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Why Rick Santorum Is Surging With Women Voters
The Daily Beast ^ | February 25, 2012 | Patricia Murphy

Posted on 02/25/2012 7:03:27 PM PST by Engraved-on-His-hands

On the campus of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, a tour bus pulled up to the the snow-covered student union. Marilyn Musgrave, Maggie Gallagher, and other pro-life women were in the middle of a six-day bus tour to rally support for Rick Santorum in the crucial Midwestern state.

Santorum will need the help of women voters to pull off a victory on Mitt Romney’s home turf and the women on the “Leadership for Life” tour say they believe he’s going to get it, despite weeks of controversy in the national press over his aggressively pro-life record, including his unapologetic opposition to abortion and past statements that contraception is “harmful to women.”

GOP strategists have openly worried that the recent focus on social issues could sink Santorum’s chances among female voters in a general election, and even doom his candidacy for the nomination among Republican women. But mid-way through their Michigan caravan, Gallagher said that she has seen just the opposite, as women turn out at Santorum rallies to show their support for the former Pennsylvania senator.

“What I think women are responding to as they get to know Rick is that he is a good man,” Gallagher said. “You don’t see guys like that in politics very much.”

(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: newt; santorum
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1 posted on 02/25/2012 7:03:34 PM PST by Engraved-on-His-hands
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To: Engraved-on-His-hands

What about “cradle-to-grave” single women?


2 posted on 02/25/2012 7:05:11 PM PST by Perdogg
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To: Engraved-on-His-hands

I can tell you why before I read the article. Because he lives what he believes. Unlike Willard, he did not have to study an learn what he belives, it’s who RIck is. Plus he’s really fought for pro-life and pro-family values all his life.


3 posted on 02/25/2012 7:15:28 PM PST by Linda Frances (Only God can change a heart, but we can pray for hearts to be changed.)
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To: Engraved-on-His-hands

When Santorum with smile & love, held little smiling Isabella in his arms, the women of America related to a real man, a father, a man of religion, dedication to life, love of his child, and...Bella’s love of him and family. This alone was ten times more important then anything political. He is the essence of America.

Anything is possible, even a good, productive life of a child hoobled by severe inherent disability. Bella is the child of God, of Jesus Christ, of life itself. She is the power of good, a binder and builder of family, community, society, the nation itself. Women with love, compasssion and religion understand this, and.....know in their hearts of hearts, that Rick Santorum and Todd Palin, etc. are the ones that bind family and nation!!!

Other Great Presidents, Washington & Lincoln among them, have shown the same leadership & love with children of sickness in life. Their love, compassion and understanding is the fiber that great men are made of. And...women know it when they see it!!!


4 posted on 02/25/2012 7:19:21 PM PST by JLAGRAYFOX (My only objective is defeat and destroy POTUS Obama & his Democrat Party, politically!!!)
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To: JLAGRAYFOX

Have not quite boarded the Santorum train yet, but possibly the intangibles of the political world, those things mentioned in your post, could be the ticket. Something to think about for sure.


5 posted on 02/25/2012 7:44:44 PM PST by taterjay
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To: Engraved-on-His-hands

He leaves me cold. Still, I will take him in a heartbeat, and gladly, over the left wing activist Bishop Willard.


6 posted on 02/25/2012 9:05:52 PM PST by Psalm 144 (Voodoo Republicans: Don't read their lips; but watch their hands!)
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To: Psalm 144

Maybe women just like him better than a creepy old guy who sits on couches and cheats on his wives,,


7 posted on 02/25/2012 10:07:59 PM PST by Craftmore
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To: JLAGRAYFOX

Todd Palin is supporting Newt. I’m sorry but we need the tough junk-yard dog to go after Obama. Romney and Santorum are poodles, neither will be any match for Obama.


8 posted on 02/25/2012 10:43:58 PM PST by Cindy of Nashville (What has the Democrat party become???)
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To: Cindy of Nashville

I’m with Newt and hopefully Santorum as VP.


9 posted on 02/25/2012 10:47:24 PM PST by antceecee (Bless us Father.. have mercy on us and protect us from evil.)
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To: Engraved-on-His-hands

Who’s the better husband and father, Santorum, Romney or Obama?

Just curious, because I’m not foolish enough to think that our country is in such good shape that we can afford to vote on such largely irrelevant factors. The only questions to ask are which supporter of the conservative agenda can do a better job as President, commander-in-chief, wrangling with Congress, fending off foreign and domestic enemies, selling the public on his reforms, etc.

Whether he snuggles his baby or snuggles his wife is a laughably inconsequential matter. I’d take a hard-drinking, chain-smoking serial cheater if he could turn this country’s economy around, pay off the debt, defeat radical Islam, extricate the socialist/leftist agenda from all government agencies, etc.


10 posted on 02/25/2012 10:56:57 PM PST by JediJones (Watch "Gingrich to Michigan: Change or Die" on YouTube. Best Speech Ever!)
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To: Engraved-on-His-hands
I like Rick's pro-life and values stand. However, I am not at all confident on his fiscal and government reform commitment. I think he spends too much time on the social platform, and does not speak well on the economic, fiscal and small government platform.

I don't find him as a good communicator, explaining conservative positions. I don't think he articulates and debates conservative positions in a strong but easy to understand manner. I don't find him to be a particularly exciting candidate for November. If I cannot get excited about his candidacy, I don't know how the mushy middle will come to view him when he is under a barrage of left wing propaganda.

