This is the first Presidential primary season that I have followed and been involved in, and I definitely have not been disappointed. The up-and-down of this election season has made for a very entertaining and interesting race. From the beginning, Mitt Romney was the clear “favorite” to win our nomination. I have never been a supporter of his; I feel that his record is not a conservative one, and that he is running for President simply for the power that goes along with that position. Evidently, a majority of other Americans feel the same way; we have gone through numerous frontrunners in an effort to find a “Not-Romney” candidate. Each of those candidates rose in the polls, then fell back down again when their true record was exposed.
We are now on our last “Not-Romney” candidate: former Pennsylvania Senator, Rick Santorum. He had a slight boost coming out of Iowa, but quickly fell again to Newt Gingrich. Now, it seems, the tables have turned; folks are calling for Newt to drop out of the race as Senator Santorum continues to rise in both state and national polls. He has risen so much, in fact, that he is the new national frontrunner– even edging out Mitt Romney. According to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, Rick Santorum is leading the pack with 39% to Romney’s 27%. Newt Gingrich follows a distant third with 15%, and Congressman Ron Paul finishes last with 10%. In a two-man race with Romney, Santorum wins by an even larger margin: 55% to 34%. There are also reports that conservatives are beginning to consolidate behind Senator Santorum as the true conservative in the race.
Senator Santorum also leads Governor Romney in every category of voters: men, women, young people, seniors, conservatives, and even…independents. The independent voting bloc will be almost, if not as important as the youth vote in November. At this moment, Senator Santorum receives 42% of the independent vote, compared with Romney’s 25%. In a one-on-one matchup with Governor Romney, Santorum wins the independent vote 58% to 32%.
As a Santorum supporter, I’m thrilled with these numbers; but as this race has proven, nothing is definite. Polls can change overnight. However, when I really step back and look at each candidates’ record, I do believe that Senator Santorum has the most consistently conservative one. He has strong convictions, stands firm in his faith, has a solid economic plan to boost the economy, and he has a fantastic grip on foreign affairs. I do believe– dare I say it?– that he is the only GOP candidate in the race who has a legitimate chance of defeating President Obama. It is clear that after six years of campaigning, most people are growing tired of Governor Romney’s rhetoric. We need a new, energetic voice to lead our party into November. I believe, based on my own opinions but also on these poll numbers, that Rick Santorum is the man to do it.
Moe Lane
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
Jeff Emanuel
I am not 100% sure about Santorum
jamesm (Diary) Wednesday, February 15th at 9:55PM EDT (link)but I have always considered him to be on the conservative side of the aisle. I will vote for him as the “Not Romney” candidate. He seems a little bit boring. If he can excite the base he could defeat Obama. Romney does not appeal to the base.
“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.” A. Einstein
he'll be the "anti-woman" candidate faster than you can spit
jdw4america (Diary) Wednesday, February 15th at 10:55PM EDT (link)His views on contraception alone will make him the punching bag of the MSM. barry won’t need to do a thing. His statements will be distorted and misrepresented and the idiot populace will go along again.
I hope he’s not the guy in November. If he is, I’ll support him, but I hope not.
I wonder what his women numbers are
jaykali (Diary) Thursday, February 16th at 9:01AM EDT (link)Ya that part of it I’m not thrilled ab. He doesn’t have ‘women problems’ like a Newt Gingrich has but I am not sure how the contraception deal is going to play out. He is a little more conservative on some stuff than the mainstream.
I am increasingly distrusting of our electorate to understand what’s really going on. The electorate is mostly completely disengaged and the left has done an excellent job in controlling the message in the media. You only have a couple outliers in Fox News, WSJ, talk radio that have any sort of dissenting view to challenge the narrative that the mainstream media projects.
Another issue with Santorum is he just doesn’t seem that believable as a potential president to me but I suppose that can change.
On top of hating Protestants (Satan's Spawns)
elayman Saturday, February 18th at 5:23PM EDT (link)I understand middle of the road denominations are in serious decline but as per everything he takes it to the extreme and affirms the belief that all of mainline Protestantism is in the grip of Satan and is no longer part of “the world of Christianity.”
Hopefully there are still enough mainline Protestants in the GOP that Newt (or Romney) could hurt Santorum now with this. Rick may not be getting many votes from people who belong to mainline Protestant churches — but he can’t afford to be seen as bigoted against what is still a Republican voter bloc.
Newt Has More Conservative Record
mikelindell2 Wednesday, February 15th at 11:17PM EDT (link)Objectively speaking. Newt has highest ACU rating. Santorum ran up spending and sided with Big Labor. Newt cut spending and balanced budgets. Only anti-Newt National Review wants him to drop out. I’ll chalk up your mistruths to the fact you haven’t followed politics until this year.
P.S. Santorum’s tax plan calls for gov’t to pick winners and losers.
True "Social" conservative, yes
lastgopinillinois (Diary) Wednesday, February 15th at 10:26PM EDT (link)Constitutional, fiscal conservative? thats very debatable.
