Guess Who Says, ‘Santorum’s Time’?

Posted on | December 6, 2011 | 47 Comments

The biggest beneficiary of Herman Cain’s decision to pull the plug on his campaign on Saturday was Rick Santorum, who is the last conservative standing as the Republican Party offers the Tea Party crowd their choice of RINOs. . . .
Need I remind people that at this point in 2007, the average of the polls showed Republicans were at Rick Giuliani 25.7%, John McCain 13.8%, Fred Thompson 13.7%, Rick Huckabee 13.5%, Mitt Romney 10.5%, Ron Paul 4.5%.
Not only is it not over till the fat lady sings, she has not even entered the theater.
Rick Santorum is and he is auditioning.

Read the whole thing and keep in mind that Rick Santorum is the only candidate in the GOP 2012 field who has visited all 99 counties in Iowa. Now he’s got Don Surber, he’s got Da Tech Guy, he’s got Lisa Graas and he’s got . . . Well, a neutral objective journalist certainly cannot ignore this unexpected upsurge of interest in the Rick Santorum campaign.

The pundits want you to think everything’s already settled, but here’s a headline you probably missed:

60% of Iowa Republicans Can Still
Change Mind in Latest Iowa Caucus Poll

That’s not a headline you’ll read in the MSM.

Category: Don Surber, Rick Santorum

Comments

47 Responses to “Guess Who Says, ‘Santorum’s Time’?”

Lisa Graas
December 6th, 2011 @ 9:41 am

Woot!
Brian O'Connor
December 6th, 2011 @ 9:51 am

One thing’s for certain, Rick Santorum’s got Jon Huntsman beat. Other than that Santorum will need the VP nomination to make it into the White House.
Mortimer Snerd
December 6th, 2011 @ 9:56 am

“Need I remind people that at this point in 2007, the average of the polls showed Republicans were at Rick Giuliani 25.7%, John McCain 13.8%, Fred Thompson 13.7%, Rick Huckabee 13.5%, Mitt Romney 10.5%, Ron Paul 4.5%.”

Rick Giuliani? Rick Huckabee?
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 9:59 am

I’ve almost stopped following the campaign. I’ll pick up again when SC votes, since the leading Not Romney candidate is probably who I’ll end up voting for.

Also, I love when the Grayson add shows up here. The idea of him supporting TOM is just too good not to get a click.
ThePaganTemple
December 6th, 2011 @ 10:02 am

Everybody get your Whack-A-Mole mallets out, it’s time for another round, target-Gingrich. Then it will be Rick Santorum’s time to stick his head out of the little hole, and you can bet a good many Republican voters will have their mallets at the ready for him as well. Hell, some already do.

See, I’ve figured out the Democrats game plan. They’re going to do this to all the candidates, or more precisely they are going to urge us to do it, until we become so demoralized that we end up with the candidate they want us to nominate. In other words, Huntsman, or even better, Paul (though even the Democrats probably realize that would be too good to be possible).

But see, there’s what Democrats want and then there’s what Democrats will get. After we knock Gingrich’s head back in the hole, and then Santorum’s, instead of going on to Huntsman, or Paul, things are more likely to turn full circle, back to Bachmann, who has already been vetted, and who has no further baggage.

Game On!
dad29
December 6th, 2011 @ 10:04 am

Mark Levin, Sarah!! and Surber–not to mention any serious pro-life 501(c)(3).

Hmmmm.
Joe
December 6th, 2011 @ 10:35 am

Guess who says it is Santorum Time?

Rick Santorum?
Joe
December 6th, 2011 @ 10:39 am

I know Dems want to demoralize the GOP. They can’t believe we are not running better candidates. But it is going to come down to Newt and Romeny, with the question being whether Newt takes himself out before the primaries are over. Newt is always his own worse enemy.

If Santorum can get traction–fine. But Rick has the ability to alienate people who should be his friends. It is mostly subjective and I bet unfair, but that is a bad quality for a politician.
ThePaganTemple
December 6th, 2011 @ 10:54 am

Its also the quality that would cause him to lose by three or four percentage points if he did get the nomination. But hey, that’s all right, I’ve about come to the conclusion that Republicans deep down want to lose this election anyway. If I didn’t know better I’d swear quite a few of them are trying to bring on the “end times”. And well, they might get their wish.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 11:58 am

I see what you doing here RSM….yep Santorum is the last hope. He isn’t the greatest…but he should be a very good President.

