Why Did the Santorum Campaign Leak Its Strategy Memo to Liberal Media First?

Posted on | March 12, 2012 | 48 Comments

Before I wrote this post, I checked to make sure that I hadn’t somehow missed an e-mail from the Santorum campaign, which I hadn’t. And I haven’t missed any phone calls from them, either. So how to explain why they would have released an important strategy memo to Politico, rather than sending it to me, or to some other conservative journalist?

By 9 a.m., the Santorum campaign had also already provided the memo to Zeke Miller at BuzzFeed, who headlined his story:

Santorum Concedes: He Can’t
Win The Nomination Outright

. . . which I’m reasonably sure isn’t the spin the Santorum campaign had in mind when they gave Miller the memo, but then again I’m not sure what the Santorum campaign had in mind, because while they keep sending me press releases, they never reply to my e-mails or return my phone calls.

But they’re getting paid to run the campaign, and if they don’t think they need to return my calls, who am I to question their judgment? It’s not like I know anything about “media strategy” or stuff like that . . .

UPDATE: Ed Morrissey at Hot Air:

Zeke Miller gets a Santorum campaign strategy memo that outlines their argument that Mitt Romney isn’t as far ahead as some believe, and that Santorum will pull together the disaffected conservatives that show up in Tampa . . .

Hey, Ed, you endorsed Rick Santorum in February, right? How come you’re not as angry as I am about the fact that you’re having to read about this memo at BuzzFeed? And while we’re at it, Michelle Malkin endorsed Santorum in January — why didn’t the campaign send the memo to her?

The point I’m trying to get at is, this isn’t just about me getting scooped. Yes, the Future U.S. Ambassador to Vanuatu does have feelings, and they can be hurt. But why would the Santorum campaign pimp-slap the entirety of conservative New Media like this, including major bloggers who have endorsed Santorum?

For that matter, why didn’t the Santorum campaign release this memo to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or Mark Levin? I’m mystified.

UPDATE II: Lisa Graas didn’t get the strategy memo, either — and she was the one who first got me to cover Rick Santorum back in August in Iowa, when Politico wouldn’t give Santorum the time of day and Zeke Miller would have said, “Rick Who?”

Category: Election 2012, Rick Santorum

Comments

48 Responses to “Why Did the Santorum Campaign Leak Its Strategy Memo to Liberal Media First?”

M Onki
March 12th, 2012 @ 6:55 pm

He’d be better off if he had you running his campaign. But he’d still be such a weak candidate that the Kos kids would try to help him get votes.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
March 12th, 2012 @ 6:56 pm

Face palm. It is Herman Cain all over again.
HoundOfDoom
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:11 pm

The stupid party lives down to it’s reputation again.
Thom Paine
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:19 pm

As with Herman Cain, my hopes are once again dashed. But also as with Herman Cain, I am once again reminded of the words of Georgette Mosbacher, director of finance for the RNC when last October she said the RNC had already made up its mind that it would be Romney on the ticket in November. Makes me wonder what the hell is going on behind the scenes.
TR
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:20 pm

Unlike Barak Obama who merely puts all the journos on his payroll sooner or later.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:28 pm

Are you really wondering? I think you know what is going on.

But this was not a GOP establishment screw up…this one looks like a Santorum screw up. Call it a Tabatha Hale moment.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:29 pm

They fall all over themselves for the attentions of Obama. He does not even have to buy them dinner.
Rbirchtree
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:49 pm

Ron Paul for 2012!
Bob Belvedere
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:52 pm

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.

When will these fools ever learn?
Bob Belvedere
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:52 pm

He doesn’t even have to give them a reach around.
richard mcenroe
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:58 pm

He did it this way because this way it gets into the mainstream press where the DC GOP will read it. Ain’t like they’re listening to us.

That, or, you know, it could be an actual leak….
richard mcenroe
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:59 pm

Because now that I think about it, it’s Santorum’s turn to be screwed by a GOP campaign professional, isn’t it?
Santorum Campaign: We’re Wanting A Brokered Convention | AZPUNDIT
March 12th, 2012 @ 7:59 pm

[…] true for Santorum, who lacks the same organization and fundraising capacity as the front-runner.The Other McCain questions why the Santorum team distributed this memo to the liberal media rather the Conservative’s who endorsed him, like […]
Barb Bricker
March 12th, 2012 @ 8:02 pm

Please wait to find out the facts before throwing him under the bus. I don’t know what is going on, but I hope Rick finds out and addresses this soon.
Maybe It’s Because Ed Morrissey Blocked Me On Twitter
March 12th, 2012 @ 8:11 pm

