Free Republic

There was a time when I thought that Mike Huckabee had a chance to win over enough “somewhat conservative” voters that, when added to his pre-existing base among conservative white evangelicals, would give him a good chance to win the 2016 Republican nomination. I don’t think that chance exists anymore (if it ever did). He hasn’t done any of the maneuvering he would need to do in order to expand his base of support. Thirteen months is not a long time and he has shown no inclination to make the moves he would need to make in order to expand...

There’s no doubt the Huck will need bucks if he’s going to make a successful run for the GOP nomination, but that’s not the only challenge he faces.Last night, Mike Huckabee bid adieu to his show on Fox, and made his interest in the 2016 Republican presidential nomination a matter of public record. Unlike former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Huckabee is not immediately forming an exploratory committee. Still, the prospect of a Huckabee candidacy should be taken seriously. He finished second in 2008 behind John McCain, and maintains a reservoir of good will among...

TEXAN LOOKING TO SHORE UP “CONSERVATIVE” SUPPORT IN PALMETTO STATE. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz will attend the 2015 South Carolina Tea Party convention next month, sources close to the event tell FITS. The Texan – who along with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is seeking to emerge as a leading alternative to the GOP “establishment” – is the third presumptive “Republican” presidential prospect to commit to the event, which is being held in mid-January in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Also attending? Social conservative Rick Santorum – who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination in 2012 – and neurosurgeon/ author Ben Carson, who...

I spent Christmas week in Fairhope, Alabama, which is Alabama’s answer to Sausalito, CA. And now I’m reporting from Palm Desert, California, which is an exclusive enclave of bipartisan one-percenters. Palm Desert is California’s answer to Heaven. The streets here aren’t paved with gold, but they might as well be. I consider Fairhope to be prosperous and affluent, but the people in Palm Desert are rich! They’re not getting new trucks and hunting gear for Christmas, they’re getting Bentleys and Gulfstreams. Roll Tide! Anyway, as you can imagine, my friends and family are pretty pro-GOP – even if there is...

The Christian Right continued to strengthen its grasp on the Republican party in 2014, as was evident in the mid-term election results across the country. And while we can all hope that 2015 will be different, it’s sadly highly unlikely. Looking at the GOP candidates who might throw their hats into the 2016 presidential contest, it’s not hard to see the ties to the Religious Right. “There’s former Gov. Mike Huckabee, of course,” wrote Ed Kilgore on Talking Points Memo, “a Southern Baptist minister whose 2008 campaign almost entirely relied on conservative evangelical voters … Rick Santorum, is a Catholic...

Rick Santorum won primaries and caucuses in 11 states in 2012, coming in a respectable second in the GOP presidential primary season. And Republicans have a history of bestowing their nomination on the next guy in line, usually an also-ran from the last contest. Yet the former senator from Pennsylvania is rarely mentioned in the already feverish pre-game 2016 chatter among the political commentariat and the donor class. That’s just the way he likes it. Or so he says. “America loves an underdog. We’re definitely the underdog in this race,” he said in an interview Tuesday. Santorum added that being...

<p>Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and vice presidential pick, is headed to Iowa in January 2015 for a conservative gathering that will showcase no fewer than nine potential 2016 presidential contenders.</p> <p>She’s one of the confirmed speakers at the inaugural Iowa Freedom Summit, an event organized by Iowa Rep. Steve King and conservative group Citizens United to “bring grassroots activists from across Iowa to hear directly from national conservative leaders,” per its website. The event is scheduled for Jan. 24.</p>

Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, who nipped at Mitt Romney’s heels in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, says he’s eyeing mid-2015 for a decision about a second White House bid. “Four years ago, we ended up announcing in June of 2011. If past is a portent of the future, that’s probably a ballpark,” he said in a phone interview. Santorum said he’s actively engaged with party donors and activists to assess whether he has a path to the nomination. “We’re doing everything consistent with making an effort,” he said. “We’re talking to donors, we’re looking at talking to people in...

It largely escaped the notice of the national media, but there has been a pretty big political story playing out in Houston the last few weeks. Well, it has been a big story, at least, for one very key GOP constituency. Here's the recap: The city of Houston a few weeks back subpoenaed the sermons of five pastors who opposed an ordinance that was aimed at increasing the rights and protections of LGBT residents of the city, which is home to the first openly lesbian mayor of a major American city, Annise Parker (D). The subpoenas were issued in response...

