Posted on 02/09/2012 7:50:54 AM PST by marktwain
(YBH) – As the final Colorado vote counts were coming in late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning, confirming that Rick Santorum scored a hat trick against his Republican competitors, it was becoming clear that a sea change is occurring within the GOP race.
More than before, it’s now arguable that the inevitability of Mitt Romney’s candidacy is a fallacy. This opinion has been long espoused by Republican grassroots activists across the country. Now there are numbers to back it up.
Santorum has now won four out of the eight contests. He has victories in four contests compared to three for Romney. He beat Romney by 30 points in the key manufacturing Battleground State of Missouri.
Rick Santorum also accomplished another key task on Tuesday February 7, 2012. He dispelled the myth that Newt Gingrich is the only Conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. Of the four remaining candidates, the voters in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado appeared to agree that Santorum has the most consistent Conservative track record on the issues.
Issues…remember them? Not, whose investments were most intricately woven into the Fannie Mae fabric or whose money a trustee handles. Real issues, not, who spent the most money destroying their opponents with dug up half-truth dirt.
Real issues.
Santorum has stuck to the issues that matter. Issues like supporting the exceptional American idea of self-governance, personal responsibility and individual liberty. Issues like reigniting America’s economy, creating jobs and reducing our dependence on OPEC by developing domestic energy. Like reducing America’s trade imbalance while increasing IRS revenues by implementing tax policies that stimulate job creation within the manufacturing sector. Like reducing spending, lowering taxes and cutting regulations. Like national and border security. Issues like Second Amendment rights. Issues like freedom of religion.
In all four of his victories, candidate Santorum compensated for his relative lack of funds by spending time talking with people and listening to their concerns.
What a concept, a presidential candidate who actually speaks with and listens to the people. Instead of taking into a microphone, giving a speech filled with platitudes and applause lines before moving on to the next fund raising photo op campaign stop.
Rick Santorum’s sweep changes the race on many levels and in many ways. It shows that Mitt Romney is not necessarily the inevitable GOP candidate. It indicates that the Conservative alternative is not presumably Newt Gingrich. It demonstrates that despite his almost fanatically devoted loyal following, Ron Paul can be beaten in Caucus State races. It shows that candidates can win by running a positive campaign based on real issues that concern the electorate. That a candidate can win by talking with and listening to the voters instead of talking at them.
Most importantly, it shows that We The People will decide who the GOP nominee and eventual President will be, not the liberally biased media, not establishment Republicans, not SuperPACs, not Wall Street bankers, not Chicago style intimidation, not George Soros, not the Koch brothers.
Despite massive amounts of power, money and influence seeking it’s destruction, it’s not yet time for government of the people, by the people and for the people to perish from the earth.
One things is for sure. Newt wont be cslling on Santorum to get out of the race when it is perhaps he that should be withdrawing.
Santorum’s newly found popularity may indicate he is a serious contender or it may mean he is just the latest flash-in-the-pan like Bachmann, Perry, Cain, Newt, etc.
The next three to four weeks will tell the tale.
One thing is certain - much of his rise in popularity is due to his response to Obama’s attack on the Catholic church.
Obama made that attack at this time for a reason - but why?
Is it to change the dabate from jobs and the economy to emotionally charged religion, birth control and abortion?
Is it to change the dynamic among the republican primaries?
Is it to change the primary debate to favor or harm particular repubblican candidates?
You can bet it was done for a well planned reason and as part of a higher level startegy.
The weight 0 will be carrying is the dubious distinction of being the most anti-American and irresponsible CIC in our history, hands down.
Moochelle’s not exactly an asset either.
Yep, Sarah's not running.
Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but Tuesday was rejuvenating for me. After Florida, when Gingrich failed miserably to capitalize on his SC showing, I didn’t see much hope of derailing Romney, nor, I might mention, did many of the pundits, all of whom were saying that the next several states would pave Romney’s path into Super Tuesday by building his “inevitability” credentials.
Then along comes Santorum, just like in Iowa. And he blasts not only Romney out of the water in all three states, but takes Gingrich out at the same time. Suddenly, the man who can’t beat Romney (Gingrich) is a third tier candidate again, and the man who’s already beat him (Santorum) is not only vying to beat Romney, but actually does beat him, even in Colorado where Romney was the heavy favorite going in (as he was in Iowa.)
And to top it off, of the two, Gingrich vs. Santorum, I’m much more comfortable that Santorum will stick to basic conservative principles than I am that Gingrich will (recall “right-wing social engineering” and “the pic with Pelosi on the couch”, and in support of a carbon tax to boot.)
Yes, rejuvenated. That’s how I feel. Going to get interesting from here on, and I’ll bet that Santorum soon has Romney sweating in both AZ and Michigan. Plus, Romney now has a well-earned reputation for trashing fellow Republicans, and will only burnish it if he goes after Santorum the way he went after Gingrich in both Iowa, and again in Florida. If Santorum proves he can handle that inevitable colonoscopy Romney’s Pac’s are about to deliver, he could do quite well in the races before Super Tuesday.
