The reverberations of influential Social Conservative activist Maryls Popma’s signing with Team McCain were felt across Iowa last December. In this Race 4 2008 exclusive, Ms. Popma discusses her decision to join Sen. McCain’s exploratory committee, as well as providing a first look into Team McCain’s strategy for reaching out to Iowa’s Social Conservatives.

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R4′08: Thank you Marlys for agreeing to this interview. Can you start off by telling us a little bit about your background?

Thank you for taking the time to ask these questions. I appreciate your interest in issues that matter to the social conservatives. I feel very blessed to have been able to do what I love and work for the things I believe in over the course of my career.

I have served as the president of Iowa Right to Life and as the executive director of The Iowa Family Policy Center. I have served as the political director and victory director for the Republican Party of Iowa and twice as its executive director. I have worked for the campaigns of Congressman Jim Ross Lightfoot, and the gubernatorial campaigns of Terry Branstad and Jim Nussle. My past caucus experience includes serving as national deputy political director for Gary Bauer in 2000 and Iowa deputy campaign manager for Phil Gramm in 1996.

R4′08: As perhaps the most well-known and influential conservative activist in Iowa, the decision to sign with a candidate must have required a great deal of deliberation. What specifically led you to join Senator McCain’s campaign?

I appreciate the sentiment, but the conservative movement in Iowa is just that, “a movement,” many people have spent many hours to ensure that our issues are not left unattended.

After discussion with people I admire, people I view as mentors, considerable consultation with my husband, and most of all a great deal of time in prayer, my husband and I decided together that we would join Senator McCain’s team. In addition I spent a significant amount of time researching and meeting with the candidates personally. After that process was complete I based my decision on the following factors: willingness to sign pro-life legislation; a belief that marriage is between one man and one woman; electability; honesty/consistency on the issues; fiscal discipline; foreign policy experience necessary to fight the War on Terror; and most importantly the conviction to appoint justices to all levels of the judiciary who will understand that it is their duty to interpret the Constitution not to legislate from the bench. Based on these factors, I knew that Senator McCain was the clear choice.

R4′08: In the early primary/caucus states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, the conventional wisdom says that voters there are unique, with victory in Iowa contingent on getting out the GOP grassroots, and a win in New Hampshire almost entirely dependent on independents. Given the stark difference between the voters candidates will need to woo in both states, how should a successful candidate communicate with Iowa’s Social Conservatives while still maintaining a competitive edge in the Live-Free-or-Die Granite State?

Having worked in both states I understand the differences in the electorate. I think Senator McCain is uniquely equipped to communicate with the two constituencies. Senator McCain is both a commonsense conservative and a tremendously independent man. One of the things that impresses me most about Senator McCain is that he is who he says he is. He doesn’t take positions on issues based on political convenience. This consistency builds trust with the voters and will resonate all across America. It is this unique temperament that will allow him to penetrate both the conservative base in Iowa and the independent mentality of the New Hampshire electorate.

R4′08: Can you give us some insight into how you plan to make inroads with Iowa So-Cons?

The first thing we must do is to “introduce” social conservatives to John McCain, the real John McCain, not the one they think they know. There is a misperception amongst some social conservatives about his record. Senator McCain has been a consistent advocate for pro-life, pro-family causes. He has a 24 year pro-life voting record, has supported strict constructionist judges, and supports traditional marriage. Once social conservatives are introduced to that record, they will see that he stands very strongly with them.

In addition, social conservatives do not look for candidates in a vacuum; they look for well-rounded candidates. Once they are satisfied with his social conservative record they will be drawn to his fiscal responsibility and foreign policy credentials as well.

R4′08: If you were to speak with a social conservative who was completely unfamiliar with the candidates in the 2008 field and was trying to make up their mind as to who they should support, how would you differentiate between the records of Sen. McCain and other candidates, such as Gov. Mitt Romney, Sen. Sam Brownback, and Gov. Mike Huckabee?

My job is to let fellow social conservatives know that Senator John McCain is the best overall candidate in this race. He has a conservative record that stands on its own. It is important that people who care about life, marriage, protection of families and the strong Judeo Christian principles under which this country was founded know that of all the candidates, John McCain is best equipped to win this race and lead the country. He also has a better grasp of foreign policy than ANY person in the race, he has been a determined fiscal hawk, and he has a consistent record on the issues that matter most to me.

