Rand-hater Santorum heavily considering 2016 presidential run

[QuickZ06]

We've made a few mistakes politically....but my state (Louisiana) was one of the states that Ron Paul won last year, so it's not all bad! We also have great food, and nobody parties like we do!!

Did someone say party!!!!!

 

[Bastiat's The Law]

Yep. A lot of people blamed the "Santorum media surge" (including myself at the time), but if we're really honest, that surge was the result of Santorum practically running for Governor of Iowa despite barely any resources. Ron had millions and an enthusiastic base at his disposal, yet he kept with a modest educational campaign which yielded him a close 3rd place.

Santorum taught us a valuable lesson, he simply out worked us. He had little money, but he had a campaign bus and visited all 99 counties in Iowa. Iowans love that up close and personal retail politics stuff. They want to shake your hand and talk one on one, sometimes several times throughout the campaign. Even though Ron is in good shape for his age, he's still mid 70's.

 

[talkingpointes]

Santorum taught us a valuable lesson, he simply out worked us. He had little money, but he had a campaign bus and visited all 99 counties in Iowa. Iowans love that up close and personal retail politics stuff. They want to shake your hand and talk one on one, sometimes several times throughout the campaign. Even though Ron is in good shape for his age, he's still mid 70's.

He had the social con vote from the get-go, anyone that was on the huckabee bus joined frothy. Ron spoke to probably half as many people but we for sure did the other half.

I give Ron full credit till this day. He changed this country and caused what is looking like a revolution. There is no stopping it at this point. We all know what happened. The media ignored him and picked other candidates why do people keep denying this simple fact. Every station the night of, and for a week after didn't mention he tied bachmann ... Have we already forgot this. He WAS WINNING!

 

[talkingpointes]

People -- the media hates us and anything to do with the last name Paul - Paul Ryan for instance, is fine.

The party already has rules in place so we can't fight it out at the caucuses, how is this going to happen without majority or a delegate strategy?

 

[Uriah]

We should all be rejoicing at the idea of Santorum running again. Of all the candidates in the 2012 primary, the attacks Ron Paul's campaign had against Santorum were by far the strongest both in the debates and in TV ads. This is because Santorum represents a failed GOP which bears no resemblance to the parties supposed small government principles. He is THE personification of the fundamental contradiction between the parties "pro family" rhetoric and the actual small government values conservatism was founded on. Watching Rand corner him and take him to the woodshed in the debates will not only be a lot of fun, it will be a productive way of displaying that libertarianism is the heart of conservatism, and that conservatives who deviate from libertarian ideology will be shown as hypocrites.

That second video gives me chills. I wish Ron Paul had won. His philosophy is what this country really needs. More like returning to our foundation.

 

[talkingpointes]

People -- the media hates us and anything to do with the last name Paul - Paul Ryan for instance, is fine.

The party already has rules in place so we can't fight it out at the caucuses, how is this going to happen without majority or a delegate strategy?

 

[compromise]

Actually it seems as if SC is becoming pro-liberty. Mulvaney, Scott, Gowdy, and now Sanford are all ranging from decent to very good and people like Tom Davis and Lee Bright in the State Senate as well as Nancy Mace and Jack Hunter among others are going to help the state morph into a more pro-liberty Republican state. I'd say Alabama and Mississippi are the worst, as well as Tennessee, which still sucks up to the establishment.

Rep. Jeff Duncan has been alright too. SC seems to be becoming a free state. Only disappointment is "libertarian" Nikki Haley, I expected her to be a little better, although she has improved a little recently.

 

[Uriah]

Yep. A lot of people blamed the "Santorum media surge" (including myself at the time), but if we're really honest, that surge was the result of Santorum practically running for Governor of Iowa despite barely any resources. Ron had millions and an enthusiastic base at his disposal, yet he kept with a modest educational campaign which yielded him a close 3rd place.

Another thing to note. The Bachmann campaign started to implode about 4 weeks before the election. Lost endorsements, staff quiting, etc. Social conservatives flocked to her which lead to her surge but bad press and sagging poll numbers caused many to question their support for her. The media gave a couple good pieces on Santorum and he surged in the last couple of weeks. Of course, almost nobody gave Ron Paul a good piece despite his increasing poll numbers.

Also, many people think Santorum really worked crowds of Iowans. But he did not. He did visit all 99 counties but when he visited my county about 7-9 people showed up, including media. He didn't connect with that many people because nobody knew who he was.

 

[Brett85]

With all due respect, I think this is ridiculous...

Rand already supports a Federal law, first of all, so Santorum can't make up the stupid crap about being halfway pro-choice like he did with Ron.

Yeah, I know, but it's just his recent rhetoric that I disagree with, like the "thousands of exceptions for abortion" and other similar statements. Having Santorum in the race will hopefully keep Rand from saying those kind of things.

 

[Brett85]

Making him close to unelectable in the general election? Yeah, that will work.

