Posted on 04/05/2012 8:46:36 PM PDT by taraytarah
Richard Viguerie, a veteran conservative activist and top Santorum supporter, tells National Review Online that Santorum is “reengineering” his presidential campaign.
“You can’t repeat the same behavior and expect different results,” he says. “We’ve got to do things different. We’ve got to reengineer the campaign. We’ve got to add things, take things out, and make changes. Everyone recognizes that, from the candidate on down.”
Earlier today, Viguerie, along with a group of movement leaders, met with Santorum at an office in northern Virginia. For over an hour, they discussed ways to revive his bid.
“We came up with a number of bold plans,” Viguerie says. “It’s obvious that we need to do things that aren’t minor tweaks. We need to make significant changes to the campaign.”
(cont. at link)
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
As have 40% of Newt’s supporters in polls (will vote for Mitt). I think the percentage is higher here on FR. Santorum was the one with the broadest base, yet the shallowest pockets. He could not (so far) overcome his inexperience at this game, and the lying (well funded) attacks from Romney, Gingrich, and even Paul.
If Santorum drops out, Romney clinches well before the convention. People do not see Gingrich as an alternative. Take a look at the exit polls, especially in Mississippi and Alabama to see who had the broadest conservative/moderate support.
In Ohio I voted for Mr Newt on principle, though I figured I should have voted for Santorum to stop Romney.
You'll never get through to these people even though what you are saying is entirely accurate. A large chuck of the social conservative block of voters are casting ballots on who quotes scripture best rather than on who is most fiscally conservative, who's actually electable, most likely to create a winnable consensus among conservatives, etc. Way, way too many social conservatives just continue wasting their votes on silly candidates like Pat Robertson, Mike Huckabee and now Rick Santorum. It is just too easy for someone with political ambitions to play the preacher role, they don't have to even be a real conservative ala Mike Huckabee, and win over this demographic and prevent a consensus anti-establishment candidate getting a large enough share of voters to stop the establishments hug-the-center big money entry.
Rick's campaign is what most in the Tea Party wanted - candidates to courageously challenge the Establishment.
And all you can do is throw out an insult to the fighter that thinks America is worth every ounce of effort.
- > If Santorum drops out, Romney clinches well before the convention. People do not see Gingrich as an alternative. Take a look at the exit polls, especially in Mississippi and Alabama to see who had the broadest conservative/moderate support.
Rick is already blaming Newt for not being able to stop Romney. Rick has copied all of Newt’s ideas and even down to Newt’s plan of an open contested convention. Some of us can see this clearly. And it is not even working for Rick. Newt stepped out of those states so Rick could go one on one. Rick will help Romney in the end-He has to live in harmony with K Street.
The uncharacteristic forgiveness from James Dobson and others alike wasn’t good to see how they treated Newt and his wife-they could have taken a teachable moment to show that a good person can fail and are worthy contributors to our society. We may have lost the best chance to have a great president.
Newt will always be who he is-the media can not destroy the man so they can go on and on. Newt is one historical figure who has his place
It looks like we will end up with Romney who in all likelihood will not beat Obama because the man is so hated (distrusted) by many in the grassroots. The energy of the base is fading.
The media and alike can dress Romney up but he still is a liberal democrat who has a lot of worrisome laws he help to pass. I think the GOP will be punished because people have all they can take of not being able for we people to pick candidates. Rove should be thrown off of the national stage. He has caused more damage to the conservative moment by watering down strong conservatives in reality who should be running.
I'm all in for Newt til Newt says otherwise...
On to convention!
People know this but are so easily caught up in the latest flavor...Ricks was the latest and the exact diversion Obama wanted to take the eyes off Newt.
Unfortunately the Conservaatives once again took the bait...they'll never learn.
I am not cut and running after what the media has done to Newt who is the best of all of the candidates. As long as he is there, we have hope of conservatism lasting. Hope the convention delegates reject Romney.
Yes he does, the fact is he was never prepared to rise to the top...he was in to further his political career and get all the face time possible. He should have backed off long ago and we'd be seeing Newt take Romney to the cleaners in tall order.
But the dang social conservatives, who've been jumping from one to the other candidates from the get go, were just easily led to Santorum and the media push to get him on the stage for Obama.
The whole thing cascaded from there.
Lets hope they can't be bought....Romney's throwing money around like water in a dry land....and the Mormon machine is fast going to be picking up speed to carry him forward.
I don't think there's been ever a Primary I have hated as much as how this one has been going........with all the money flowing we could have used it to make more of a difference nationally then politically thus far.
Newt's not finished by any means....God bless him for standing this far...no candidate has as much thrown against him as Newt has had from the beginning....should he rise again, as we hope, they'll hold nothing back.
God is never late and often changes things at what we would see as the last minute...as long as Newt is in...so am I.
He's going to remove the things that actually hit hard on Romney so that he doesn't get so close to him in future primaries.
Just like when he went home to, "file his taxes", then came out echoing all the Romney attacks on Newt and spending all his campaign dollars to attack Newt and not Romney he's getting his marching instructions from the Vichy Republicans at the top of the Party or from the Romney campaign directly.
It's sad that so many people won't believe it, but Lawyer Ricky has been a ringer from day one to help split up the non-Romney votes. Lawyer Ricky at most wants the VP slot but will probably be more than happy with just the much wealthier and better connected client list Lawyer Ricky, Inc. has in return for his work during the campaign. Anyone who looks over his voting record understands what's going on and that Lawyer Ricky is the same go along to get along sort of guy he's always been, not that faithful and true conservative he plays on TV.
I am not singling you out Kharis but people will never get it.
There are so many who believe the lie of don’t mix politics and religion. The truth is, when American morals are good, the economy is good.
We’ve got this Herod for a President and the only person the
Republican establishment wants as the opposing candidate is another Obama!!
Mr. Newt is the answer, as he has always been!
Oh too bad all he needs is those pesky voters who don’t seem to want him.
I would still vote Newt over Romney despite his most ardent supporters who have been brutal to Santorum, Perry, and others — at times, their dislike of Rick blinding them to the the concept of actually running a conservative who could win this thing. Newt? Not likely, but hey, glad he’s there. There’s a reason Rick had momentum and Newt had a brief moment in the sun — passion and backbone.
I will give Romney credit. He didn’t really have to lift a finger as we cannibalized the tea party spirit in the name of ego and selfishness and betrayel. Now we are left with the biggest liberal we’ve ever ran.
Will I support Romney? Nope. I won’t reward Karl Rove and the rest with a vote. Not for sale.
I will write in either Ron Paul or Rick Perry as a middle finger salute to the establishment of crony capitalists who think we should roll over and bark for them.
Is that a vote for Obama? No. A vote is a vote is a vote. God bless America and God help us.
Santorum has been embarrassing himself already for quite some time.
Now that he has burned all his bridges to the Romney administration, his strategy is to find a job when this is over, because he will be isolated.
Perhaps he can write a book about his adventures, although I doubt that very many people will be interested in buying it.
Maybe he can run for dog-catcher somewhere?
The Tea Party was originally about being Taxed Enough Already. It was a fiscally conservative movement. It’s early platform was against more taxes and against socialized medicine.
That is what is needed.
Santorum needs to change the year on his campaign signs to 2016.
Oh good that Santorum burned all his bridges with Romney. This means that all the accusations of his being Mitt’s wingman are going to stop.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.