From MSNBC:

CINCINNATI, Ohio — McCain told conservative leaders that he would speak out more to highlight his pro-life record and views on other social issues to garner more Christian conservative support, leaders in the room said Thursday.

“He needs to find his voice a little better in Ohio,” said Mike Gonidakis, executive director of Ohio Right to Life, one of several leaders who met with McCain for more than an hour. “He pledged to us we’d hear a lot more from him and that he’d be speaking his voice on these issues.”

The officials said they walked away impressed with McCain’s positions, and said they believed the “ship is turning” in conservative support for the Republican presidential candidate.

The group spoke about McCain’s pro-life voting record, as well as his support for state amendments banning gay marriage (though he did not support a federal one). They urged him to highlight these stances, especially in events in their swing state.[...]

“We made it very clear to him that if he doesn’t start speaking on family issues, he’s going to lose Ohio,” said Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values. “He needs to make the issues he agrees with us on very clear.”[...]

One Christian leader who was listed as attending but did not — Harvey Hook of Gathering Columbus, a Christian business association — said his community members feel deflated from where they were eight years ago.

“Many are feeling like this man does not initially represent himself as being strong on what we label as core conservative values,” Hook said. “I believe he and his team need to take a critical look at what is their message, and develop a consistent message and a consistent theme, and do it over and over and over again. Unless he fully embodies what the message is, it will fail.”

And from the LA Times:

Participants said McCain took detailed notes and listened intently. McCain’s aides said they were satisfied with the meeting, and one called it “successful.”

Lori Viars, who heads the Family First political action committee, expressed her strong desire that McCain name a “consistent conservative” to be his running mate.

Gonidakis said McCain “agreed that having a conservative running mate was important, having a pro-life running mate was important.”

McCain listened as one of the country’s leading opponents of using embryonic stem cells, Dr. John Willke, made the case for relying on adult cells. Some scientists have reported finding ways to manipulate human skin cells to have properties similar to embryonic stem cells.

Several participants said McCain did not offer any indication he would change his mind, but they said they were impressed that he appeared open to Willke’s points.

“It appears as if he’s willing to at least look at the science and decide which way he goes from there,” Gonidakis said.

McCain did resist the group at one point when he was asked to showcase his family more as he campaigns. The senator responded that he was concerned about drawing attention to his son, a Marine who has served in Iraq, and did not want to put him in danger.

But even as McCain charmed the group, several participants said he was far from solving his problems in Ohio or with social conservatives more broadly.

Viars said she was “holding out” to see who McCain picks for his ticket before she decides whether to volunteer for the campaign, as she did for Bush.

I think a lot of conservatives, including myself, agree with Thomas Sowell that John McCain could never convince us to vote for him, but Barack Obama may cause us to vote for McCain. It is disappointing seeing these Christian activists with little to do in Ohio during a presidential campaign season.

But atleast we can get fired up about a $300 million battery! heh