Posted on 04/16/2012 10:39:08 PM PDT by svxdave
Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Monday sounded no closer to endorsing Mitt Romney than when he dropped out of the race last week, telling supporters on a conference call that he hasn’t even had a chance to speak to his onetime rival.
Santorum said he has talked with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. “I haven't had a chance yet to talk to Governor Romney, but we'll be talking to both of them and we’re going to go out and do what we believe is in the best interest of our country,” Santorum said in the call, which had at least 4,000 participants at its peak, according to host and Santorum aide Mark Rodgers.
To crystallize the point that he isn’t going to make an endorsement in the immediate future, Santorum told his supporters that it was entirely up to them whom to vote for in next week’s Pennsylvania primary. “I haven’t supported any candidate at this point,” he said.
When Rodgers, acting as the call's host, asked him in jest whether he would un-suspend his campaign if enough people voted for him in Pennsylvania, Santorum offered little in the way of advice.
“I would just say this: The best thing that they can do is stay tuned, and we really are serious about making sure that the issues that we brought up during this campaign are continued going forward,” he said.
Throughout the call, the former senator from Pennsylvania alluded to having plans to build a conservative movement outside of the framework of the presidential election in order to make sure his message is still heard. He said he was working through ideas for a “structure to promote these ideas” and promised an announcement in the next week or two. As for delegates, those may not be released even if he does back another GOP candidate.
“We still have delegates, many of them committed, and we want to make sure that our delegates get a chance to go to the convention and have a say,” Santorum said.
Reflecting once again on the reasons he exited the race, Santorum tried to downplay the importance of his financial troubles -- a “very, very small piece of the story,” he said -- but suggested for the first time that his campaign had actively, and unsuccessfully, tried to convince other candidates to drop out and support him.
“We sought to get a coalition of the rest of the conservatives in the race to join in, the other candidates who were still in the race; we solicited them to see whether they might be willing to join our team and help us be successful in a coalition of conservatives,” Santorum said. It was almost certainly a reference to Gingrich, the other candidate considered to be a more conservative alternative to Romney.
Santorum’s comments come amid warnings from the likes of Iowa conservative leader Bob Vander Plaats, who recently told the Sioux City Journal that the base of the Republican Party may stay home on Election Day.
But that doesn’t seem to worry Santorum. In the meantime, he’s been spending time with his family. He was joined on the call by his wife, Karen, and his three-year-old daughter Bella -- who was hospitalized shortly before he dropped out -- could be heard in the background as she ate dinner. And like so many Americans, Santorum said he spent the weekend finishing his taxes.
What states did Santorum split?
Sarah endorsed Newt?
Since when?
A poll in a CNN poll is not a vote in a State's primary election.
You are a one trick pony, and the trick is getting old.
You are right though--I should not call you a noob and stupid.
I need to call you a noob, stupid, and a troll.
Now, go play with your buddy Bob Beckel--you Democrats need to stick together.
So I’m a democrat because I support Santorum?
Look, facts are facts. If you have any facts to support your contention that Newt is picking up the majority of Santorum’s support go ahead. Show me what evidence you have for your contention.
A CNN commissioned poll is proof of nothing—except to Democrats.
The smell of troll is strong with you.
Where’s the proof that Santorum supporters are breaking to Gingrich?
You’ll have the answer on 4/24.
Anything else is not proof.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you beforehand.
You still don’t get it.
I do not need a warning from or anyone else.
I am for Newt until he’s out of the race.
And if that means I am the only one who votes for him in the entire State of Delaware on 4/24, so be it.
I only care about being true to what I believe, not in polls or what the herd thinks.
Maybe Santorum will jump on Angela Corey’s “railroad an innocent man” legal team!
Fair enough, I’m just saying that most of Santorum’s support is not going to Gingrich.
Fair enough, I’m just saying that most of Santorum’s support is not going to Gingrich.
Something unforeseen would have to happen for Gingrich to win the nomination. But sometimes, exactly such a thing occurs.
Suppose Romney had a huge scandal, or a heart attack? Stuff happens...
““We still have delegates, many of them committed, and we want to make sure that our delegates get a chance to go to the convention and have a say,” Santorum said.”
Comforting to know Rick will still be looking out for our freedoms.
“Newt could have endorsed Santorum when it clear he had the best shot at stopping Romney, but Newt didn’t.”
So true. I lost a lot of respect for Newt when he didn’t drop out, even when he saw that it was Rick who was the conservative catching on. Newt put NEWT before country.
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