Santorum for President [plus ping list]

December 27, 2011 | Antoninus

[Antoninus]

Sarah Palin is not running.

Rick Perry has shown himself not up to the challenge (unfortunately).

Herman Cain got borked by the establishment media and could not take the heat (unfortunately).

Ron Paul, for every sensible position, has one that marks him as a kook.

Newt Gingrich is being attacked relentlessly, fairly or unfairly, and because of his very mixed record on many issues, the attacks are weakening him.

Michelle Bachmann's apparent role as Mitt Romney's attack dog has left her mired in single digits in the polls.

So the political class in this country (and I include the elites of both parties and the media in this group) have succeeded in systematically neutralizing any candidate whose name is not Mitt Romney.

Except one.



Rick Santorum

Here are the top 10 reasons conservatives should support Rick Santorum in 2012:

10. Santorum is a good family man, husband, and father. There are no skeletons in his closet and he has shown himself to be very admirable when it comes to caring for his own family. As a homeschooling father, Santorum does more than just talk about family values. He lives them.

9. He is a solid fiscal conservative. Santorum worked tirelessly to pass the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. He has been a steadfast proponent of entitlement reform, particularly advocating for the privatization of Social Security and Medicare. He has opposed the Wall Street bailouts. While in Congress, he sponsored the balanced budget amendment. He has adamantly called for ObamaCare to be repealed and replaced. Santorum has called for the Federal Reserve to be audited and its role pared back to managing inflation.

8. Santorum is a solid social conservative. His campaign has been one of uplifting social conservative values and pointing out that the breakdown of the American family is at the root of nearly all of our most intractable domestic problems.

7. Santorum is unflinchingly 100% pro-life. Santorum's stellar record as a champion for the unborn is well-known. His courage on the issue was demonstrated clearly when he fought for the partial-birth abortion ban and made Barbara Boxer look like a ghoul on the senate floor.

6. Santorum believes in a strong national defense. While not calling for war as some have insinuated, Santorum has been among the most vocal leaders when it comes to understanding and dealing with the threat posed radical Islam. As president, we can expect Santorum to help rebuild and re-arm America in the face of this threat. He is also the only Republican candidate who has said he will reinstate "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

5. Santorum is pro-family and against homosexual marriage. While other Republicans cower in fear of the homosexual lobby, Santorum has stood strong. With great foresight, he fought for the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004, bringing the measure to the senate floor even though members of his own party opposed him. Santorum's efforts have earned him the undying enmity of homosexual advocacy groups, yet Santorum does not hate homosexuals. Indeed, he retained a known homosexual on his staff. He has shown himself to be fair-minded but utterly steadfast on this issue.

4. Santorum is very strong on Second Amendment issues. He's a life member of the NRA and has always been an ally of Second Amendment rights groups. While in Congress, he opposed gun bans and lawsuits against gun manufacturers.

3. Santorum understands that government interventions in the economy do more harm than good. He believes in sound economic policies including reduced taxation, reduced spending, reduced regulation. At the same time, he knows that the federal government does play an important role as defined by the Constitution to make sure that the border is secure and has called for federal tort reform to help prevent the legal profession from strangling trade.

2. Santorum has been consistent. He his not a flip-flopper on the issues. He has shown the spine to fight for conservative ideals and the ability to go against the grain when members of his own party want to cave in to the left.

1. Santorum is hated by the hard left. Those who support abortion, homosexuality, fiscal profligacy and a surrender-first foreign policy all despise Rick Santorum. He is so hated by these people that they have slandered his name across the internet, trashing him in the most vile language imaginable. If you can define a man by the depravity of his enemies, Rick Santorum must be a noble soul indeed.

For a more detailed breakdown on Rick Santorum's positions on the issues, I encourage you to visit:

http://www.ricksantorum.com/issues

How is this not better than any of the other candidates running? Is this not precisely the kind of platform conservatives want to get behind and support?

Santorum's conservative critics have hung their hat on a single fault that in retrospect (and compared to those of his opponents) looks quite minute indeed:

In 2004, Santorum supported Arlen Specter. I criticized Santorum for doing this at the time as well. He clearly had chosen to play the role of good soldier when G. W. Bush asked him for a favor. He shouldn't have done it, especially considering how exposed and vulnerable the Bush administration's botched policies would leave Santorum in 2006 when he ran for re-election himself. But in retrospect, Pat Toomey has not shown himself to be a stellar conservative. One of his first actions after getting elected was to support Obama's decision to homosexualize the military. It's really hard for a conservative to claim that Santorum's support of Specter makes him in any way unacceptable as a presidential candidate, particularly when compared to the flaws of the other Republicans in the race.

As the primaries rapidly approach, it is time for serious conservatives to coalesce around one candidate. If we can do so, we'll have our best chance at ensuring a political doppleganger like Mitt Romney (who, even if elected president, will be a disaster for conservatives) is not nominated to lead the Republican party in 2012.

I humbly submit to you that Rick Santorum is the best candidate for conservatives to support in 2012. He is a true-blue conservative who can be counted upon to articulate and advance conservative positions and ideals. He will really take the fight to Obama in the general election and to the Democrat party as president.

