This will be brief, but expect additions to follow in updates. Rick Santorum is now urging his supporters to get behind Mitt Romney:
Rick Santorum has officially endorsed Mitt Romney, and notified his supporters in an email sent Monday night.
In the email, the former presidential candidate cited his Friday meeting with Romney in his hometown of Pittsburgh as a reason he finally got behind the presumptive GOP nominee.
“On Friday, Governor Romney came to Pittsburgh for an over-hour long one-on-one meeting,” Santorum said in the email. “The conversation was candid, collegial and focused on the issues that you helped me give voice to during our campaign; because I believe they are essential ingredients to not only winning this fall, but turning our country around.” . . .
In the lengthy email, Santorum encouraged Romney to “add more conservative leaders as an integral part of his team.”
“And you can be sure that I will work with the governor to help him in this task to ensure he has a strong team that will support him in his conservative policy initiatives,” Santorum said. . . .
“Above all else, we both agree that President Obama must be defeated,” the letter read. “The task will not be easy. It will require all hands on deck if our nominee is to be victorious. Governor Romney will be that nominee and he has my endorsement and support to win this the most critical election of our lifetime.”
More at Memeorandum. As I say, this initial memo will be brief. If you supported Santorum, you must now respect his judgment that getting on board with the Romney campaign — “all hands on deck,” as Santorum says — is a vital obligation for all conservatives.
UPDATE: Ed Morrissey at Hot Air:
Santorum is scheduled to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this evening, and ABC’s Shushannah Walshe says that Santorum was expected to make a commitment at that time. Santorum apparently decided to announce the endorsement as soon as he made the decision. That may take a little of the drama out of tonight’s appearance, but it also may draw more interest as people tune in to hear Santorum’s explanation of the endorsement.
Here’s the thing I want to get across to our readers: Whenever Republicans lose a presidential election, the first thing the GOP Establishment does is to focus blame on conservatives. This is why Sarah Palin was scapegoated for the 2008 defeat, because treacherous swine like Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace, who get paid to win elections, don’t want to accept responsibility for their own failures.
It is therefore an urgent necessity — however painfully ironic — that hard-core grassroots conservatives give their maximum effort to help Romney defeat Barack Obama, because if Team Mitt loses this election, you will be blamed. Your honor as a conservative, to say nothing of the future of our Republic, thus requires from you even greater labors than you would have made if Rick Santorum had won the nomination.
Like I said, “painfully ironic.”
UPDATE II: In case you don’t understand how the GOP Establishment’s blame-shifting apparatus works, Tony Lee explains it at Big Journalism. Here’s the thing: When Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace backstabbed Palin and threw her under their RINO careerism bus, they thought their vicious treachery would never be discovered, because they’re so much smarter than everybody in the conservative grassroots.
UPDATE III: As I say, however, this isn’t the time to be nursing old grudges. We’ve got find a way to win, or else expect to be blamed for the defeat. Bridget Johnson at PJM notes that Santorum’s e-mail “stressed his differences with Mitt Romney and therefore gave the need to beat President Obama as the key reason to vote for the former Massachusetts governor.” Well, of course that’s what Santorum did.
If he hadn’t been honest about the differences, his endorsement wouldn’t have persuaded anyone. Here’s the crucial word from Lisa Graas:
Since May [2011], I have been 100% behind Rick Santorum because I trust him to do what is right for America. If Rick Santorum believes that Mitt Romney will defend life and marriage, then that is good enough for me. I also now endorse Mitt Romney for President and look forward to being a part of Rick Santorum’s grassroots volunteer team to continue the fight for conservatism in America.
One of the key topics at the Mitt/Rick meeting? Vanuatu.
UPDATE IV: Readers will recall that yesterday I said it is important to let Team Mitt do their job. That is to say, we shouldn’t be disgruntled, sitting around second-guessing them and bitch, bitch, bitching for the next six months. That ain’t gonna beat Obama, OK?
Our confidence in Team Mitt should prevent us from being distracted by certain people (not on the campaign) whining because they didn’t think Santorum’s endorsement was sufficiently sycophantic.
Hey, whiners: Kissing ass is your job, not Rick’s.
UPDATE V: Robert Costa at National Review talks about Team Mitt’s new hires, including former Santorum campaign director, Mike Biundo.
For the past couple of days, I’ve been biting my tongue about this, which got linked here, and to which I obliquely replied Sunday night. Because we are now in what Ace likes to call “game faces” mode, some insults must be ignored and some injuries suffered in silence.
