There’s a pretty good argument to be made that Pat Robertson’s embrace of Rudy Giuliani’s candidacy was only the second-most important Christian fundamentalist endorsement this week. As David explained, Robertson may be a celebrity but his actual influence on the right has faded considerably. Paul Weyrich, on the other hand, still matters a lot. Weyrich was a founding member of the modern Christian right, and he continues to be a key player in fundie politics, at the center of the Council for National Policy’s efforts to find a candidate acceptable to the fundamentalist movement.
Weyrich endorsed Mitt Romney this week. As Jonathan Martin observes, only a James Dobson endorsement (which may yet be forthcoming) could carry more weight on the Christian right. This matters in and of itself, and all the more considering the specifics of Romney’s strategic position. He must win in Iowa, by a large enough margin to avoid the impression of a letdown — only his standing there is increasingly threatened by, among other things, Mike Huckabee’s surging support among evangelicals. Romney is desperate to overcome the disadvantage his Mormon faith presents him with among conservative evangelicals, and while he’ll never be able to do so decisively, every inroad with fundamentalist leaders helps his cause. Weyrich’s endorsement will help Romney guard his flank against Huckabee while building the case that he is the socially conservative alternative to Rudy Giuliani. With Fred Thompson fading toward irrelevance, it helps Romney make the primary a two-person race — exactly the kind of race against Giuliani you have to think Romney would like to run.
Something to say?
