Posted on 01/25/2012 5:10:13 PM PST by TitansAFC
Sen. Rick Santorum has no viable path to victory and brings no new issues or ideas to the table. He no longer serves a purpose, or has a justification to remain in the race.
Santorum has no viable claim that he is more conservative or more electable than Gingrich. He has no viable claim that he will be better in raising money, in organization, or would do a better job as president. There is simply no path for him. Further despite winning Iowa, Santorum lost badly in NH and SC, and has no means to complete in FL. It is time for him to leave.
The Santorum campaign probably thought, prior to SC, that it had a chance to win values voters. SC results show that those voters went to Gingrich over Santorum, despite an all-out values attack against Gingrich. SC should have put an end to that thinking. There simply is no path for Santorum.
It is time for him to drop out. Hopefully to support Gingrich. It is best for Santorum to quit while he is in a respectable position. Now is that time.
You mean he hasn’t? Who knew?
I think he will be out after Florida - perhaps even sooner since it doesn’t appear he can even compete in the sunshine state. His win in Iowa sort of entitles him to at least try for a bit longer I suppose, but everyone knows Santorum is not going to be the nominee.
I hope he goes back to PA and runs and wins an election or two and gives it another shot on a national level in some future presidential cycle. It was just too soon for him after losing by 18 in 2006.
I am sure that Santorum doesn’t need your advice. He is smart enough to do what he wants. He is 35 and American citizen and that is about what it takes to run for President. So Rick you decide what to do. It is TOTALLY up to you. I like having the insurance of him in the race as a “just in case”.
Erick Erickson needs to STFU. He’s run his mouth enough already and done serious damage to the Conservative cause, beginning with his attacks last year on Sarah Palin. Screw him!
There have been three primaries.
I thought there was little chance of stopping Romney; it’s still an uphill battle.
Perry’s withdrawal and support of Newt was very helpful and honorable. Santorum is a very good man, I hope he does the same, and the notMitt vote can be united.
How sad. rick Santorum is a good man, very presidential. Once again we will be left with the dregs. It shouldn’t be much longer before Jeb bush jumps in. In that case I won’t bother to vote.
I hope he stays in. the PEOPLE OF Florida have NOT voted yet.
Rick had a golden opportunity to stand above the rest in the last debate and did not take advantage. Then you take a look at Newt’s speech today about the space program and it is clear why I am supporting Newt. Rick is not offering up anything. Just that he is Conservative. Well that alone will not get it done. GO NEWT GO!
He probably will if he doesn’t get traction soon. My q is, whom will he endorse, if anyone?
He ain’t taking and it doesn’t matter how much I like him.
Zero energy
Zero Inspiration
He should stay in so we can have a protest vote against the two ughs.
despite an all-out values attack against Gingrich.
***It didn’t strike me as all-out.
Past time. He is just cluttering up the race, no chance to win, and nothing new to offer. Get going Rick.
If Romney wins Florida no other candidate can catch him.
The kook Ron Paul needs to drop out
No but the loudmouth Ericson can kiss my arse.
If we are stuck with Romney, Santorum is going to be a very disliked man by many conservatives.
And Rick won one of those 3. The author should be focusing on getting Ron Paul to drop out.
The problem is Ron Paul has $ (2nd only to Romney). Santorum doesn’t.
I think Rick has great “influence” and at this point may be better suited to helping the eventual nominee defeat Obama. I would love to see him take on that battle. If he leaves now, he leaves intact with plenty of respect and that will allow him to have more credibility later. Just my two cents.
At the time he dropped out, Perry was very unlikely to win, but threatened Newt’s ability to beat out Mitt.
I don’t think that’s the case now with Santorum. He will drop back down to just a few percent at most, so Newt should continue to do well unless he screws up or some scandal raises its head. In other words, Newt could beat Newt, but I don’t think Rick can at this point.
But he does represent a genuinely conservative backup in the race in case Newt implodes for some reason. We’ve seen a lot of ups and downs in this primary cycle.
Frankly, I was hoping that Sarah Palin would be drawn back in, but it doesn’t look like that’s in the cards.
And I like the idea of defeating Romney here and now in Florida. If Romney loses Florida, he’s done.
Santorum has already admitted he’s abandoning Florida, but he shouldn’t drop out. He should just recommend to the Florida voters (like Sarah did in South Carolina) to vote for the leading conservative in the race (Newt in this case) and deprive Romney of the win and the delegates. After losing to Gingrich in South Carolina and Florida, Romney will either drop out or be dumped by the establishment or go down in flames later, then it’ll be a two man race between the two conservatives, Santorum and Gingrich.
Ron Paul is not a conservative and he’s not in it to win it anyway. He’ll have the young, dumb, doper, peace and love liberaltarian vote all to himself.
