Conservative Christians rush to Rick Perry’s side
From media mavens to grassroots activists, conservative Christian
leaders have been heaping praise on presidential candidate Rick Perry,
an early but important show of support from a vital GOP constituency.
Initially
unimpressed with the 2012 presidential field, some of these
evangelicals heralded Perry's late entry as the second coming of Ronald
Reagan. Like Reagan, they say, Perry is a big-state governor, a staunch
conservative and, significantly, a fellow Christian.
Perry, in
turn, has suffused his campaign with religion, building on strategies
honed for years in Texas politics. He has huddled with social
conservatives at a Texas retreat, hosted a high-profile Christian
prayer rally in Houston and recited his prodigal-son spiritual testimony
at the late Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.