[…] Stacy McCain wonders why we conservative bloggers didn’t get a strategy memo that was released to Politico. Hey, Ed, you endorsed Rick Santorum in February, right? How come you’re not as angry as I am about the fact that you’re having to read about this memo at BuzzFeed? […]
robertstacymccain
March 12th, 2012 @ 8:20 pm

Look: People make mistakes. I get that. But as some of the commenters here have observed, we’re watching a repetition of a pattern: Republican campaign operatives doing favors for liberal media while leaving their conservative friends to suck hind teat. Invariably, this hurts the campaign, and is also undermines the competitiveness of conservative media.
richard mcenroe
March 12th, 2012 @ 8:47 pm

My point exactly. As I’ve said before, if you ever try to run for office in this country as a conservative Republican, RUN don’t walk away from any available GOP professionals.
football in the groin
March 12th, 2012 @ 8:54 pm

you people are just sad jokers 🙁
Multimedia Group
March 12th, 2012 @ 8:56 pm

There may be something to the value of “leaking” to Politico but they could have simultaneously” leaked it to The Other McCain, no? Hey, I’ll bet if they told RSM that they were doing the simultaneous leak, things would have been just fine all the way around.

But then, there are morons on every campaign staff. One just hopes that, unlike my man Herman, that Rick knows who to sack, and when, once in awhile.
Just A Hunch | Daily Pundit
March 12th, 2012 @ 9:08 pm

[…] A Hunch Posted on March 12, 2012 6:08 pm by Bill Quick Why Did the Santorum Campaign Leak Its Strategy Memo to Liberal Media First? : The Other McCain The point I’m trying to get at is, this isn’t just about me getting scooped. Yes, the Future […]
DaveO
March 12th, 2012 @ 9:11 pm

Doing favors for liberal media while leaving the conservative journalists in the pig-waller.

Tends to lend a lot of credence to Romney’s assertion that Santorum is as liberal as the day is long.
smbren
March 12th, 2012 @ 9:20 pm

Oh goodness..Did he hire Steve Schmidt?
John_Frank
March 12th, 2012 @ 9:45 pm

So, the Santorum campaign gives a scoop to a media outlet which has no ethics and is biased in favor of socialists and statists?

(Side note: Calling reporters who favor Obama “Liberal” is a misnomer. )

Why “conservatives” feel they have to play footsie with media outlets that have no ethics and go out of their way to cast “conservatives” in a bad light is bizarre?

Worse, why release the memo at all?

Makes no sense.
Charles
March 12th, 2012 @ 9:45 pm

Santorum just has to run this out to June 5 and see what happens. Meanwhile, the Gingrich fantasy dredges up Leonard Wood in 1920, casting himself in the role of Warren Harding.
Adjoran
March 12th, 2012 @ 9:55 pm

World class stupid – I don’t mean the choice of venue for the leak, I mean even putting it in writing. It is something you just don’t do, even if everyone agreed that you can’t win a majority, you never state that publicly – it drives away supporters and potential donors, who are NOT looking for losers with creative aides who can come up with a way to con your way into what you couldn’t win. It’s like expressing an interest in the VP slot – who’s going to write a check to your Presidential campaign after that?

Ed Morrissey was too busy debunking the weak logic in the leaked memo point by point – possibly in a desperate attempt to retrieve some lost credibility – and saw no point in worrying about being ignored. It’s a clear pattern: when the candidate is down in Margin of Error territory or lower in the polls, he and his staff are grateful for every blogger, columnist in the Podunk Weekly, and radio farm market report host who will give them the time of day. A little success, they don’t know your name.

It’s a lot like the nouveau riche who suddenly think they are better than the people they used to ride the bus with. But I see no reason to believe it only happens on our side.

Bloggers on the left – and most on the right – have no news background so they’re just happy to have met someone famous on the way up. Stacy’s been in the news biz, and expects a bit of pro quo for all the quid he’s put out.
Confutus
March 12th, 2012 @ 11:12 pm

The memo reads like they’re counting chickens before
the hen’s met the rooster.
Testor
March 12th, 2012 @ 11:50 pm

So basically, Santorum is prepared to blow this whole thing up and destroy the GOP’s chances in the hopes he can steal the nomination in a smoke-filled room or maybe force himself on as a VP pick.

What a class act.
Adjoran
March 12th, 2012 @ 11:51 pm

What do you call the people who dig up the dirt on Ron Paul?

