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Challenges Mount for Rick Santorum [Pledges To "Fight On"]
Wall St. J ^ | January 21, 2012 | PATRICK O'CONNOR and BRODY MULLINS

Posted on 01/21/2012 7:29:34 PM PST by Steelfish

JANUARY 21, 2012 Challenges Mount for Rick Santorum

By PATRICK O'CONNOR and BRODY MULLINS

CHARLESTON, S.C.—Republican White House hopeful Rick Santorum burst out of Iowa earlier this month on a wave of unexpected momentum.

But after a third-place finish in South Carolina, the former Pennsylvania senator finds himself limping into Florida without a clear path to victory and an unforgiving landscape for an under-funded candidate.

With 95% of the precincts reporting, Mr. Santorum was the top pick of 17% of Republican primary voters in South Carolina, well behind former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's 41% and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's 27%. That result came a day after Iowa Republicans named him the official winner of their first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Mr. Santorum drew large crowds this week when he campaigned in the socially conservative regions of South Carolina. But he wasn't able to translate that into a strong showing on primary night. Now, as the race shifts to Florida, Mr. Santorum must figure out how to magnify his up-close appeal to an expansive and expensive state where money typically plays a large role in determining the winner.

On Saturday night, as he has all week, Mr. Santorum pledged to fight on.

"Three states, three winners. What a great country," he told his supporters at an election-night rally at the Citadel in Charleston. "It's a wide open race. Join the fight."

Mr. Santorum often cites his Iowa win as evidence he should remain in the race and has hinted that he expects Mr. Gingrich to flame out at some point. On Saturday, his campaign announced Mr. Santorum would immediately travel to Florida to start campaigning in the Sunshine State. His first event is a campaign rally Sunday at a chicken wing restaurant outside Fort Lauderdale.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: santorum
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To: the invisib1e hand

“America’s best days are long behind us.”

I believe our best days are ahead of us. The only question is how hard will the Lord’s correction be.


21 posted on 01/21/2012 8:04:55 PM PST by PastorBooks
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To: Steelfish

Glad he’s staying in. Pro life matters.


22 posted on 01/21/2012 8:06:24 PM PST by keepitreal ( Good manners never go out of style)
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To: patriot08

Problem is, what if he drops out for Mitt, or eventually intends to. I haven’t sensed any allegiance with Newt or Perry over the months, and if he IS going to go to Mitt we want him to do it after we batter Mitt down to the low 20s.

So, I don’t ask him to drop out, just ask him who’s he staying in for?


23 posted on 01/21/2012 8:06:30 PM PST by txhurl (WELL, Santorum? Still in it for yourself?)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

“Rick needs to seriously get out next week. He has no chance to win the nomination. From here on out its a vanity run.”

I see Santorum as Lazio and Newt as Paladino. Not very happy with the chances for either.


24 posted on 01/21/2012 8:12:23 PM PST by ari-freedom (If SOPA passes, we will lose our Free Republic.)
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To: Steelfish

No, Rick needs to get out. CNN was just saying that the RNC big bosses will do everything NOW to send him money to keep him in the race To> divide the conservative votes. He needs to go. Pretty soon, Palin has to endorse Newt. Newt has the backing of most of the Tea Party. Rick is already trashing Newt. We don’t need that or we could end up with Romney. This will be a hard battle. Gotta pray that these votes will come together for these other states.


25 posted on 01/21/2012 8:20:06 PM PST by Christie at the beach
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To: byteback
Florida is the first CLOSED primary where only Republicans can vote. Rick should stay in because this is the first test with only conservative voters.

My take exactly!

26 posted on 01/21/2012 8:20:13 PM PST by mckenzie7 (Democrats = Trough Sloppers!)
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To: All; byteback
Losing half its delegates under the rules, Florida is "winner take all."

If Romney wins it, he wins BIG in FL and his momentum is reestablished heading into a sure win in Mormon-heavy NV.

Santorum should definitely honestly reevaluate his campaign this week

Maine caucuses Feb 4-11. CO, MN caucus on Feb 7... probably all Romney country. MO votes (Newt not participating) but their delegates are actually determined by a caucus in March; the vote is just a beauty contest.

