Santorum Endorsed Specter’s Presidential Bid (1996)

The National Review ^ | February 11, 2012 | Katrina Trinko

[true believer forever]

And as for the pro-abortion-rights presidential candidate Santorum endorsed, when Specter launched a long-shot bid for president in 1995, Santorum — his fellow Pennsylvanian — was one of his few high-profile endorsements.

For Specter, who later became a Democrat, his pro-abortion-rights position was a centerpiece of his campaign. Specter believed that anti-abortion activists were a “fringe” group hijacking the Republican party.

“There are clearly more Republicans who are pro-choice,” Specter told Newsday’s Susan Page. “Up until now, I am the only person willing to take on the fringe.” After Specter dropped out of the race, he led an ill-fated movement to change the anti-abortion provision in the Republican party platform.

Santorum was effectively returning a favor by endorsing Specter despite his aggressive pro-abortion-rights views. Specter had supported Santorum’s 1994 Senate campaign.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Just wanted to point out, for those who did not know, that the “defense” in that comment was from back when he did the endorsement, not recent.

[CharlesWayneCT]

It was a joke. I remember him endorsing DeDe.

On the other hand, so far as I can ascertain, he endorsed NOBODY in the critical 2008 presidential election, where there were several conservative candidates who might have benefited from an endorsement by the bearer of the Ronald Reagan Torch.

[Yorlik803]

I have been saying these debates are self destructive since the third one. They are like firemen squirting water on other firmen instead of on the fire. And they get tiresome.
I will support anyone who gets the nod{Including Mitt. After voting for McCain a person can do any distastful thing}.
The idea ticket would be Newt/Rick. they would balance out just right.But I am afraid both their egos would never allow it.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Actually, I’m not a Santorum supporter. I do defend him against attacks I think are silly. And I don’t hate Newt — I almost threw my support to him, in the day after Perry was thrown off the Virginia ballot, but before Gingrich was.

My primary argument against Gingrich is that I don’t think he could win an election. My secondary argument is that he’s not as conservative as his strong supporters have convinced themselves recently, nor does he compare as favorably to Santorum as they try.

If everybody here supported Santorum, and everybody was attacking Gingrich non-stop, I’d probably be doing a lot more defending of Gingrich. I think there’s probably even a post somewhere in this site where I defended Gingrich at the time he endorsed Dede — because at that time virtually ever freeper was denouncing him as a RINO establishment hack.

I’m very consistant on the position of attacking candidates for prior endorsements. I defended Palin many times against attacks for her endorsements as well, both McCain and her california endorsement against the most conservative primary candidates there.

[Yorlik803]

Well, if I ever attain office{but since there are pictures of me in a German WW2 uniform and I said the “N” word more than a few times. Not to mention more than a few times I got drunk and told very off-color but very funny jokes}My chances of ever being elected to office on the GOP ticket is very slim.
But rest assured if I ever do get elected, I will support fellow Republicans. No matter how smelly or snake like they are.

[true believer forever]

I mean, what is the actual argument here The actual argument here, as I see it, is that Rick Santorum presents himself as the principled consistent conservative, who stands up for principle, no matter what, when others fail to do so... who has never been afraid to take the hard stands that others haven't.. he is the only candidate who... And when someone bills themself as "called by God" - then that is sort of applying an imprimatur that bespeaks a sort of nobility and honesty above all others in the race... he set the standard himself for himself... and no one should complain when others hold him to it.. As for Newt, he's never claimed to be anything more than a sinner being saved by grace, when it comes to Godly endorsements... and his supporters have a real good idea of who he is... warts and all and all and all.. Santorum is the one who paints himself as well beyond politics as usual... We don't present him as a some sort of saint.. We offer him to America precisely because we think he is The Bastard who is tough enough, stubborn enough, profoundly enough prepared to make the changes needed to reach into and around this country and pull it back from the brink starting Day One. Santorum's supporters are doing exactly what barack's supporters did in 2008, they look at Santorum as some sort of Messiah, with his encouragement... and they are making the same mistake the dems voters did in 2008... This is my reasonableness post in response to your reasonable post, which was very lovely. I am actually going to read it again... because there are some facts in there I want to make sure i remember. www.newt.org/donate ;) Do it. You'll feel better.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I was never a closet Romney supporter. In the last election, I was open about all the people I supported, and that included Romney. Eventually he was the only one left I supported, as I was never a supporter of McCain, Giuliani, or Huckabee (although I’m sure I defended McCain against attacks I thought were unsupported).

As for this election, I still haven’t picked a candidate, but I’ve in turn defended Bachmann, Perry, and Santorum. I never liked Cain as a presidential pick, and Gingrich wasn’t on my list, but that was mostly because I decided to start with candidates who could get at least a little support here at FR, and back when this started Gingrich was NOT one of those candidates.

[true believer forever]

It was a joke. Oh, okay. Sorry, then. I can be very obtuse at 4 a.m. Ha. Ha.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Another OLD pro-Romney article from NR that was already posted previously here and discussed at length.

