Santorum didn’t ignore the evangelicals and little rural flyover towns.
2011 is not 2015.
2011 offered a slate of mostly screwball candidates. In the field of screwball candidates, the one-sweater-vested screwball can be king for a day.
The current campaign has a very clear front runner and three just behind him; only one of those three (Carson) is a bit of a screwball.
What happened in past campaigns has zero predictive power for this one.
He didnt almost win.
Because some numbskulls decided to back Santorum when were on the cusp of bouncing Romney after Newt won South Carolina, and ready to take Florida, because the geniuses on our side thought we needed to care more about sweater vests and who was better at reciting bible verses, rather than beating the GOPe when we had them right were we wanted them.
Part of the anti-GOPE broke off and started promoting Rick because they thought that it was a fine time to take a risk with a candidate that was a dull as a rock but said some sentimental stuff.
Now you had two factions that split the right, left a lot of bitterness, and that gave Romney all he needed to waltz into the nomination.
The GOPe is not getting anything for their millions, like they did in 2012, cuz we are on to them.
Trump is a once in a generation leader.
This is not like any other primary year since Reagan.
Those that try to glean meaning from 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000, 1996, 1992, 1988... are missing the whole point.
There was no one like Trump running in those primary years.
Santorum? He’s at 0%. He has no chance to win the GOP nomination.
Jokes about his name literally write themselves.
Why is he running?