On the social side, I don't think Newt is going to be any less conservative the Santorum. However, as president I think Newt is better equipped to handle the massive problems of this country, as well as stand up to the extreme left and the complicit media.

11 posted on 02/25/2012 11:04:20 PM PST by Moorings
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To: JediJones

You get it.... 100%.


12 posted on 02/25/2012 11:17:49 PM PST by Gator113 (** President Newt Gingrich-"Our beloved republic deserves nothing less." ~Just livin' life, my way~)
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To: JediJones
I’d take a hard-drinking, chain-smoking serial cheater ...

It might be wise to remember that the SCs that make up about 1/3 of the GOP in the general would not support such a person, if they were running. You would be shooting yourself in the foot for November. Asking them to vote for McCain worked some, but only because of Palin. I don't know if it would work againg, but suspect not.

13 posted on 02/25/2012 11:32:39 PM PST by Ingtar ("But it is hard to maintain an aura of invincibility after you have been vinced..." Sowell)
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To: Ingtar

Well, I thought the problem with McCain was him not having such a good record on conservative policies. Personally I found him to be qualified for commander-in-chief and strong on pro-life issues, so I was never a big McCain hater. Was the issue of his divorce a big factor with social conservatives?

The question I have for social conservatives is who would they support, Obama who has a squeaky clean family life but supports abortion, dictating what churches can do, etc. or someone like Newt who had personal moral issues in the past but has a strong pro-life record, signed the traditional marriage pledge, etc.? Would these people actually stay home instead of voting for one or the other?

I just simply don’t understand that type of voter. To me you vote for the person who can best do the job you want them to do, which in this case is directing our tax money to the projects we support, defunding the ones we don’t, paying off the debt, and giving the rest of our money back to us. I might use a candidate’s complete lifetime history of moral decisions as a tiebreaker if two candidates were very similar on policy, but it’s simply no contest when there are huge policy differences between the candidates.


14 posted on 02/25/2012 11:51:43 PM PST by JediJones (Watch "Gingrich to Michigan: Change or Die" on YouTube. Best Speech Ever!)
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To: JediJones

McCain’s biggest issue was his credibility. He had too many cases of espousing opposite views when he wasn’t up for election, coupled with compromising with the other side when he had the chance. The inability to trust him on issues is what did not sit down well - his infidelity, as it were.

(Things like joining people on the Left for CFR and such left many wondering if he would really be better on judges. Just as Santorum is “too good” and “too compromising” for some, Newt suffers from fidelity issues, both in his own life and in his politics. Because of the positives and negatives attached to them, Santorum is in a better place currently.

The latest polls I’ve seen show Santorum the same or up, Newt up slightly, and Romney all over the place. It is as if the attacks on Santorum are reflecting back on Romney and hurting him. I’d be pleased to see Gingrich and Santorum as the two remaining choices, but with high negatives, it will be hard for Newt to come back. Not impossible, mind you, but very difficult. At this point, either of them dropping only helps Romney.


15 posted on 02/26/2012 12:01:05 AM PST by Ingtar ("But it is hard to maintain an aura of invincibility after you have been vinced..." Sowell)
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To: Engraved-on-His-hands
I'm really not that surprised. I've been to many pro-life events. I'm always in the minority at those events.

Not surprisingly, a lot of pro-life women are supporting Santorum, especially compared to a clown like Mitt.

16 posted on 02/26/2012 12:18:17 AM PST by Darren McCarty (Stop Romney - Rick Santorum in the Michigan primary)
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To: Craftmore

>> Maybe women just like him better than a creepy old guy who sits on couches and cheats on his wives,,

Nah. Rick’s supporters are infatuated with him simply because he tells them what they want to hear.


17 posted on 02/26/2012 12:29:43 AM PST by Gene Eric (Newt/Sarah 2012)
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To: Darren McCarty
Someone tell me why Santorum articles appear when Newt is the search word. Are they posted with Santorum so they will appear with Newt articles?

Santorum is becoming to me like fingernails on a chalk board. I will not change my mind until Mr. Newt says personally that he is out. Santorum will not be the nominee because he is way out on the right and just not very truthful. I do not think I could ever trust him. He seems to be always trying to take credit where credit is not due him.

By the way, this is one woman that cannot be taken in by his “fatherly” way of campaigning. I will take Newt and his faults over a sleaze that makes my skin crawl. I don't know why I feel that way about him, but he reminds me of a slick car salesman

18 posted on 02/26/2012 12:34:09 AM PST by Bobbisox (All American Conservative Mama Grizzly (MR. NEWT - 2012)(MS. SARAH - 2020))
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To: Bobbisox

He has a paternalistic way. But most often he seems to be in a state of disbelief.

Rick is an establishment bit player. He’s not the intolerant Rightwinger his adversaries make him out to be. He is not the revolutionary we have in Newt. Rick is simply a good guy that is successfully articulating what many Conservatives need to hear.

Go Newt!!!


19 posted on 02/26/2012 12:48:05 AM PST by Gene Eric (Newt/Sarah 2012)
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To: Craftmore

I don’t understand the infatuation with mundane virtues. As Chris Rock pointed out, you are supposed to do those.

As for creepiness, my creep-o-meter goes off when any aspiring politician bleats about subordinating individuals to the ‘greater good’.


20 posted on 02/26/2012 8:45:22 AM PST by Psalm 144 (Voodoo Republicans: Don't read their lips; but watch their hands!)
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