If he becomes the nominee, I will vote for him, in grave fear that 0-bama will destroy him during the general campaign as the anti-womens choice, anti-contraception, social “stone-age” candidate.
In the beginning, God created earth to be an extension of his vast Kingdom and his LOVE was so great that he wanted to share it with man, whom he created in his own image and likeness and gave him free will.
To this very principal, the Founding Fathers of our nation decreed that freedom is a God-given in-alienable right of all the people.
Santorum and Newt
greyeagle Wednesday, February 15th at 10:31PM EDT (link)Newt has experience and Santorum doesn’t. In fact they are far apart. Obama will destroy Santorum, but he won’t get far with Newt. Romney is a non-starter as far as I am concerned. He is not conservative and according to his campaign, will not repeal Obamacare, even though he said so in the debates. Apparently he has a truth problem. People will have to vote their conscience. I did in the Florida Primary.
Newt is done
rpopp23 (Diary) Wednesday, February 15th at 10:57PM EDT (link)Newt has destroyed Newt, so Obama will never get the chance. I think he has the same problem Rick Perry had. America loves to give second chances – but not third and fourth and fifth.
When Perry bombed his first debate, he could have come back, but not after bombing several in a row.
Newt’s support died, but came back. But then he made several more unforced errors.
I liked both of those guys, better than the remaining field, but they both really did it to themselves.
Not sure I agree with you.
WillWong (Diary) Thursday, February 16th at 12:55AM EDT (link)Newt tried to stay positive in Iowa despite those $3M negative ads thrown at him by Romney. He saw his double digit lead disappeared and he lost Iowa badly. In a way, he was forced to stay positive because he had no money to respond and he lost badly. His super PAC got $5M from Adelson prior to SC and he was able to fight back some and he won SC handily. Then he got another $5M and was riding the momentum to Florida. He was outspent by Romney in Florida and lost. What could he had done differently in Florida? Romney spent $19M of negative ads distorting Newt’s relationship with Reagan and bringing up his false ethics charges and the $300K fine plus the frontal assault on Drudge Report a few days before the primary. The only mistake Newt did was not having the money to fight back agressively. His super PAC probably wasted a lot of the money with the Bain Capital video When Mitt Romney came to Town but those are super PAC money and not much he can do. What kind of unforced errors are you talking about?
People who supported him after SC are deserting him for Santorum which imo is wrong. Santorum is still the same candidate who was languishing at the bottom 3% back in November with no charisma, vision, or any solid plans to turn the country around. If we honestly examine both Santorum and Newt’s record and platform, there is no way we can say Santorum is the better candidate than Newt. Santorum is simply lucky that he might just be the last non-Romney left standing. Even so, Newt can still turn it around with a few solid debate performances plus some money. If any of you guys truly believe Newt offers the best plan for America,
please continue to support Newt with all you got!
Agreed
jaykali (Diary) Thursday, February 16th at 9:03AM EDT (link)Newt and Perry both ran erratic campaigns. It is really a 2 person race with Santorum and Romney. These presidential campaigns have really become a survival contest since 2008.
I am voting for Newt in Michigan, but I hope more people
JSobieski (Diary) Wednesday, February 15th at 10:38PM EDT (link)start saying that they will vote for whomever the R nominee is in November.
If it is Santorum, I will support him 100%.
Did you know that China has been losing manufacturing jobs since 1995? For the specific data, see Table 1 in the following link: http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2005/07/art2full.pdf
Newt Best Choice
mikelindell2 Wednesday, February 15th at 11:19PM EDT (link)Yes, we should support any R. Newt stands head and shoulders above the rest though. In terms of accomplishments, record, proposals, articulation, Newt stands alone.
Newt is the best
jamesm (Diary) Wednesday, February 15th at 11:44PM EDT (link)but we have to keep focused on being able to defeat Obama. That depends on defeating Romney. If Romney is defeated in Michigan it is a game changer. Newt has no chance if Romney is not defeated. If Santorum wins Michigan it changes the whole race, Gingrich and Santorum are friends even though they are competitors now. If Santorum wins the top spot I believe Gingrich will be part of the Administration. If Romney wins it’s back to Georgia for Newt
“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.” A. Einstein
And this, in a nutshell, is why I am pulling for a Santorum win in Michigan
sulmak (Diary) Thursday, February 16th at 12:04AM EDT (link)Any Romney defeat in the primaries will aid Gingrich.
Santorum is much better suited to win in the rust belt than Gingrich.
Hope You're Right
mikelindell2 Thursday, February 16th at 12:28AM EDT (link)I feel like a Santorum win solidifies his standing. If Mitt wins, it knocks Rick back a bit and Newt will regain because the base will never accept Romney regardless of a MI win.
A Santorum win helps only Santorum
Archer (Diary) Thursday, February 16th at 1:07AM EDT (link)Its not helpful to Newt, conservatism, or toward beating Obama.
A close third for Newt
WillWong (Diary) Thursday, February 16th at 1:14AM EDT (link)with Santorum winning by a few points is the best scenario for Newt and Conservatism.
