Lynchburg, Virginia — Republican Mitt Romney heads to America’s largest Christian university Saturday to court young religious conservatives and push family values in the wake of President Barack Obama’s same-sex marriage endorsement.

The presumptive Republican nominee will also urge graduates not to “lose heart” in the face of diminished job prospects when he gives the commencement address at Liberty University in this small city in central Virginia, according to excerpts of his speech released by the campaign. Virginia is one the key battlegrounds of the 2012 election, and First Lady Michelle Obama preempted Romney by delivering her own commencement speech in the state at a university less than 145 kilometers away.

Romney, taking advantage of his largest student audience of the year, will urge graduates to remain optimistic even though “our current troubles can be discouraging,” according to the excerpts.

“Millions wait on the day when there are jobs for everyone willing to work, and opportunities to match your hopes and your goals. But don’t lose heart, because that day is coming.”
With thousands of Christian graduates in his audience, Romney will touch on the importance of faith and “the commitments of family.”

“Take those away, or take them for granted, and so many things can go wrong in a life. Keep them strong, and so many things will go right,” he said.

With Obama’s landmark public endorsement of same-sex marriage, and this week’s splashy fundraiser at Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney’s home raising an unprecedented $15 million, it seemed an ideal time for the Republican candidate to tout family values and draw sharp contrasts with his rival. — AFP