PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Actor Jon Voight campaigned here Saturday on behalf of Mitt Romney, calling the ex-Massachusetts governor "a man of faith, honor, love, and truth. These are the first very important qualities a president must have."
Voight is a staunch Republican who campaigned for Sen. John McCain's presidential bid in 2008. Voight said President Obama "decided to follow his father's footsteps and take us to socialism."
Voight, who starred in the movie "Midnight Cowboy" and appeared in the television series "24," is the father of actress Angelina Jolie, with whom he has had a famously difficult relationship. Romney told the crowd he didn't know what to discuss when first speaking to the actor. "I started talking about my five boys. I said, 'You know, it's easier to raise boys than girls.'" Romney said there was a long pause and then Voight responded, "Tell me about it."
Voight drew attention during the 2008 presidential campaign when he starred in a movie, September Dawn, which chronicled the 1857 massacre in southern Utah of more than 100 Westward-bound Christian settlers by members of the Mormon Church who posed as Indians. At the time of its release, Voight denied the movie was a critique of Romney, who is Mormon, and praised the candidate for his willingness to fight religious fanaticism.
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