Rick Santorum is going to get a big endorsement tomorrow. Gary Bauer, one of the prominent evangelical leaders in the country will endorse Santorum at an event with him Sunday in Greenville, S.C. Bauer tells The Brody File that he will release the news to his 250,000 member distribution list at midnight tonight.
Bauer, who is the President of American Values, told The Brody File the following:
"He's the guy that most reflects the Reagan personification of Republicanism, that is lower taxes, smaller government, strong national defense, pro-life, pro-family. But more importantly those values are also what's best for America and ending the nightmare of the Obama era."
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Bauer was also courted by the Romney campaign but has had a long relationship with Santorum. Bauer told me that he decided to endorse him because there's a real sense of frustration at the grassroots level that evangelical leaders aren't stepping up and speaking up for candidates. Bauer decided to change that.
He endorsed John McCain in 2008 during the South Carolina primary and there is some statistical analysis that showed his endorsement helped McCain by about five percent in the polls. McCain won South Carolina by three percentage points over Mike Huckabee.
Bauer is one of the five original evangelical leaders who called a meeting next week in Texas to discuss the next move for social conservative leaders as to whether they will be able to galvanize behind one candidate.
Bauer told me the meeting is not an, "anti-Romney meeting" and said that he is not part of any anti-Romney group. He doesn't plan to go negative on Romney once he endorses Santorum.
Bauer said even though he has endorsed Santorum he still feels compelled to go to the meeting because he called it yet hasn't fully decided if he will attend. Bauer saod this upcoming meeting is really a chance for evangelical leaders to compare notes on the candidates.