Gingrich is smart
jamesm (Diary) Thursday, February 16th at 1:19AM EDT (link)Gingrich is not really attacking Santorum. But he is attacking Romney. Why? He wants Romney to lose in Mich. Newt said tonight on Fox that he hoped to get 15% in Mich. He said to effect that it was him, Santorum and Paul against Romney.
“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.” A. Einstein
Newt believes his is the best candidacy for America period!
WillWong (Diary) Thursday, February 16th at 1:35AM EDT (link)He doesn’t need to attack Santorum but you know he doesn’t want Santorum to run too far ahead of everybody. I think Newt wants to hang in close until the debates where he can hit the ball out of tne park again and then ride the momentum through super Tuesday.
He wants Romney to do all the dirty work attacking Santorum which is fine by me.
This helps?
dajeeps (Diary) Monday, February 20th at 12:13AM EDT (link)Ror me, there are somethings that once I know them, they just can’t be unlearned, truths that can’t become lies. Some of them are: We can’t nominate a misogynist candidate and win. Obama didn’t cause the problems we have (made them worse, sure) and they won’t disappear when he’s gone. Rearranging the deck chairs doesn’t stop the ship from sinking. You can work you rear off for a candidate who can’t win, and they still won’t because not everyone is a sheep, at least not your kind of sheep.
It is really sad to watch the GOP defeat itself when doing something effective about the big problems is so important. At every turn, this whole contest has been about factions and power – that’s it. Well, guess what. For average people like me, it isn’t better for any of them to be kings of chaos than never to have had power at all.
…”I would quarrel with both parties and with every individual of each, before I would subjugate my understanding, or prostitute my tongue or pen to either.”
–John Adams
Santorun a "true conservative?" I guess then, so was the late Robert Byrd.
radicalrighty Thursday, February 16th at 8:06AM EDT (link)http://www.breitbart.tv/flashback-santorum-passionately-defends-earmarks/
They both loved “pork.”
True conservative?
Viet71 (Diary) Saturday, February 18th at 1:28PM EDT (link)There are true liberals, because liberals have squishy scruples…just sign up and vote Dem.
Appear to be conservatives of many stripes here on RS.
Not sure what a “true conservative” is.
The term "true conservative" is a sure indicator...
Bill S (Diary) Saturday, February 18th at 2:15PM EDT (link)…that the person using it doesn’t understand what “conservative” means. There is no one trait or set of characteristics that make one conservative or not. It’s all about the continuum.
“It’s such a fine line between stupid, and clever.” – David St. Hubbins
using the term "True conservative"
Risky (Diary) Saturday, February 18th at 3:42PM EDT (link)tends to mean that the poster has a set of views that would definitely exclude some positions others hold as key conservative values.,
For example I see Free Trade as a key conservative issue (probably dates me a bit) so none of the current candidates look much good. On that test McCain was more committed that any of the 2012 bunch and he was weak on other matters.
This isn’t a point about McCain but more about how people are yelling about conservative vs moderate over a bunch of candidates whose views are pretty dotted all over the spectrum when you look at all the issues in play.
Santorum NEVER
giatny Saturday, February 18th at 3:27PM EDT (link)The left has been popping champagne
ever since Santorum’s unimaginable
rise. As an Independent, I am sure
the polls are off the track. Even a
cursory review of Santorum’s history
exposes a narrow-minded, sanctimonious bore who hasn’t had an original thought in 50 years. Just look at his vote history which shows massive government spending, support of benefits for illegals, pro-union anti-right to work, and economic cluelessness
as great as Obama’s. PLEASE do your
homework before guaranteeing Obama
4 more. The stupidity of the Republican Party in its constant criticism
of Romney is second only to the stupidity exhibited in the House since
January. WAKE UP.
GO Santorum
GOP Politix (Diary) Saturday, February 18th at 3:46PM EDT (link)Sure Santorum isn’t perfect, but he can win and he’s certainly not Romney. He’s got values and has stayed true to his principles…
“What is truth?” – Pilate
John 18:38
Okay, Politix. Time to put your money where your mouth is.
acat (Diary) Saturday, February 18th at 3:56PM EDT (link)Head over to Unlikely Voter, reset the map for 2008, and tell me how Santorum can flip enough of the States Obama won.
Having values and staying true to principles means precisely zero if they’re not the right values and principles – and I see no sign that pro-Union pro-big-government nanny-statist Santorum has them.
Put up or shut up, eh?
Mew
——
Caveat Suffragator
The original "Generic Republican"
mikefrey (Diary) Saturday, February 18th at 5:35PM EDT (link)numbers showed that Obama flipped a bunch of 2008 Blue States Red with the gleeful support of Reid/Pelosi. We went into the primary season as the favorite.
It doesn’t look as bright today, but I hope (and will do my part to work this) that as the GOP unites on a candidate the center/right electorate will realize that whoever it is left standing is still clearly superior to the Won.
Will the awakened spirit of the Tea Party remain, or will the public have dozed back into sleep due to an overdose of MSM?
Placer County Republican Central Committee
Delegate – California Republican Convention
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent” – Thomas Jefferson