But it was apparently time for another late-night dump of anti-Santorum articles, and since they don’t have a slew of new polling data yet, we have to expect some recycling.

[Just mythoughts]

Well, if I ever attain office{but since there are pictures of me in a German WW2 uniform and I said the “N” word more than a few times. Not to mention more than a few times I got drunk and told very off-color but very funny jokes}My chances of ever being elected to office on the GOP ticket is very slim. But rest assured if I ever do get elected, I will support fellow Republicans. No matter how smelly or snake like they are.

A snake is a snake is a snake!!!!! AND if a Republican is a snake then I will be required to stand on my convictions of principles rather than slither down into their pit.

The Jon Stewart media is a guide in how the powers that be both parties, treat any particular Republican after elections.... Old Lord McCain, who demanded US to give power over to the Jon Stewart media to pick US candidates. He sure expected them to give to him in return. They mocked and jeered and sneered at him by ridiculing Sarah Palin into a hoped for personal bankruptcy and political oblivion.

Look where all this holding our noses and accepting smelly snakes got US. Obamination!!!!!

[true believer forever]

Gingrich wasn’t on my list, but that was mostly because I decided to start with candidates who could get at least a little support here at FR, and back when this started Gingrich was NOT one of those candidates.

Now Newt is THE candidate on FR. It's time get on board the Gingrich bandwagon.

[Just mythoughts]

I was never a closet Romney supporter. In the last election, I was open about all the people I supported, and that included Romney. Eventually he was the only one left I supported, as I was never a supporter of McCain, Giuliani, or Huckabee (although I’m sure I defended McCain against attacks I thought were unsupported). As for this election, I still haven’t picked a candidate, but I’ve in turn defended Bachmann, Perry, and Santorum. I never liked Cain as a presidential pick, and Gingrich wasn’t on my list, but that was mostly because I decided to start with candidates who could get at least a little support here at FR, and back when this started Gingrich was NOT one of those candidates.

I will stop myself now, as what I would like to say to you would be pretty much the same thing I would say to Ann (I am in love with Romney) and Rush who outsources his research, and yet claims to be 'right' 90 some percent of the time.

I have never like Santorum since he and Lott killed the impeachment proceedings against that gutter snipe Clinton. I do NOT care what the Spector of 'Scottish law' moderate/liberal Republicans demanded.

Liberals know that the PROUD GOP e, will buy and sell out US so long as they in the PROUD GOP e are allow their share of US tax dollars to pick life's lottery winners.

[true believer forever]

I used to feel like Yorlik, I just couldn’t get why people wouldn’t pick the lesser of two evils in such an imperfect world, especially the political arena.

and then I heard Jim Demint say on Mark Levin, when he was telling his audience why people shouldn’t vote for Mike Castle, why they should stand on principle, even if it was a longshot. He said, “I was there when we had the numbers, but we didn’t have the principles.” and went on to explain why having the principles, even if it means not having the numbers, is important.

I am not exaggerating, that little quote changed my life and thinking in regards to political calculations. And I wrote and told everybody I knew about it, it was 09.14.10. And they have changed, also. And they passed it on, also.

But the important thing is, while I was believing the other - that the numbers and calcs were more important than the principles - no one could talk me out of it. I thought they were naive, or otherworldly, or unrealistic. and then, boing, one day it just took hold in my heart.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I can’t disagree that Santorum talks up his conservative principles, and he’s clearly not as consistant as he would claim.

However, I would have to “respectfully” disagree with your assertion that Newt “never claimed to be anything more” (you may have only meant that narrowly, hard to tell); and if his supporters “have a really good idea of who he is... warts and all” I can say from an outsider’s perspective it doesn’t look like it to me.

I also happen to think the painting of Santorum supporters as believing he is a “saint” is inaccurate, but clearly they take the same hard-line supportive positions for their candidate as most Gingrich folks do for Newt, so maybe it looks that way.

I was fine with Newt being first in the polls, at least once Perry dropped out (heck, I was sorry Santorum had surged in Iowa, because I was hoping Perry would do so instead — because of those we had, I thought Perry was the better presidential choice, if he could just convince people of it).

Actually, being able to gain and hold supporters is one of my bigger criteria. I see little point in throwing the full support of conservatives to a candidate who can’t get anybody to vote for them. As I said, Gingrich wasn’t my first, second, or third choice, but he would certainly be acceptable, and I don’t think any of my attacks have suggested that he was unacceptable, just that he wasn’t any better than the others.

If Gingrich was on the ballot in Virginia, I’d vote for him. If Gingrich and Santorum were on the ballot, I’d see which of the two looked most likely to be able to beat Romney on the night before my primary, and vote for that candidate. I only look a lot more pro-Santorum because I have ascertained that he needs a lot more defending here than Gingrich.