He just needs to turn down the moral stuff a notch and concentrate on the economy and ObamaCare.

Newt will lose in a General election and there is a good chance that Mittens would too.
rosalie
December 6th, 2011 @ 12:41 pm

I just look at his face and it scared me. I’m not kidding either.
ThePaganTemple
December 6th, 2011 @ 12:46 pm

Read Giuliani as Perry, Huckabee as Santorum, and remember that Huckabee won Iowa. Of course what Stacy isn’t bothering to tell you is that Giuliani didn’t even try to compete in Iowa.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 12:51 pm

Here’s the thing, PT: In this game of Whack-A-Mole, the timing favors Santorum simply BECAUSE he’s been vastly underestimated by the media. He’s been trudging along with his low-budget “ground game” with single-digit poll numbers for so long that all the Smart Pundits have written him off.
We are about to go into a holiday Black Hole. Polls are a lagging indicator. The poll numbers for the next couple weeks will reflect the current perception — i.e., Gingrich vs. Romney — and nobody will know what those 60% of persuadable Iowa caucus voters are thinking. But many of those voters have met Rick Santorum at least once, and there are literally THOUSANDS of Iowa Republicans who have shaken hands with Santorum TWICE in the past year.
Call me crazy, but I think that might matter.
So if Gingrich says something stupidly offensive (as he is prone to do) between now and Christmas, which underdog conservative candidate might get a late surge in Iowa? And because there won’t be much polling after Dec. 21, such a shift of voter preference is unlikely to catch the eye of the media. Ergo …
Santorum could be the mole that nobody bothers to whack.
Keep in mind that I’m not saying this scenario WILL happen. I’m just explaining rational reasons to think such a scenario COULD happen.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 1:23 pm

I see what you doing here RSM

Neutral objective journalism!
Tennwriter
December 6th, 2011 @ 1:36 pm

I’m assuming your objections to Obamacare are not just pragmatic and economic? There might be a moral objection to loss of liberty in there too?

We have a wide array of serious problems that need to be addressed. It seems to happen that if you go into the presidency planning to deal with the economy that you end up having foreign policy crises dominate your life.

Happily Rick Santorum is a conservative all the way, and can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Bob Belvedere
December 6th, 2011 @ 1:38 pm

Serial Killer features.
Bob Belvedere
December 6th, 2011 @ 1:41 pm

Ahhhh! I thought you originally wrote ‘neutered objective journalism’ [forehead slap!]…my bad.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 2:10 pm

Rick Santorum is a man of clearly stated principles which he seems to honestly stick to. I can respect that even though I disagree with him on those principles.

And yes, he has campaigned hard.But I just don’t see him doing better than 4th place in Iowa, behind (in no particular order) Gingrich, Romney and Paul. Nor do I see him gaining any traction after that.

I’ll frankly be surprised if he matches Gary Bauer’s 2000 performance in Iowa (8.5%).
ThePaganTemple
December 6th, 2011 @ 2:15 pm

I appreciate the effort and determination Santorum has put into his effort, but what kind of organization does he have in Iowa? Because Bachmann’s orgnaization there is second only to Paul’s. Plus, she is active in South Carolina, where she claims on her Facebook page to have picked up support from former Cain supporters.

http://www.michelebachmann.com/2011/12/former-cain-supporter-s-c-representative-
ralph-norman-leads-growing-list-joining-team-bachmann/

Herman Cain’s South Carolina supporters are flocking to Michele
Bachmann as they look for the constitutional conservative to get behind.
Today, the Bachmann for President campaign announced 19 former Cain
state leaders who have pledged their support for Michele Bachmann,
including state representative Ralph Norman, Cain’s most high profile
supporter.
Representative Ralph Norman (York County) is known as one of the most
conservative members of the S.C. House of Representatives. Just last
week Norman was named a “Taxpayer Hero” by the S.C. Club for Growth.
Today, he was named 5th District Chairman for Michele Bachmann’s South
Carolina campaign.
ThePaganTemple
December 6th, 2011 @ 2:24 pm

And bear in mind, no matter how tireless and determined a campaigner Santorum is, he can’t be in all 99 Iowa Counties in one day, and at one time. That’s where organization comes in.
Adjoran
December 6th, 2011 @ 2:46 pm

Yes, and those were national numbers from 2007, which don’t hold much sway in Iowa or New Hampshire anyway.
Adjoran
December 6th, 2011 @ 2:49 pm

As long as he stays inside your monitor, he cannot hurt you. Just make sure he never gets close to the Capitol again.