The most recent polls show that Americans are becoming more pro life. The most recent Gallup poll showed that 58% of Americans either think that abortion should always be illegal or should be illegal most of the time.

 

[bunklocoempire]

He had the social con vote from the get-go, anyone that was on the huckabee bus joined frothy. Ron spoke to probably half as many people but we for sure did the other half.

I give Ron full credit till this day. He changed this country and caused what is looking like a revolution. There is no stopping it at this point. We all know what happened. The media ignored him and picked other candidates why do people keep denying this simple fact. Every station the night of, and for a week after didn't mention he tied bachmann ... Have we already forgot this. He WAS WINNING!

Thanks T.P. Yep. Ron is STILL WINNING.

Rand (the best shot at truth) needs exposure. Debates Debates Debates. The truth works when it gets out there and the truth certainly got out there when Ron had a chance to speak.

Ron was and is very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very courteous and I don't blame him one iota for presenting the truth as he presented/presents it.

I am chomping at the bit to see Rand debate these turds

 

[Brett85]

But that's not Rand Paul's position. He doesn't want to leave abortion to the states. He wants to declare fetuses "persons", which would make abortion a Federal crime. It's going to be difficult to sell this position to independent voters.

And if Santorum can push him futher to the right on abortion or gay marriage...God help us in the general election.

Declaring fetuses "persons" would not make abortion a federal crime. We don't have federal murder laws, and if fetuses were declared "persons" it would simply force the states protect the unborn. There would be no federal abortion police or anything like that.

 

[FriedChicken]

This X1000. Santorum's 99 county tour was nothing short of brilliant in terms of campaign strategy. A lot of people don't like to admit it, but we lost Iowa largely because Santorum outworked us. While Ron was taking off weekends back in Texas Santorum was going to every church who would have him. If Rand is going to win convincingly we need him to display a similar work ethic.

Someone told me that for a while, when his campaign didn't have any funds, he and a skeleton crew staff were staying in host homes sleeping in spare rooms and on couches.

I use to book bands and promote concerts - to save money on show expenses I would offer to let bands stay in my house for the night instead of booking a hotel room. The bands that stayed with me left a great impression - we got to know each other much better and became friends. I would work twice as hard to bring them to town for a packed out show next time when I had a personal connection with them.

I would bet it was the same for Santorum. The families he spent that much time with probably worked 3x's as hard as they would have otherwise and it surely guaranteed the votes and loyalty of many of their friends.

When you're as unlikable as Santorum (I remember my wife making a comment about him looking like a mean, whiney brat during just the first debate when it was only 4 candidates) you have to work that hard to get votes.
If Rand put near that much effort into Iowa he could probably win with over 50% of the popular vote.

I think if Santorum had been well funded enough to just run ads and have others do the work for him he would have lost. His low funds forced him to be as personal as possible and that made him the winner.
The fake surge definitely assisted, but if all that work wasn't put in ahead of time the "surge" wouldn't have worked.

 

[Bruno]

The GOP likes to give the nod to the "2nd guy last time around", so that would be Santorum unfortunately. And the media likes to push that same person, especially if they are a horrible candidate like Ricky, so that wouldn't be good at all for us, despite how great we may think Rand would do in the debates. Santorum got 1st in the Iowa caucuses, though when the dust settled Ron got the delegates.

 

[talkingpointes]

The GOP likes to give the nod to the "2nd guy last time around", so that would be Santorum unfortunately. And the media likes to push that same person, especially if they are a horrible candidate like Ricky, so that wouldn't be good at all for us, despite how great we may think Rand would do in the debates. Santorum got 1st in the Iowa caucuses, though when the dust settled Ron got the delegates.

Combine that with the RNC chair handpicking the candidate; what is the strategy

 

[erowe1]

I don't see Santorum being the establishment pick.

 

[compromise]

I don't see Santorum being the establishment pick.

This.

Santorum is embarrassing.

Christie or Rubio are far stronger choices.

 

[erowe1]

This.

Santorum is embarrassing.

Christie or Rubio are far stronger choices.

I think if Jeb Bush runs, he'll be it. If not, then it could be one of those or someone who's name isn't even in the mix yet. I still think that if Mike Pence decides to run, he'll be a major force. And there are others lurking in the background like that.

 

[amy31416]

I don't know if he's really a threat or not, but don't forget to mention to any Baptist types that he's Catholic--apparently Baptists* generally do not like the Catholic church and think Catholics are pawns of the evil pope. Sorta like what Petar thinks.

*I'm referring to "white" Baptist churches, I've known plenty of black Baptists and never got the impression that they had any opinion on the Catholic church.

 

[JCDenton0451]

Declaring fetuses "persons" would not make abortion a federal crime. We don't have federal murder laws, and if fetuses were declared "persons" it would simply force the states protect the unborn. There would be no federal abortion police or anything like that.

It would make abortion illegal in New Hampshire and Virginia, that's what I had in mind. No chance of winning these states with this kind of platform.