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Team Romney's Unfair Attack on Santorum
National Review ^ | 3/20/2012 | Guy Benson

Posted on 03/20/2012 12:13:10 PM PDT by Servant of the Cross

First, here's the set-your-hair-on-fire clip about which we're all supposed to be enraged, via Rick Santorum on the stump:

"I don't care what the unemployment rate's going to be. It doesn't matter to me..."

The horror! Rick Santorum doesn't care about the unemployment rate! Except, the former Senator's sentence went on: "...my campaign doesn't hinge on unemployment rates and growth rates. It's something more foundational that's going on." What Santorum was conveying -- albeit terribly ham-handedly -- is that his candidacy is about more than mere economic issues. He's arguing that while Mitt Romney's campaign relies on harnessing and exploiting Americans' transient economic jitters, his own focus is "more foundational." You may think that's an attractive message, or you may think it's a foolish approach in an age of crushing debt, very high unemployment, and lackluster growth. In either case, it should be plainly obvious that no presidential candidate would ever utter and mean such a tone deaf statement -- of only because of the political damage it could wreak. Romney's camp quickly blasted out an email highlighting the edited quote, asking, "he said what?!" and Romney himself has started hitting Santorum over the remarks at rallies.

I understand that political campaigns try to capitalize on their opponents' gaffes. Part of the game. But you'd think the Romney campaign might be a tad more forgiving of a fellow Republican who -- oh, I don't know -- says something silly that he doesn't really believe, but is easily clippable and taken out of context:

There are plenty of elements of Rick Santorum's record and campaign messaging strategy to question and attack. This is just weak sauce.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: backstabber; cowards; disaster; emptyvest; fightmittnotnewt; newtbotsformitt; nomessage; rickisusedbygope; rickisusedbymitt; rickkillingteaparty; teamromney; unfair
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To: Marguerite; All

Laura Ingraham said candidates will go after the candidate (to show the differences) that is closest to them (at the beginning) to get some of their votes. They all do that.

But the difference is that your buddy Romney LIES (and so does wRONg Paul, to help Romney).

“Romney insists on trying to destroy Newt Gingrich over the same false, trumped-up ethics charges just like Democrats did. He’s acting exactly like a power hungry Democrat who is willing to say anything to get elected ..”

excerpt http://www.therightscoop.com/new-romney-ad-smears-newt-over-old-ethics-charges/

Newt was NEVER FOUND GUILDING OF ETHICS VIOLATIONS!!

See the DIFFERENCE??!! Romney attacks his opponents with LYING diry politics.


21 posted on 03/20/2012 1:07:19 PM PDT by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: Servant of the Cross
You can take what anyone says out of context and twist it around.

Instead of spending money on these dishonest, negative ads attacking conservatives why isn't Romney articulating the issues and the problems created by Obama?

We need a president with integrity and strong values.

22 posted on 03/20/2012 1:10:06 PM PDT by detective
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To: All

“In 2003 the Governor refused to endorse the Bush tax cuts, earning the praise of Massachusetts liberal congressman Barney Frank and was even open to a federal gas tax hike.
In 2007, Romney continued to oppose the flat tax with harsh language, calling the tax “unfair.”

http://www.clubforgrowth.org/whitepapers/?subsec=137&id=905

Even Newt said the race in Illinois is between Rick and Mitt. It’s a time for choosing.

Romney is an extremely liberal dude, way more liberal than Bush. Do we want better than Bush, or worse than Bush?

The choice is yours. Choose wisely. VOTE wisely.

Rick - 2012!


23 posted on 03/20/2012 1:13:20 PM PDT by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: MestaMachine; napscoordinator; Servant of the Cross; Lazlo in PA
Lazlo, don’t you find it just a teensy bit appalling and LOT hypocritical that when all the ‘unfair’ romney ads were attacking Gingrich with lies and distortions, not only did Santorum gain from them, but he joined in on them? Now they are shocked that the same tactics are being used against him. What the heck did he expect?

Mesta, that was so 100% right and deliciously right on the money and so doggoned applicable and appropriate and even entertaining that I thought your post was worth repeating. But to be accurate, it's not just a teensy bit appalling and hypocritical (not to mention ironic) - it's a helluva lot of all of that.

24 posted on 03/20/2012 1:16:24 PM PDT by C. Edmund Wright
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To: Lazlo in PA

Just because you don’t remember it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Rick’s ads, even though there were not many of them, were almost all anti Newt ads in Iowa.


25 posted on 03/20/2012 1:18:04 PM PDT by C. Edmund Wright
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To: Marguerite

You have proven yourself to a Romney bot agent long ago .


26 posted on 03/20/2012 1:18:34 PM PDT by ncalburt (NO MORE WIMPS need to apply to fight the Soros Funded Puppet !H)
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To: Lazlo in PA

Bingo


27 posted on 03/20/2012 1:20:37 PM PDT by dforest
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Comment #28 Removed by Moderator

To: detective
Instead of spending money on these dishonest, negative ads attacking conservatives why isn't Romney articulating the issues and the problems created by Obama?

Oh, you mean like Newt was doing in Iowa until Romney, Santorum, Paul, Bachmann, Huntsman and even Perry all six piled onto Newt? Like that?

I'll answer for you. No one, and I mean NO ONE, in the field can hold a candle to Newt when it comes to articulating ideas about why we are right and Obama is wrong. Zip, zero NADA can do like Newt.

