbinding primary in Missouri, have raised questions once again about front-runner Romney's ability to inspire conservatives.
Romney is likely to try to reassure the conservative gathering that he represents their views and is best-positioned to beat Obama. But his past stances on issues such as abortion and health care will haunt him.
Adding to the pressure on Romney, Santorum will speak before he does to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference today Beijing Time.
Of the Republican hopefuls, Santorum is by far the most public and emphatic about his faith, drawing on his Catholicism and deeply held views on social issues as the foundation of his conservative message.
The former Pennsylvania senator is moving to push aside fellow candidate Newt Gingrich as the top conservative in the race, which could make him a force in places like Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma and others on the upcoming primary calendar.
The CPAC stage today will give Santorum a chance to sharpen a two-pronged message. He says Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is too moderate to carry the Republican banner against Obama. And he says Gingrich, a former speaker of the House of Representatives and also a Catholic, is too weighted down by past controversies and policy shifts.
Representative Ron Paul, a Baptist with libertarian leanings, does not plan to attend the CPAC.
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