The Chancellor of Bob Jones University is endorsing Mitt Romney for President, reports Ron Barnett of The Greenville News:

Dr. Bob Jones III, chancellor of the fundamentalist Christian university that bears his name, is looking past his religious differences with Gov. Mitt Romney and endorsing the Mormon for the Republican nomination for president, he told The Greenville News today.

"This is all about beating Hillary," Jones said. "And I just believe that this man has the credentials both personally and ideologically in terms of his view about what American government should be to best represent the rank and file of conservative Americans.

"If it turns out to be Guiliani and Hillary, we've got two pro- choice candidates, and that would be a disaster."

Read the whole story at the above link. Clemson political scientist Dave Woodard sees only upside for Romney, at least as concerns the GOP primary, but I'm not so sure. Social conservatives certainly form a major contingent of the Republican primary vote in this state, but BJU doesn't speak for all, or even most of them. Past controversies emanating from the school have proved embarrassing to many evangelical voters, and it remains to be seen how influential Jones' endorsement will be this cycle. Already, alumni and other fundamentalists are complaining about it . . .

That said, it probably can't hurt Romney, either, since he has been running behind in the state (except for a recent outlier poll from ARG - the same folks who were telling us John McCain was in the lead nationally this spring). Thompson has been ahead since declaring his candidacy on Labor Day, with Giuliani close behind, but McCain and Romney also attract double-digit support. It is extremely likely the state will be decided very close to the primary date, and the results from Iowa and New Hampshire may have an effect. Romney holds the lead in Iowa by an average of 10%, and a much smaller margin in New Hampshire.

The Romney strategy has always been to gain recognition and momentum from the first states, and to ride that into the following contests.