In evangelical South Carolina, Perry calls Santorum “a good Catholic”

It was a soundbite that attracted some attention:

Speaking to media during an impromptu press conference Tuesday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry twice mentioned rival Rick Santorum’s Catholic faith in criticizing his record on fiscal issues.

“Rick Santorum is a good man, he is a good father, he’s a good Catholic,” Perry, an evangelical Christian, said. “But he hasn’t always been a good conservative.”

The casual but twice-repeated remark — the first time that Perry has publicly pointed to his rival’s faith — attracted the attention of journalists because both men are competing to win evangelical voters in the final days before the South Carolina primary.

Perry attends a nondenominational evangelical church and speaks frequently of redemption and his refocus on faith after feeling “lost” in his late 20s.  After the exit of Rep. Michele Bachmann from the GOP presidential campaign, Perry was left remaining as the most vocal evangelical in the GOP field.

A reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer has more:

South Carolina is one of the most religious states in the nation, measured by attendance at worship services, according to various surveys. Yet only 10 percent of South Carolinians identify themselves as Roman Catholics – one of the lowest percentages in the nation, according to a massive 2010 Gallup Poll analysis of religious beliefs across the nation.

Now, there’s nothing especially nasty about mentioning Santorum’s religion, and it is factually true that he’s Catholic. But the polls show that both Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, also a Catholic, are leading Perry overall and among Christian conservative voters.

Maybe the man from Paint Creek, Tex., who often talks about how he accepted Christ as his savior at age 14, just wanted to make a subtle cultural connection with his fellow southerners.