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Rick Santorum’s daughter: Can a political leader put family first yet stay in the race?
Washington Post ^ | 1/31/12 | Jena McGregor

Posted on 01/31/2012 1:06:47 PM PST by jimbo123

Should Rick Santorum get off the campaign trail and go home to his ailing daughter? That’s the question many are posing about the GOP candidate, who has built his campaign on the idea of “faith, family and freedom.”

His three-year-old daughter Bella suffers from a genetic disorder known as Trisomy 18, and had a turn for the worse over the weekend when she contracted pneumonia. He says his daughter has had a “miraculous turnaround,” and returned to the campaign trail Monday on the eve of the Florida primary.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: connnnnnncern; phonyconcern; santorum
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Rick should immediately leave Las Vegas and fly back to the hospital to be at his young daughter's bedside with the rest of his family.
1 posted on 01/31/2012 1:06:51 PM PST by jimbo123
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To: jimbo123

If a father didn’t go to his child’s beside, he hasn’t enough humanity to lead others.


2 posted on 01/31/2012 1:11:07 PM PST by goat granny
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To: jimbo123

He needs to be “Courageous” and be there for his side of the dance. His daughter has no idea why he isn’t there.


3 posted on 01/31/2012 1:11:10 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Yo Mitt - Money can't buy you love...)
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To: jimbo123

He should do what he thinks is best for him and his family. If that is continuing because he thinks the role is best in the long run, so be it. We’ve had successful presidents before who have faced such issues and worse.


4 posted on 01/31/2012 1:11:40 PM PST by mnehring
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To: jimbo123

It’s interesting seeing so many former Palin supporters pushing that Santorum should drop out and care for his special-needs daughter. That was of course one of the many disgusting tactics used against Sarah Palin, that she wasn’t a good mother because she was running for VP instead of taking care of her son.

But I guess if a tactic works, you’ll use it no matter how disgusting it is.


5 posted on 01/31/2012 1:11:46 PM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: jimbo123
class=rg_hi

6 posted on 01/31/2012 1:12:16 PM PST by Responsibility2nd (Newt or else. What part of "Join or Die" don't you understand?)
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To: jimbo123

While I would like to see Santorum back out of the race entirely and to give Gingrich his support, I don’t want the Washington Post (or anyone else) determining why he should back out. This seems very similar to the debate that was raging when Gov.Palin was running with McCain: “How can a woman with so many children be both a good/devoted mother and a VP?”

Rick is a good man and knows his family situation better than any other can. He should make his own decisions in his own time.


7 posted on 01/31/2012 1:13:02 PM PST by MNGal
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To: jimbo123

So much for being a family man. He should go home to his family...I WOULD! he is not soaring in the polls...he will be wiped out soon...


8 posted on 01/31/2012 1:13:02 PM PST by katiedidit1 ("This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever." the Irish)
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To: jimbo123

It would be a tough call if he had an actual chance of winning the nomination. As it is, he should go home.


9 posted on 01/31/2012 1:14:07 PM PST by energized
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To: jimbo123
"Rick should immediately leave Las Vegas and fly back to the hospital to be at his young daughter's bedside with the rest of his family."

Is that because you think he's a "big government" guy who wants to tell people how to live their lives and what's best for them and their families?

10 posted on 01/31/2012 1:14:20 PM PST by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

His daughter is still in the hospital with pneumonia. She almost died this weekend and is still in intensive care.


11 posted on 01/31/2012 1:15:10 PM PST by jimbo123
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To: jimbo123
Heartbreaker.

If Santorum was the nominee, how long before the "retard" and "Abortion would have been better" stories went up on The Daily Kos?

12 posted on 01/31/2012 1:16:57 PM PST by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

It is up to him, of course. But I just think IF she were to pass away from this illness or anytime in the near future, he will feel much guilt from having miss so much of the last 6 months or however long of her life and IF or when he goes on to lose, will think about how much time he missed with her. He might not say it out loud, but he will feel it. Again, his choice.


13 posted on 01/31/2012 1:18:37 PM PST by Qwackertoo (Gingrich/West 2012)
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To: Qwackertoo

He is indeed faced with a dilemma. I know what my choice would be; on the other hand, it would be great if he scored well enough in Florida to stay in the race.


14 posted on 01/31/2012 1:22:13 PM PST by RobbyS (Christus rex.)
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To: jimbo123

Can a political leader put politics ahead of family and stay in the race?

Rick returned home to be with his daughter and family this weekend. How much time to spend is nobody else’s business.


15 posted on 01/31/2012 1:23:11 PM PST by G Larry (I dream of a day when a man is judged by the content of his character)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

I agree


16 posted on 01/31/2012 1:23:25 PM PST by PjhCPA (Game On!)
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To: jimbo123
Should Rick Santorum get off the campaign trail and go home to his ailing daughter?

In simple terms, no.

I would like to see Santorum withdraw and endorse Newt, but that would be based on Santorum determining after Florida voting closes that he doesn't have a sufficient chance or that his campaign would do more harm than good. Failing that, if Santorum does particularly well, even if not as well as Newt, I would like to see Newt in a magnificent gesture withdraw and endorse Santorum "to stop the Romney/Obama leftists for the good of the country". But for Santorum to withdraw to be near his daughter, when there is nothing he can do for her? That makes no sense. If Santorum believes that he has a better chance of repealing ObamaCare than Newt does, then the best thing he can do for his little girl is to hit the campaign trail, all out, and try to win this. His daughter's life is on the line, and he shouldn't simply go home to give her a hug if he has a better option.

Note: simple economics shows that ObamaCare will bring medical progress if not to a screeching halt at least to a dramatically slower pace. Whatever might have been discovered to help his daughter under a sane and limited federal government will be at severe risk under ObamaCare. In his position, I would do whatever had the best chance of repealing that evil and destructive law. And those calling for him to withdraw because of his daughter's health? I hope he will politely ignore then, because they are wrong. The decision should be based on the good of the country in which his daughter will live and receive medical treatment, not how often he can read her a story face to face.

17 posted on 01/31/2012 1:23:32 PM PST by Pollster1 (Natural born citizen of the USA, with the birth certificate to prove it)
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To: G Larry

>> How much time to spend is nobody else’s business.

It’s my business if he insists on being Mitt’s VP.


18 posted on 01/31/2012 1:26:27 PM PST by Gene Eric (C'mon, Virginia -- are you with us or against us?!)
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To: goat granny

Ditto. I think most citizens would give him extra consideration simply because he was at his baby’s side.
Family values, indeed.


19 posted on 01/31/2012 1:26:53 PM PST by stilloftyhenight (99 weeks = associates degree)
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To: jimbo123

I bet they have never asked that question about Obama


20 posted on 01/31/2012 1:27:05 PM PST by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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