[Antoninus]

I have been hot and cold on Santorum over the years, but having seen him speak passionately about life and liberty in person at a fundraising event for a local crisis pregnancy center, I do believe the man is the real deal.

It's late in the game, but not too late. I am starting a Santorum for President Ping List on FR. If you want on, please say so on this thread or send me FReepmail.

[Antoninus]

Ping.

[madison10]

Add me in! Thanks.

[llmc1]

Please add me to the ping list. Thanks.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Executive experience?????????????

It’s one thing to win. It’s another to govern.

What’s Rick got in this category?

[Crichton]

Best of the group we have running.

He can actually appeal to what's left of the Reagan Democrats across the Great Lakes region.

[Joann37]

I’d support him. And pls. add me to your Santorum ping list.

[Dr. Sivana]

Add me, please.

[Antoninus]

Santorum on Fox and Drudge today:

In What May Be Final Turn in GOP Roller Coaster, Will Santorum Get Chance at Ascent?

Peaking at the right time, perhaps?

[david1313]

Because Rick can’t win in his own state. Sorry but true. He needs to go home and win there again first. He is a very weak candidate on many levels. I am easily excitable for conservatives, but he doesn’t do anything for me. Try again.

[Antoninus]

A really good ad now running in Iowa:

Pop-Up

[Crichton]

Executive experience?????????????

Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Jon Huntsman are the only candidates with a decent amount of executive experience.

Perry is a populist who has been an undisciplined campaigner, in contrast to his electoral record in Texas.

Romney's record as a political executive has been the subject of some criticism.

Huntsman had a conservative record as a political executive but insists that he's a proud member of the liberal elite.

Rick Santorum is not a dream presidential candidate but all of the candidates running have their weaknesses, to put it gently.

[Antoninus]

Rick Santorum is not a dream presidential candidate but all of the candidates running have their weaknesses, to put it gently.

"Executive experience" is a non-starter for me in terms of criticism. I am confident Santorum can handle the job.

[Vigilanteman]

Rick's a good guy, but the biggest albatross around his neck is that he couldn't even crack 40% in his 2006 reelection bid against who is arguably the dumbest male member of the U.S. Senate.

That being said, he is probably the best conservative alternative still standing and I hope he does well in Iowa.

[Longbow1969]

Because Rick can’t win in his own state. Sorry but true. He needs to go home and win there again first. He is a very weak candidate on many levels. I am easily excitable for conservatives, but he doesn’t do anything for me. Try again.

Santorum didn't just lose last time around, he got blown out in an epic fail landslide defeat. You can't lose your last statewide election by 18 points and then run for President and expect to do well. Santorum is a good man and right on most of the issues, but there are just too many doubts about his electability until he goes back home and wins an election or two to clear the stink away from that 2006 defeat.

[dforest]

Houston, we have a problem. Rick and other conservatives jumped in this race from the start. What did people do? They put their hearts into people who were never running and trashed those who were. They dismissed conservatives who were willing to put their ass on the line and actually enter the race.

Now, not a damn one of them has a chance because idiots put their money on those who were never going to put their ass on the line.

Now we are stuck.

Good job. We are fools.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I’m torn. He didn’t submit petitions for Virginia, so I can’t vote for him. Of course, Gingrich and Perry got knocked off for “bad signatures”, so if that ruling isn’t reversed I’ll have nobody to vote for.

Santorum could possibly catch fire, but I doubt it. Perry on the other hand already proved he could catch fire, and while he’s only embers now, you can re-ignite them.

My problem is that right now, Santorum’s success is going to hurt Perry. If I thought Santorum could win Iowa, I’d support him. But if he can’t, all he can do (along with Bachmann) is split the conservative vote, guaranteeing that our choice in this election is Gingrich or Romney.

[End Times Sentinel]

What's going to hurt Santorum is his total lack of charisma.

It shouldn't matter at all, of course. Aside from the insane decision of supporting Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey, the man has a rock solid history and would make a first class President.

I'd like to say that I have Faith in the American people to pick the obvious candidate, yet the country is getting filled up with idiots (”I don't like the way he talks”/”Jon Stewart said he was dumb”) and non-Americans (reflexive democrats/liberals) that I wonder...

Clearly the best candidate at this juncture.

[Crichton]

Rick's a good guy, but the biggest albatross around his neck is that he couldn't even crack 40% in his 2006 reelection bid against who is arguably the dumbest male member of the U.S. Senate.

Put another way:

Santorum lost his last reelection badly:

* In a state that leans Democrat
* To a pro-life moderate (supposedly)
* To the scion and namesake of the sainted Ex-Gov Bob Casey
* In a landslide Democrat year

Casey would have beaten any Republican candidate in any political environment. The race was over the minute the Dem machine let him run. The only question was the margin, and it was a bloodbath across the country.

[King Moonracer]

Add me please. He’s last on the sample ballot in NH, so he’ll be easy to find on 1/10/12.

BTW, there is a Joe Robinson on the NH ballot from Newton, MA. He has no chance at all, but he does have the Robinson name....