Posted on 12/10/2011 6:14:49 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Rick Santorum isn’t just attending the debate moderated by Donald Trump. He’s also emerging as one of the debate’s strongest defenders.
“Many of my opponents jockeyed to be the first to fly up to New York and use Donald Trump for a photo op and no doubt try and secure an endorsement. But when Donald wants to moderate a debate — they refuse to attend. That’s what’s so wrong with politics today — hypocrisy,” Santorum said in a strongly worded statement issued last night.
Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, and Jon Huntsman have all announced they will not attend the Newsmax/Ion TV debate to be held in Iowa on December 27 — a slew of rejections that prompted Trump to tell Fox Business Network today that he would “look into” whether he should still hold the debate.
Huntsman’s refusal was no surprise: He has long trumpeted the fact that he has not visited Trump Tower. Paul has been similarly distant, and his national campaign chair Jesse Benton almost immediately rejected the debate invite, dismissing Trump as “a reality television personality” in a statement.
But Romney, Perry, and Bachmann have all visited Trump Tower this cycle. Perry publicly went out on the town with Trump, while Bachmann (who has visited Trump more than once this campaign) held a tele-town hall with the Donald in October.
Santorum himself has not paid Trump a visit, nor has he actively pursued his endorsement. But senior adviser Hogan Gidley says the campaign would like to get that endorsement, and rattles off why Santorum’s platform should appeal to Trump. “We would hope Senator Santorum’s campaign and his core convictions and the fact that he’s a full-spectrum conservative would be something Donald Trump would view as favorable,” Gidley says, talking about Santorum’s jobs plan and policy proposals to renew the manufacturing sector and push back against China’s unfair trade practices.
Furthermore, for Santorum, a strong debater, the chance to do one last debate before the Iowa caucuses offers him a crucial chance to stand out from the pack. While some of the candidates have cited the need to do retail politics as the reason they’re forgoing the debate, Santorum has already visited all of Iowa’s 99 counties. Media attention, not talking to Iowans one on one, is what Santorum needs — and with current frontrunner Newt Gingrich committed to doing the Trump debate, media coverage is guaranteed.
Gidley dismisses the objection, raised by Karl Rove and RNC chair Reince Priebus among others, that it’s a mistake for a person who is still flirting with running as an independent presidential candidate to be a debate moderator. “You’d have to debate him eventually, anyway, so why not do it now?” Gidley says.
And in a debate cycle where many of the moderators have been from mainstream-media outlets, the campaign is pushing the meme that Trump isn’t the moderator to be outraged about. “Let’s be honest, at least Donald Trump will have more in common with the candidates than with the vast majority of past moderators,” Santorum said in his statement.
Santorum, whose debate performances have been characterized by his willingness to directly criticize and challenge his rivals, also took one more shot at the Trump debate no-shows in his statement.
“At this critical time in our nation’s history, just weeks before Iowans cast this important vote — many of the other candidates want to hide behind TV ads and mail pieces,” he said. “We plan to be there front and center in person to debate Newt directly, and if it’s just the two of us, we’re fine with it.”
— Katrina Trinko is an NRO reporter.
with his minimal name recognition, he would be foolish to do otherwise.
Thanks SeekAndFind.
All five of them are busy kissing "moderator" Stephy's feet as I type this.
I’m impressed with Santorums pluck and dismayed with Bachmanns cowadice..
BAchmann was my choice.. not now.. damn..
Trump put it to the candidates.. What about China?..
All but two ran for cover.. shows you something..
Shows what an interesting question it is... What about China?.
Yeah..... what about China!... and also India..
and even Malaysia, Taiwan and Korea.. where all the “jobs” went..
And Mexico for that matter.. even Canada..
Proper economic changes could bleed jobs from all of them back into the U.S.
I am dismayed with Bachmann as well. This was a big mistake. Santorum hasn’t received the treatment he should have. It will be interesting to learn more of his take on the issues.
Why are the PTB attacking Trump? The only answer I can see is that like Bachmann, Palin, etc., he isn’t under their control and they just can’t stand that.
Where were their voices when the likes of Mika and ilk were moderators? Nary a peep out of them. That is telling.
So, to refuse to take part in a “debate” moderated by a potential competitor makes Bachmann a “coward?” Please.
yes....
Santorum is spot on about the other candidate no-shows to the Trump debate. So Trump was good to get a visit but shun for his debate? Good on Newt and Santorum.
“BAchmann was my choice.. not now.. damn..”
I’ve been wavering between Bachmann and Santorum, as my favorites, but I must say right now, it’s Santorum!
But either of them would make a great POTUS.
IMO, Rick Perry should definitely participate.
With just the three of them, Perry would shine and gain a lot of ground.
I’m sick of listening to sanctimoneous Santorem talking about what he did years ago that wasn’t even good enough to get him reelected in his home State. He is constantly trying to convince everyone he is “holier than thou”. I don’t like preachers.
I’m tired of hearing Newt talking in generalities and grandiose ideas. He should just stick to writing books and studying history.
I don’t really think it’s “sanctimoneous” to differentiate yourself from the other candidates, but I guess if you don’t want a particular candidate some might say it is.
No wonder there. Trump has dissed Paul on many occasions.
Why would anyone go kiss his ring when the Donald has already made his proclaimation?
IMO, this "non-debate" is nothing more than another showcase for Trump.
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