As he calibrates his message, the student of history would do well to take a cue from the recent past. Georgia is a religious state — the ninth most devout in the U.S., according to a recent Pew study — and faith plays a prominent role in its politics. In 2008, a postpeak Mike Huckabee edged out John McCain in the state’s primary, 36% to 33%. (Romney trailed close behind, with 30%.) Among the 3 in 10 Georgians who reported attending church more than once per week, Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, grabbed 56% of the vote, according to exit polls. Those voters carried him to victory.
As he crisscrosses Georgia, however, Gingrich has shelved social issues in favor of economic ones. With voters reeling from skyrocketing gas prices, he has stressed the need to ratchet up domestic energy production and pounded President Obama for putting the kibosh on the Keystone pipeline. By contrast, Santorum has played the culture warrior, casting himself as a leader on the issues that matter. “It’s one thing to be pro-life, pro-family, pro-marriage, taking on the issues of faith and freedom in our country, the core values of life. It’s one thing to vote that way. It’s another thing to stand up and fight and lead on those issues,” he said.
This forceful pitch is just one reason prominent conservatives like Karl Rove have dismissed Gingrich’s Southern strategy as unsound.
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