Rick Santorum’s delegate woes: Trying hard in some states; in others, not so much

Wapo ^ | 030812 | Felicia Sonmez

[Fred]

Rick Santorum won’t be winning any delegates in four of Illinois’ 18 congressional districts next month. But, at least in the 13th District, it won’t be because he didn’t try.

Former senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.). (Julie Denesha/Getty Images)On Jan. 6, the state filing deadline, a Santorum volunteer had brought to the board of elections an envelope containing nominating petitions for a slate of three Santorum delegates in the 13th, the State Journal-Register reports.

But the petitions were never submitted. A volunteer inadvertently failed to take them out of the envelope, the Journal Register reports, and the envelope wound up in the trash.

Even if those petitions had been handed in, the Journal-Register story said, it’s possible they would have been challenged. The Santorum camp was only able to round up some 50 signatures for its slate of delegates in the district, well short of the 600 required.

All in all, the Santorum campaign’s organizational missteps mean that it is already at a deficit of at least 30 delegates in the races playing out over the next month – even before voters in those contests have cast their ballots...

[Fred]

“Well, as you know, those delegates had to be filed in Virginia and all the way back in early part of December,” Santorum said. “And, you know, look, I’ll be honest, I mean, I was running across the state of Iowa and, you know, sitting in 2 percent of the national polls, with very, very limited resources, you know, we didn’t have the ability to go out.”

[Mariner]

Ineligible for over 20% of the delegates of a very delegate rich state...I believe about 75.

[mylife]

Oh! it’s the volunteers fault!

[Lazlo in PA]

Big deal. If anyone thinks Romney isn’t going to walk with this state that has an open Primary, they are kidding themselves. Rahm will make sure everyone in Chicago votes Milt. They also have a goofy distribution of delegates.

http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/files/resolution-re-selection-of-delegates-to-2012-national-convention3-1.pdf

[Red Steel]

if Santorum wins big in the state next week, he won’t be eligible for all of Alabama’s 47 bound delegates.

Santo has delegate problems all over the US. Voting for him will be useless if he can't get the delegates to back his votes.

[Thunder90]

The delegates go to the one who takes second in the district. Therefore Santorum could win Illinois by 60% and Romney will still win the delegate battle there.

[Thunder90]

Santorum will likely have to challenge the delegate count at the convention, as well as Florida’s and Virgina’s allocation (attempt to disallow VA’s delegation). Romney will automatically win those delegates from the districts where Santorum did not qualify if Romney takes second there.

[trappedincanuckistan]

Sigh. I wish someone would have said something about Santorum’s delegate troubles before. /s

[Carry_Okie]

How about those Gingrich delegates from Virginia!

Oh, wait... Newt has the same problem.

What a bogus post.

[mosesdapoet]

When I ran as an alternate there when Reagan ran. You vote twice. Once for the popular vote, and once for the candidates slate of delegates.

[Katarina]

Go away Santorum!

[Happy Rain]

Rick Santorum will still win, he has to win or Obama will.

The ultimate issue is Obamacare and Rick is the only one (not counting The Nut) who has standing in it's opposition.
The main unconstitutional outrage in Obamacare is the individual mandate—an outrage Mitt Romney invented and Newt Gingrich supported.
Rick Santorum has no such weakness—a weakness Obama’s billion will inflate for both Mitt and Newt into cynical hypocrisy.
I like Newt but he can't get past Romney much less Obama—a vote for him is at best, a vote for a noble lost cause.
But by all means vote for your chosen candidate—just be ready for the “I told you so’s” from we Santorum supporters in the end.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Newt ahead of Santorum in Delegates

Delegate Totals

Hard Totals/ Soft Totals Explained.

[Mangia E Statti Zitto]

I thought I heard that Virginia went through Newt and Rick Perry's signatures with a fine tooth comb---something they NEVER had done before, and certainly didn't do to Romney or Paul. They didn't do it to Santorum. because he didn't submit any signatures. Why didn't he? What possible reason could there be for him to ignore a huge state like Virgina? Obviously, back in December he was simply not serious about really running for President.

[org.whodat]

Cheering on willard, yes sir!, Anyone that thinks a state delegation is not going to vote the way the people voted do not now anything about how the game is played. The idea in primaries is to win before the floor vote, dang!!

[org.whodat]

Confused much, both willard and paul had mor signatues than needed. Rick was short and newt had 1500 signatures out of a phone book.

[org.whodat]

That is rick perry was short, santorum never tried, did not have the money at the time. http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2011/12/more-on-the-virginia-primary-ballot-fiasco/

[Mangia E Statti Zitto]

I agree Newt's attempt to get on the ballot came up short. But at least he tried! As I said before, Santorum couldn't even be bothered to collect ANY signatures. And you think this guy is ready to take on Obama.

Santorum and VA ballot

[org.whodat]

It is either him are willard, mr 14%, who has 40% negatives. And would lose to obummer by a bigger margin than mccain.

[txrangerette]

Newt DOESN”T have the same problem.

We are informed enough here to know that.

The single exception of VA, where they monkeyed with the system and only those who had run before...Romney and Paul...were excused from the signature checks...DOESN’T equal Santorum’s delegate problems in various states.

ANd in VA, Santorum did not even try.

Like a chirping bird who thinks any old song will do so just keep chirping away, that’s what the statement that Newt’s VA ballot trouble = all of Santorum’s delegate trouble, reminds me of.

Doesn’t FLY here, we know better.