I live in PA and you are correct. Under the circumstances at the time, Santorum didn’t stand a chance with the well known name running against him.
I know. People give him a hard time for backing Specter in 2004 as well, but that was more about holding the Senate IMO (recall Bush endorsed as well). At the time it made me mad, but in 2004 there is no way Pat Toomey can win PA (and I was a huge Toomey supporter).
Santorum is a good Conservative who is guaranteed to appoint Conservative justices, but will also frustrate at times with support for labor, etc. He is not perfect, none of them are, but at the end of the day being unwilling to compromise may leave us all with Romney as the nominee.
Newt's not going anywhere until after Super Tuesday, but if he limps out of that effort then he really needs to pack it in.