Santorum suspension could unite GOP at last

Yorker UK ^ | April 14, 2012 | Benjamin Bland

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Just when everyone was settling down for another month (at least) of borderline primary season tedium, it happened. Rick Santorum announced that, after one of the most surprisingly successful primary campaigns in recent memory, he was suspending his run for the Republican nomination to be President of the United States. What was behind this sudden about turn from the conservative who was closest to pushing Mitt Romney for victory? Well it has to be said that the decision seems largely to have been made on personal grounds. With his three year old daughter, Bella, having been hospitalised last week, noted family man Santorum decided to call it a day.

Of course there were political reasons as well, of that there is no doubt. The Santorum team was clearly frustrated with the failure of Newt Gingrich to pull out of the nomination race, a decision which, had it been made by the former Speaker of the House some time ago, could have resulted in Santorum being far closer behind Romney.

Furthermore the Santorum campaign simply could not have continued to compete with Romney financially for much longer. With his huge budget and supportive poll numbers in states like Santorum’s home state of Pennsylvania, Romney was making life more and more difficult for Santorum to remain a realistic competitor and no doubt that has taken its toll.

Still, it was a surprising move from a man who, as recently as last week, pledged to remain in the race until one candidate had amassed the delegate count needed for victory.

What is perhaps most interesting about the fallout from this Santorum move is the reaction from the Republican party. At the moment little is clear but this could be just the trigger Republicans have needed to finally get behind Mitt Romney as their candidate for November. Polling has suggested that Santorum supporters will now split between Romney and Gingrich and it is now almost a foregone conclusion that Romney will cruise to victory, especially as he is well ahead of Gingrich in polling in large winner takes all states such as California.

The best thing Newt could do of course would be to drop out but his stubbornness still knows no bounds and as such Santorum’s announcement only prompted him to make a plea for more support from conservatives. Realistically though his campaign must realise that only in their wildest dreams will Gingrich stake a claim to the nomination. His polling simply is not good enough and the amount of states coming up which feature winner takes all delegate allocation figures heavily against him as the Romney team will be able to vastly outspend him in the campaigning stakes.

One candidate who it seems will definitely finish the race alongside Mitt Romney is Ron Paul, the libertarian who has run his campaign to promote an ideal rather than with genuine hopes of victory. Paul could be on the list for potential Vice-President nominees, if so inclined, and so it will be interesting to see what he does when the GOP is forced to eventually put its weight behind Romney as its candidate. How soon that open backing of Romney will be remains an open question but senior party figures must be hoping that attention now finally turns to the fight against Obama and not the fight between Republicans.

[Right_in_Virginia]

It unites the GOPE with the GOPE. I’m a Tea Party guy, there’s no “uniting” for me!

Please visit Newt.org and consider a contribution.

The fat lady hasn't sung yet.

Thanks.

[Agamemnon]

Your cabinet choices sound great . . . most unlikely they'd be Mitt's choices. I'm in MA, ...

I'm in CT, grew up in RI and MA in the 60's and '70's. I know what lack of representation means and we held the equivalent of Tea Party rallies calling for Victory in Vietnam outside the Park Plaza (the known as the Staler Hilton) in Boston at the little park across the street over 4th of July at the time.

Victory in the Sky on the 4th of July!

With Black and Conservative author, George Schuyler at “Victory in the Sky” July 4, 1970 (I’m in the yellow windbreaker)

Third parties don't win anything. They are only spoilers. Theodore Roosevelt's Bull-Moose in 1912 gave us Wilson. In 1972 the American Independent Party ran John Schmitz/Tom Anderson. In 1976 some third party thought former Governor Lester Maddox would take out Carter, when (as imperfect as he was )Ford needed every vote he could get. How did 1977 -1981 turnout fo the US anyway?

Libs ran John Anderson to try to knock out Reagan in 1980 (fail). Perot gave us Clinton two times. The only 3rd party that ever advantaged anything was Wallace back in 1968 to assure (the substantially imperfect but better that Pinko Humphrey) Richard Nixon's win.

Take over the Party apparatus of the Party you have, don't waste time and effort spinning your wheels in ways that while it may make you feel better for a short time only gurantees the victory of whoever wins in the end.

FReegards!

[maryz]

I wasn't advocating a third party . . . I just think it's inevitable, if not now in the future. Small gov't t conservatives and big gov't Republicans have been fighting since the 70s and don't seem to be getting closer. In fact, the antagonism seems to be growing. Depressing prospect all around.

BTW, did you turn out as cute as you were in the yellow windbreaker? ;-)

[Agamemnon]

You may not be championing Mitt but you are doing your best to diminish Newt.

If Newt is coming to some realizations on his own, perhaps we all should too.

Forget the womanizing past (that Romney for all his flaws does not have). Bounced checks and negligent filings are the things that diminish Newt more than anything else. Those are evidence of careless organizational mis-steps, not a failure to fund raise. His crew must be more disciplined in order to gain visibility.

I for one hope Newt takes Texas in spite of all the lack of organization, and really makes Romney work for every vote he gets. Like I said, I was a Perry guy, but it is clear that we need a polished speaker -- like Reagan was, not someone who chokes at speechifying and can be thrown off by back pain meds when it's his moment to shine. Perry kind of faded like Fred Thompson did back in '08. But the simplicity of the post card tax filing got some visibility with his candidacy and a lot of people will find that appealing.

