Rick Perry Gets Endorsement of Florida's Top Anti-Gay Crusader Because Mitt Romney "Wasn't Mormon Enough"

John Stemberger, the top dog of Florida's religious right and the man who spearheaded the amendment that banned gay marriage and civil unions in Florida, has officially endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the presidential nomination. Though Stemberger is chummy with Michele Bachmann, he doesn't think she can win, and as for Mitt Romney,...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

September 12, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

John Stemberger, the top dog of Florida's religious right and the man who spearheaded the amendment that banned gay marriage and civil unions in Florida, has officially endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the presidential nomination. Though Stemberger is chummy with Michele Bachmann, he doesn't think she can win, and as for Mitt Romney, well, he doesn't think he's "Mormon enough."

"We really like Michele Bachmann. She has stellar credentials when it comes to our issues. She is an amazing woman. Our primary drive is principle and the issues," Stemberger told the Miami Herald. "But we also have to be realistic, pragmatically, and determine who's viable."

Which basically translates to "she has a snowball's chance in Hell of winning the primary let alone the general election."

Though, it's Stembeger's comments about Mitt Romney that are sure to raise eyebrows.

"There are too many trust issues with Mitt Romney," he says. "The issue [is] not that he is a Mormon. The issue is that he wasn't Mormon enough. If he had been consistent with traditional Mormon values his whole career, that would make me feel a lot more comfortable about where he's coming from. Perry is a lot more solid on our issues."

But it's not all bad news for Romney on the endorsement front. He picked up the support of former candidate Tim Pawlenty.

Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.