Mitt Romney attempts to consolidate GOP base with Liberty University speech
Mitt Romney is planning to deliver the commencement address next month at the late Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, his latest effort to consolidate the conservative base now that he is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
His staff is also trying to arrange an endorsement from Rick Santorum, who held himself up as the campaign’s conservative standard-bearer before dropping out of the race. And earlier this week, Romney said a “vast left-wing conspiracy’’ within the media will aim to prevent him from defeating President Obama.
Aligning committed partisans after a fractious primary is necessary before a nominee can work on seeking votes from other party members, independent voters, and even disaffected members of their rival party.
The speech at Liberty University on May 12 will allow Romney to make both overt and subtle outreach to evangelicals and other social conservatives suspicious of his faith, and who typically did not make him their first choice in the primary.
It also is sure to renew focus on his own religious beliefs – he is vying to be the first Mormon elected president – as well as the checkered history of Falwell and Liberty in Republican politics.
In 2000, then-GOP candidate John McCain labeled Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority, and fellow evangelist Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, as “agents of intolerance’’ aligned with George W. Bush.
McCain, angry about losing the South Carolina primary to Bush, also branded Robertson and Falwell as “corrupting influences on religion and politics.’’
Yet in 2006, as McCain was gearing up for another White House run, he visited Liberty University to, like Romney, deliver the school’s commencement address. His speech did not include religious or comments about contentious social issues, but McCain emphasized patriotism and other non-divisive themes.
Two years later, he defeated Romney for the GOP nomination. Now Romney is mimicking his trek to Virginia, a coveted swing state led by a governor, Bob McDonnell, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate.
Romney could talk about broader themes, as did McCain, or deliver a follow-up to his 2007 speech in College Station, Texas, where he tried to address questions about his faith and how it would affect his decision-making as president.
“We are delighted that Governor Romney will join us to celebrate Commencement with Liberty’s 2012 graduates,’’ Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said in a statement. “This will be a historic event for Liberty University, reminiscent of the visits of governor, and then presidential candidate, Ronald Reagan to Liberty’s campus in 1980, and of President George H.W. Bush, who spoke at Liberty’s 1990 commencement ceremony.’’
Santorum, whose departure from the race was considered the final challenge to Romney becoming the nominee, has withheld his endorsement since announcing his decision last week.
His longtime adviser and strategist John Brabender told reporters on Wednesday that he and Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades have been discussing a meeting between the former rivals sometime in the next two to three weeks.
Meanwhile, Romney also stoked partisan emotions this week during an interview with Breitbart.com’s Larry O’Connor.
Appropriating Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 1998 warning against a “vast right-wing conspiracy’’ against her husband, then-President Bill Clinton, Romney predicted a similar attack on the left.
“There will be an effort by the, quote, vast left-wing conspiracy to work together to put out a message and to attack me,’’ the former Massachusetts governor said. “And they’re going to do everything they can to divert from the issue people care about, which is a growing economy that creates more jobs and rising incomes. That’s what people care about.’’
Romney added: “We are behind when it comes to commentators on TV. They tend to be liberal.’’
The comments followed similar remarks made by Romney on Sunday during a fund-raiser in Palm Beach, Fla. The speech could be overheard by reporters from NBC News and The Wall Street Journal who were standing on the sidewalk outside.
He said the Fox News Channel was a network watched by “the true believers,’’ but that the rest of the media is biased.
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