Santorum Suggests Obama Preferable to "Etch-A-Sketch" Romney.

latimes.com ^ | March 22, 2012 | Michael A. Memoli

[true believer forever]

Rick Santorum's latest attempt to use a Mitt Romney aide's "Etch-A-Sketch" remark against the Republican front-runner instead gave his rival a chance to fire back on Thursday, after Santorum seemed to say he'd rather see President Obama reelected than send Romney to the White House.

Speaking at an event in Texas, Santorum again made the case that Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom's comments Wednesday on CNN about a "reset" of the campaign if Romney clinched the nomination showed the former Massachusetts governor's efforts to appeal to conservatives were insincere.

"You win by giving people the opportunity to see a different vision for our country, not someone who's just going to be a little different than the person in there," Santorum told a crowd in San Antonio, according to NBC News. "If you're going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk with what may be the Etch-A-Sketch candidate of the future."

[true believer forever]

There is something funny about the private sector that Newt doesn't understand because he worked with government projects all his life.

After leaving Congress, Newt built and managed 9 or 10 small business, which means he met payroll, dealt with regulations, and saw up close how government hamstringed the small entrepreneur. In fact, in the one on one debate with Herman Cain, a noted businessman himself, Newt said seeing up close how government impeded the private sector, was the major thing he learned after leaving congress, and becoming part of Main Street.

And you never did address the documented national security concerns re moon habitation and bases for military purposes. Newt has the vision to look down the road, it appears you don't. Santorum, right?

p.s. Newt estimated the cost at 500B and said investors would jump at the chance to be at the vanguard of a new frontier... once they assessed all the ins outs benefits risks... It's called vision, cutting edge, courage, big ideas, new frontiers - the same attributes that made America great..

[true believer forever]

Anyone have audio?

I haven't seen any, but Rick has been all over cable town walking it back or defending it, so I've no doubt it occurred. He hasn't disputed the quote at all, just how people were interpreting it.

[true believer forever]

This is being misinterpreted, especially by the pro-Romney crowd, which is desperately grasping at any straw to erase the Etch-a-Sketch remarks.

Romney is too much like Obama — that Mitt is a RINO whose record looks like that of Obama and thus, you can choose either one and get essentially the same thing.

You might remember that Mittens voted for Tsongas.

Romney has said that he is for a national health mandate (Obamacare), even though he is denying that right now. You can find him saying that he is for a mandate on a NATIONAL level, on Youtube.

*Romney ran as a PRO-CHOICE candidate for Governor

*Romney supported Cap and Trade

*Romney supports a national healthcare mandate and is the creator of Romneycare (the blueprint for Obamacare)

*Romney helped give Massachusetts gay marriage

*Romney was for the bail outs.

*Romney believes in man-made global warming

You are absolutely about every point you make about Romney, which makes it very curious why Santorum didn't lift a finger to help Newt in Florida, when Romney was eviscerating with some 17 mil dollars in negative advertising, had the national and state gops trashing him, the florida party... and so on and so on and so on. I believe the technical term is payback is a bitch... I actually didn't know romney ran as a pro-life governor, wow, sort of doesn't leave many questions unanswered, at least not in my book...

[true believer forever]

ALL: I can see it now...

...it's the year 2036...

...the "ReReformed GoP" party has a candidate to the left of Obama...and we have the kids of these FReepers -- the Freepers who now post "anybody is better than Obama"...

...They'll come online to clamor "anybody is better than the Democrat"...

...and they'll push the guy who's to the left of Obama!!!

No, no, no. You have to have just a little more faith in America and Americans. I am not asking you to go all pollyanna, but don't collapse into cynicism that way. God hasn't given up on America yet, don't you either. Maybe you just need to chill a little, and your perspective will get better. We can do this. and I hope you will help.

[true believer forever]

While there is some truth to this, I dont appreciate Republican POTUS candidates endorsing Obama. That is not their job.

I would say the statement was about 90% true, but it was the 10% that got him in trouble. They've all been through it. Santorum has been particularly petulant, it seems to me, but then I'm a Newtster.

[true believer forever]

What a sanctimonious jackass. I didn’t like him when he endorsed Specter the Defector, don’t like him now.

