Can someone explain to me why Santorum is not catching on? His candidacy reminds me of Huckabee, but Huckabee did much better than Rick S. is doing.
Unfortunately, he now seems to think pandering to the illegal alien lobby is also a winning strategy.
Yep, one word: Charisma.
No matter how gone one's message is, if one does not have Charisma, they cannot move crowds or stir the hopes of people. It's that simple. Reagan had it in abundance. Sarah has it. Newt has it to a degree.
One top of his embrace of W's big government and interventionist foreign meddling, Santorum is the most unlikeable candidate in the room: whiny, petulant, needy not unlike a certain senator in the White House now.
He's often been described by other freepers as a yippee dog hoping for the adults to drop some food scraps.
He'd bring back the worst of W without his executive experience or personal charm. That's why he's not catching on.
——Can someone explain to me why Santorum is not catching on?-——
Because is a loser.
He is a great conservative but is not percieved as someone who can win.
Rick Santorum has never been popular. Iowa was rigged (because Paul had a chance of winning, and thus losing Iowa the “First in nation” status, the state repubs were actively turning people to Romney or Santorum. Obviously they went to Santorum, because of the “Not-Romney” segment.) Understanding that Santorum never was popular (and never will be) popular is the first step to understanding why has no chance at the nomination. People don’t like him. And I would posit, that he doesn’t like people either.
His vapid petulence coupled with his hatred of freedom keep him in his constant snide and condescending demeanor. He has no “Charisma” as another poster put it, because he has no love of people. Oh, he says he does, but from all his actions, you can easily see he wants to control people, for their own good, of course. Santorum has no enthusiasm, so he has to get himself angry to sound passionate. This further turns people off. Santorum has been at the very bottom of the pack (of those still running) with the exception of Iowa (rigged), and South Carolina, where Paul obviously would do even worse than he has because of demographics.
Of all the candidates left, Santorum has the least loyalty of voters towards him. And with good reason. His state didn’t even support him and booted him out. No one else wants him nor his pseudo-Cathlo-wahabi-ism either. He’s most likely a stalking horse for Romney, to keep the nomination from Newt. Time will tell.
Huckabee did a better job of hiding his Big Government (per)version of "conservatism".
For the same reason we will never elect another Calvin "Silent Cal" Coolidge, and the reason children's toys are bright and shiny. This culture has become the culture of Americanidolladygagajerseyshoreobamadonaldtrumpetc.
Flash and bombast trump principle and worth. That's not to say a flashy, bombastic person can't have principle or worth, but the former qualities will always trump the latter in the eyes of voters weaned on soundbites.
Well, I'll just give you the opinion of one who has never been very impressed with the man.
He simply doesn't strike me as presidential. I know that may sound like thin gruel, but that really is how I perceive him, and it counts for a lot with me.
Rick strikes me as a state level politician. He seems to be over-reaching by playing in the major leagues, when he really ought to be back in the minors. Every time I see him at the podium in the debates, he just seems completely out of place to me.
Then, there's his Senate voting record. Huge deal-breaker there. I won't post the whole thing again, but here's a link:
Could it be because he’s boring and reminds everyone of their brother Stephen who has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a vast stamp collection? He’s Ned Flanders without the personality.
He comes across as an argumentative teenager.
The same reason he got crushed in his last election.
Santorum is not a great politician or a particularly amiacable fellow. He’s a conservative milk toast, he says things that are good, but his record doesn’t match his rhetoric far more often than most realize. He’s got a backbone on social conservative issues, but honestly lacks the intellect to articulate them effectively, and has ZERO backbone or ability to articulate the simple fundamental conservative philosophy, that being one of the government should for the most part “STAY OUT OF PEOPLE’S WALLETS AND OFF THEIR BACKS”.. because honestly, he DOESN’T BELIEVE THAT.
Santorum is an average to below average politician at best, and on his greatest day, he’s at best VP material, no way is he capable of running the show.. he just doesn’t have it.