R4′08: How well do you feel other candidates are doing in their outreach to Iowa So-Cons?

Since the campaign has just begun, I think it’s a little pre-mature to evaluate the outreach of other campaigns. With that being said, I think our campaign is doing a phenomenal job of recruiting influential social conservatives. Obviously I cannot speak for the other campaigns, but I also cannot envision that they could be doing a better job of reaching out to social conservatives than we are.

R4′08: The recent statements of Dr. James Dobson suggest that residual suspicion towards Sen. McCain left over from the 2000 campaign still exists in some circles of the Evangelical community. How would you respond to those suspicions, especially considering the strong opposition to Sen. McCain from culturally liberal groups like NARAL and People for the American Way, which object to Sen. McCain’s Evangelical-friendly record on traditional marriage and life?

Again, I believe that this is merely a matter of not yet “knowing” the Senator and being unaware of his voting record. A person is almost always best identified by the friends they keep and the enemies they engage. John McCain has consistently received a 0% rating from both NARAL and Planned Parenthood. The measure of your enemy’s tolerance is a good reflection of a person’s position on the life issue. When members of the pro-life community become fully aware of these facts, they will be able to proudly support and work on behalf of John McCain.

R4′08: What do you believe Sen. McCain meant when he referred to Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as “agents of intolerance” during the 2000 campaign?

During this time period, Senator McCain’s voting record was being misrepresented. A man who proudly proclaimed himself a pro-life, pro-family conservative was being unduly chastised by some in our party. We must always guard against those temptations of believing that we are right with no consideration of the real facts. He has actively reached out to social conservatives. He has also made very clear to me, and I am fully confident, that he will put social conservative issues at the forefront in this campaign.

R4′08: In 2000, Sen. McCain stated that he didn’t think Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Do you believe this is where he stands now?

Senator McCain has a 24 year pro-life voting record. He believes that Roe v. Wade should be overturned. His choice of words were unfortunate, but after taking the time to understand the full meaning of his heart, it is obvious that he cares about not only the precious children who are losing their lives, but also for the women who are faced with very difficult situations. I am confident that Sen. McCain will continue to support pro-life causes, just as he has for the last twenty plus years.

R4′08: Sen. McCain has repeatedly stated that marriage should be a state issue, and, as such, opposes amending the Constitution to clarify the definition of marriage at the national level. Do you believe that it is now necessary for a presidential candidate to support the Marriage Protection Amendment to win the GOP nomination?

It is important that a presidential candidate believe that marriage should remain between one man and one woman, but I don’t believe they need to support a federal marriage amendment. As a federalist, Senator McCain believes in governing as our Founding Fathers intended. He believes, as do many other social conservatives, that the best government is that government that is closest to the people. He is an active supporter of states’ rights rather than the overreaching arm of the federal government. I believe that if our Founding Fathers were alive today that they would support the state’s rights approach to this issue.

Additionally, Senator McCain has indicated to me that if the federal courts strip the states of their wishes to define marriage in the traditional fashion, he feels it is at that time that the federal government should be given the power to step in and defend the rights of the states by passing a federal marriage amendment. As a side note, I think it is important that people know that Sen. McCain played a critical role in the effort in Arizona to amend their state’s constitution to protect the traditional definition of marriage.

R4′08: How confident are you that conservatives would be pleased with a President McCain’s nominees to the federal bench? Would a typical McCain judicial nominee look more like Scalia, O’Connor, or Stevens?

I am extremely confident that conservatives will be pleased with McCain nominees to the court. Senator McCain has voted for constructionist judges time and time again. He will appoint judges who interpret the Constitution according to its original intent and understand courts should NOT make law.

R4′08: What policy would Sen. McCain advance towards China, Saudi Arabia and any other nation with respect to the persecution of Christians or adherents of other religions within the borders of said nations?

Senator McCain believes that Americans must use our power and influence not just for security and prosperity, but to promote the concepts we hold dear, including democracy and human rights, including the basic right to freedom of religion. As the Senator has said in the past, “There is no freedom without freedom of religion.” While human rights cannot be the sum total of John McCain’s foreign policy, which by necessity concerns other issues, from counterterrorism to weapons proliferation to trade policy, he will always consider how our actions abroad impact those who are as yet unblessed with our freedoms.