Our personal interests or narrow ambitions should never be confused with “the conservative movement,” which is larger than any one person. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and owe an obligation to those who suffered and sacrificed to build this movement, and who are no longer here to aid us in our struggle. Humble service is our duty, and the scrupulous fulfillment of that duty is a matter of honor.
Note, please, that this mild acknowledgement has been included in the fifth update, three hours after the original post went online. That is to say, I’ve put it where it will attract little public notice, merely so that it may be known to friends that I am fully aware.
I’m in. But I got in after Rick & Newt dropped out. Santorum’s endorsement makes me feel better about my decision to support Mitt (although I did vote RS in NY’s primary even though he dropped out), but the fact that Lisa Graas is in now makes me feel MUCH better. Lisa is MIGHTY and if she’s in the fight, the Right can’t go wrong!
I’ll bring the butter and beverages. Ya want beer, brandy, or ( …… ahhhh the heck with the B’s) soda pop?
With either one, the country is down the tubes. Obama in 3 or Romney 6 or 7. Same results, only the year until changes. Maybe faster will actually wake Americans up, if they have any balls left.
The 4th way is to sit out the Pres vote. Boycott both. Focus on putting honest people in Congress. When that fails, and it will, start stocking up for What Is To Come and be ready.
Ok, probably a good idea — but I’m still not going to get my hopes up in the slightest…and I’m still stocking up on white hull-less.
Eh, luckily Obama will be so bad that I can support Romney simply by pointing out his flaws and remaining silent about Romney’s.
Cause if we can’t stop sliding away from personalities and start sliding towards principles, America doesn’t much work as a country, at least classically speaking.
As far as I can tell, Romney’s main true principle is that “Family is Cool,” and that’s just too nebulous for me to take to the streets.
The problem is Chuck, as has been stated here many a time, that you cannot separate cultural issues from political ones…and no matter what society has to pay for the culture it promotes.
While not a true so-con, I will say this: drop them and dump on them at your own risk: it leaves them open for courting from someone else (it has happened in other countries at other times, and it has ended badly). You don’t know what the future may bring — what if Romney wins, without the socons and/or they get marginalized and held to be unimportant…and the Dems run with a canidate who courts them? Socialism has wooed and won socons cast aside before; it has been a lie, but when people are adrift and desperate to have their voices heard….
And by the by: I detest Huckster and have never trusted his sincerity or his judgement; you don’t have to be an evangelical or church lady type to support some of the socon platform or at least see its importance.
I’d compare this to ‘cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face’, except it’s more like decapitation.
What would survive if we had to suffer through four more years of Obama? Not much.
If Romney ends up half as bad as people seem to think, we can primary him in 2016.
[…] of the fedora to Stacy McCain, who comments: …When Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace backstabbed Palin and threw her under their RINO […]
what if Romney wins, without the socons and/or they get marginalized and held to be unimportant
Well, Boo Hoo. Just look at some of these comments and tell me whose fault that would be. If they insist on throwing their little hissy fit tantrums and not voting for Mitt on election day, what the hell does he owe them? Why do you think I tell them every chance I get to get on board? I agree with them on some things and I want to see them have a seat at the table. I do not, however, want them to have the whole fucking table and throw crumbs to the rest of us.
This my way or the highway attitude might just be why they don’t have as much influence as they want. Or rather, I should say as much as they should have.
Actually, the evidence is that Elizabeth Warren’s employers used her self-proclaimed minority status to inflate their diversity stats.
Erick Erickson is so full of his bloviating, prissy self, he’s become pathetic.
He thinks his one of The Inner Circle now and every word out of his mouth is a pearl of wisdom.
Erickson has officially become insufferable.
If you’re talking about Willard, then, yes, you are correct: he is not a Commie.
However, he is a Dupe.
Anyone who believes that there is any nobility in anyone on the Left is a Dupe.
Yes, he is Mr. Republican. Rick Santorum was the watered-down brew.
Well put.
One quibble: I think Mr. Santorum gets it in the sense a child senses that something’s not right with mommy and daddy’s behavior.
Huckabee will tell them to go vote for Romney.
I know the secret handshake.
Bob — The Invaders From Mars theory, eh?
Yep, “as has been stated here many a time” repetition only makes things true in socialist land. Of course the social conservatives are going to run off with the socialists the first chance they get, what do you think that word social means?
