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.
Santorum’s 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. He’s 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 machine’s attacks on him.
But Santorum has no apologies. So while the field of social conservatives is expected to be stronger in 2016, the Pennsylvania Republican’s 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 don’t prepare for another onslaught of outsiders eager to beat up the party’s eventual nominee.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
I know Bush gets blamed for a lot of stuff, but that really was Bush's fault, in so much as Santorum was dumb enough to support Arlen at Bush's request.
I think Santorum is the only candidate who has spoken out against legal immigration levels.
Only other people who have spoken out against legal immigration are Steve King, Jeff Sessions and David Vitter. None of them are going to run.
So does Shingles.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.