Lack of Skill and Composure Lead to Unsurprising Santorum Face-Plant in Crucial Phoenix Debate

Reaganite Republican ^ | February 23, 2012 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

While there are varied degrees of criticism, it does seem all but unanimous this morning that Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum blew a major chance  to convince the skeptical in our party that he's got what it takes to beat the Obama machine this fall.... 

Instead, Ricky Wonder Bread choked (for at least the first half of the debate), confirming the worst fears: unprepared for attacks he should have known were coming, uncharismatic, unconvincing as a debater- while unsettlingly showing flashes of temper and immaturity, serious flaws in a candidate for what is sure to be a brutal, negative battle.

Not only did Mittens have him on the ropes (in a hall stuffed with Romney supporters by the AZ GOP), Santorum was easily ruffled and repeatedly put back on his heels both by Mitt and Ron Paul, appearing quite angry for being asked to defend his past decisions and actions. As heard here time and time again, this one ain't got what it takes to make it in The Bigs, so glaringly obvious after watching him whiff like this... maybe after a few years on the farm team, but not this season. 

Hey, Santorum seems like an OK guy, I myself am a church-going Catholic and yes I do like most all his platform... he simply will not beat Obama in November if nominated, that's all.

Newt Gingrich -while laying off RS completely- actually delivered one of his better performances, hitting Romney as a hypocrite re. earmarks while mainly focusing on Obama, in particular his great enthusiasm for abortion. Combined with Santorum's failure to deliver in the clutch, it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the polls as ST approaches.

But catch this: Ron Paul again joined with Romney in trashing Santorum... while nary a peep about Mittens' (99% opposite of his) foreign policy.  Hmmm, well if that strikes you as exceedingly odd, you're not the only one: some see a pattern in this over the last few debates: since Paul's positions on Iran and such make him nonviable as a candidate himself, speculation is growing that he's in the race as a spoiler at this point, in order to split the right and drag-down Gingrich and Santorum.

Why would über-idealist Ron Paul want to go and do a thing like that... collaborate with Flipper, you ask? Rumors also rife the (unprincipled after all) old man is maneuvering to get Rand Paul on the ticket as VP (with unabashed statist Romney!). If true, this would be a hypocrital sellout of the first order... bet you Paulbots never saw this one coming- 

Now we're back to asking all of you take yet another fresh look at Newton Leroy Gingrich: all I can tell you is if Newt is unable to capitalize on Super Tuesday, I will be looking to an open convention in order to nominate a candidate who can go out there and lay into the Obama in the way that it needs to be done: Dear Leader's whole gig is based on maintaining his smiley-faced-mannequin facade while ramming-through a hidden (Marxist, racist) agenda as fast as possible, by-hook-or-by-crook... this reality needs to be exposed thoroughly in order for the Republican Party to win back the White House (as demonstrated by the Former House Speaker last night):

Video/more at Reaganite Republican

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CNN   MarkAmerica   American Power   h/t Riehl World View   Maggie's Notebook

[wtc911]

Christie will be Mittens’ pick for VP and hatchet man.

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Two NE liberal GOP governors? Won't happen.

[McGruff]

A pretty good summary of the reviews I've heard this AM.

I've already decided I won't vote for Romney based upon his underhanded trashing of Newt in Iowa and Florida. Santorum isn't ready for primetime. Ron Paul makes sense one minute and scares the hell out of me the next. I'm still a Palinista but Newt has impressed me in all of the debates. He's the only one who lays out his plan in detail. And it's a plan Sarah would be proud of.

Newt's CPAC speech transcript

[miss marmelstein]

You are ridiculously over the top. White bread? With Romney sitting next to him you think RICK is white bread?

[Reaganite Republican]

For me the problem is ONE THING: Santorum’s SUCH a weak candidate, lacking all the things I would look to have in facing Obama (save a conservative platform): he’s super-boring, lousy debater, not charming, not a winner, and not a leader... he’s never ran anything larger than his own Senate office. I would bet a lot of money he would be trounced in November.

And Santorum looked awful last night, who’s he going to win over with that snotty smirk and overacting... seems like a guy who’s not used to being talked back to.

Clearly if Ricky had faced even a fraction of the heat Gingrich has taken he’d been back home with the kids months ago... this is the great hope for the GOP?

Pathetic

[Reaganite Republican]

“I’m still a Palinista but Newt has impressed me in all of the debates. He’s the only one who lays out his plan in detail. And it’s a plan Sarah would be proud of.”

Couldn’t agree more, McGruff- I honestly can’t believe the way so many ran away from Newt after Romney started attacking him... what ever happened to ‘consider the source’, people?

The only things new brought up were new only because they were Romney/PAC distortions and lies... anything true was old, old news

Newt’s Reaganite platform is awesome, very disappointed in those so easily swayed as to prefer this ‘Charlie Brown’ Rick Santorum... if Mitt fall short I will pray for Sarah at an open convention

[Reaganite Republican]

Sick of watching Gingrich trashed as he takes the gentleman’s path, somebody needs to get in the trenches for him.

And it’s not a ‘prejudiced attack’ as much as an “I told you so”... been warning Santorum is a horrible candidate for months now, Obama would run circles around him. Folks can love his platform all they want, but I honestly question the judgement of anybody that’s enthusiastic about going up against the Dems with this guy.

I don’t mind taking some heat to get a few people to wake up to all this, it’s for the good of the conservative cause.

[Georgia Girl 2]

“IMHO Rush maybe right, we maybe looking in a couple weeks of the massive rebound of the Newtster”

From Rush’s lips to Gods ears.

Newt was the only presidential candidate on the stage last night. He is the only person with a real plan to hit the ground running on day one and restore the constitutional republic. Go Newt!!!

[Reaganite Republican]

AMEN, GG

[butterdezillion]

I don’t think it’s accidental that the HBO thing is out to libel Palin yet again. A shot across the bow to let us all know that the media is a rattlesnake lying in wait to poison the country if it appears to be waking up before the Soros boa can finish the job on us.

[wtc911]

Sorry, but Romney shut Gingrich up in the two debates before this one...got him to a “deer in the headlights”, flummoxed silence point. Do you think Romney is a better debater than obama?

[Liberty Wins]

Gingrich is the only candidate who has pulled the Republicans out of the fire. Results are what count.

[matginzac]

Thank you, crip...
I really wanted to remind folks on the live debate thread last night but the Go Newt sentiment was hysterical and it wouldn’t have been well received...
This process of “eating our own” is necessary, yes, but should be done with some caution...
in the end, it’s ALL about O’bummer.

[cripplecreek]

None of our candidates are innocent and its just that simple.

This morning the Boston Globe is slapping Romney for attacking Santorum over endorsing Specter. They point out that 3/4 of the judicial nominations put up by Romney were Democrats.

[miss marmelstein]

I’m a Gingrich supporter, but your personal attacks on Santorum are completely over the top! If they made any sense, I’d agree with you.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

LOL! That ought to get the “juices” flowing around here!

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

OH, but don't you know!? Little Ricky absolutely “destroyed” Paul and Romney last night! (I laughed my tail off at some of the comments from the Santuckabee fanatics.)

[matginzac]

Exactly...anyone who has a record is going to have some questionable choices...goes with the territory...that’s why lots of folks don’t make a stand or (ahem) are libertarians.
It’s hard to make decisions and then answer for them when circumstances change...remember our support of Iraq in the war against Iran?
We’ve got to shift through all this without eating our own...IMHO.

[Sam Gamgee]

Yes, Santorum confirmed that he will sway with the majority in his party, even if is against his principles.

[Reaganite Republican]

Seems to have, yes lol