Perry Focuses on Religion to Woo SC Voters

Days after releasing Texas Gov. Rick Perry touted his faith, while segueing into short policy talking points, during a short speech on the USS Yorktown Thursday in Mount Pleasant. 

The "war" is the administration's policies that defund church initiatives.

"I consider that to be an attack on traditional values and religion," Perry said of defunding church initiatives.

The ad, entitled "Strong" and attached to this story, focuses on Perry's religious values. 

When asked to elaborate on the "war," he said the administration was taking money away from church programs that stop sex trafficking. 

Perry also said the administration has held the military hostage for raising taxes and pushed an "agenda" to allow gays to serve openly in the military, Perry said.

"Our president made a huge error when he changed the (Don't Ask Don't Tell) policy particularly in the middle of a war," Perry said. 

Perry has said he would re-instate Don't Ask Don't Tell, which was repealed earlier this year, but would not say whether gays currently serving openly would be ejected from service. 

"You go back and you have that conversation with the civilian leaders and the military leaders on how you want to deal with them," Perry said. 

Thursday's event was part and part media conference, with the governor speaking for only 11 minutes. While military was the main focus, Perry was asked the questions about gays in the military and his religious values by members of the media. 

Perry said he was courting the evangelical voter.

"I ask them to give me a second look; we haven't spent a lot of time in South Carolina," Perry said. "They're going to get to find out a whole lot more about me."

Barb Holliway of Mount Pleasant and an Army veteran has already given the governor her vote.

On her left lapel, an Ichthys pin sits next to a pin crossing the American flag with Israel's flag. She pointed to those pins as what won her vote for Perry. 

"For me, it's the litmus test. That's why he's getting my vote on these two major points," Holliway said. "He is not afraid to express is faith in Jesus Christ. And he is a strong supporter of America's relationship with Israel." 

Holliway said she hopes his campaign's focus on religion with the new "War on Christianity" ad in Iowa will create a second surge for the candidate, who only drew about 40 attendees to the event.

For one voter, though, the focus on religion wasn't what he wanted to hear. 

Sid Busch of Goose Creek, a retired Navy submariner, said he's still undecided but he likes what Perry stands for on veteran benefits. But the push on religion during Thursday's event and in the Iowa ad isn't what he likes to see in a presidential candidate. 

"It's not a mistake; that's what this country was founded on," Busch said. "But people shouldn't vote for a president because of his religious beliefs … He's representing every body and every religion (as president)."

Busch has seen many of the presidential candidates and lamented always hearing what the candidate thinks the crowd wants to hear. 

"I'm looking for somebody who's going to do more than just talk," Busch said. "We need action."

He said Perry has a record of doing what he says, and that gives him an edge. 

Early Perry support Billy Simons of Summerville () also spoke to the governor's record, and said that the sound bytes of debates has temporarily shifted the national focus to other candidates.

"We are one Newt Gingrich-implosion away from leading the polls," Simons said.