I realize this is a difficult concept for you, but I’ll post it to you in hopes it can reach more open and expansive minds.
Newt, nor his supporters, have ever claimed the purity mantle. Pious Rick does every time he opens his crooked little mouth and sneers. Thus, Rick and his supporters have brought upon themselves a much higher bar of purity.
Newt is what Newt is, and that includes a lot of things among which are a fabulous intellect and an ability to persuade casually and off the cuff and by using history and the Constitution and logic and who knows what else. It’s a talent that little Ricky does not have in his wildest fantasy. He just doesn’t.
You can go down your little shallow check box of plusses and minuses all you want, but talent matters and Rick is devoid of it, period.
Besides all that, Newt was elected and reelected ten times in his district and served 20 years (1979-1999).
Santorum is politically and intellectually small fry. He wasn't even able to be reelected on his turf and lost miserably with 41% to 59%.
After that stringing defeat, was what poor Rick to do - just run for president! *grin*
He never explained WHY he lost his Senate seat (K Street, lobbyist connections, huge earmarks, peddling influence in Penn)... Hey, Rick, you've got some explaining to do!
Good job sport. First you insult the poster then you expect him and others to have a more open "expansive minds.
Way to go genius.