Posted on 09/29/2014 8:20:10 AM PDT by GIdget2004
Rick Santorum helped drag out the 2012 Republican primary, sending Mitt Romney limping into the general election.
Santorums lesson: Get in even earlier in 2016.
The iconoclast social conservative is already taking the temperature of potential donors. His big money benefactor, Foster Friess, still adores him. Hes headed to Iowa in October to meet with key conservative activists. And he is growing his grass-roots network beyond early primary states.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus earlier this year called the primary process a complete disaster, promising to slash the number of debates to prevent the traveling circus from hijacking the race as Santorum, Newt Gingrich and others did in 2012. The primary season pushed Romney further and further to the right as he burned through cash, instead of answering the Obama machines attacks on him.
But Santorum has no apologies. So while the field of social conservatives is expected to be stronger in 2016, the Pennsylvania Republicans early moves could still put him in a better position in the next go-round, setting up the threat of an even bigger problem for establishment Republicans if they dont prepare for another onslaught of outsiders eager to beat up the partys eventual nominee.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Yeah I supported Rick too. ; )
Nothing wrong with Rick, he did in fact, enthuse me when he ran per Spring 2012 and had a lot of good ideas, running on a shoestring budget. Sure, he does have his faults, he may have compromised with Spector from what I hear. As a person he’s A-1, we will have to see about how this all develops.
Santorum lost his seat by 18 points to Bob Casey. Not much of a calling card for seeking higher office. He would have done his state and the nation more good by seeking a rematch with Casey. Had he prevailed against Casey in a rematch, he may have then had a premise for seeking higher office. Instead, he engaged in a futile effort for higher office that ended up gumming up the GOP nominating process.
RS is about as pro-life as can be, stellar grades on this. Pro-Traditional Marriage, Pro-Secure Borders, Anti-Illegal Immigration, Pro-English as the language. Perhaps presentation sometimes could be better.
While we may agree with Santorum in deploring some forms of social behavior, this hardly qualifies him as any form of Conservative. He misses the most essential point of any form of Conservatism, which is understanding who is supposed to make what sorts of decisions.
Rick has been quite willing to have Congress or the Federal Administration exercise powers they simply do not legally have, in order to suppress undesirable behavior. That is the sort of utilitarian totalitarian philosophy that we saw in Communist & Nazi countries, but it is in direct conflict with American Conservatism, and the carefully stated grievances in the Declaration of Independence.
I will admit that occasionally Rick sounds good on the platform--so long as he does not explain how he would accomplish his social objectives.
William Flax.
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To up his wow factor, Rick should stop shaving several days a week, wear the sweater vest several sizes too large, and add the slouchy beanie.
Santorum turned me off politicians forever. My wife and I campaigned for him here in Pennsylvania. We gave him money. We went door to door for him. And then he endorsed Specter. I wanted to vomit. I’ll never again have that level of naivete about any pol, ever. I might vote for him, or I might not, but he should be ashamed of himself for what he did to our country and to his supporters. I’ve yet to hear a heartfelt apology. And it’s way too late to give us one now.
Yup. I voted for him, but I wouldn't even put his sign on my lawn. He broke my heart.
Newt managed to run second in three more states-- Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, everyone in his backyard. Santorum ran second everywhere else, except for a relative handful where the Paulbots crossed over.
Rick’s a good guy, but he is not going to win a national race.
You’d have to be on the ground in PA to understand the quirky, bass-ackwards politics here. The average voter is socially quite conservative, but on economics they fall somewhere between Rich Trumka and Karl Marx.
So an economically leftist Democrat like Bob Casey, who can talk a good game about being socially conservative, is virtually always a shoo-in here.
Democrats here only really get their nads in the wringer when they start talking about gun control.
I have no intention of trying to justify everything that anyone does, but in fairness to Santorum, his reason for endorsing Specter, if memory serves, had to do with the balance of power in the Senate and the corresponding ability to confirm Supreme Court nominees. He was successful in that endeavor. The Senate retained a narrow Republican majority. Because of Specter’s presence on the Judiciary Committee we have justices such as Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Politics is sometimes an unpleasant endeavor, but I think that history may have proven that Santorum chose the best course.
I guess he has to get in early to undercut Ted Cruz....
Santorum rides shotgun for the GOPe to take potshots at real conservatives and divide conservative votes so the GOPe candidate can win....
What a loser. Go away re-tread Santorum.
That's bologna. If Toomey hadn't won the general the next time he ran, maybe you'd have a case. But Toomey only lost to Specter by a margin of 1.6% in the primary. How many votes to Santorum throw Specter's way?
It was disgusting. And it still makes me mad. And sad. He hasn't permanently lost my vote, but I will never support him with the fervor I once did.
Both from Texas. Does not work.
Cruz and the NM governor Martinez.
“Santorum rides shotgun for the GOPe to take potshots at real conservatives and divide conservative votes so the GOPe candidate can win....”
Yep. Santorum is the Catholic Mike Huckabee. He exists to serve the GOPe.
This Catholic won’t vote for Santorum!
you may- that would be lovely.....and some wool socks perhaps?
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