Rick Santorum: Ted Cruz Is Losing Because He’s Not 'A Huckabee Or Santorum'

The Huffington Post's Huffpost Queer Voices ^ | March 4, 2016 | Michelangelo Signorile, Editor-at-Large, HuffPost Queer Voices

[2ndDivisionVet]

Here's why Santorum thinks Cruz is falling behind in the race.

In an interview with me on SiriusXM Progress at the Conservative Political Action Conference, former senator Rick Santorum said he believes that Sen. Ted Cruz isn't doing better in the GOP presidential primary and caucus races because Cruz "is not the kind of conservative that Mike Huckabee and I were."

Santorum says he believes Cruz isn't conservative enough when it comes to social issues. This, even though Cruz has loudly promoted anti-LGBT religious liberty laws, spoken at a virulently anti-gay conference last fall (which Rachel Maddow dubbed a "'kill the gays' call to arms") and has promised to overturn marriage equality through Supreme Court justice appointments.

"The early states have clearly favored Cruz," Santorum said. "I mean [the early states have] been in the Deep South. They've been in areas where Cruz should be racking up votes. And he's not. I think Cruz has show his weakness in not being able to take advantage of a heavily tilted playing field in his favor, of having a lot of Deep South and evangelically-heavy states early, and he hasn't done very well in them."

Both Huckabee, in 2008, and Santorum, in 2012, had won more states in the South on Super Tuesday than Cruz did this year, taking only his home of state Texas, as well as Oklahoma and Alaska.

"He's not following on in the path that either Mike Huckabee or I had followed on," Santorum said....

[2ndDivisionVet]

Hahahaha!

[sipow]

Oh - I get it.

Ted Cruz is losing because he is not a Huckabee or Santorum.

If he was a Huckabee or Santorum then Ted Cruz would be losing miserably.

There is a difference between losing and losing miserably.

[ladyellen]

Yes, he is doing so bad that he is STILL in the race, unlike those two. I like Rick, but Mike has really been annoying for some time now.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

And they won?

I am proud to have voted for Cruz today. I saw Santorum at my caucus location. I’m glad I did not stay to listen to him.

[mtrott]

That’s ridiculous. Cruz is much more conservative than either Huck or Santo, both of whom are much more likely to involve the Federal Government in social concerns. Both are “compassionate conservative” types who will cave in to the dems/media onslaught trying to justify more federal spending on wealth transfer programs.

[InterceptPoint]

Ted Cruz is losing because Donald Trump decided to run. Cruz would have crushed the rest of the pack with ease and soundly defeated Hillary or Bernie or Whoever.

This isn’t Rocket Science. I know. I studied Rocket Science. You open a bottle of Coke, take swig, put your thumb over the opening, shake it like crazy and then remove your thumb and point the bottle at your buddies. Lots of fun and you get to earn How Rockets Work.

[af_vet_1981]

Didn’t they lose?

Yes, to Mitt Romney who carried Texas in the Republican primary with 69% of the vote.

[Lurkinanloomin]

Ted left the ground open for Trump to step in and occupy on the issue that is propelling Trump.
If he had been as forceful about illegal aliens when he announced as he is now, it may have been different.
Cruz could bring himself to use words like deportation and enforcement before Trump did.

[shhrubbery!]

Of course Santorum would be doing so much better against the celebrity candidate.

Good point!

I supported Santorum in 2012, and he did well in the primaries (especially in Iowa, where he was truly robbed of his victory).

But Santorum didn't have to run against a celebrity juggernaut.

He speaks of Cruz's alleged weakness in the south ... I wonder if some evangelicals in South Carolina, who voted for Trump, are starting to have buyer's remorse?

Especially now that Trump appears to think he has the nomination sewn up. Trump doesn't seem to think he needs us conservatives anymore ... he is now lurching to the left.

[alstewartfan]

Has anybody here seen my old friends Rick and Huck?
Can you see them in the mist?
I thought I saw them walking over the hill
With Lindsay, and Martin, and Chris.

This needs to be set to a melody! I think I’ve got something here!

[txrefugee]

What does Santorum do when he’s not running for president? Will he be the modern Harold Stassen?

[TomGuy]

That’s cute, Little Ricky.

But try as I might, I do not recall your stint in the Oval Office.

[InterceptPoint]

Ted left the ground open for Trump to step in and occupy on the issue that is propelling Trump. If he had been as forceful about illegal aliens when he announced as he is now, it may have been different. Cruz could bring himself to use words like deportation and enforcement before Trump did.

I really wish it were that simple. Then we could have a war of ideas and principle and knowledge. Unfortunately we are having a war that is primarily about personalities and likeability with an emphasis on macho.

Trump has built his campaign around protecting and growing jobs for Americans. A worthy cause no doubt. But the border war with Mexico is not about jobs. It is about demographics and the Democrats successful and longstanding (remember Lyndon Johnson) plan to grow the black and hispanic voting population to a point where they can gain and retain absolute control of the Federal Government. That plan is working.

Cruz is fighting the demographic fight. That is a hard sell. Trump is fighting the jobs fight - an easier fight to fight. In the long run the Cruz fight is the more important one. In the short run Trump will most likely win the Presidency by defending the American Worker - once again, a noble cause.

[x]

Isn't Cruz doing way better than Huckabee or Santorum ever did?!?

He is. He's able to combine Evangelical social conservatism with "constitutional conservatism." That gives him broader appeal than Huckabee or Santorum.

It's probably not enough to win -- in fact it may be a recipe for not winning -- but it still puts him out in front of one-note wonders like Huck and Rick.

I always wonder what is wrong with people's thought processes.

Understand that ego comes first and people don't like to admit things about themselves that injures their vanity and you'll have made a good start.

[CyberAnt]

Good grief; Ted is smarter than both of them put together.

[taxcontrol]

Was that meant as praise or criticism? Hard to tell these days.

[saywhatagain]

"Because there is no way Texans knowingly elect a Canadian to represent them in Washington>

Kazaaam! Another slam on the fine folks of Texas being easily decieved. I mean after all, Ted Cruz was the longest-serving Soliciter General in the history of Texas. . . . Naw . . . dat dont mean nuthin.

Now that we have established Cruz is not an American, does that invalidate his conservative values? Aside from Cruz being an incredidble liar and deciever (boring) you really do not believe Mr. Trump can win on his own merits?

One is not a true conservative unless you are willing to eat your own!

[JoSixChip]

Now that we have established Cruz is not an American, does that invalidate his conservative values?

Your conservative values may say it was okay not to tell voters in Texas that he was a Canadian citizen because he knew he would not be elected if he told the truth. That is not what my conservative values tell me.

[saywhatagain]

Actually I was not talking about "your" conservative values. We already established your conservative creds with your view of Texans and willingness to eat your own.

I was curious if a non-American individual such as Cruz can hold and espouse conservative values. Apparently not.

[JoSixChip]

Actually I was not talking about "your" conservative values. We already established your conservative creds

That's rich coming from someone who thinks it's okay to flat out lie to voters to get elected. Especially on something as important as one's citizenship. No thanks, I don't need someone of you morally casual conservative values judging me on my values.