Romney should get "favorite son" status for the MI primary on Feb 28th. AZ, on the same day, might be competitive.

Where will Santorum "break out" in February ahead of March's Super Tuesday? How does he picked up momentum? Does he sit around helping Romney take delegates while he waits like a vulture to see if Newt stumbles?

Ignoring FL, Ron Paul is focused on the caucus states. Santorum can't camp out in these states for a year like he did in Iowa. 5

27 posted on 01/21/2012 8:20:32 PM PST by newzjunkey (Next up "winner-take-all" FL ... we must derail Romney's inevitability.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

I think he should stay in and give more people a choice. As pointed out in other posts, he obviously isn’t taking any votes away from Gingrich, and many really do not like Gingrich or Romney.


28 posted on 01/21/2012 8:20:44 PM PST by murron (Proud Mom of a Marine Vet)
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To: nickcarraway
"Santorum lost because the establishment cheated. "

That's a ridiculous assertion with no basis in fact.

Santorum was lapped by Gingrich and even Romney beat him by 10 points.

Sheesh. Get some reality.

29 posted on 01/21/2012 8:29:17 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: All

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30 posted on 01/21/2012 8:30:00 PM PST by musicman (Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
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To: the invisib1e hand
The presidency is meaningless. America's best days are long behind us. It's the culture of life vs. the culture of death.

If you really believe the crap that you just posted, it must suck just to wake up in the morning.

America's best days are long behind us?

Get the hell out of the Country I served for in the Army, you sorry loser.

Move your sorry butt to where ever you believe has the brightest future, but why are you posting on FR?

31 posted on 01/21/2012 8:33:01 PM PST by USS Alaska (Nuke The Terrorist Savages)
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To: Mariner

You haven’t read about Iowa?


32 posted on 01/21/2012 8:45:31 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: Steelfish

If Rick is smart — and he better be, he’ll realize that the only course for him is to back Newt. Hard as it may be... that’s the hand that has been dealt. It will only help him to endorse Newt and move forward.


33 posted on 01/21/2012 8:47:12 PM PST by vortigern
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To: PAConservative1

Rick lost the primary within a primary to be the Anti-Romney. He should endorse Newt before FL.

the fact that he won’t proves he is only in it for himself.
He has no money, no organization and no chance.


34 posted on 01/21/2012 8:49:08 PM PST by genghis
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To: vortigern

>> If Rick is smart

Rick reminds me of Dole and McCain; the fight is more important than the outcome.


35 posted on 01/21/2012 8:49:35 PM PST by Gene Eric (C'mon, Virginia -- are you with us or against us?!)
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To: Steelfish
I think if Santorum can stay in for a little while longer it might help Newt rather than hurt him. He's one more person the media has to cover with a conservative message.

Hopefully, he's smart enough not to go after Newt with his advertising.

36 posted on 01/21/2012 8:53:20 PM PST by Tribune7 (GAS WAS $1.85 per gallon on the day Obama was Inaugurated! - - freeper Gaffer)
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To: Steelfish

Good to hear. Fight on Mr. Santorum.


37 posted on 01/21/2012 8:53:25 PM PST by BenKenobi (Vindicated! Santorum wins IOWA!)
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To: txhurl

He’s staying in for the same reason he started, namely, he feels “called” (his word) to do so.


38 posted on 01/21/2012 8:58:43 PM PST by Lauren BaRecall (I declare for Santorum)
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To: Mariner

You should really try to keep up. Santorum won Iowa by 14 votes, the establishment made a big deal of winning all three early primaries, bragging that no one ever has blah, bla bla. No republican has ever went on to be elected without first winning SC, now that he has lost 2 out of
3, the meme has changed.


39 posted on 01/21/2012 9:02:04 PM PST by itsahoot (You are no longer a person, you are now a Unit when you need health care.)
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To: PastorBooks
I believe our best days are ahead of us. The only question is how hard will the Lord’s correction be.

Good call!

40 posted on 01/21/2012 9:06:16 PM PST by xone
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