Santorum surges into the lead (National poll Santorum 38%, Romney 23%)

Public Policy Polling ^ | 02/11/2012 | Public Policy Polling

[Rational Thought]

Riding a wave of momentum from his trio of victories on Tuesday Rick Santorum has opened up a wide lead in PPP's newest national poll. He's at 38% to 23% for Mitt Romney, 17% for Newt Gingrich, and 13% for Ron Paul.

Part of the reason for Santorum's surge is his own high level of popularity. 64% of voters see him favorably to only 22% with a negative one. But the other, and maybe more important, reason is that Republicans are significantly souring on both Romney and Gingrich. Romney's favorability is barely above water at 44/43, representing a 23 point net decline from our December national poll when he was +24 (55/31). Gingrich has fallen even further. A 44% plurality of GOP voters now hold a negative opinion of him to only 42% with a positive one. That's a 34 point drop from 2 months ago when he was at +32 (60/28).

[cujo47]

Hurray for Rick. Wonder if the GOP will ever catch on that we do not like their Progressives. They just as well could have Mccain again. People are no longer stupid. After Perry, they should have been embarrassed enough to give it up, watch them run that dumb jerk Jeb Bush now. I hope they do, that will finally be the end for them.

[Proudcongal]

Wrong forum, not DU. Newt is a conservative and FR supports Newt.

[BobL]

“Hurray for Rick. Wonder if the GOP will ever catch on that we do not like their Progressives. They just as well could have Mccain again. People are no longer stupid. After Perry, they should have been embarrassed enough to give it up, watch them run that dumb jerk Jeb Bush now. I hope they do, that will finally be the end for them.”

I’m with you. I think that if Newt and Santorum can reach 55% of the delegates between them at the convention, one will release their delegates to the other after the first round, and Romney will be toast, and so will any chance of a so-called “white knight” like Jeb, or Christie, or Howard Baker (just kidding, but why not? with this Establishment).

[JohnBovenmyer]

Rick is still fighting the Indiana ballot battle, which probably is the one that would hurt him most. The way things are now he’d have a decent chance at winning there, whereas winner take all Virginia would be harder. Best plan there is to have Rick and Newt gang us for protest Paul votes. It might even pay off with grateful Paul votes in the general for letting Wrong have a night to celebrate. I don’t know what Rick’s chances are in Indiana, but they’re probably better than Newt’s forcing Florida to award proportionally.

[Craftmore]

Not everyone on FR supports Newt

[Kaslin]

I have nothing against Newt, however I think he would be better as an adviser to the Republican President elect

[xzins]

Santorum did not say women in the military are emotional.

He said their are issues with emotion related to women being in combat units.

As a retired Army chaplain, I can guarantee you that he’s right.

[xzins]

Santorum did not say women in the military are emotional.

He said THERE are issues with emotion related to women being in combat units.

As a retired Army chaplain, I can guarantee you that he’s right.

[xzins]

Here is Santorum's exact quote:

But I - I have - I do have concerns about women in front line combat. I think that could be a - a very compromising situation where - where people naturally, you know, may do things that may not be in the interests of the mission because of other types of emotions that are involved.

He isn't even talking about women's emotions. He's talking about "people's" emotions.

He's referring to a variety of things that could happen in relationships between men and women in combat units. People in love trying to save each other, squabbles of competition for the affection of some male or female, lack of command clarity because of relationships. There are a whole host of things I could list.

But....who cares what he actually said.

It's much more fun to let the MSM sensationalize things with misquotes taken out of context.

[Mountain Mary]

Thanks for your explanation, xzins. I misunderstood...

[FreeReign]

LOL.

Sour grapes is changing your screen name when your candidate doesn't enter the race.

[Proudcongal]

Alot of Freepers do, including the founder. Stop lying about and trashing Newt.

[Lazlo in PA]

That poster you responded to is a nut. Going after Ricks family because they don’t give the right optics? What a joke.

[American Constitutionalist]

* " He’s on record saying he’s against the tea party." **

" When did Santorum say anything like that? "

Once again, that video was a political hit piece by the RON PAUL campaign by twisting Rick's words out of context to make it look like Rick is against the Tea Party...
Watch it yourself... listen carefully , Rick says he has a problem, concerns of those " MOVEMENTS " .... " WITH IN " the Republican Party to " Refashion Conservatism " ...

