Santorum Sweep Serves Only One Purpose…Slow Down The Romney Machine!

Some conservatives will want to see Santorum’s sweep of Colorado, Missouri, and Minnesota as a clear sign of conservatives coalescing around one candidate and winning.

How I wish that were the case! But reality is much different.

There are several things to keep in mind that should bring such simplistic optimism into sobering focus:

  1. This was little more than a beauty contest, with zero delegates at stake in Misouri, and only a very small handful in the other two states…and even those will not be awarded for some time.
  2. Newt Gingrich did not even compete in these three states.
  3. Santorum has still not been on the receiving end of the attacks that have destroyed every other candidate (except Newt) Romney put in his crosshairs. Just like in Iowa, Santorum enjoyed the benefit of being the only conservative alternative left, yet he faced no real scrutiny. When the heat is on Santorum, he will respond as he did in 2006…defensive and angry…and he will sink faster than that old Charlie Hough knuckle ball, just as he did after Iowa.
  4. Santorum does not have the communication skills or stamina to withstand the onslaught that will come if he is ever considered a real threat by Romney or Obama. Even last night in his victory speech, just when I was ready to eat crow and admit “maybe this guy can pull it off after all,” the first five minutes of his speech was as incoherent as Rick Perry in those early debates. It was just like Santorum the night of his Iowa victory and in interviews the morning after…he does not do well when he is tired. At the very moments when he should be at his best (after winning), he is sorely disappointing and uninspiring. The only reason he is even still in the fight is because conservatives feel they have no one else to vote for…that does not inspire confidence for the November fight.

There are some very, very bright spots to highlight from last night though:

  1. Romney’s momentum was stopped! This leaves open the possibility of a Newt comeback in March, or a split all the way to the convention.
  2. Romney stayed at that 25% – 35% level, leaving 65% to 75% of the republicans still looking for an alternative.
  3. Delegates, even a handful, going to anyone but Romney helps get us to a brokered convention.
  4. The numbers prove that when there is only one conservative in the race, we absolutely can win!

My prediction is that Santorum will ride another high through February…just long enough to keep Romney from running away with it. Then Newt will have a major comeback on Super Tuesday and there will be a protracted fight all the way to the convention. After 15 or 20 ballots at the convention, Mike Huckabee will give a great speech, his name will put into nomination, and he will be our nominee!

Did my alarm just go off and wake me from my dream?

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Comments

10 Responses to “Santorum Sweep Serves Only One Purpose…Slow Down The Romney Machine!”

  1. Tammy Schack on February 8th, 2012 12:22 pm

    I like the sudden twist at the end! Praying that God’s people will turn to Him and all this mess will be worked out by the One who fights the battles best.

  2. Rick Wright on February 8th, 2012 1:25 pm

    Will you support Santorum if he begins to pull away, or will you hang on and go down with the ship? What will be the point you would shift?
    And the talking points you use I see in the liberal media…. not good. “beauty contest”? People VOTED! They made a decision, more of them for Rick Santorum than anyone else. I think that’s significant.

  3. Rick on February 8th, 2012 5:47 pm

    Rick Wright, ABSOLUTELY YES! I will be on board with bells on. What I mean by “beauty contest” is that since no real delegates were at stake, candidates didn’t invest the money and organization that would show us what the result would be if they had. I’ll shift if and when Santorum (a) does better than Newt on Super Tuesday, and (b) he gives 2 speeches or interviews in a row where he sounds like a pro that can handle the big leagues and not like a rookie just happy to be in the show. He’s missing the presence and charisma that Huckabee has. Maybe my standards are too high, but I don’t think so. I know how much they will attack him and unlike Huckabee, he does not have the skill to deflect and disarm. But I’m hoping he’ll prove me wrong.

  4. Neville on February 8th, 2012 6:33 pm

    But can anyone really see a bloc of “Gingrich Democrats” or “Santorum Democrats” crossing over in the general election, which is what fueled Reagan’s GOP victory in 1980.

  5. Joseph Manor on March 7th, 2012 11:39 am

    Rick, Senator Santorum has proof that he is a reliable, genuine
    conservative. We heard him speak here in our state and I can tell you everyone was inspired and enthusiastic!! Very clearly, (as in the last ‘election’) the media had chosen our candidates. And a dismal offering it was this time too! Then hope appeared on the horizon in the form of an honorable man, Rick Santorum.
    Some may have accepted Gingrich’s so-called ‘repentence’, but the
    fact is; the majority of rational Christian conservatives and those with just plain old moral dignity will not accept a white-washed immoral man as the answer.
    Why participate in sabotaging the best candidate? Romney is just as bad as Obama. Being divided is giving him the edge. We should stand together against liberals no matter what party they claim.
    Please consider sacrificing your pride in speaking styles and get busy helping to put Rick Santorum in the Presidency so we don’t end up with doomsday for America by Obama!! It is so very clear in continuing to support Gingrich, that you and those who made the same bad decision, are acting as a huge stumbling block to getting the nomination for the only committed, moral, honorable, and able leader in this race–Rick Santorum!!!

  6. Rick on March 7th, 2012 7:55 pm

    Joseph,

    There is no “pride in speaking styles.” It’s just observation back up by fact and history. I hope I’m wrong, but I can’t get past the fact that it is so obvious that he is going to do more damage to the constitutional conservative brand than anyone in my lifetime.

    If I’m wrong, everybody wins! If I’m right, well, we’ll hopefully live and learn.

    I still think a brokered convention is our only chance at avoiding the train wreck.

    Rick

  7. Enna Malton on March 13th, 2012 2:12 pm

    SO RICK,
    WHY DON’T YOU VOLUNTEER
    TO HELP RICK SANTORUM WITH
    HIS PUBLIC SPEAKING, OR
    JUST RUN FOR PRESIDENT YOURSELF?

  8. Samuel Ulrich on March 13th, 2012 2:14 pm

    Yeah, Rick, run for vice president!

  9. Samuel Ulrich on March 13th, 2012 2:18 pm

    and I agree with the previous comment-
    GO RICK SANTORUM.
    Let’s do that convention too.

  10. Rick on March 13th, 2012 2:24 pm

    I’d be glad to coach Santorum if he was willing, but there is no way to do it in time. In the heat of the battle, one tends to fall into habits…you just don’t have time to think about all the coaching or you get wound up too tight and perform horribly. So you need time to create new habits and the middle of a campaign for president is not a good time for that!

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