Posted on 12/28/2011 1:56:01 PM PST by TBBT
I’m hearing several campaigns and external pollsters have a surge for Rick Santorum. With the National Review folks fawning over him again, it probably means a surge is real and any surge by Rick Santorum is another factor ensuring Mitt Romney wins the nomination. (To be fair, this doesn’t look like real momentum)
Santorum has no money or organization outside of Iowa and cannot win the nomination, but Iowans love a guy who sucks up to them and makes sure they know he loves the babies.
As a pro-lifer myself, I have to throw up a bit in my mouth that Iowa conservatives are seriously considering Rick Santorum, which will only help Mitt Romney...
*snip*
Rick Santorum will not be the nominee. That’s the reality. But his rise hurts Bachmann, Gingrich, and Perry in Iowa — all of whom have better organizations and better shots beyond Iowa.
(Excerpt) Read more at redstate.com ...
This is where Newt is being used to knock out Bachmann and Santorum.
Bachmann and Santorum are the most conservative of the pack, and the two least likely to simply acquiesce to whatever the establishment wants for 4 years.
So the establishment needs them out of the race before they gain too much momentum, Bachmann especially, since her only Congressional track record has been to vote more for the Christian side and small business side of issues. The establishment never succeeded in getting her to sell out during her time in Congress. Santorum is speaking unabashedly from a Christian perspective much the same way as Bachmann does. That scares politicians.
The tactics are simple:
A) Rant and rave that Bachmann and Santorum are helping the terrible “Romney” win. It’s an outright lie, but never mind, a lot of people will knee-jerk “not like” them because they’ve read that Romney is the “bad buy”. Which he is. So we have a half truth. Classic deception of the feeble minded. Call them “ankle-biters”. Say they have “crazy eyes”. Say they have “no charisma”. Aren’t all those what a good solid conservative platform is based on ?
B) Once Bachmann and Santorum are gone, the Grand Old Progressive establishment will get either Newt or Mitt, so they’re covered either way. They can wheel and deal with them, allowing cronyist big business and big government to grow like never before, all in the name of “helping the economy”. Since they will not create many small business jobs, the economy will never really get going, Republicans will be blamed and lose terribly in 2016. But who cares, big business will switch back to supporting Democrats.
C) Much to the chagrin of the “conservative” electorate, Newt may well simply bail out, so the rubes of the Republican base will play right into the hands of the “bad guy” and they will nominate Romney.
Iowa is becoming its normal self... THREE RING CIRCUS.
Try making a comparable list for Florida.
I consider Romney, Perry and Gingrich to all be "C" list candidates and consider arguing about the comparative merits of these three to be akin to arguing about which flavor of socialized medicine, amnesty and crony capitalism is most efficient.
I agree....BS that a vote for a conservative is a vote for Romney
Any vote for a RINO is a vote for a RINO. Voting for Santorum is not a vote for Romney. Actually, if Santorum gets enough votes, the other conserv-leaning candidates may drop out....giving Santorum an advantage
There is too much “we need a candidate who can beat Obama” nonsense. That always leads the GOP to a liberal
“Wait a minute wasn’t everyone saying just a few weeks ago that anyone of the nine people standing on the stage during the debates could beat Obama? “
Anyone of them can. Obama on his own is an idiot.
The problem is that you are running against Obama, the MSM, and all of the leftist special interest groups.
That changes the equation.
There are those who think we have to vote for “there guy” or we lose. I won't vote for Romney, Paul or Newt. Romney has no foundation; he blows with the wind or polls, plus he gives me the creeps. I think Paul is like Romney, but better at hiding what he really believes. He's a crazy old man who is ok with watching this country be attacked because he is so anti-war. Newt can't find a love and stay true, but then again he is in love with himself. He's willing to hurt people to make himself happy. Everyone of these people have made mistakes, but I know Santorum is conservative. He wants to stop the spending & overturn obamacare. He knows how to keep his promises to his family. I'm sending in money to Santorum today.
You nailed it. Sadly, many here on FR are perfectly willing to abandon the conservative candidates for reasons which I simply cannot grasp. At this point four years ago, Rudi Giuliani was leading the polls. Yet we got stuck with McCain. I hope we don’t see a repeat and get stuck with McNewt this time around.
CNN Poll: Romney on top, Gingrich fading & Santorum rising in Iowa
Yes, they certainly are. Like they were in 2008 when Thompson, Hunter, Romney and Huckabee split the Conservative vote. We wound up with McCain.
Which is exactly what the author is saying. Instead of supporting a candidate who can beat Romney, they are splitting their support for Paul, Santorum, Bachmann and Perry. I'll leave Gingrich out of this just so you might listen.
Then the Moderates and establishment GOP gives the majority of the vote to Romney. If Romney wins Iowa, it will be over for the other states. And you will have undoubtedly participated in that event.
Well, I’m supporting Bachmann but I can see a scenario - i.e. money - where Perry wins, just because he ends up the last conservative standing. Nobody else has the cash to keep up with Mittens.
That sums it up for me as well.
Tell Eric... whaaaaa
“There is still that pesky hurdle of running against Obama, and all of the neat conservative talking points on Earth isnt going to mean squat if he has the presence of wet cardboard.”
And that’s on an upbeat day.
Don’t forget about the new proportional allocation of delegates in all these early races. If Romney’s total is pulled down and Newt wins big in SC or FL, Newt’s overall delegate total could end up above Romney’s. It’s not about counting states yet, but counting delegates. If no one polls above the 20s, the Iowa race is going to be inconclusive by any standards. As long as Newt’s in the top 4, he’ll survive. Most likely Bachmann will be voted off the island if she’s not in the top 4 which will further help Newt going forward.
This isn’t a Lifetime network TV-movie. What someone does in their romantic or married life has no bearing on their ability to take the fight to leftists, lead the military, negotiate with Congress, etc. Besides, Newt’s divorces are ancient history now. If his own daughters still love him and support him for president, why the heck would this be a problem for a voter?
Your comments about Newt are utterly baseless. He has taken on the establishment in his career and they obviously still hate him for it. Newt’s tenure in the House created millions of jobs and he is proposing to do the same with the same kind of economic plan now.
Bachmann’s negatives are massive. She doesn’t have a chance in the general. Republicans and Democrats alike find her off-putting.
Santorum is good V.P. material, but not ready for prime-time on the top of the ticket.
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