Now if only Gingrich would bow out instead of splitting the vote and paving the way for Romney....(Sorry, couldn’t resist....*s*)
Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but Tuesday was rejuvenating for me. After Florida, when Gingrich failed miserably to capitalize on his SC showing, I didn’t see much hope of derailing Romney, nor, I might mention, did many of the pundits, all of whom were saying that the next several states would pave Romney’s path into Super Tuesday by building his “inevitability” credentials.
Then along comes Santorum, just like in Iowa. And he blasts not only Romney out of the water in all three states, but takes Gingrich out at the same time. Suddenly, the man who can’t beat Romney (Gingrich) is a third tier candidate again, and the man who’s already beat him (Santorum) is not only vying to beat Romney, but actually does beat him, even in Colorado where Romney was the heavy favorite going in (as he was in Iowa.)
And to top it off, of the two, Gingrich vs. Santorum, I’m much more comfortable that Santorum will stick to basic conservative principles than I am that Gingrich will (recall “right-wing social engineering” and “the pic with Pelosi on the couch”, and in support of a carbon tax to boot.)
Yes, rejuvenated. That’s how I feel. Going to get interesting from here on, and I’ll bet that Santorum soon has Romney sweating in both AZ and Michigan. Plus, Romney now has a well-earned reputation for trashing fellow Republicans, and will only burnish it if he goes after Santorum the way he went after Gingrich in both Iowa, and again in Florida. If Santorum proves he can handle that inevitable colonoscopy Romney’s Pac’s are about to deliver, he could do quite well in the races before Super Tuesday.
Now if only Gingrich would bow out instead of splitting the vote and paving the way for Romney....(Sorry, couldn’t resist....*s*)
(i’m quoting myself from another thread because I think it deserves repeating)
To emphasize a point, here is Newt vs. Romney mano-a-mano:
IA Romney 24.5%, Gingrich 13.3% (-12%)
NH Romney 39.3%, Gingrich 9.4% (-30%)
SC Gingrich 40.4%, Romney 27.8% (+13%)
FL Romney 46.4%, Gingrich 31.9% (-14%)
NV Romney 50.1%, Gingrich 21.1% (-29%)
MN Romney 16.9%, Gingrich 10.8% (-6%)
CO Romney 34.9%, Gingrich 12.8% (-22%)
Now, if you were a pollster, which result looks like the outlier? In every other poll, Newt loses to Romney and, in all but one defeat, loses to Romney by double digits. I’m also being kind by not including MO since Newt wasn’t on the ballot.
Let’s now look at Rick vs Romney - mano-a-mano:
IA Santorum 24.6%, Romney 24.5% (+ .1%)
NH Romney 39.3%, Santorum 9.4% (-30%)
SC Romney 27.8%, Santorum 17.0% (-11%)
FL Romney 46.4%, Santorum 13.3% (-33%)
NV Romney 50.1%, Santorum 10.0% (-40%)
MN Santorum 44.9%, Romney 16.9% (+28%)
MO Santorum 55.2%, Romney 25.3% (+30%)
CO Santorum 40.3%, Romney 34.9% (+5%)
Now, if you are looking at this like a pollster, you’d say this was almost a dead heat. Romney has won by some big margins but so has Santorum.
Now, there are still some holes for Santorum (he does worse in primaries, in non-heartland states and probably does better in “closed” primaries). But there is also room for optimism because he improves as more conservatives drop out and his positions stand out more from the others.
You may want to weigh this in terms of delegates (which is not unimportant) or capital (Romney dwarfs them both), but in terms of who can generate support to beat Romney, Santorum appears to be much more viable than Gingrich according to these results.
Did Santorum endorse Dede Scozzafava?
Did Santorum cut global warming commercials with Nancy Pelosi?
Did Santorum take money from Freddie Mac?
Did Santorum cheat on his wife?
Santorum’s not perfect and neither is Newt but I certainly wouldn’t want to get into an argument about political baggage with as much as Newt has around his neck.
I like Santorum, just think of what could happen if Newt backed Rick. We would have ideas that would leave Mitt behind and really dump te big "O".
If the people will only use their brains.
George Romney claimed, when he ran for POTUS, to be "a constitutional conservative, a Teddy Roosevelt progressive and a Abraham Lincoln liberal."
I think Mitt is a chip off the old block!!! Beware!!!
stop it, lol:) it did not.... your not a fan?
Did too.
And, you can’t spell.
It was the totally feminine one that I was sorry to see depart.
Are you angry this morning?
Santorum has now won four out of the eight contests”””
Iowa
New Hampshire
Florida
Nevada
Minnesota
Missouri
Colorado.....
What is the 8th???
South Carolina - Newt
The one Gingrich won isn’t on your list.
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