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, who narrowly won the 2012 Iowa caucuses, will headline a fundraiser later this month for U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron. The event will take place Oct. 22 in a private home in Dakota Dunes, S.D. (SNIP) In a release, Santorum said King is the kind of congressman people need. “We need Steve King in Congress to stand up for America, our sovereignty, values, and economy... Steve understands the burden illegal immigration creates on American workers and their wages.

Part of Mitt Romney's success in securing the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 bore out of the fact that he benefited from the spoils of a divided faction on the right. If Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich were ever able to consolidate the sum of their supporters around one of them, Romney's path to victory could have faced great peril. This calculation is weighing heavy on the minds of social conservatives as they look for a horse to ride in 2016. With an adviser to Sen. Ted Cruz telling National Journal Monday the Texas freshman is "90 percent" likely to...

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...

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Thursday criticized comments in US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) made earlier this month i n a speech that critics have said was unnecessarily confrontational toward a Middle Eastern Christian group. "We have a responsibility to stand by people who are being persecuted," Santorum told Business Insider in a wide-ranging interview in New York. "This shouldn't be an ideological test — well, you have to agree with us on all of these things, or else we won't be with you. No, we're going to be with you if you are a religious minority that's...

Eric Stonestreet told the antigay former senator: "I can't do it"“Modern Family” is a show whose depiction of a gay married couple is so uncontroversial that Democrats and Republicans alike can enjoy it (as evidenced by the show’s getting praised by both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in 2012). But one of the show’s stars was uncomfortable when approached by one GOP fan. Eric Stonestreet, the Emmy-winner who plays gay former football player Cameron, told HuffPost Live that he had been approached by Rick Santorum at a recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The former Pennsylvania senator and once (and future?)...

When asked if the endorsement of Senator Santorum would change the complexion of the race for the GOP nomination in the 6th Congressional District, Senator Grothman said that he expected the establishment to go against his campaign and feels that the establishment does not like conservatives. Former Senator Santorum said that he is no big fan of the establishment. The 6th Congressional District is located in parts of Northeastern and South Central Wisconsin. Major cities in the district include Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Neenah, Oshkosh, Port Washington, and Sheboygan. The winner of the August 12th GOP primary between...

Rick Santorum announced his endorsement of state Sen. Glenn Grothman for U.S. Congress Thursday afternoon in a short statement. “Glenn Grothman’s bold leadership in Wisconsin is exactly what we need in Congress,” said former U.S. Senator and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Santorum. “Our country is at a turning point, and we need a principled conservative like Glenn Grothman to return our country back on the path to prosperity. Glenn has the courage and the conviction to stand up for conservative values.” Grothman announced his campaign in April. He currently represents the 20th Senate District in the Wisconsin State Senate.

How do you spell "sidesplitting chutzpah"? In New York's 22nd congressional district, it's spelled: R-I-C-H-A-R-D H-A-N-N-A. He's the liberal GOP incumbent trying to cling to public office by smearing the Marine mom, small-business owner, lawyer and conservative state assemblywoman poised to take his seat next week. Claudia Tenney is as rock-solid of a Republican as they come: pro-life, pro-limited government, pro-Second Amendment, pro-entrepreneur, pro-American worker. As one of New York's top conservative legislators, Tenney has been unafraid to challenge the powers that be in both political parties. As an attorney, she has fought valiantly against cronyism and corruption. She has...

Weather concerns are prompting the Sevier County Tea Party to move a high-profile bash next week that will include Sarah Palin to the Sevierville Convention Center. The June 26 event, originally scheduled to take place outdoors at Smokies Stadium, marks the one-time GOP vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor’s first public appearance in the region since she testified at the trial of an email intruder four years ago. Mindful of the possibility of rain, the event is shifting indoors, said Sevier County Tea Party Chairman Steve Osborn. Also set to appear is former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former New York...

Presidential hopefuls Sen. Rand Paul, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Sen. Rick Santorum are in Iowa to deliver their prescriptions for how to unite the Republican Party. […] It is Paul’s third trip to Iowa since the 2012 election. The Kentucky senator says the GOP should maintain its core message but make the party more attractive to black and Hispanic voters. …

I argued last week that Rick Santorum ought to drop any pretense of a long-shot 2016 presidential bid to focus on turning EchoLight Studios, the filmmaking outfit he runs, into the next blockbuster factory. That generated a bit of a discussion with Quin Hillyer, one of Santorum’s more well-known supporters (a summation of which can be found here)—but it’s worth exploring further how Santorum could make an impact upstream from politics. The primary reason conservatives are struggling at the ballot box, particularly in presidential elections that attract many low-information and less-engaged voters, is that liberals dominate the cultural media. Hollywood’s...