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 He has adamantly called for ObamaCare to be repealed and replaced.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.

[BlackElk]

Stopping Romney, Paul and Huntsman is priority #1.

Stopping Obama is priority #2.

Nominating any of Santorum, Bachmann, Perry or Gingrich is priority #3 but obviously inextricably entwined with priority #1.

Santorum may well be the best of the remaining non-Romneys. He was a pro-life hero in the Senate. He endorsed Specter for the apparent reasonable reason that the rampagingly pro-abort Specter agreed, in exchange, to stop no pro-life judges as Judiciary Chairman. I believe that Specter made good on that promise. Additionally, Toomey had been a pro-abort during his time as s Congressman but had, Romney-like, "discovered" he was pro-life before taking on Specter on a statewide basis.

In any event, add me to the Santorum ping list.

[freespirited]

I don’t think he has run a particularly good campaign. Sure he has put in enormous effort in IA, but his message has not been in tune with the times. He talks way too little about how to fix the economy and way too much about his life and time in Congress.

I think people are desperate to hear solutions for the present and future, not rehash the past so much.

[cumbo78]

I seem to remember reading about someone losing a Senatorial election and two years later winning the Presidency. Oh yeah...Abraham Lincoln.

[dforest]

Well, we don’t have to hang ourselves. But until folks are willing to admit that they screwed up, they will never be able to correct the foolishness. Covering ones ass never gets anyone anywhere. May make people FEEL better, but it sure does not FIX things and there is always some of those dirty panties left exposed.

I have zero hope that will happen.

Vote for Rick or Michele? Yep, I will vote for them, anyday and anytime.

[LucianOfSamasota]

Please add me to the ping list.

[Antoninus]

Stopping Romney, Paul and Huntsman is priority #1. Stopping Obama is priority #2. Nominating any of Santorum, Bachmann, Perry or Gingrich is priority #3 but obviously inextricably entwined with priority #1.

Couldn't agree more.

[Mozilla]

Count me in. Go ahead and add me to the ping list.

[Antoninus]

I seem to remember reading about someone losing a Senatorial election and two years later winning the Presidency. Oh yeah...Abraham Lincoln.

Yup. Worth repeating.

[July4]

Santorum is a good man, and he can govern effectively if he will acknowledge his weakness in executive experience and put an experienced, wise executive in a close advisory position.

Mr. Obama had NO significant executive experience before Americans liberals placed him at the helm of this nation. “Community organizing” as a career is the art of teaching class envy and group extortion.

I'd rather have Rick Santorum learn “on-the-job” than have four more years of Mr. Obama.

[CainConservative]

Prediction = Single digits for Santorum.

Question = Will Little Ricky endorse Willard as he did in 2008?

[Gil4]

Please add me to the list

[Antoninus]

Prediction = Single digits for Santorum.

Way to go out on a limb.

Question = Will Little Ricky endorse Willard as he did in 2008?

Cain did too. Or have you forgotten that? At least Santorum has hit Romney hard during the debates. I give him, Perry and Gingrich major points for doing that.

[gemoftheocean]

‘Otherwise, I will not be voting GOP this election.’

In other words, odumbunny, by default — thanks you must REALLY love America to subject us to that Kenyan communist for another 4 years.

I don’t like some on the republican side at all — particularly Romney and that conspiracy nut Paul — HOWEVER, ANY republican is preferable to the Kenyan.

[Theodore R.]

I began to side with Santorum about a month ago for the reaons you eloquently express here; unfortunately few othrs have followed. Most people won’t back anyone whom the media has declared a dead duck. What is a no-brainer now to us, so many others can’t see.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

Great post, Antoninus! Thanks!

The bouncing around that some people have done from candidate to candidate is reminiscent of a ping pong ball in a clothes dryer (Pawlenty-Bachmann-Perry-Cain-Gingrich-next-next-next.) I’ve supported Santorum from the beginning. I’ve contributed multiple times. I have proudly had a Santorum bumper sticker on my car for months. In spite of his low polling, he has always made me proud. I am not ashamed. I haven’t had to hold my nose.

There are quite a few others whom I would have been proud to support—Pence, Coburn, DeMint, Jindal, to name a few. But Santorum was the one who actually threw his hat into the ring. He’s all in. So am I.

[Antoninus]

I began to side with Santorum about a month ago for the reaons you eloquently express here; unfortunately few othrs have followed. Most people won’t back anyone whom the media has declared a dead duck. What is a no-brainer now to us, so many others can’t see.

Don't give up. The situation is so fluid, anything can happen. Rick has set up a good organization in Iowa and if a few intangibles come through, he could make some serious noise there.

[RobinOfKingston]

Add me to the ping list, please. It’s been lonely out here in the mountains since Herman got skewered.

[Theodore R.]

I admire you for standing up for Santorum when so many don’t consider him a serious candidate. He represents the three stools of conservatism better than the others, and there would be no skeletons coming out in October 2012. Less baggage for sure

[Carry_Okie]

Add me to your list please.

The man has a better grip on both foreign policy and the damage being wrought by the Department of State than anyone running. He is the only candidate with the will and stated desire to drain that fetid swamp.

[Theodore R.]

Herman skewered himself. He is interesting and speaks well, but he withheld critical information from a Democrat, Gloria Cain.