It would be fun to see. Here in Cambridge, Massachusetts on the left bank of the Charles River, a lot of heads would explode at the first prayer breakfast. Rachel Maddow would have to move to Canada.
The Catholic vote is the bellweather and if the nominee isn’t socially conservative, the Catholics vote Democrat. It is what it is.
Erickson bloviate? Surely, you jest!
Without a Congress that actually passes budgets his power to screw things up is limited.
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” — John Adams
We’ve got a president now who really believe he’s a god-king. He’s just asking for another fours years to prove it.
That’s how I feel. I think that some good can come from this even with Romney.
With or without SoCon support they will be marginalized and held to be unimportant, I don’t think our socialists are capable of wooing SoCons.
Shorter Pathfinder’s Wife:
WAAAHHH!!!!
Look, if you want to whine like a baby now that the primaries are over, knock your immature little self out: this is America, after all, and being a cheezehead over politics is your inalienable right.
But, as I said: Don’t pretend you’re doing the nation a favor by helping to insure a second Obama term, with all that that implies.
Having to adhere to a budget won’t stop the regulations and there are billions of dollars appropriated but not spent yet that a determined autocrat can dip into when he feels the need.
[…] the final UPDATE to RS McCain’s post about Mitt […]
Oh, name calling now. That’s really helpful too.
Dude, I’m not the one throwing a temper tantrum. I’m just pointing out that 1) not everybody is in love with Romney, for many different reasons; this is known as having an individual opinion and 2) acting like a bully isn’t really swinging them over to your way of thinking.
Why has this been so hard for Romney supporters to grasp? He’s the product: sell it (hint: “buy it or else” is not a good strategy, nor even very American in principle).
The question could also be asked: given his past record and even his present behavior, what do the socons owe Romney?
Again, he’s the product; he needs to sell himself.
Being a businessman he should know this.
And no, they shouldn’t hog all the buffet…but giving them no place because you feel that you aren’t getting heard enough and are mad isn’t the way to go about it either.
Santorum had his big blunder with the libertarians and the Tea Party folks over just this very thing (it’s one thing to point out where you disagree and see problems within a movement because you stand on the outside of it and perhaps can see it better….it’s quite another to just write them off and antagonize them).
It cost him, now didn’t it?
That is because they have not seen any opportunity in it yet.
But things can change, and we can’t predict the future — always expect the unexpected.
After 8 years of Romney?
So…anyone who disagrees with you or perhaps points out a possibility that isn’t in keeping with your view of the way things should be is automatically a socialist?
Or is it that you bank on people just getting in line, even if it is against their principle, even if they are cast aside and told to sit down, shut up, and do as they are told (and if they don’t, then they were obviously never loyal to begin with)? And they will do this forever and ever, just because?
Sorry, but I see that as a recipe for disaster, and very short sighted. I think that any political group going about things with this mindset does so at its own risk.
But this obviously makes me a pinko, so please, pay it no mind. Tally-ho!
Hey, they’re the ones who act like they want to use the federal government to promote and maybe even enforce their social policies. This is one of the things that made many people wary of Santorum. When we say we want limited government and fiscal restraint, that’s exactly what the hell we mean.
Not “let’s use this government bureaucracy to promote the Lord’s work and win souls for Christ”. Socialism with a cross is still socialism. Of course when they read this some of them will say “yeah, he’s just some atheist asshole who hates God”. Not a whole lot different from being called raaaaacist.
But they just don’t get it. They act like its inconceivable to them that we mean what we say when we say we want small government. It has to be all about them. And you wonder why Charles and others call them socialist.
Everyone arguing and all I get is a quote from a Founding Father that sums up the point I was trying to make much better than I was.
I don’t know if that means I win or lose teh internet.
Give them no place? Hell, I’ve been begging them to take their place. They’re the ones that storm off in a huff.
You really shouldn’t get me started on this shit. I remember the days large numbers of them refused to go to the polls to vote for George W. Bush, and why?
Because years back in the past, he got a DUI for drunk driving. Even though by all accounts he was a “born again Christian” for years since that time, what did they do? Off in a fucking little snit they went and almost caused Al Fucking Gore of all people to win the presidency.
And bear in mind, this DUI happened way before he was Governor of Texas, let alone running for President.
