Rick Santorum returns

Politico ^ | 09/29/2014 | Anna Palmer

[GIdget2004]

Rick Santorum helped drag out the 2012 Republican primary, sending Mitt Romney limping into the general election.

Santorum’s lesson: Get in even earlier in 2016.

The iconoclast social conservative is already taking the temperature of potential donors. His big money benefactor, Foster Friess, still adores him. He’s headed to Iowa in October to meet with key conservative activists. And he is growing his grass-roots network beyond early primary states.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus earlier this year called the primary process a “complete disaster,” promising to slash the number of debates to prevent “the traveling circus” from hijacking the race as Santorum, Newt Gingrich and others did in 2012. The primary season pushed Romney further and further to the right as he burned through cash, instead of answering the Obama machine’s attacks on him.

But Santorum has no apologies. So while the field of social conservatives is expected to be stronger in 2016, the Pennsylvania Republican’s early moves could still put him in a better position in the next go-round, setting up the threat of an even bigger problem for establishment Republicans if they don’t prepare for another onslaught of outsiders eager to beat up the party’s eventual nominee.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

This guy lost his Senate seat in PA. So, I guess he believes that qualifies him to be President (Twice in 2012 and 2016). I can’t believe there are some people still throwing money at his candidacy.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

In before most of the anti-Santorum crowd.

(For the record, my other top choices are Cruz, Palin, Jindal, and Pence. I think that Pence may emerge as the ultimate choice.)

Go Rick!

(OK. Fire away. I can take it. :-) )

[Undecided 2012]

Romney and Jeb are gonna need someone to throw spears at Cruz and other real conservatives

[RS_Rider]

Maybe he’ll try a SweaterDress this time?

[skinkinthegrass]

Why?

[JimRed]

If losing something along the way invalidated a candidacy, there’d be darned few left from which to choose!

What was the margin of defeat, vs. the probable margin of fraud?

[God luvs America]

a knit cap with that sweater vest would be stylish...

[Signalman]

On my enthusiasm scale for candidates, Ted Cruz is a +10.

Santorum doesn’t even move the dial.

[Mastador1]

a knit cap with that sweater vest would be stylish...

might I also suggest a nice macrame tie?

[Iron Munro]

Will he play the role of SPOILER again?

[Cicero]

Santorum is one of the best candidates. He lost his seat mostly because he stuck by his principles, and because the press has worked tirelessly to demonize him.

He ran second to Mitt Romney through most of the last primary, and had the best chance to beat Mitt, but was prevented from doing so by the rest of the crowd—notably Newt Gingrich, who ran a persistent third but stayed in until he had forced Rick out, and then bowed out to Romney.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I like Rick, too.
I sent him $100.
Never got that promised sweater vest, tho.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

Wow! Someone who gets it! Thanks!

[Qwackertoo]

Ted Cruz.

I’d go for a Ted Cruz / Rick Perry ticket . . . with Cruz at top of ticket . . . and Perry as Texas has created jobs but a Texas Texas ticket probably wouldn’t be considered.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

I sent him $100, also. Got mine about ten months later.

[TomGuy]

So while the field of social conservatives is expected to be stronger in 2016 ...

Looks like the same ole strategy is developing -- field a bunch of pseudo [a.k.a., social] conservatives to dilute the voting and support so the GOPelite it's-his-turn preference can find smoother sailing to the nomination.

Santorum is just another retread looking for face time on the stages of the primary debates. It is going to be crowded.

Each major party will need to race around $1 billion for the 2016 election. The moneymen become even more important; thus, the wannabes need to try to line up money early in the process.

[Vigilanteman]

For the record, Rick Santorum is entitled to the GOP nomination under the rules that it is his turn. McCain got the nomination because he was the runner-up to George W. Bush. Romney got the nomination because he was the runner-up to McCain.

Santorum was the clear runner-up to Romney.

I'm not saying it is a good system. I'm just saying that Rick played by the rules and showed the broadest appeal nationwide as the Romney/GOPe alternative.

We could do a hell of a lot worse. And ever since 1988, we actually have.

[Dagnabitt]

Santorum knows he has no chance of the nomination and even less in the General election.

But there's funding to be collected by serving as Jeb's stalking horse.

Perhaps Jeb's network will pay on a performance basis - for each evangelical voter Santorum siphons off of Cruz.

Fellow retread-loser Huckabee may sign up for this gig too.

[Yaelle]

Here is your choice, America: a liberal (maybe radical) democrat as president with a fawning, protective media controlling the people’s thoughts; or some type of republican, wussy or statist or conservative, with an attack dog media calling the president an evil conservative whether he is or not.

It’s not great but I’m going with b. First, do no harm.

Meaning that with a weak Republican Party, a strong hateful media, it won’t matter too much which republican we end up getting. In fact, the best candidate to be a president and govern from the right would be a stealth conservative, whom voters think is middle of the road, IF he actually does literally surprise everyone by secretly being a strong conservative.