Rick Santorum belongs on the tragic defeat list. A great conservative senator who made one mistake.
Rick Santorum belongs on the tragic defeat list. A great conservative senator who made one mistake.
Driving is that way too. Sometimes even a little mistake will get you killed. Even though he was one of the better Senators and way better than we'll see in Pa for a while, he did compromise his principles.
You're right about that. His poll numbers collapsed right after the Toomey fiasco and NEVER recovered. Had he not made that dreadful mistake, he may have had a chance to hold his seat. My guess is he still would have lost given the negative environment and Casey name, but it would have only been by a couple points instead of the 20-point shellacing he did take.
However, he would still be a hero among us Conservatives and would be a VERY formidable force for the '08 presidential nomination, given the RINO parade we are currently faced with.
Truly tragic.
I don't think it was any single "mistake" that cost Rick the election - - I think it was the matter of a teetering-liberal northeastern state with a typically mindless electorate which voted for a friendly and familiar name, regardless that that name belonged to a boring and clueless empty suit, in a cycle (6th year of a two-term Presidency) which is traditionally a big loser for the incumbent party.
I do agree, however, that Rick's clumsy statements about gays a couple of years ago hurt him, and his support for Toomey over Specter in the previous primary probably cost him a few votes as well. Then there was this year's MSM smear job over Santorum's kids' private school financing at the same time as they were giving the rat in the race a complete pass (as usual).
Add it all up and Santorum never stood a chance, sorry to say.