Archaeologists.
Adjoran
March 12th, 2012 @ 11:51 pm

Damn the Establishment for forcing poor honest Rick to hire their stooge.
Adjoran
March 12th, 2012 @ 11:53 pm

The guy who wrote the memo is named Yob.
Adjoran
March 12th, 2012 @ 11:55 pm

Nah, his mouth has removed him from VP consideration. In fact, Romney was asked yesterday in Alabama if he would consider a VP pick more conservative than he is, and replied, “Well, that lets Santorum out.”
Adjoran
March 12th, 2012 @ 11:58 pm

They are counting delegates from Minnesota who will most likely be committed to Santorum already among those who will switch because they aren’t legally bound. And counting California and NJ as wins.

To get that many chickens, they’d have to turn Sandra Fluke loose with no contraceptives.
CPAguy
March 13th, 2012 @ 12:33 am

Herman Cain! Brokered Convention 2012!
Pathfinder's wife
March 13th, 2012 @ 12:43 am

on the glass is half empty side: stupid sell out
on the half full side: playin’ possum?

the likely reality: who the heck knows; I’m thinking nobody with any sense would want the captain’s chair on this ship anyway, so they’re all trying to blow it.
Huh
March 13th, 2012 @ 12:43 am

You’re upset because you didn’t get a leaked memo?
Testor
March 13th, 2012 @ 2:03 am

That’s when you know you’ve got your head to0 far up someone’s as#, when THAT’S what upsets you about this memo.
Adjoran
March 13th, 2012 @ 2:16 am

So, a couple of boobs and a big mouth caused some trouble?
Adjoran
March 13th, 2012 @ 2:19 am

No, he misheard it, and thought they had cheated him out of a teaked limo.
Adjoran
March 13th, 2012 @ 2:26 am

In the private sector, when a once-strong company is bleeding cash and grown sclerotic and sluggish and inefficient, you know who they call?

Believe it or not, there are guys who make fortunes straightening out those messes. They seem to enjoy it. If only someone like that would run for President . . .
Mr. L
March 13th, 2012 @ 2:39 am

It doesn’t who he leaked this memo to, but that his campaign is essentially admitting defeat to Romney, and that he will keep on going to the convention, even if he doesn’t have a shot in hell…
Jan_England
March 13th, 2012 @ 6:43 am

The enemy always tries to divide us. Don’t jump to conclusions!
Bob Belvedere
March 13th, 2012 @ 8:01 am

To get that many chickens, they’d have to turn Sandra Fluke loose with no contraceptives.

Isn’t that what we evil, misogynistic conservatives are trying to do?!?
gloogle gloogle
March 13th, 2012 @ 8:58 am

There are too many entrenched interests at stake. People who have more to lose if the GOP establishment gets dismantled than if the GOP nominee loses. Here’s a question for y’all: Imagine that the GOP establishment is dismantled; that conservative journalists are shown more respect than their MSM brethren by the party; that we have debates moderated by center-right conservatives instead of a bunch of MSNBCNN liberals. But the price for this happening is four more years of Obambus. Do you take the deal?
Michael Bates
March 13th, 2012 @ 10:39 am

Don’t blame “the party.” It’s the political operatives and consultants who treat mainstream media as gods and ignore conservative media, and it’s probably because the MSM is in their faces everyday.
Right Wing Extremists: March 13, 2012 | REPUBLICAN REDEFINED
March 13th, 2012 @ 2:09 pm

[…] Why Did the Santorum Campaign Leak Its Strategy Memo to Liberal Media First? […]
daialanye
March 13th, 2012 @ 2:55 pm

It’s bigger than that — the Santorum campaign doesn’t reply to individual voters, either. This is an unforced error. Someone needs a severe wrist-slap, and I only hope it isn’t Rick.
dizzysummer78
March 13th, 2012 @ 4:35 pm

Funny, my dad and I both received the “press release”, yesterday and neither one of us are “conservative blogger elites”, like yourself. Stop crying like a bitch! The whole point of the release was to share facts, truths and information with those who subscribe, to ricksantorum.com’s mailing list, i.e. Santorum supporters. If you ask “Why Did the Santorum Campaign Leak Its Strategy Memo to Liberal Media First?, the answer is that you haven’t proven that they did. Also, to answer another looming question, “Why Would the Santorum Campaign Release Its Strategy Memo, At All?” Because, unlike Obama and the other Republican candidates, Rick Santorum will not just say that he will be transparent, he actually WILL BE TRANSPARENT. The proof is the pudding, people!
GOP PRIMARY RESULTS HQ: Mississippi, Alabama, Hawaii Tonight : The Other McCain
March 13th, 2012 @ 9:26 pm

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