Rick Santorum on Saturday won a key
endorsement from socially conservative leaders meeting in Texas.
According to The
New York Times, Santorum was the overwhelming favorite of the
more than 100 influential Christian conservatives attending the
meeting.
Campaigning in South Carolina, Santorum
said of the endorsement: “They've looked at not just what we've
been able to accomplish during this primary season so far. But
they've looked at the track record of someone that's been a strong,
consistent voice across the board on all the conservative issues.”
Backing the gathering are some of the
nation's most virulent opponents of gay rights, including the
National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the Family Research Council
(FRC) and the American Family Association (AFA).
“There is a hope and an expectation
that this will have an impact on South Carolina,” FRC President
Tony Perkins told reporters.
Santorum placed second behind Mitt
Romney in Iowa, but the win didn't translate into much in New
Hampshire, where he came in fifth. Santorum is pinning his hopes on
South Carolina, where a majority of voters in 2008 said in exit
polling that they consider themselves “born again” or evangelical
Christians.