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Santorum and Freedom
Wall Street Journal ^ | 03/07/12 | Daniel Henninger

Posted on 03/07/2012 5:10:25 PM PST by writer33

America's long-slog presidential campaigns are a process of discovery. Candidates, voters and the press criss-cross a complex nation trying to discover where the public mind will be the first Tuesday in November. No candidate has had a more interesting journey through 2012's campaign frontier than Rick Santorum.

Few are going to forget Sen. Santorum in the early debates, stuck in the left-field bleachers, begging to be heard over such center-ring heavyweights as Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain. In August, no one thought this guy would be toe-to-toe with the Romney machine in March. What happened?

I went to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Monday to find out. Out of 1,189,530 votes cast the next day in bellwether Ohio, Mr. Santorum lost to Mitt Romney by only 10,288, at last count. He's doing something right, and what one learned in Cuyahoga Falls, an Akron suburb, is that it doesn't have much to do with the famous Santorum controversies over social issues. It's about ObamaCare. And it's about the idea of freedom.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: santorum; santorum4romney; stalkinghorse; whatanidiot; whatasnob

1 posted on 03/07/2012 5:10:32 PM PST by writer33
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To: American Constitutionalist; Antoninus; Clint N. Suhks; Colonel_Flagg; cripplecreek; ...

For those interested.


2 posted on 03/07/2012 5:11:03 PM PST by writer33 (Mark Levin Is The Constitutional Engine Of Conservatism)
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To: writer33

Rick Santorum was my 3rd choice candidate but I was always impressed with his debate performances.


3 posted on 03/07/2012 5:16:29 PM PST by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: cripplecreek

In the end, you must be able to stump on the trail, because in the general election, debates are few and far between. Obama ain’t going to offer more than three, and that’s if you’re lucky.


4 posted on 03/07/2012 5:20:26 PM PST by writer33 (Mark Levin Is The Constitutional Engine Of Conservatism)
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To: writer33

There is a LOT of truth in this article. Forget that it deals with Santorum - focus instead on the Obamacare vs. freedom issue - that’s what needs emphasizing.


5 posted on 03/07/2012 5:25:09 PM PST by 2nd Bn, 11th Mar (The "p" in Democrat stands for patriotism.)
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To: writer33

Now THIS IS A GREAT ARTICLE.

If only all conservatives could unite. Romney wants to manage our government control, bit by bit. Santorum believes in our freedom and will keep us free.

The last bit:

“Rick Santorum should stay in the race, repeating from now till summer the perverse link between the ObamaCare mandate and the American idea of freedom. It looks like the best argument the GOP nominee will have for a win in November.”

It’s our only chance!


6 posted on 03/07/2012 5:26:57 PM PST by Yaelle (Santorum 2012 - we need a STEADY conservative President)
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To: Yaelle

Yes, ma’am. Agreed.


7 posted on 03/07/2012 5:28:13 PM PST by writer33 (Mark Levin Is The Constitutional Engine Of Conservatism)
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To: Ditto

I thought you might enjoy this Henninger piece.


8 posted on 03/07/2012 5:34:29 PM PST by writer33 (Mark Levin Is The Constitutional Engine Of Conservatism)
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To: writer33

Well I went from Palin (didn’t run) to Cain to Bachmann to Newt to Santorum. It has been a long road that is not done but hopefully Rick will get er done. I don’t want that slimmy Romney.


9 posted on 03/07/2012 5:37:52 PM PST by napscoordinator (A moral principled Christian with character is the frontrunner! Congrats Santorum!)
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To: napscoordinator

Most FReepers don’t want Romney. That’s pretty universal.


10 posted on 03/07/2012 5:40:28 PM PST by writer33 (Mark Levin Is The Constitutional Engine Of Conservatism)
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To: writer33

In a few months, Americans will either begin to stem the tide and vote for a President to lead us, or for a tyrant and commissars to rule us.

If for the latter, we’ll never have to concern ourselves with the former again.


11 posted on 03/07/2012 5:49:16 PM PST by Jacquerie (No court will save us from ourselves.)
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To: writer33
There ain't a fish on the stringer worth guttin'!

Obama, of course, is.

(see tagline)

12 posted on 03/07/2012 5:50:08 PM PST by Aevery_Freeman (Typed using <FONT STYLE=SARCASM> unless otherwise noted)
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To: writer33

Sarah Palin almost, unilaterally by the way, won in 2008 and it was her rousing stump speeches that built a devoted base.

I think Rick can perform nearly as well given the chance. No, he’s not Sarah but he is aware of the urgency this country should have towards the Dem’s takeover. And he passionately defends freedom.


13 posted on 03/07/2012 5:51:51 PM PST by Kenny
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To: napscoordinator

I give credit where credit is due. I like Rick on Obamacare.


14 posted on 03/07/2012 5:57:48 PM PST by trappedincanuckistan (livefreeordietryin)
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To: writer33

“Few are going to forget Sen. Santorum in the early debates, stuck in the left-field bleachers, begging to be heard over such center-ring heavyweights as Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain. In August, no one thought this guy would be toe-to-toe with the Romney machine in March. What happened?”


Nothing happened. He would make little obnoxious statements during the debates or afterwards attacking whoever was the “Conservative flavor of the month” and was largely ignored up until after Florida, where he literally surged because he was the last man standing. Now conservatives believe in him because the cold hard truth is too hard to take. Namely, that we allowed our best candidates to be lynched by the media and the GOP and are now down to the bottom of the barrel with a moderate senator out of PA.


15 posted on 03/07/2012 6:07:49 PM PST by Apollo5600
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To: Apollo5600

I agree wholeheartedly with what you just said!!!!


16 posted on 03/07/2012 7:14:34 PM PST by Repub4bush (GOPbriefingroom.com)
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