GOP hopefuls pitch ideas at conservative event
Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa
The robust Christian right in early-voting Iowa plays an outsize role in helping determine the Republican presidential nominee, a political reality not lost on the parade of would-be 2016 candidates trying to draw attention at a Saturday gathering of social conservatives.
Govs. Chris Christie of New Jersey and Scott Walker of Wisconsin, former Govs. Rick Perry of Texas and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and many others turned the Iowa Freedom Forum into the unofficial launch of the next campaign for the Iowa caucuses. More than 1,000 religious conservatives met at a refurbished theater to hear them pitch their policies and their values.
Christie may have had the most to gain — or lose — from appearing at the forum. Considered a moderate in some GOP circles and a party establishment choice in others, the New Jersey governor tried to connect with grass-roots conservative activists by assuring them that trust is more important than total agreement.
“If you want a candidate who agrees with you 100 percent of the time, I’ll give you a suggestion: Go home and look in the mirror. You are the only person you agree with 100 percent of the time,” he said. “You’ll always know who I am, you’ll always know what I believe, and you’ll always know where I stand.”
To back up his conservative credentials, Christie proclaimed his opposition to gay marriage and abortion rights.
In his remarks, Cruz cited the Bible as he challenged caucus participants to back only presidential candidates with a proven conservative track record. “You know what,” he said, “talk is cheap. The word tells us you shall know them by their fruits. ... Look every candidate in the eye and say, ‘Don’t talk, show me.’”
Though he criticized President Barack Obama’s foreign policy and other actions, Huckabee warned about the dangers of intraparty fighting. “We don’t need to spend the next two years beating each other up in the conservative tent. We need to tell America what’s right with this country,” he said.
Walker promoted his administration’s enactment of voter identification, concealed-carry handgun and abortion-restriction legislation — all red-meat issues to the conservative audience. For many Republicans, he is best known for beating back a recall effort and then winning re-election.
Among others speaking at the forum were businesswoman Carly Fiorina, Dr. Ben Carson, former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and real-estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump. Missing were two possible candidates considered leading contenders for the nomination: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and the party’s 2012 nominee, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.