Newt's continued candidacy makes Romney have to scream Reaganism, anti-tax, pro-gun, pro-life, etc. in order to gather GOP support. And that's a good thing. It sets the tone for speeches to be made the whole way through the election, and for speeches that may be written and parrotted by proposed cabinet nominees.

I am championing conservativism the only way that we're ever going to be able to do it in the long run, while all we have are grossly imperfect human spokespeople to do it.

And that includes Newt.

FReegards!

[txrangerette]

He failed to file in VA??

Are you talking about the primary?

He didn’t do that.

His petition of names to qualify for the ballot was disqualified as was Perry’s.

Santorum didn’t even try to qualify.

Only Romney and Paul were accepted, because their names weren’t checked because they ran in 2008, so, were accepted without question.

[Theophilus]

keeping him on notice that our loyalty to the GOP will have to be earned DAILY.

My loyalty can't be bought or sold. Romney is not conservative. There is nothing he can say or do to change or conceal that fact.

[Agamemnon]

BTW, did you turn out as cute as you were in the yellow windbreaker? ;-)

Back in those days I couldn't seem to get a date on a Saturday night; still, I am always hopeful in my belief that my wife of 27 years and 4 kids later musta found something that in her opinion was worth marrying and sticking it out with all these years!

FReegards!

[Agamemnon]

His petition of names to qualify for the ballot was disqualified as was Perry’s. Santorum didn’t even try to qualify.

Examples of organizational failures in each of the three instances. One can't gloss over the fact that if you didn't file with the capability of qualifying, you failed to file.

There are no "do-overs" in these things and you have to get it right the first time. Can't just chalk up Romney's and Paul's successes to who was on the ballot in '08 in VA.

That said, let's all recall that Reagan began his run for the White House in 1976, not 1980. We should not be surprised that either Romney or Paul had the foundations laid for their eventual ground games in VA back in 2008. I think we can all agree that Newt, Santorum, and Perry would all have benefitted by setting up a credible infrastructure well in advance of the 2012 election cycle.

When Paul for all his quirkiness has enough of an organization to qualify like that, that merely speaks to the failed ground game and casual inattention of each of the other three gave in a pivotally valuable, conservativley winnable, and fippable state (given 2008's electoral anomaly).

And none of the three most consevative in the race cared enough to even make a credible go at it!

I'm sure McDonnell was aware of all this, and understands the importance of electoral organization in the ground game. How could McDonnell ever have been persuaded to get behind any one of them with organizations in VA that looked like Keystone Kops? He went with the disciplined team.

Is McDonnell now personaly less conservative, because of the choice he made? Is he a RINO because other conservatives in the race didn't make a credible effort enough to even give him a choice to make?

As an original Perry guy, all that organizational incomeptence had me just shaking my head, but we have reality to too deal with now, and the duty to get our conservative say so in there in ways that will actually have some hope of bearing any fruit.

I have proposed what I believe to be a credible way to make that happen.

FReegards!

[COBOL2Java]

I would vote for Lucifer over ZERO.

So, you would sell your soul to Lucifer to keep Obama from a second term. Interesting. Is that the price for your immortal soul, or would you trade for less?

Thank God, some of us here on FreeRepublic have principles.

[COBOL2Java]

My loyalty can't be bought or sold. Romney is not conservative. There is nothing he can say or do to change or conceal that fact.

And Romney's PROVEN the fact that he WILL say anything.

[hinckley buzzard]

Take a look at this thread...

I took a look at that thread, cripplecreek. You spew more hatred on that thread than anyone else. Get a mirror and use it. It will do you good.

[cripplecreek]

In response to what you coward?

Be a man for once and face reality little boy.

[The Iceman Cometh]

You're a regular little DNC-GOP-e talking point ventriloquist.

Wow, the dude you ripped on had a very common opinion on Newt Gingrich and his baggage. How did you travel down your little ignorant road to THAT comment?

[hinckley buzzard]

Where are all the patriots who put personal comfort aside for the good of the nation.

Yes, saints have always been in short supply.

When you have a few hours sometime, take a close look at the delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Most of them major creditors of the various states and the bankrupt continental congress, many of them (not all) seeking avidly to get the new government, whatever it would turn out to be, to repay their loans!

[tet68]

It would appear that the author has not been reading
FreeRepublic. Haha.

[hinckley buzzard]

I believe there is actually some kind of law against promising cabinet positions before you are elected. But aside from that, your suggestions would really be an ideal lineup. We should be so lucky that Romney had the foresight and wisdom to follow your advice.

[hinckley buzzard]

Newt’s so-called baggage is a carry-on bag compared to Romney’s entire matched set of Louis Viutton luggage

LOL! Now that there's funny!

[hinckley buzzard]

In response to what you coward? Be a man for once and face reality little boy.

Thank you for illustrating my point so clearly.

The flip side of sanctimony is hate.

Go back and read your own posts. You were rude, vindictive, disparaging and bigotted. And I wasn't even on the thread, so I have nothing to be defensive about.

[cripplecreek]

Another mewling little Eddie Haskell “victim” is all you are.

[WashingtonSource]

Thanks. I like “establishment” for the “e” too.