Nixon didn’t seem like such a world beater in 1962, long after his Checkers speech. Santorum won statewide in PA a state much bluer than 1962 CA. Santorum’s visage is better than Nixon’s. Both are/were short. Obviously, Santorum was never VP. My main point is that losing your last election in and of itself is not a reason to say someone is unelectable. That and Santorum’s support of Specter are the only reasons that frequently come up to reject him. No personal issues, not much for most of us on policy. No huge debate gaffes. No divorce records to unseal. Not even mob ties.
The man is clean and conservative, and certainly has as much business running as Herman Cain, whom I supported earlier.
It wasn’t long ago that Freeepers and others were sayin that Senators don’t get elected, and one did. A lot of the old rules don’t apply, or don’t apply in the same way. Iowa, with a large German Catholic pro-life contingent is a good spot for Santorum to show or better. Urge doesn’t , he’s done. But don’t count him out yet.
Look, Santorum is not as clean as you think he is, he’s slimey, no there may not be a mistress in the wings, but he’s slimey.. and you ignore that at your own peril. He didn’t just lose PA over a spectre endorcement, he lost PA because he slowly alienated everyone.
Just because someone votes the way you like doesn’t mean the guy is going to win elections or is viable.
Santorum lost because he routinely would say one thing, and do something different. He’s slimey guys, he not only LOST Pa last time, he lost it HUGE... and to a nobody who literallly ran a campaign of say nothing, and for the last 6 years has done nothing.
Santorum won a relatively close election in 94, by being pretty ugly to the incumbent, by 2006 he was guilty of most of the things he attacked that incumbent for. He had a solid win in 2000 as an incoumbent, and the was summarilly routed.
Santorum owned a house in PA, he never lived in just to have the local school district pay for his kids cyber schooling, and to make a bogus claim he lived in PA..even though he hadn’t in years.. and he attacked wofford back in 94 for the same thing.. he’s slimey guys and while he is more popular in the rest of the country, those of us that have had to deal with him, don’t particularly like the man, he’s earned his reputation and its not glowing in the least.
I agree one loss in politics does not mean a career is over, but Santorum does not have the political skill, or personal ability to win a national election for the White House. He has no chance of carrying PA or OH in a general election, let alone how badly he will be beaten up by the press, he won’t be able to stand it.
I am not saying he’s a bad person, but he’s slimy, and not the squeaky clean most who don’t live in PA think he is. Casey didn’t beat Santorum, Santorums chickens came home to roost, life long republicans crossed the isle to vote against him, for a nobody say nothing.
If Santorum was just a fluke loss, was burried under the tide of the Obama election etc.. he would could be mounting a comeback in PA.. Casey is one of the most vulnerable Senators up in 06, yet, Santorum isn’t anywhere near that race, why? Because he knows he cannot win the state... he’s done. He may have a future on the national scene, but its not going to be with his first attempt being a White House bid.