I would lastly note that I have largely stayed out of pro-Gingrich threads, especially to attack him. I occasionally post against attacks on Santorum which happen in pro-Gingrich threads. And in the Santorum threads, I will post “negative” Gingrich items if a Gingrich supporter posts anti-Santorum items for which I think Gingrich has a similar fault (like mentioning the Dede endorsement when Santorum is attacked for his endorsements).

I’m not trying to tear Gingrich down. I am trying to defuse what I see as unhelpful attacks on Santorum, and expose what I see as double-standards in evaluating candidates.

And you can believe me or not when I tell you that if Newt had won Florida, I’d be happy enough that the race was over and we had someone who was reasonably conservative (and not Romney). It’s not my fault that Gingrich fell, and Santorum rose again.

[Just mythoughts]

I used to feel like Yorlik, I just couldn’t get why people wouldn’t pick the lesser of two evils in such an imperfect world, especially the political arena. and then I heard Jim Demint say on Mark Levin, when he was telling his audience why people shouldn’t vote for Mike Castle, why they should stand on principle, even if it was a longshot. He said, “I was there when we had the numbers, but we didn’t have the principles.” and went on to explain why having the principles, even if it means not having the numbers, is important. I am not exaggerating, that little quote changed my life and thinking in regards to political calculations. And I wrote and told everybody I knew about it, it was 09.14.10. And they have changed, also. And they passed it on, also. But the important thing is, while I was believing the other - that the numbers and calcs were more important than the principles - no one could talk me out of it. I thought they were naive, or otherworldly, or unrealistic. and then, boing, one day it just took hold in my heart.

I voted for Sarah Palin in the last election, unfortunately that also means I voted for lord McCain. Prior to the '08' election I had said I would never vote for lord McCain after all the .ell he caused during the Bush presidency.

It is as if lord McCain is in a coma during BamBamKennedy's presidency... no resistance whatsoever. He is a snake and I am done with holding my nose in the belief that it would prevent the election of an even bigger snake.

So what I will do depending upon who gets the nomination, is to do what I can to make sure 'tea party' candidates get elected to Congress to pull the plug on all this redistribution of this nation's wealth.

Yes, Rush researchers, the big mouth can go play golf with his 1% liberal friends, the middle class is barely hanging by a thread and the PROUD GOP e is stuck on stupid.

[xzins]

Santorum did the right thing at the time at the behest of his President.

It is highly questionable that we would have Alito and Roberts if Santorum had not supported President Bush.

[Just mythoughts]

Santorum did the right thing at the time at the behest of his President. It is highly questionable that we would have Alito and Roberts if Santorum had not supported President Bush.

Well time will tell if the Bush judges are on the side of 'right'. I am NOT convinced yet that 'international law' is not the standard by which decisions will be made.

[xzins]

I am convinced already that Roberts and Alito are far more conservative than Ginsberg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and whasername.

[true believer forever]

I would have to “respectfully” disagree with your assertion that Newt “never claimed to be anything more” (you may have only meant that narrowly, hard to tell);

I said "he's never claimed to be anything more than a sinner being saved by grace, when it comes to Godly endorsements..."

I was talking about Santorum's comments in debates about his quality character is what Americans need in the White House, and other comments about Newt's personal baggage...

his supporters “have a really good idea of who he is... warts and all” I can say from an outsider’s perspective it doesn’t look like it to me.

I can only speak for myself, I have a pretty good awareness of what's been written about newt's spiritual sins, political sins, and personality/character flaws... seriously, all of them. I have only really known about him - somewhat fully - since May, but I did a lot of homework. but most importantly, I don't whitewash them, or try to deny them, or even mitigate them... Newt once was a bastard, all around - I believe he is a new person in Christ now. I also think he is The ex-Bastard who can save this country, even if he does it in a very bastardly way.. and yes, I realize all the contradictions in that statement, but you know what I mean..

I also happen to think the painting of Santorum supporters as believing he is a “saint” is inaccurate, but clearly they take the same hard-line supportive positions for their candidate as most Gingrich folks do for Newt, so maybe it looks that way.

There's no comparison. I just don't think there is any way you explain away someone telling their followers, "I was called by God". that is just so over the top, and totally offensive to so many christians..

I thought Perry was the better presidential choice, if he could just convince people of it..

I agree, and I still hope for a gingrich/perry ticket. Rick Perry is young, he can have another go... and there are many conservatives whose respect and gratitude for him have grown exponentially because of his endorsement for Newt...

Actually, being able to gain and hold supporters is one of my bigger criteria.

i will give you that. Newt's electability hinges on changing people's minds, and finding new supporters. I am having a lot of luck doing both, but I am still very worried about this dynamic... and it will make it easier to support an alternative - should that unthinkable happen.

And you can believe me or not when I tell you that if Newt had won Florida, I’d be happy enough that the race was over...

I believe you...

[Just mythoughts]

I am convinced already that Roberts and Alito are far more conservative than Ginsberg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and whasername.

These days there appears to be a world of difference in 'conservative' and 'right'!!!!