Posted on 02/01/2012 3:16:59 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Last night, a number of people on Twitter pointed out that Mitt Romney didn’t get a majority of the Florida primary vote and claimed that combining the percentages of all other competitors showed that he could still be stopped. I pointed out earlier that this assumes everyone wouldn’t vote for Romney as a second choice, which polling shows to be false (he was second among second choices in Florida), but let’s put that aside for a moment. To whom should conservatives look as the consolidation candidate? After watching Newt Gingrich lose two debates and suffer a steep reversal of fortunes in Florida, some look to Rick Santorum, such as Andrew Malcolm, who wonders if Gingrich has worn out his welcome:
In an amazingly graceless non-concession concession speech after not phoning the victor out of common competitive courtesy, Gingrich chose to talk not about minor matters such as how he proposes to win the Nov. 6 national general election against $1 billion.
No. Instead, Gingrich described in great detail what all he is already planning to do and sign during his first day in the Oval Office, in between taking the presidential oath and numerous inaugural parties.
Seriously.
After a humiliating defeat, Gingrich spoke of a two-man race, assuming his own GOP nomination and general election victories. Big ideas? Try loony ideas. The guy is living in a parallel universe.
Now, Gingrich takes his campaign to Nevada, the state with the most foreclosures in the nation, where he has three days to explain what he did for that $1.6 million that mortgage giant Freddie Mac paid him.
Jeffrey Anderson at The Weekly Standard looks at the numbers ahead:
In Missouri, where the next Republican primary will take place (next Tuesday), a new poll by PPP shows Rick Santorum leading Mitt Romney by 11 percentage points — 45 to 34 percent — while Ron Paul has 13 percent support. Newt Gingrich isn’t on the ballot in Missouri, so the Show Me State offers a prime opening for Santorum to build on his earlier victory in neighboring Iowa.
Perhaps even more encouraging for Santorum are the candidates’ respective favorability ratings among prospective primary voters in the state. Santorum’s net favorability rating is +42 percent (63 percent favorable to 21 percent unfavorable), compared to +10 percent for Romney (46 percent favorable to 36 percent unfavorable). (Paul’s net favorability rating is minus-29 percent — 28 percent favorable to 57 percent unfavorable.)
Those aren’t the only numbers that suggest that Santorum could stand up better to Romney than Gingrich. PPP polling in key upcoming states show that Santorum challenges Romney more strongly in Ohio as well as Missouri:
Rick Santorum is leading the way for next week’s ‘beauty contest’ primary in Missouri with 45% to 34% for Romney, and 13% for Ron Paul. Newt Gingrich is not on the ballot for that, but he will be in the picture for Missouri’s caucus and leads the way for that with 30% to 28% for Santorum, 24% for Romney, and 11% for Paul.
In Ohio Gingrich is at 26% to 25% for Romney, 22% for Santorum, and 11% for Paul.
What might be most interesting in both states is what happens in a head to head between Romney and either Gingrich or Santorum:
-In Missouri Santorum leads Romney 50-37 and in Ohio Santorum leads 45-38.
-In Missouri Gingrich leads Romney 43-42 and in Ohio Gingrich leads 42-39.
Two takeaways from those numbers: if this ever came down to Romney, Paul, and just one out of Gingrich and Santorum, Romney would be in a lot of trouble. And he’d be in more trouble if the single conservative alternative ended up being Santorum.
It’s not just the numbers, either. The debates in Florida last week showed that Gingrich’s claim to mastery of the format simply don’t hold up. He lost both of those debates, and spent the rest of the week attacking Romney on religious freedom and proposing a lunar base that would cost hundreds of billions of dollars in an era where Republicans are arguing for reduced spending. If Gingrich was actually making the conservative case against Romney, I could see Sarah Palin’s point, but he’s not. He’s making a case for “big ideas” that involve a huge amount of spending, attacking Romney on any basis that happens to be handy, and he’s attacking the media.
The candidate actually making the conservative case on the campaign trail is Rick Santorum. Santorum scored points off of Romney in both Florida debates, especially the last one, because Santorum hasn’t ever backed an individual mandate as a health-care solution and doesn’t have to defend that position. He’s never backed TARP, either. That doesn’t make Santorum a perfect conservative candidate, but he seems to be the only one who’s focusing on the actual conservative agenda. Even if the motivation is to back a conservative alternative to Romney to “sharpen his steel” and force him to follow the conservative agenda, it’s Santorum who is most effective at making that the agenda.
Plus, there is one more thing to consider, and that is the quality of leadership. Both of the frontrunners and their allies have engaged in disappointing attacks on free market enterprise in an attempt to exploit each others’ weaknesses, but Santorum has refrained from doing so, even though he has specifically targeted blue-collar voters who might respond to those attacks. Santorum has maintained a high level of integrity in his campaigning, and that’s something to consider when choosing the man who will represent the party in the 2012 elections.
Santorum also has a new ad out today, “Deal,” which targets Gingrich. It’s running in Nevada and Colorado this week:
Santorum told supporters at a campaign stop that should Gingrich drop out of the race, Santorum would pick up his votes.