Sounds like the kindly asylum director’s reassurances at the beginning of a bad horror movie, though, doesn’t it?
Adjoran
December 6th, 2011 @ 2:50 pm

I heard he’s contracted Kim Carnes to sing his new theme song, “John Wayne Gacy Eyes” . . .
ThePaganTemple
December 6th, 2011 @ 2:53 pm

I’m going to guess he’ll get around 7%, tops. He doesn’t have an organization, and that’s the most important thing there. Neither does Gingrich, by the way, but he might manage to hit 20% just on the strength of name recognition and depending on how his poll numbers add up. But I actually expect him to be somewhere like 18%. I think Bachmann will be in the top three, and I hope she wins it. If she does I think the remainder will fall to Gingrich, Paul, and Romney, in that order.
Adjoran
December 6th, 2011 @ 2:54 pm

I don’t understand. Would it be better for no one to get “whacked” in the primaries, and then all the dirty laundry gets aired in the general election?

This IS one of the main functions of primaries, vetting the candidates not only on their records, their knowledge, and their proposals, but also how they hold up under fire.

If you think the media is hard on our guys now, just wait until after the convention next July. It’s not going to be pretty, and we better be ready, and we will NEVER get ready by sitting around pretending all our candidates have no past and fart sparingly, if at all.
Kellsbells
December 6th, 2011 @ 3:02 pm

Santorum? C’mon , really? He’s been in the single digits throughout. Maybe you’re right and he’ll gain some traction. Also, maybe he won’t be stupid enough to turn down a debate with Trump moderating.

Wish he didn’t come across as such a little brat that you wanna bitch slap. Sorry. My tongue has a mind of its own…..
Adjoran
December 6th, 2011 @ 3:08 pm

Of course it is still an open race. The idea that it’s come down to a choice between Romney and Gingrich suits their campaigns and maybe the media who seem incapable of seeing anything but the horse race aspect, but it’s not true.

Not only do people in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina often change their minds at the last minute, they also don’t do what pollsters say they will.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 3:18 pm

Actually, Santorum has a hell of an Iowa organization — nine paid staff (more than Romney and Gingrich combined) and more than 250 volunteer county and precinct leaders, as of November 18th according to the Des Moines Register.

Bachmann has 11 paid Iowa staffers.

Santorum’s spending more time in the state (72 days to Bachmann’s 52), but he’s not running television ads like she is and has less cash on hand than she does, so you may be right that she’ll perform better than I expect (I’d put her at fifth or sixth).
ThePaganTemple
December 6th, 2011 @ 4:08 pm

If Bachmann doesn’t win, it WILL be between Newt and Mitt. I’m not saying that just because I’m for Bachmann. I am for her, but I would be fine with Santorum. I could even vote for Perry, despite the fact he can’t say shit with or without a mouthful of it. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m just saying it the way it is. People need to resign themselves to that. If Bachmann doesn’t pull ahead, that’s it. Mitt or Newt-get ready to make your choice.
The Wondering Jew
December 6th, 2011 @ 4:12 pm

Santorum can’t win.

I’ll leave aside whether he should be the conservative choice (I’d answer no from the perspective of a limited-government conservative), but unless you are trying to make an ideological point with a Goldwater-style candidate who will suffer a Goldwater-style defeat, there is no use in nominating him. If your desire is to make a point rather than win an election, well OK then, but just say so without all this window-dressing that pretends that the guy is electable.

I could see some wild scenario where he could win the nomination, but he cannot beat Obama in a general election. Again, I will point to his shellacking in his home state AS AN INCUMBENT as evidence of his undetectability.

As a neutral, objective commenter, it is my obligation to tell you
this fact: Santorum will lose and the only question is whether
that loss will come sooner or later.There are people praying it comes soon — that’s an objective fact
ThePaganTemple
December 6th, 2011 @ 4:18 pm

He would lose, but there’s no way he would lose as bad as Goldwater lost. Or say, as bad as Ron Paul would lose.
The Wondering Jew
December 6th, 2011 @ 5:13 pm

Paul has been tied with Obama or within a few points in numerous reputable independent polls. I don’t think he would beat Obama either, but he’d have a better shot than Santorum.