I didn't like it when he didn't endorse Pat Toomey...

[true believer forever]

He’s right. A Romney presidency would further dilute the GOP into the party of a more gradual socialist nation. At least if we have a real conservative there will be genuine differences in philosophies as opposed to a debate of scale in policy. As it is right now, most the Rebublicans are the same as Democrats, in they just want to stay in power as opposed to having any solid principles. Romney is the best choice for making that happen.

Can't somebody agree with you 100%, and I do, and still believe Romney will do less damage than an unfettered unbridled Obama will in his last term... That's where I think the distinction is..

[true believer forever]

"If you're going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk with what may be the Etch-A-Sketch candidate of the future."

The above are Santorum's words.

I enthusiastically endorse them. He is dead-on right. Bullseye!

Anyone wanting to belong to Liberal Party B instead of Liberal Party A hasn't a clue about what's going on.

It is time for a new party.

It is time for conservatives to recognize the danger to this country posed by the two liberal parties presented to us as our "only" choices.

Santorum is much too much of a team player to achieve any of the things you so ardently champion. He will fold right into place on the McConnell Boehner team, count on it.

Newt, on the other hand:

“In 1994, there was only one person who consistently believed Republicans could weather the storms and capture control of the Congress for the first time in four decades; in 2012, he is a candidate for President.” ~Ken Kies

“I’m not sure [Gingrich] ever had a lot of friends here, and I’m not sure he cared, because he came here to accomplish a purpose, not to make buddies,” said Ken Kies, an influential tax lobbyist and a Gingrich donor. “Newt led a revolution, so that tends to leave bodies on the floor.”

[true believer forever]

Obviously, he is saying that that is what a lot of voters will be thinking if Romney dances around the issues as the Etch-a-Sketch comment seemed to indicate. Personally, I consider Milt a liberal, and a horrifying nominee. He would be the easiest candidate for the Punk to defeat. But Santorum will be voting for Romney, as will I, if it comes to that, and everyone knows it. OTHERS will not be as willing to vote for someone whom they believe will at best slow the speed of the train wreck.

"a horrifying candidate" - the best way I've seen him described ever.

"OTHERS will not be as willing to vote for someone whom they believe will at best slow the speed of the train wreck." You have to slow the train down before it stops... I think romney would do that, while the true conservative elements prepared to challenge him in the 2nd term primary... There's a lot of prep that can be done in 4 years...

[true believer forever]

Romney hasn’t changed from the very candidate that Santorum endorsed. What does that tell us about Santorum?

BINGO - that says it all...

It tells us Rick goes where the wind blows as long as he gets a little of the breeze coming his way. He's only now getting around to romney because he is threatened by him, otherwise, he's been pretty much easy on Willard, especially when Newt was under the gun.

[true believer forever]

Excellent!!

[true believer forever]

Give me a break. How many people on this board have said there isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between the two. Perhaps the only difference if Romney was elected is that the Republicans in Congress wouldn’t even attempt to oppose the Romney / Obama Agenda. Name one area where we would better off to any significant degree under Romney. The train to Hell might actually slow down by a mile an hour, if Obama stays in power, since a GOP House and Senate might oppose his agenda whereas they would roll over for a liberal from their own party.

Like the house and senate are opposing it now?

I just don't think romney, as bad as he is, is as bad as Obama. I just don't see that. He is better than Obama, that's the minimum of it for me, he is better than Obama.

In light of that, though, what was Jim DeMint thinking when he said he was excited about a romney nomination, and urged gingrich and santorum to stand down. I mean, I always thought DeMint had some real conservative bona fides. Am I wrong about him, too? I mean that just really hurt me, to hear him say those things. I have a very poor batting average when it comes to trusting people to be who they say they are in the republican party...

[true believer forever]

Both Romney & Obama are anti-gun, pro-homosexual, liberal judge appointing, global warming pushing, agenda-21 loving, socialized medicine, Marxist implementing socialists.

However, if Obama is in office GOP will stand with people like me to fight their agenda, while if Romney is in office GOP will fight against people like me trying to stop the agenda.

Sanatorium is right.

