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Santorum's main problem was his 2006 loss in PA and his lack of money from a broad base of supporters. It didn't help that his win was touted as a Romney win until it was too late. Anyway, I am in Georgia, I don't know where you are. I know plenty of Republicans, and have talked to Cruz, Carson, Trump, Paul, Fiorina and Huckabee supporters. I have been to the district and state conventions. I attend the county meetings. Though I haven't been here for a long time, I know the lay of the land on presidential politics, if not the statewide stuff. Enough people are primarily motivated by underlying motivations rooted in religion which comes to inform their political philosophy that it makes the difference between winning and losing in a competitive race. My point about Santorum stands as he won in southern states even as he lost in others. His appeal was strongest in the south and heartland. You can't say Santorum won because Romney's a dweeb, and then that Romney's unbeatable. You don't like Fox Polls, or Quinnipiac Polls. I wasn't trying to cherry pick. I was only picking the most recent Georgia poll available on Real Clear Politics. Feel free to counter with other polls. I can tell you that Carson had a serious ground operation in Georgia back in MAY. Poll variations in some states may reflect the level of organization. Trump seems to be putting his efforts in SC and AL more than Georgia, at least so far. Of course, Cruz is more than a Pat Robertson style religious candidate. A lot of good conservatives who do not have a primarily religious motivation are concerned about gun rights. It was Solicitor General for Texas Ted Cruz who argued the landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller before the Supreme Court and won.

Though I haven't been here for a long time, I know the lay of the land on presidential politics, if not the statewide stuff. Enough people are primarily motivated by underlying motivations rooted in religion which comes to inform their political philosophy that it makes the difference between winning and losing in a competitive race.

Are these people motivated to vote for a candidate purely because they are capable of making a religious pitch? I doubt it.

Santorum had no specifics and only ran on his personality, much like Carson. Cruz suffers as well since once you get outside of the religious pitch, he has to deal with issues like his fast track vote and his immigration shenanigans.

Trying to run solely on Evangelical sensibilities might shield him from those questions in Iowa-- where everyone is stupid-- but not anywhere else.

You can't say Santorum won because Romney's a dweeb, and then that Romney's unbeatable.

Nevertheless, Santorum still couldn't sweep the South based on his Evangelical appeal, even against Newt Gingrich with his ex-wife sleaziness. Romney was inevitable because Santorum was pathetic. Once the establishment, aided and abetted by the "conservative" media, took out Newt, Romney was inevitable.