What ? there are those with in the Republican Party and the Tea Party who want to " Refashion Conservatism " ?
Reinvent, remake ? refashion Conservatism ?
What is wrong with the conservatism that we know now and have known ?
That there is the gist, the point Rick is making in that video, but, some how Newt Gingrich , his campaign, and his supporters are using this bogus propaganda to make it look like that Rick is some how against the Tea Party.

[TexasFreeper2009]

quote “People are digging up every single Obama argument against our candidates in order to pit one against the other”

nope, that’s the Romney campaign. The Romney campaign is responsible for nearly everything negative that has happened this primary.

[American Constitutionalist]

" It's much more fun to let the MSM sensationalize things with misquotes taken out of context. "

Yeah, just like how RON PAUL , the NEWT GINGRICH campaign and Newt's supporters are taking out of context that video that they are making hay over nothing and using it to make it look like Rick said something that he did not say about the Tea Party.
If anyone actually bothers to listen and watch that video Rick do not attack, or say anything of the sort that he is against the Tea Party.

[FreeReign]

That there is the gist, the point Rick is making in that video, but, some how Newt Gingrich , his campaign, and his supporters are using this bogus propaganda to make it look like that Rick is some how against the Tea Party.

I watched the video. Santorum was not criticizing the tea party. They are taking his comments out of context.

Now document your claim that Newt and his campaign are using this bogus story.

[bigheadfred]

Maybe it is time for Romoney to pull out.

[xzins]

It was so easy to demonize Newt,because there was so much there that was demonic.Did we forget DEDE?Fannie and Freedie?Millions made from selling his influence to the highest bidder?His own party refusing to let him continue as speaker of the house?Resigning leaving his state in the lurch?His good times with Hillary and Pelosi?Cheating on his wife?Oh,and he just lost his biggest money backer? NO NEWT NO!!!

This is everything that Romney has done to the other conservatives. He finds a conservative disagreement and then he exploits it among conservatives. He's knocked out Cain, Perry, Newt almost in Florida.

I'm onto his game, though, Craftmore.

There are 2 conservative candidates left, and I'm fighting hard for both of them. In fact, when Virginia rolls around, I'll be pulling for Paul.

[katiedidit1]

Rick Santorum will NEVER win the GOP nomination. The voters will face a wake up call when he is vetted and the free pass ends.
Rick is NO fiscal conservative! just a small part of his votes would make any true anti establishment conservative cringe.
Immigration
Voted against increasing the number of immigration investigators
Voted to allow illegal immigrants to receive the earned income credit before becoming citizens
Voted to give SSI benefits to legal aliens.
Voted to give welfare benefits to naturalized citizens without regard to to the earnings of their sponsors.
Voted against hiring an additional 1,000 border partrol agents, paid for by reductions in state grants.

Taxes
Voted against a flat tax.
Voted to increase tobacco taxes to pay for Medicare prescription drugs
Voted to increase tobacco taxes to fund health insurance subsidies for small businesses.
Voted to increase tobacco taxes to pay for an $8 billion increase in child healh insurance.
Voted to increase tobacco taxes to pay for an increase in NIH funding.
Voted twice for internet taxes.
Voted to allow gas tax revenues to be used to subsidize Amtrak.
Voted to strike marriage penalty tax relief and instead provide fines on tobacco companies.
Voted against repealing the Clinton 4.3 cent gas tax increase.
Voted to increase taxes by $2.3 billion to pay for an Amtrak trust fund.
Voted to allow welfare to a minor who had a child out of wedlock and who resided with an adult who was on welfare within the previous two years.
Voted to increase taxes by $9.4 billion to pay for a $9.4 billion increase in student loans.
Voted to say that AMT patch is more important than capital gains and dividend relief.

Welfare
Voted against food stamp reform
Voted against Medicaid reform
Voted against TANF reform
Voted to increase the Social Services Block Grant from $1 billion to $2 billion
Voted to increase the FHA loan from $170,000 to $197,000. Also opposed increasing GNMA guaranty from 6 basis points to 12.
Voted for $2 billion for low income heating assistance.