Texas Gov. Rick Perry appealed directly to Iowa’s evangelical voters on Friday with the launch of a TV ad highlighting his Christian faith.
“When you run for president, you get a bunch of questions about your faith,” Perry says in the ad. “People want to know what drives you, how you make decision. Now some liberals say that faith is a sign of weakness. Well they’re wrong. I think we all need God’s help.”
Iowa’s evangelical voters, who accounted for 6 in 10 Republican caucus-goers in 2008, are split among a handful of candidates.
“America’s greatest leaders have been people of strong faith, strong values,” he says. “That makes for a strong America. I’m Rick Perry, I’m not ashamed to talk about my faith, and I approve this message.”
The last line appeared to be a veiled jab at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Mormon who has not made his religious beliefs a central part of his campaign. Perry wants to draw a sharp contrast between his Christian faith and Romney’s Mormon beliefs.
