Santorum was maybe the biggest loss of 2006. He was apparently done in by the purists who were angry that he supported the Scottish Lawyer for the senate. Yes, that was a mistake, but it was pretty near his only mistake.
I said at the time that Casey would predictably fold on abortion as soon as the pressure was on, because he wouldn’t want to be ostracized like his father. And he did.
I don’t think it was the purists, so much as middle-of-the-road pro-lifers who went squishy on the war. That, combined with a luckluster GOP candidate for governor and massive vote fraud in Philly (as usual) did Santorum in.
Purists don’t account for the 19 points Rick lost by.
Just goes to show what happens when folks get themselves into a snit, and throw logic out the window.