MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C.-In his stump speech to supporters gathered among the shrimp boats on the bank of Shem Creek, Mitt Romney makes no mention of hot-button issues like abortion or the role of religion in politics. But when the speech is finished, the Republican presidential hopeful is swarmed by reporters asking only hot-button questions: Will conservative voters believe that the formerly pro-choice ex-governor of Massachusetts is now antiabortion? How did he make the conversion? Will evangelical Christians back a devout Mormon like Romney?
Romney, in a tailored suit and flawlessly coiffed hair, insists that voters are more concerned with other issues, like “How are we going to beat the jihadists? How are we going to be competitive with Asia? How to improve our schools and healthcare.”
