Social conservatives who backed Rick Santorum's presidential campaign said his supporters will get behind Mitt Romney, but warned that the presumptive Republican nominee still has a lot more to do if he wants those activists to man phone banks and knock on doors in the drive to win in November.
Mr. Vander Plaats said that the only thing now motivating the social conservatives to head to the polls is the desire to get rid of Mr. Obama — not an outpouring of excitement for Mr. Romney.
"There is no doubt the base is not inspired and history tells us when you don't have an inspired base you get President Obama and not President McCain. You get President Clinton and not President [George H.W.] Bush," said Robert L. Vander Plaats, an influential social conservative in Iowa who heads the social conservative group the Family Leader. "But if you do have an inspired base you get President George W. Bush and you also get President Reagan. Right now, it is not there."
