It's Official: Romney is the Social Conservative Alternative

Matt Lewis | November 05, 2007 3:05 PM

Gary Marx, Mitt Romney's social conservative outreach director is smiling somewhere.

... A day after Fred Thompson said he would not support the pro-Life plank in the Republican platform,

David Brody reports conservative leader Paul Weyrich has endorsed Mitt Romney.

To me, this endorsement is very significant for two reasons:

1. Weyrich's endorsement implies conservative leaders have finally given up hope of finding the perfect candidate, and have settled for Romney as the better alternative to Giuliani and Thompson.

2. Weyrich is a highly-respected conservative movement leader, and my guess is his endorsement will create a sort of domino effect. ... Could conservative heavy-weights like Richard Viguerie, Morton Blackwell, and Phyllis Schlafly be far behind?

Like him or not, Mitt Romney deserves kudos for pulling this endorsement off. Who would have predicted, a few years ago, that the then-pro-Choice Mormon from Massachusetts would get the endorsement of conservatives ranging from Bob Jones III to Paul Weyrich?

Clearly this is a well-run campaign that has also benefitted from a weak conservative field ...