Posted on 01/14/2012 3:31:10 PM PST by TBBT
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- With the South Carolina Republican presidential primary a week away, former Sen. Rick Santorum on Saturday received the endorsement of 150 influential Christian conservative leaders who are hoping to prevent former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney from becoming the GOP nominee.
The group, suspicious that Romney's commitment to social conservative causes such as ending legalized abortion is weak, met at a ranch outside of Houston, Texas, in hopes of rallying around one candidate rather than split their votes among three - Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
The endorsement came as the Republican presidential field converged on scenic Charleston, S.C., for a televised town hall meeting for undecided voters hosted by Rep. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said in a telephone news conference after the meeting that the conservatives had begun their deliberations with "not a lot of hope that we could reach consensus around one candidate."
But in the end "there emerged a strong consensus around Rick Santorum," Perkins said, after three rounds of balloting.
Santorum, a staunch anti-abortion social conservative, was considered a long-shot candidate before surprising many by losing to Romney in Iowa caucuses Jan. 3 by only eight votes.
Support fluctuated between Santorum and Gingrich, Perkins said, before more than two-thirds voted for the former Pennsylvania senator. In the end, Santorum received 85 votes out of 114 - a smaller total because Perkins said some participants had left to catch flights.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Santorum has my vote and I’ll try to squeeze out a few more bucks for him. Money is really the only reason a candidate gets out of a race regardless of where they finish in these early races.
In 08 McCain was finishing very low in the early primaries but he had money and media behind him to keep going and pick up delegates as others dropped out.
Don’t know if you saw this thread. Santorum says he’ll home school in the white house.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2832965/posts
A homeschooling President? That’s another reason to vote for Santorum.
This farce will continue right until Romney gets the nomination, just like it did with that moron Huckabee and McCain.
Santorum would just stand there like a deer in the headlights.
Yes, if only they were liked the enlightened Newt fans on FR, they'd realize the guy with endless scandals who placed 4th and 5th place and hasn't won a single county yet is the "only" man who can stop Romney.
Not if the Newt who showed up for global warming "debate" with John Kerry is on stage with Obama in the future. Instead we'd have Newt agreeing with Obama's left-wing premises to show what a smart, enlightened, compassionate conservative he is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY2Uh6TKqnk
>> Santorum would just stand there like a deer in the headlights. <<
Sure, like he always has in the past and especially when he debated Barbara Boxer on the Senate floor. Oh, wait! That didn't happen, did it? Instead, the opposite happened. Santorum moped the floor with the vile leftists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoTjb9rzyEo
... why are you looking at me like that? All the Paul supporters assure me it's going to happen!
“Yes, if only they were liked the enlightened Newt fans on FR, they’d realize the guy with endless scandals who placed 4th and 5th place and hasn’t won a single county yet is the “only” man who can stop Romney.”
You Obama boys are really, really scared of this man aren’t you..??
You should boy cause Obama is going down in 2012....!!!
BTW, only had two primaries and both of them have been in libeals states....Newt will do jus fine in the South.
Be Patient....Obama’s butt whoppins coming, Newt’s just gotta finish off “Ol” lefty Rommy boy first. I want be long now.
“Yes, if only they were liked the enlightened Newt fans on FR, they’d realize the guy with endless scandals who placed 4th and 5th place and hasn’t won a single county yet is the “only” man who can stop Romney.”
You Obama boys are really, really scared of this man aren’t you..??
You should be because Obama is going down in 2012....!!!
BTW, only had two primaries and both of them have been in libeals states....Newt will do just fine in the South.
Be Patient....Obama’s butt whoppins coming, Newt’s just gotta finish off “Ol” lefty Rommy boy first. I want be long now.
That’s dead on, onyx
Why people can’t see through this is beyond me ....
Santorum hasn't said anything in the GOP debates that anyone remembers or cares about.
Newt will go after Obama and the MSM, Santorum will be wide eyed and polite.
We need someone who is going to fight for this election, not another polite Senator.
Romney watched ‘08. He learned from Iowa and the usefulness of Huckabee against Thompson. Of course Thompson’s heart wasn’t in it, unlike Newt’s.
Well, here’s to the Republic and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year to you
Indeed. Quite a few of Newt's think tank "Solutions" are anything but fiscally conservative. I was arguing with one of the Neuticles today who was claiming Santorum is a "big government socialist" but Gingrich is a "fiscal conservative". If that's true, why does Santorum have much better ratings from the Club for Growth and the National Taxpayers Union, both EXCLUSIVELY dedicated to fiscal issues? Are they lying? If Newt's more of a "fiscal conservative", how come he endorsed TARP and the wall street bailouts, an individual mandate for health care, and taking drastic government action to stop global warming -- all of whom Santorum vehemently opposed? Are we to believe that pro-TARP side was the "fiscally conservative" position? And why is it that Santorum is a "socialist" when he took earmarks and raised his own salary, but Newt's a great conservative when he does it? Why is it a "unacceptable" for Santorum to endorse Arlen Specter under pressure, but perfectly OK for Newt to eagerly endorse the even more liberal Dede Scozzafava?
Not ONE of my questions was answered. They'll just repeat "Newt is a fiscal conserevative, Santorum is a pro-life socialist" ad infim, like a broken record.
Newt fans just want to sit in their glass houses and hurl stones, ignoring the fact that Newt's record is to the LEFT of Santorum -- not only on social issues, but fiscal issues as well. Facts are like Kryptonite to Neuticles.
At least I won't stoop to their level. If Santorums a "big government socialist" then we might as well start claiming Newt hates Jews and loves abortion. Why stick with facts when you can just smear people with false accusations?
Thank you very much, dear friend. I wish you the very same for this New Year. Prayers for Republic and for Newt Gingrich’s safe and successful journey to the presidency.
Ohhh, now that he's running for President he sees the error of his ways! Such courage! < /sarcasm> Funny how guys never give Romney a pass when he says he rejects his earlier views.
>> Newt will go after Obama and the MSM, Santorum will be wide eyed and polite. We need someone who is going to fight for this election, not another polite Senator. <<
Obviously you did not click on the links I sent you. The Newt that showed up in the debate with John Kerry was wide eyed and polite, the Santorum who showed in the debate with Barbara Boxer fought for conservatives and went after liberals and the MSM. BTW, you Newt fans do you guy a disservice by continually overhyping his debate skills. If you keep gloating about how Newt will "destroy Obama", you raise the bar for Newt so much that any flub at all, no matter how minor, will be spun as a "victory" for Obama in a debate.
Sorry, I omitted a word (*Our* Republic) - was watching Newt Gingrich’s closing statement.
Huckster’s forum.
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