Regardless both candidates should be supported only by those who realize they are engaging in the ideological “long-game” rather than trying to pick our next President.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 6:14 pm

Santorum was the THIRD leading Republican in the Senate. He served on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He AUTHORED the Welfare Reform Bill (the one Newt claims credit for) in the House; then, saw it through passage in the Senate as its floor manager. He is the ONLY candidate who has served in BOTH the House and the Senate, where he served TWO TERMS before being beaten in 2006 by the popular son of a pro-life governor in a horrific year for the GOP.

He is also the ONLY candidate who has BOTH a LAW DEGREE AND an MBA.

He was the FIRST person to blow the whistle on the House bank scandal, that blew literally scores of Democrats out of the House and led to the 1994 GOP House takeover.

If you look at the poll tabs from the Marist Poll from last week, Santorum is the ONLY candidate who is trending upward.

The guy is waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy underrated by the punditry. He most definitely has a shot and its better than that of Bachmann Huntsman, or Perry.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 6:47 pm

There’s no evidence at all Santorum “would lose”. There’s no polling to that effect. You are confusing your opinion with “fact”.
serfer62
December 6th, 2011 @ 6:50 pm

“Now he’s got Don Surber, he’s got Da Tech Guy, he’s got Lisa Graas and he’s got”…me.
Tennwriter
December 6th, 2011 @ 8:21 pm

Lot of that from the anti-Santorum sorts. They really don’t want Conservatism to win, but are instead Libertarians sowing discord and defeatism.

Its the old and tired game of …if you Conservatives dare to actually put a conservative up, we’ll run away. Well, it would be bad if we lost a whole busful of voters, but with greater unity and enthusiasm, I suppose we can get over losing fifty voters.

Thing is, practically any R nominee can beat Obama…if he has teh support of the base, and the Establishment does not stab him in the back with too much enthusiasm (I expect some backstabbing, but if it gets above a low roar then we have a problem.)
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 8:23 pm

I guess you could say that liberty ties into morality.

But, lets be honest, you know what I’m talking about.

Santorum is currently campaigning solely to his church congregation.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 8:25 pm

Santorum would be miles better as a candidate against Obama as Newt would….and as good as Romney…without the terrible progressive weaknesses in his resume (besides a few somewhat minor things).
Tennwriter
December 6th, 2011 @ 8:47 pm

Very true.

I like Bachmann, and am okay with Perry, but he’s got a better chance than either one. And who is this Huntsman person you speak of?
Anonymous
December 6th, 2011 @ 8:59 pm

Yabut, have you googled “rick santorum”? Gay activists have already polluted the search space. Disgusting.
NAME REDACTED
December 6th, 2011 @ 9:34 pm

“last conservative standing?”

Nonsense!Paul is a conservative, just anti-war.
Tennwriter
December 7th, 2011 @ 10:03 am

What I’m saying is that you’re building a straw man.

Fear the Theocrats! Fear the Theocrats!

Except the only guy who remotely deserves that level of fear is Fred Phelps, and he’s a Democrat.

Libertarians excel at sowing discord and division, and they need to be called out for it.
Anonymous
December 7th, 2011 @ 2:09 pm

You guys are embarrassing yourselves. Santorum shouldn’t even have entered this race. Period. Let’s see, can he win the key state of PA ? We don’t even have to speculate on that one, do we…
Anonymous
December 7th, 2011 @ 2:13 pm

And his church congregation are the ONLY ones who would vote for him. Should be able to garner about 13% of the GOP vote. Sounds like a winner to me.
Anonymous
December 9th, 2011 @ 9:15 pm

Santorum lost in a horrible year to the son of an immensely popular governor, Bob Casey, Jr. A lot of the electorate THOUGHT they were voting for the ex-governor! And that “Democrat” had to be pr0-life and pro-gun!

You’re overlooking the fact that Santorum won his race TWICE in a “purple” state that has an awful lot more “blue” than “red”. AND he beat candidates managed by the Democrats’ grandmeister political consultant, “The Ragin’ Cajun”, James Carville.
Tennwriter
December 9th, 2011 @ 10:09 pm

I’m starting to think there is NO overlooking going on here. Its deliberate partisan mudslinging.
Perera P Nimesh
December 9th, 2011 @ 10:53 pm

LOL. Rick santorum? sorry but no. Hell be one of the first people gone. It’s gonna be Ron Paul Romney or Gingrich. Rick santorum
sounds very constitutional with his desire to go to War with Iran without a congressional vote. How about his budget? Oh nothing better than Barack o Bush?