Posted on 12/04/2011 6:00:55 PM PST by presidio9
Former Pennsylvania senator and Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum told ABC News' This Week that he expects to soon supplant surging rival Newt Gingrich and become the Republican favorite.
So if you look at all of these little boomlets, they last about four to six weeks. Newt is in about week three, Santorum said.
So we feel pretty good that, you know, come the middle of December and toward the end of December, as candidates are looking for a candidate they can trust, someone that is authentic, someone who knows what they believe in and why they believe it, and has a record to back up the rhetoric as to what they want to do to change this country, because we do need big changes, well, who has been doing that?
As This Week host Christine Amanpour noted, Santorum tied with Jon Huntsman for last in the most recently conducted Des Moines Register Iowa poll (Iowa's primary, the nation's first, is scheduled to take place Jan. 3). Santorum, however, was non-plussed.
"We're within the margin of error of both Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, both of whom have had enormous attention by the national media, and have had money and resources," Santorum argued. "Rick Perry is running literally millions of dollars of ads in Iowa, and he is right next to me in the polls."
Although the logical connection between Perry's failures and Santorum's future success was never made explicit, Santorum emphasized the strategic importance of character.
"I think character is definitely an issue," the former Pa. senator said. "I think they have to make a decision based upon the person's entire record. And certainly character counts."
Consequently, I think we have a very good chance of winning Iowa," Santorum said. "We've spent the time in the state, we've talked to the activists
And we'll have people at those caucuses advocating for us because I've been in their county. They know my message. They know what I want to accomplish."
So when Santorum endorsed Specter seven years ago at the behest of his president and party, he committed an egregious, unforgiveable sin, but when Newt endorsed Scozzafava two years ago of his own volition, he just made a bad judgment call and one we should really all ignore 'cause, I mean, Newt apologized, and was really just going for the big tent...?
How do you see Gingrich getting out it, though? He has made a huge deal out of Romney declining to debate, as well as all his grandstanding about debating Obama.
I think it’s a little dicey for Gingrich either way.
I also think Huntsman may surprise him. Mainly because Huntsman is so incredibly snarky.
I was in support of Santorum last week, but then Joseph Farah disclosed that Santorum joined with Trent Lott to sabotage the Clinton impeachment trial. I have no candidate again.
He supported Specter because the general thought was that control of the Senate, and control of the Judiciary Committee, was at stake—along with the ability to get confirmation of President Bush’s judicial nominees. Santorum believed that Specter could win in the general election and that Toomey could not. In that particular year, he was probably correct. After the pendulum swung a few years later, Toomey was able to get elected. But it was a different story when he first ran.
You may not agree with Santorum’s reasoning concerning his support for Specter, but he did it in an effort to advance the conservative agenda.
Similiar to the Maryland Election and the gop establishments push against the Tea Party Candidate...Toomey was very conservative but the establishment gop wanted the more moderate Spector and Santorum went along with the establishment. Kind of a sell out
Perry is a small government. constitutional conservative who can beat Obama.
Gingrich and Romney can beat Obama, but they’re big government republicans.
Bachmann and Santorum are small government conservatives, but they can’t beat Obama.
So the way I see it, Perry is the best choice.
What you said.
Santorum is a very social conservative but at this time I want a strong fiscal conservative. I also believe Newt would make some great judicial appointments and his picks would be strong on the constitution.
Does this make Newt a sell out, too?
If Gingrich were disinclined to debate Santorum, there are dozens of excuses. Whether it be due to lack of time or needing to use his resources more effectively or whatever.
I’d like to see a debate happen. I’m sympathetic to Santorum. He’s a good guy and he probably had a spear to his neck at the time he supported Spector.
Wow ... Didn’t know that
The problem is that Gingrich has made a great show of challenging Romney to a debate AND he has already accepted a L-D debate with Huntsman in NH.
He has claimed he will follow Obama from city to city to rebut his campaign speeches if Obama refuses to debate him.
Yet he won’t debate Rick Santorum when challenged to do so?
I don’t think Gingrich walks away from this scot-free if he declines.
Newt said it was a mistake and NO the republican primary did not pick her...the local republicans did... “Although she was the Republican nominee, the problem was that Republican primary voters did not pick her, the local party leaders did, otherwise her liberal views would have prevented her from becoming the nominee. The Conservative Party candidate whom Scozzafava was running against, Doug Hoffman, recently remarked about Newt’s endorsement of his rival, “I would advise other conservative republicans: Don’t hold this against him.”
In my book, intentions count for something, even if it proves a decision was a mistake.
Hopefully he’ll get another crack at Congress. I can forgive people for making mistakes, if those mistakes were done with the best of intents.
Um, pick me! Pick me! I know the answer to this one:
The word “knowledge” is in quotes because it refers to your statement that “I *know* this is going to hurt you.”
So, yes, it was your “knowledge” — which I presume is in quotes because it is disputed that you even have such knowledge — that was the subject of the comments.
Cheers!
Rick Santorum is only slightly more likely than Gary Johnson to win the nomination. If Johnson were allowed to participate in the debates he might actually be ahead of Santorum.
Doug Hoffman must be too good for NY voters. Has Toomey said the same for Santorum?
As many here will be doing when they vote against Obama in 2012 regardless of who the GOP nominee is.
"So if you look at all of these little boomlets, they last about four to six weeks. Newt is in about week three," Santorum said. "So we feel pretty good that, you know, come the middle of December and toward the end of December, as candidates are looking for a candidate they can trust, someone that is authentic, someone who knows what they believe in and why they believe it, and has a record to back up the rhetoric as to what they want to do to change this country, because we do need big changes, well, who has been doing that?" ... "We're within the margin of error of both Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, both of whom have had enormous attention by the national media, and have had money and resources... Rick Perry is running literally millions of dollars of ads in Iowa, and he is right next to me in the polls." ... "I think character is definitely an issue... I think they have to make a decision based upon the person's entire record. And certainly character counts."
Oh please. Santorum did it to advance his own position in the Republican party. He may have deluded himself into rationalizing otherwise, but Toomey would've won that race in the general election.
Some other Freeper on this thread accused Pennsylvanians like me of being able to support Newt while not being able to support Rick. That's not right. I just view Rick the same way I view Newt - as a tool. I used to believe in Rick Santorum. I went door to door for the guy. I donated money to his campaigns. My wife made phone calls. When he supported Arlen Specter he let us down. Turns out, he was just another political hack.
There is a difference between voting for a guy and merely voting against the other guy. If I'm forced to vote for Newt or Rick, I'll be voting against Obama. I may even capaign, but make no mistake I'll be campaigning against Obama.
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