We have been saying for weeks that this could happen. A late break by Santorum could erase the plausibility question make Rick the conservative alternative to Mitt. Byron York thinks that may be just what is happening.
There was one candidate that nearly all of them wanted to support, and that was Rick Santorum. But they had a problem with Santorum, too. That problem wasn’t about knowledge, or experience, or personal history. No, the problem with Santorum was always electability. Many, many social conservatives said that they wanted to support Santorum but were troubled by his inability to rise about two or three percent support in the polls. If Santorum could just show that he could rise a bit higher, they said, then who knows how much support might come his way?
Now Santorum has done just that. A new CNN/Time poll has Santorum in third place in the Iowa race, with the support of 16 percent of those surveyed. That’s up dramatically from the last CNN/Time poll, in early December, which showed Santorum in sixth place, with the support of five percent of respondents.
If Santorum’s support really does stand at 16 percent — and there are always questions about the accuracy of any one poll — then there is a good chance Santorum will erase remaining doubts among Iowa social conservatives who are eager to support him but worried about electability. And if that happens, Santorum could rise quickly, taking support away from more problematic candidates. In the CNN/Time poll, Gingrich is at 14 percent, Perry 11 percent, and Bachmann nine percent. If those voters believe their own candidate is weakening and that Santorum is a viable alternative, they might well jump to Santorum. His current 16 percent support could increase considerably.
Beyond Iowa, Santorum has significant hurdles to getting the nomination. The biggest, and most reasonable, is the question “Can he beat Obama? He lost in Pennsylvania.”
But first things first. He needs to surprise in Iowa and make himself the ABM candidate (Anybody But Mitt). If he does, the scrutiny and attacks will be white hot and vicious. How he weathers the barrage will say a lot about he will handle Obama.
Again, first things first.
Go Rick.
(BTW, if this really happens, it is the official position of CMR, that my endorsement of a few weeks ago is what turned the tide for Rick and I expect a position in the administration. I’m thinking HHS.)
December 29, 2011 at 2:21 pm
He also failed to get himself onto the primary ballot in Virginia…now I can't vote for him.
December 29, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Let's start a prayerevolution for Rick S. This is the time to storm heaven as they say.
I fear for my teenager to grow up with our country in a mess. The situation seems more dire than when I grew up, and I don't think that every generation necessarily has this same lament. Things are going in the wrong direction. We need a strong, intelligent, thoughtful, principled man who will surround himself with same. Rick S. is that man. (I am a pro-life idependent and have been for the ~30 yrs. I have been able to vote.)
December 29, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Yes, we need to storm heaven because at this point on the slippery slope it will take a miracle for Santorum to win the presidency from the evil agendas.
December 29, 2011 at 10:27 pm
The rosary turned the tide at Lepanto. The rosary will bring us victory in our presidential election.
December 30, 2011 at 1:51 am
Isn't it REALLY anybody but Ron Paul?? Let's be honest, hasn't just about every other candidate been considered acceptable on this forum but, as you referred to him, "Professor Boing Boing"???
Santorum indeed. I've seen how HE rolls. Go ahead without THIS Catholic.
December 30, 2011 at 2:01 am
Check out this interview that Rick did with NBC Today show earlier today.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45814317/ns/today-today_people/#.Tv0ZwTWXRYo
He publicly admitted that he follows the teachings of the Catholic Church on contraception. That is incredible. In all my life I have never heard a priest give a homily on the immorality of contraception and here we have a very courageous politician defend a very unpopular teaching of the Catholic Church to a national audience. I previously liked Rick but this interview has raised my respect for him to a new level that I have never had before for any politician. I have already contributed to his campaign and urge all good Catholics to support him as well.
December 31, 2011 at 7:37 pm
The general disrespect you have shown for Ron Paul has led me to doubt any other statement or endorsement you have made, however right (or not) you may actually be.
It's like sales: if you completely run down your competitors, you lose the respect of the customer, who may in fact turn to one of the competitors you have just run down. I am more likely to purchase from Toyota if their representative says, "Well, Honda and General Motors are both good companies, but I think you will be more pleased with what you find here," than if he were to say, "You mean Horrible-honda and General Boing-Boing? You gotta be kidding me."
Since you have been so flagrantly disrespectful and dismissive of a man, RP, who has many strong and intellectually sound points (and is more courageous in speaking against certain problems than most of the other candidates), I can only say that you have lost my trust. I'm seriously disappointed in what I once thought was a quality blog.
January 2, 2012 at 10:52 pm
But Paul, Santorum promises to bomb, bomb, bomb… bomb, bomb Iran! And he's so much cheaper than Gingrich, he goes for 65K rather than 1.5 mil. Sucha bargain for the 3rd most corrupt in the Senate and Catholic to boot! He's the whole package!
http://www.citizensforethics.org/index.php/press/entry/crew-releases-second-annual-most-corrupt-members-of-congress-report/