I think you are right about everything but this - Obama and the democrats will be so emboldened by not having to have an accountability in another election, they will simply steamroll the republicans with that new sense of power and mandate. The republicans haven't done well up till now, and another freshman class isn't going to help... we saw that after Nov 2010...

[true believer forever]

Dang it all Rick!

Way to McCain yourself, the GOP and every true conservative. No matter if you or Romney are the nominee, the Dem’s will run that soundbite 24/7.

Still, I guess we don’t have to wonder about you being the VP pick anymore if Romney takes the nomination ....

RE "Way to McCain yourself" - yes, it does sound like McCain's "there's nothing to fear from an Obama presidency" remark, doesn't it?

[true believer forever]

I`m stunned by how easy the GOP candidates are making this election for Obama. Even though he has the voter fraud machinery at his disposal in case the election appears close, it`s looking ever more clear he`s not going to even have to open that crate.

Much has been said and many take solace in Reagan`s comeback against Carter in the closing days of the 1980 campaign. Problem is.... none of the GOP`s gang of four bear any discernible similarities to Reagan.

Remember the GOP`s advantage in the “enthusiasm gap” just a few months ago? Contrast that to the abysmal turnout in IL`s primary.. something that told volumes about the disgust people are having toward the GOP.

It`d be nice if all four and their campaign managers would step back and put a lid on the intramural BS and focus on Obama from time to time. That`d be a refreshing development.

the "enthusiasm gap" is emerging due to romney's unending negative ads, in SC, turnout was record, because romney wasn't actively spending against Newt. Florida turnout, except for the counties up north that Newt won, was also down quite a bit. The same in IL. Romney is doing this damage. He is bumming people out bigtime. And the elite congratulate him..

[true believer forever]

Romney campaign should send a thank you note to Santorum. Santorum took away the heat (at least part of it) from their own gaffe. That the statement came from the candidate himself, not an adviser, carries more weight. Romney can always fire his adviser and denounce the statement. Santorum can’t. That Gingrich now has weighed in, and sides with Romney, doesn’t help Santorum.

You are right about the etch-a-sketch - it had the potential to do some longtime damage to Romney, and it got lost in the shuffle of the Santorum story...

[true believer forever]

Thanks to Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and North Dakota for voting for this idiot over Newt.

Just absolutely stupid voters.

Unless you take the time to search out some of Santorum's southern church or "faith" appearances, you can't comprehend how he goes for the evangelicals... and they fall for it every time...

[EnglishCon]

First thing I thought of when I read the quote.

I could have used Biden, I suppose ....

[true believer forever]

This is the same “conservative” who, in Michigan, asked Democrats to switch parties in the primary and vote for him. I liked him at first, now I’ve lost most of my respect for him. I’m glad we have had this long primary.

In Mississippi and AL, Cnn exit polls had 6000 dem votes in each contest for Santorum, which were beyond the margin of his win over Newt. No dems, and Newt would have won both those states... I don't trust CNN for much, but they do have extensive and accurate exit polls.

For a "good christian man" he sure is lacking a little in the ethics department, among other things..

[true believer forever]

Everybody here is now all of a sudden so outraged at Rick Santorum (who simply articulated what many folks have been saying here on FR for months about Romney being no better than Obama), yet I’m FAR more pissed off over the comments by Romney’s spokesman. He outright admitted what conservatives have suspected all along... that Mitt is only trying to sound conservative right now just to do whatever he needs to do to wrap up the Republican nomination and then the GOP establishment will “reset” him during the general election and have him campaign as a moderate.

I used to think there was a major difference between the Republican and Democrat parties.

I no longer think so.

And it makes me absolutely furious.

So, how do you explain DeMint almost endorsing him? Do the jaws of the establishment reach that far? I mean, I used to believe DeMint was one of the good guys, and after 1 meeting with Willard, he's "excited" at the prospect of him being the nominee, and thinks Santorum and Newt should drop out... is the GOP establishment that powerful? Really, is it?

that's why the prospect of Newt taking this to the convention so enlivens so many, a chance to call out the GOP on their own turf... and mess up their choreographed coronation, even if it comes to nothing... It will be a first.