And it gets worse. How many of these jackasses, because their little sensibilities were insulted, stayed home and caused that many more Democrats to win election to the House, Senate, Governors and State Legislatures? I’ve never seen any numbers on that one, but I bet more than a few Democrats got a reprieve, because a bunch of assholes that claim to “hate the sin, love the sinner” couldn’t handle a guy who actually-gasp-committed a sin at some point in the past. But of course, we’re all sinners saved by grace and all that bullshit. I don’t know about that, but we sure skated on having to endure an Al Gore presidency, but it was sure as hell no thanks to these assholes.
Like I said, you should never get me started on this shit.
Interesting thing about SoCons: they aren’t just Republicans.
I’d like to see the SoCons sit this election out. After all: why get shat on by pagan temples? SoCons have something better to look forward to anyway.
SoCons should completely turn their back on American politics: no votes, no money, no activism. No will notice them, and it’s a person of very low caliber that would take their votes and money and GOTV and then ship them off to the deep freeze until 2014.
One to three new Supreme Court Justices and up to 300 new lower federal court judges, all with lifetime tenure, will be appointed in the next Presidential term, and will affect the country, the rights of citizens, and the Constitution as applied for the next 30-40 years.
If that’s not enough to motivate them, to hell with them. No sense wasting time on laggards, dullards, and whiners.
Always, Lisa, to some extent.
Your argument fails b/c social and fiscal issues are intertwined … we have a bloated welfare state precisely b/c of a broken family, and private behavior resulting in state subsidies (welfare, abortions, etc.) Ask any honest teacher who works with “at risk” youth, and they will tell you that these kids’ meals, and days are all paid by you, b/c of parental absence and dereliction.
This really should be a no brainer. But instead we get sucked into oversimplification of extremely complex problems. Like there is some bucket that says, “social” versus “fiscal.”
Actually, Rush has done several segments of this issue, and he was highly informative.
He cited Jeffry Bell’s book on social issues, and how they were used to win elections.
Actually, if we have 4 years of gridlock, with an even more entrenched GOP majority in Congress when Obama gets blame for 2 more years of failure in 14…it would be MUCH better for Conservatives. And probably better for the country.
Whereas after 4 years of the “Romney=Conservative because he’s GOP” media meme, the conservative movement would be DEAD, and we’d get another thoroughgoing socialist from the left, with NO opposition.
So yes, Romney winning is demonstrably worse for Conservatism, and probably worse for the country in the long term.
Oh, I am very much aware they’re not all Republicans, in fact quite a damn few of them are Democrats. I think that might just be a whole lot of the problem.
It’s hilarious to hear people threaten to turn their backs on American politics after making it plain they want to use American government to enact their social issues agendas on the rest of us with the full force and power of the federal government.
And, shitting on them? I usually support conservative Republicans, and have supported SoCons. My first choice this election cycle was a SoCon, Michele Bachmann. But she was a SoCon with a brain. She still lost, so that’s that.
I was pissed for a good while when she lost, and still am a little, but god damn man, you have to grow up sometime and move on. You can’t win them all, and by the way, if you want to win, it helps to know how to play the damn game.
I’ve heard of buying your way into heaven, and praying your way into heaven, and working your way into heaven, but SoCons have a new schtick. Evidently they’re going to vote their way into heaven. Or not vote their way into heaven in some cases, I guess. Good luck with all that. While I’m stuck here in the world of reality I’m going to do my best to make it as good as I can.
Then again, my first loyalty beyond myself, family, and community is to the US and more importantly, to the Constitution that made it great. Those are things I know are real, the other fairy tale shit will just have to be put on hold for a while.
And what will that do? He’ll have infinite cash to wash out anyone who would run against him. Plus the Establishment will violate election laws so he can win..again.
Oh stuff the Supreme Court argument. One name: David Souter. Thank you Bush. You think Romney will do better? He sent progressives into the State Judiciary in Mass routinely. So why should I think he’ll do different as President.
He’s a statist who believes Obama simply mis-managed. Not a man convinced Statism is demonstrably unconstitutional and unamerican.
David Souter.
And I am in a swing state. I’m voting 3rd party, because the GOP doesn’t get it. Can’t get it. And won’t get it until Conservatives stop kissing their butt and being neutered every four years for the good of the establishment.
Have fun with a spineless candidate who has no will to fight anyway.
You win. Now, about those use taxes that are past due …
True enough. But that’s the Establishment buying into the media meme that SoCon issues are “extreme.”
Read any comment section of righty, “conservative” blogs and you will find this meme. Its been bought into by conservatives as well.
You are certainly entitled to dream, and we can all hope you’re right.