“If you look at the voters who voted for me, and where they would go if I was not in the race it would be divided between Romney and Gingrich, actually more toward Romney than Gingrich,” he said. “Interestingly enough, if Newt’s out of the race almost all of his votes come to me.”
Santorum, who trails behind Gingrich in national polls, has ramped up his rhetoric against his opponent in recent days. His campaign lumped Gingrich in a trio with President Barack Obama and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in a new television ad released Tuesday.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/01/santorum-goes-after-gingrich-in-new-ad/
You’re welcome.
“If you look at the voters who voted for me, and where they would go if I was not in the race it would be divided between Romney and Gingrich, actually more toward Romney than Gingrich,” - Rick Santorum
Ai kai! ;-)
Let there be no doubt that Santorum is definitely in the tank for Romney.
Wow, what a jerk.
First, that is a melodramatic over description.
Second, Newt nor no one supporting him has painted the picture of a perfect conservative. Meanwhile, Santorum and his followers have painted that kind of BS picture of Santorum, whose voting record is less conservative than Newt’s (yes it is) and his conservative accomplishments are far far far far far far far less extensive than Newts.
Take your tantrum elsewhere.
I see your word, and raise you a word:
YES YES!
Santorum is a Romney shill
Doo-da, Doo-da
Kill Newt’s chances, yes he will
Oh, de doo-da day
Goin’ to run all night
Goin’ to run all day
Attack ads runnin’ in a cut throat race
Did somebody say “pay-to-play?”
Some of its greatest hits (and the bold is NOT mine): "Rick was successful in his efforts to prevent Congress from making cuts to the food stamp program!
Rick has been one of the Senate's most active leaders in fighting for funding to battle world AIDS and to help eliminate world poverty, working closely with Bono, the lead singer of U2!
Rick has voted for record levels of funding for Pennsylvania's public schools!
Rick has sponsored legislation called "Fair Care" which would help laid-off workers to continue to receive their healthcare benefits!
Rick teamed up with Senator Joe Lieberman to write the "Savings for Working Familieis Act" of 2005, which would expand a matching savings account program for low income families which can be used to help their children afford college!
Rick wrote legislation that would increase the national minimum wage!
Rick helped pass an increase in funding for early childhood development programs such as Headstart!
Doesn't it just make you feel all nice and fuzzy that Santorum thinks government's job is to do all those things with OUR money!!
IN FAIRNESS AND HONESTY, it also notes plenty of good things Santorum did, like helping promote Health Savings Accounts, lobbying reform, eliminating the marriage penalty tax, enforcing immigration law, reforming medical malpractice, and opposing the 2006 Cost of Living payraise in the Senate.
Nope, Gingrich isn't perfect. NEITHER IS SANTORUM. But Gingrich has shaped and changed history much for the better in the U.S. via fighting to implement Reagan conservatism in Congress. Santorum's legacy? Meh ...
MOST important, the guy hasn't been vetted. Santorum fans are taking it on pure faith that he "has no baggage." Gingrich is battle-scarred. Santorum is a puppy who has a penchant for Nanny Government.
Santorum is a nice guy and surely has some admirable qualities but in no way is this country going to elect him in the general. His position on pork spending is in no way conservative. His support of Specter showed a underbelly that is not something conservatives are going to forget. While we on the right agree with him on most of his social issues this country is not ready to turn that drastically to the right in one election. He has no chance.
A LIE. The Gingrich Group was paid that over a 10 year period. Newt got considerably less... $25,000/yr according to his released contracts.
In Missouri, where the next Republican primary will take place (next Tuesday)...
Not so unlike 2011 straw polls, MEANINGLESS. Missouri delegates are actually decided in March by a caucus.
MO is not meaningless. If Santorum beats Romney, he will have conservatives ready to caucus for him in March, not Gingrich (who blew off Missouri).
Listen, I understand why you like Rick, and I'd be happy to vote for him in the General. But so far, reasons cited here trying to cast him as better than Gingrich fall pretty flat. At best, he can be called "as good" as Gingrich.
And for every Christian who is stirred by his urging to "vote your values" (i.e., don't vote for Newt because of his marital problems, vote for me because my marriage, by all appearances, has been strong), another Christian wrinkle his nose in contempt at such self-righteous posturing. "Vote your values" -- who's kidding who. What "values"? Be explicit. TALK TURKEY OR DON'T TALK AT ALL.
As far as I'm concerned, Ginrich is the straight shooter of the two.
LOL!!!
If only it were 1999, and we were working on the 2000 election.
Like his Rottweiler brother?
I will not be going to Mitt’s inauguration, but interesting that you plan to be there with the Santorums.
Excellent!!!!!
Been around much the last 15 years? For well over a decade now, Santorum, and by extension his family, have been the subjects of some of the most vile, odious vitriol served up by the most vicious and most outspoken ranks of the pink swastika wearing, baby killing left.
Not many have noticed it precisely because Santorum has not waivered or bent in spite of their onslaught.
You can say all you like that Rick has not been subject to attacks. That doesn't make it so.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.