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Posted on 02/13/2012 7:00:54 AM PST by SeekAndFind
A strong case could be made that Rick Santorum owes much of the credit for his recent surge to Rush Limbaugh -- whether Rush wants that credit or not. Events of this past week seem to indicate that Senator Santorum would concur. In the past few days his campaign has wisely exploited some of Rush's words and they are proudly featuring them everywhere.
The implication -- if not the explicit language -- is that Rush prefers Santorum to either Newt or Mitt.
And beyond doubt, there are a couple of show segments which could fairly be interpreted just that way. And it may be true for all I know.
Which begs the question, if Rush is not endorsing Santorum, will he sit by and allow Santorum to use snippets of his show to lend that impression? It also begs the question about how thoroughly Rush has checked Santorum out -- given the unusual disparity between the reality of Santorum and what Rush has said about the former Senator.
I submit that upon further review, Rush might not really want ownership of this fast rolling train.
Now to be clear, Rush has not overtly endorsed Santorum or anyone and has expressly said many times that he will not do so. A review of his show will verify that he has had various segments that were friendly to Newt Gingrich and at times to Mitt Romney as well as his positivity for Santorum. Meanwhile, Rush has been -- consistent with Limbaugh doctrine of many years -- critical of both Newt and Mitt on numerous occasions. In fact he has criticized Mitt's moderate moments for many months.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
PS - He’s still boring and he’s still a big government, liberal (although a social conservative).
Rush said Santorum has wandered off the conservative reservation less than the other candidates. By citing a few examples of these times, you did nothing to counter Rush's point that Santorum's wanderings have been less frequent and significant than the other remaining candidates. Rush already noted that these transgressions occured.
Additionally, if you're going to write an article trying to make the point that there is a more conservative candidate in the race, you should name that candidate. One can presume you'd say Newt, but really, then you'd have to try to argue that Newt's many many wanderings off the reservation have been less offensive to conservatives. You did spend a sentence trying to minimize Newt's slaps in the face, but it wasn't much of a defense.
I really don't see much difference in the overall weight of transgressions towards conservatism between the two candidates and would vote for either over Romney.
If they are both in the running when my primary rolls around, I'll probably go with Santorum. For me, Newt has less in the way of honesty and integrity. He seems far more likely to give conservatives the shiv in the future, with some mumblings about pragmatism and a smirk on his face.
Towards the end of this article there is a connection made between Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum. I think that is a valid connection.
I think Newt is the only conservative now in the race, and I’m afraid Newt’s chances aren’t very good. His one strong trait — debate performance — and that somehow failed him leading up to Florida. He needed that to be 100% for him to get the nomination. Somehow he stumbled, because of that stumble, he’s probably not going to get the nomination.
And that means either Romney or Santorum, which is a lot like the choice between McCain and Huckabee.
I’ll take Huckabee over McCain, and I’ll take Santorum over Romney... but things are not looking good for us right now.
RE: He owes the surge to Bella being in the hospital. Sympathy vote, ... Period.
You think the voters in CO, MO and MN are that shallow?
If Bella was in the hospital, I would think that would be good reason to NOT vote for Santorum so that he can continue helping with the care of his daughter instead of carrying the burdens of the campaign and the presidency.
Santorum plans aggressive strategy against Romney
Posted 2/13/12 7:29 a.m.
PORTLAND, Maine (WLS) - A day after Mitt Romney regained some momentum in the Republican presidential contest, his rival Rick Santorum went on the attack, calling the front-runner “desperate” while promising to compete aggressively to win the state where Romney grew up.
Santorum said Sunday he could do “exceptionally well” in Michigan, where Romney’s father served as governor. The Midwestern state and Arizona host Republican presidential nominating contests on Feb. 28.
“We’re going to spend a lot of time in Michigan and Arizona, and those are up next. And that’s where we’ve really been focusing on,” Santorum told ABC’s “This Week.” He suggested that a strong showing in those contests would make the presidential contest “a two-man race,” dismissing current rivals Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.
Santorum shrugged off his third-place finish Saturday in caucuses in Maine, where he didn’t actively compete, as well as his second-place finish in a straw poll of conservative activists.
Romney has been painting Santorum as a long-time Washington insider who pursued home-state projects. Santorum on Sunday described Romney’s recent criticism as “desperate.”
“You reach a point where desperate people do desperate things,” said Santorum, who represented Pennsylvania during his 16 years in Congress, first in the House and then in the Senate............
http://www.wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=2393423&spid=
Santorum is a lawyer, and that lose a lot of points for him with me...but Rush comes from a family of lawyers and may not see it that way.
Wow.
February 13, 2012 4:00 A.M.
Santorum’s Turn
By The Editors
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/290895/santorum-s-turn-editors
Santorum is a George W. Bush/Mike Huckabee compassionate conservative without Dubya’s likeability and without Huck’s apparent lack of a mean streak.
He’s a big government, big spending Republican who is only conservative on social issues.
Rush is for Romney- period.
RE: Rush is for Romney- period.
Can you cite any evidence for that? Let’s start with what he wrote or said...
RE: He owes the surge to Bella being in the hospital. Sympathy vote, ... Period.
You think the voters in CO, MO and MN are that shallow?
If Bella was in the hospital, I would think that would be good reason to NOT vote for Santorum so that he can continue helping with the care of his daughter instead of carrying the burdens of the campaign and the presidency.
I have a few concerns about Santorum. Instead of asking stupid irrevalent questions why not ask, “I know you represented a liberal state,now that you will represent the entire country will any of your support of issues change? e.g. Right to work, Global warming, education, health care, I know there are many more. I hate having other tell me where he stands.
This should be done during the debates.
Easy. Rush ALWAYS says a Rino can’t win- only a Reagan conservative wins. So, why hasn’t he wholly dispatched Romney, and urged the candidacies of Rick and/or Newt from Day One?
RE: So, why hasn’t he wholly dispatched Romney, and urged the candidacies of Rick and/or Newt from Day One?
He’s between a rock and a hard place ( just like many conservatives are ).
I am NOT going to vote for Romney in the primaries, but if he were the official candidate, HECK, between him and Obama, I’d go for Romney. Easy choice.
Rush doesn’t want to give the Obama campaign any CAMPAIGN AMMO IN CASE Romney is the candidate.
Rush doesn’t want to give the Obama campaign any CAMPAIGN AMMO IN CASE Romney is the candidate.
************
That’s Rush’s cover. If he merely said that Mitt’s a Rino moderate, and he prefers the genuine conservatives- that would give absolutely no ammunition to the Dems. In fact, it would help Romney in the general in having been declared a moderate by Rush.
Rush is for Romney, period.
Santorum is surging because he’s a good candidate and conservatives are uncomfortable with Romney and Gingrich, even though the latter is light-years better than the signer of Romneycare. The conservative voter, and nobody else owns this surge. Time will tell if was only a coincidence of lucky circumstances or a solid growth.
If El Rushbo owns this surge, then so does the Great One Mark Levin who’s been supporting Santorum since before it was popular to do so. And they both had the same favorable attitude towards Michele Bachmann, whose campaign never really took of instead (unfortunately, I might add). This all pure, undiluted BS. And Rush is right, as usual: when things go a certain way, he is the putative leader of the GOP, when they don’t go the same way, he’s only an entertainer. In every case he’s a sellout and/or shill for somebody else, depending if the smearer is a lib or a “real conservative”.
I think this is all hysteria by self-appointed guardians of “pure conservatism” who hate Santorum and cannot accept to see him prevail over their preferred candidate. Let the campaign go on, let them compete, let voters decide.
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If it is beyond doubt then please give exact details.
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