Posted on 12/27/2011 11:33:51 AM PST by Antoninus
Add another to the list! Santorum and Bachman are the only conservatives in the race. Lesser of the RINO evils won’t get my vote.
This demographic is not all that stable. They include single as well as married women who are more interested in economic progress, a non-threatening foreign policy, and of course someone who is reasonably telegenic. It also includes a fair percentage of moderate Catholics. Santorum is Catholic. Besides, if he, as favorite son, peels of PA, Obama is toast.
Please add my to the lise
I would hope that if Santorum were the nominee, he’d attract that demographic. Some years ago I was monitoring a gubernatorial election here in VA where in the closing weeks of the campaign, the D candidate made a huge issue of the R’s pro-life position (Wilder v Coleman, c. 1989?). I was shocked to see the white, middle class, family women at my then-neighborhood flocking to the polls to vote for Wilder. It was (at least then) a very R precinct. Wilder carried it by @ 60%, well above his statewide performance. The election was so close, Coleman got a free recount that turned out to be, essentially, the end of his political career. (well, except until John Warner resurrected him to run as an independent spoiler in ‘94 to fracture the R vote and assure that Chuck Robb would beat Ollie North for the U.S. Senate seat). My faith in white, middle class women to vote R was demolished that day.
Sign me up!
Liked the ad though he didn’t talk about what his vision is for the country and our out of control government. Shocked that the ad has twice as many dislikes as likes. Seriously, people despise him. I guess he is threatening to alternative lifestyles and people who like killing babies and want more of it.
That’s strange since Reagan ran as pro-life as did Bush.
That’s strange since Reagan ran as pro-life as did Bush.
Edinva, the same think happened in TX a year later, when suburban women turned against Clayton W. Williams, Jr., and narrowly elected Ann Richards, who stressed her support for abortion. Had Williams won, there would have been no opening for GWB in 1994!
Do you think Santorum could win PA if he were the nominee? PA hasn’t elected a president since 1856, and home-state pride sometimes helps, but not for George McGovern in SD in 1972.
Unlike Newt, who's having trouble even getting on the ballot in his own state...
“...Reagan ran as pro-life as did Bush.”
A major difference is that with Reagan, when you envisioned his political philosophy, his priorities, the first thing that came to mind was “anti-Communist, anti-USSR.” His pro-life position was a secondary consideration. In political terms developed since ‘80, Reagan was seen as a ‘national security’ candidate.
With Santorum, the first thing you think of is ‘pro-life,’ and ‘pro-(traditional) marriage.’ He is known primarily as a ‘social conservative,’ without an offset that involves the economy or national security. If Santorum were seen as strong on one of those issues it would affect the consideration of a pro-choice woman who would be willing put social issues lower on her priorities in consideration of a candidate to support.
Note: I am not saying Santorum hasn’t been involved in those issues, and am addressing perceptions only. The perception of Santorum is that he’s only a ‘social conservative.’ And the women I refer to are not those whose first and only issue is ‘choice,’ but those to whom it is important but not the only or top issue.
As to Bush ... well, he won his elections but not by margins approaching Reagan’s. He ran on a pro-life platform, but those social issues were not seen as his top and only issues.
Didn’t know Santorum had a daughter who was born with Trisomy 18. Didn’t know he home-schooled (we do, too!)
Maybe it’s a good thing he’s been below the radar while Cain and Gingrich were pummeled. They deflected the hate and rage of the MSM (and GOP) and perhaps now Santorum can be a phoenix and win the nomination. Hoping he can stop Romney!
Please add me to the Santorum ping list. Thanks.
Santorum is the most conservative, plus I believe he would make the most conservative appointments. I trust him above all the others.
Please add me, sir.
I'm NOT saying this to support Mitt- I'm voting for Santorum Tuesday - we should remember the past here and learn from it. I'd be willing to try dragging Bachmann or Perry across the finish line in the fall, but believe Santorum is a far better choice. I don't trust Newt as far as I could throw Paul.
Santorum's negatives are Spector and his big 2006 loss. He lost big then for three reasons. #1 was Spector. Anyone who votes Obama over Santorum in the fall would be guilty of more of the same than was Santorum in choosing Spector over Toomey. Although worthy of consideration in the primaries the problem disappears in the general. #2 was voters were mad at Bush and congressional RINOS for going along with big spending Democrats in 2006. As they are now more mad at Obama than the RINOs and Bush isn't running that problem also disappears for Santorum in the general. That might be a problem if Mitt were the choice. It might also be problem were Perry the choice as Obama and the MSM would vigorously caricature him as W's dumber brother. I know he's not, but Perry hasn't show the ability to prove it! Santorum's #3 problem in 2006 was the left found the last pro-life name Democrat in the country to run against him, thus denying him the monopoly on pro-life single issue voters. With the most pro-abort Democratic running that problem also disappears in the general.
All the left can do to attack Santorum is to attack him on the issues. He's been through enough tough races to have outed any dirt on him; there isn't any. The only unvetted dirt would be Obama's. Most here would support his stands on the issues; certainly more so than Romney's stands. Unlike McCain he'll strongly defend those issues. If he does well in Iowa, especially if he beats Bachmann and Perry, he'll rise in the polls at their expense and start to become a plausible option. Get to where Cain had been in the polls and his "unelectable" label will be forgotten as was Herman's for awhile. Sure he'll need money, but any GOP nominee will have enough funds, used wisely, to compete in the fall. None will have as much as Obama, but even McCain's stash would have been enough had he fought as hard as his Veep and had he seen through TARP (which Santorum did.)
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