There is nothing Presidential in the way Santorum has slimed the other conservatives, from Cain all the way down to Newt, when it benefited him politically to twist their ideas into something they weren’t. Santorum is a bottom feeder and needs to drop out. We must unify behind Newt. A resurgent Santorum offers nothing new, no new ideas, and nothing at all interesting. Romney will win in the crossfire between conservatives. It’s time to end it and bring our full attention to purging the moderates from our ranks, starting with Romney himself.
What if Newt wins Florida?
If I was Newt, I would be on the phone talking to Santorum as we speak. They are friends from way back and I would imagine if Newt put it the way you did, he would do just that. I know that Newt will be our nominee. I can see America’s improvement almost immediate in 2013.
Yeah, let’s encourage the only conservative in the race to drop out. That’s the ticket!
Yes, there have been only three primaries, but the libs and GOP establishment our powerful. The Hate-Newt propaganda has already been turned on to full power. We must unite behind Newt to stop any Romney momentum from the artificial support he is getting.
You have a very low opinion of what a conservative is.
You make some good points. For someone who puts forth the idea that he’s wind driven snow pure, there is a lot in how Santorum has campaigned that is far from above board.
He has thrown little snide “almost lies” at a number of other Republicans and has yet to give a memorable trashing of Obama or liberals. He keeps saying he is the one who can go against Obama, but he never demonstrates that ability. He keeps saying he is the true conservative but his record outside of social issues does not support that.
No one’s taken him seriously yet, so he’s sort of skated. IMO he would never stand up to scrutiny of a leader. He snuck into the lead in Iowa while everyone was trashing Newt and not paying him any mind.
I vote that Santorum stays in as a “backup battery” for a while. Newtonium is very volatile.
The the race will continue... but right now Newt is treading water and being out spent 20:1.
Absolutely. If he doesn't, then he's too stupid to be considered again.
If Romney loses Florida, he is wobbling but far from done, unfortunately. He will just regroup for Super Tuesday.
If Newt loses Florida (and right now it looks like he will), it gets very very tough. He will have to bounce back for the third time, and sustain it. He already did it twice, so the miracles do occasionally happen.
And yes, Santorum should just stop splitting the Tea Party vote, he got his moment and can go home now.
I read the post... wondered why it sounded so stupid... then I saw it was you...
Keep wishing, praying, betting, planing etc while you sip your favorite drink......maybe your man, Santorum will finally come in like a mule smiling as it eats briars...
I think fellow Freepers...we’re seeing the true problem here...IF IS US...
Heaven help this country...HEAVEN HELP US...
ANSWER ME ONE QUESTION... WHY IS SANTORUM STILL IN THIS RACE WHEN HE CAN BE A HERO...?
With all due respect of course...
This “backup plan” talking point by Rick’s supporters is already old and worn.
He can’t win, under any circumstance. It is time for Risk to drop out before he ruins any future chance at being elected dogcatcher.
Santorum never was a real contender. Although he worked his tail off there, the Iowa win was basically an undeserved windfall for him.
Like I’ve said for a while now, his numbers are simply reverting to trend.
Can’t disagree with that. He only helps mittens from this point on, and even that is minimal
I agree; if Romney loses Florida he is toast. I think, though, that is when the Republican Establishment trots out a Christie or a Mutch Daniels as an alternative at a brokered convention.
Mutch = Mitch. Well, the U and I are right next to each other on the keyboard!
I read the post... wondered why it sounded so stupid... then I saw it was you...
Oh my gosh. is that your ugly mug on your home page? Good God I am sorry but that is horrible. You must have had a nasty life along with your nasty attitude. I figure you are about 75, such a shame you never gained any wisdom.
I’m not ready to have Santorum drop out yet. I’m not sold on Newt—i think he still may say something crazy and flameout which would be the opening that Santorum needs. As long as both santorum and newt are each earning delegates I don’t think it’s that big a problem. Santorum can always ask his delegates to vote for mitt at the convention.
Just guessing here, but perhaps Santorum is hanging on as the alternate conservative for us were Newt to pull one of his infamous gaffes - always likely with him. Wrong Paul can never be the alternate for us, he is a liberaltarian not a conservative.
Santorum couldn't be so delusional to think he has any chance of either winning or enhancing his career, unless it's by helping Romney.
I doubt Santorum will be supporting Newt when he drops out.Bad choice
Does this sound like a conservative?
Why should he? We’ve just begun and if Newt has a melt down, someone has to pick the ball and run. I think its more interesting this way, at least until after super Tuesday. Hope he has enough money to hold on for awhile longer. He is a decent guy.
Crap NEWT not Mitt. Forget it. I need another beer.
I agree.
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