29 posted on 03/20/2012 1:27:05 PM PDT by C. Edmund Wright
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To: C. Edmund Wright

“Rick’s ads, even though there were not many of them, were almost all anti Newt ads in Iowa.”

EXACTLY!
Rick even ran negative ads against Newt in Missouri where Gingrich didn’t even compete.

S..w him and his sanctimonious complaints.


30 posted on 03/20/2012 1:32:00 PM PDT by Marguerite (When I'm good, I am very, very good. But! When I'm bad, I'm even better)
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Comment #31 Removed by Moderator

To: sheikdetailfeather

He missed an opportunity with Greta when she insisted that jobs were more important than freedom. He could have said Slaves had full time jobs.


32 posted on 03/20/2012 1:50:36 PM PDT by itsahoot (Tag lines are a waste of bandwidth, as are my comments.)
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To: Marguerite
Rick even ran negative ads against Newt in Missouri where Gingrich didn’t even compete.

REALLY? The more I learn about that little pipsqueak the less I like him. Heck, exit polls showed half his supporters were Newt supporters just casting an anti Romney vote in Mizzou.

33 posted on 03/20/2012 1:52:23 PM PDT by C. Edmund Wright
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To: C. Edmund Wright
“No one, and I mean NO ONE, in the field can hold a candle to Newt when it comes to articulating ideas about why we are right and Obama is wrong. Zip, zero NADA can do like Newt.”

Newt did a great job at that when he sat on a love seat with Nancy Pelosi making TV ads promoting Al Gore's latest taxpayer ripoff.

Newt was great when he went with Al Sharpton promoting slimy race hustlers taking taxpayer money.

Newt really did a good job when he articulated the problems at Fannie Mae that ended up costing taxpayers millions.

Newt has been very articulate lately and has been the best of the candidates presenting the issues and dealing with the MSM. I really admire his responses in the debates and his recent talk explaining to Obama what a drilling platform was. Santorum could learn from him on that.

However, I feel the most important characteristic that will be required in a new president will be personal integrity and moral strength. It will be very difficult to get our country back on the right track. Newt has a history of choosing to be expedient and trying to please the left who are using him and who have nothing but contempt for Newt and for myself and for every good conservative principle..

Nancy Pelosi, Al Sharpton and the thieves at Fannie Mae hate me and hate everything I stand for. If Newt wants to try to curry favor with them he will not get my vote.

I want a man of principle.

34 posted on 03/20/2012 1:59:07 PM PDT by detective
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To: MestaMachine
I have been very, very disappointed in Santorum.

Then you will be thrilled to vote for Romney, was will Levin, Rush, Hannity, Palin........That is the main reason for the lack of breakout support, because all them have promised to be 100% for Romney if he is the nominee. Never mind the fact that none of those people wanted him.

Well you have one person than might be able to knock Romney out, well two, but she isn't running.

I would vote in a heart beat for Newt, but he will not be the candidate, and anyone here that says otherwise is just out of touch with reality.

35 posted on 03/20/2012 1:59:54 PM PDT by itsahoot (Tag lines are a waste of bandwidth, as are my comments.)
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To: detective

The problem with debating you is like debating a child who has 2 or 3 talking points that she cannot get past. You did not address a thing I said, you just went back to your 2 or 3 points - the only things in your brain.

The Pelosi thing was a mistake. The Freddie Mac thing is out of proportion. It wasn’t even Fannie Mae, but no doubt you are too thick to understand the difference. Thick is a good word.

And besides, Rick Santorum is 50 IQ points short of Newt and always will be, regardless of how many mentally handicapped posts about the same two things you make over and over and over.

Done with you and your pedestrian abilities.


36 posted on 03/20/2012 2:07:40 PM PDT by C. Edmund Wright
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To: C. Edmund Wright

“The more I learn about that little pipsqueak the less I like him.”

So do I. Before the debates, I barely heard of him. He was just 1% of the Senate for me ...


37 posted on 03/20/2012 2:09:10 PM PDT by Marguerite (When I'm good, I am very, very good. But! When I'm bad, I'm even better)
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To: Marguerite

But Marguerite! Didn’t you know that Santorum was the author and architect of welfare reform? /sarc


38 posted on 03/20/2012 2:13:47 PM PDT by Mangia E Statti Zitto
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To: C. Edmund Wright
Gee, you continually use personal insults and then complain about debating points. You throw a hissy fit and then compare me to a child.

The Pelosi thing was a mistake, that is true but I think along with the Sharpton thing and the unfair attacks on Paul Ryan make me wonder if Newt has the character to make the tough decisions a president must make. There are many people who know what must be done. We need a president with the moral courage to do it.

If my previous points aren't enough how about Newt saying he would melt in meetings with Clinton. Now there's the kind of tough guy I want leading our country during troubled times.

39 posted on 03/20/2012 2:19:05 PM PDT by detective
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To: Marguerite
Why don't you repost some of those Perry cheerleading posts, just substitute Newt's name. Trashing Santorum will not help Newt one bit.

Even if there was a brokered convention they would never allow Newt on the ticket, likely you would wind up with Jeb or some other repulsive New World Order drub. The only chance we have is cutting off Romney before he is acclaimed the winner, and Newt cannot do it, no matter how much we might want it.

40 posted on 03/20/2012 2:20:13 PM PDT by itsahoot (Tag lines are a waste of bandwidth, as are my comments.)
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