Regarding Rick Santorum

[Reluctant Republican]

I'm conflicted on this as well. Clearly the field will be a lot stronger in 2016(at least on paper) But I think Santorum has been able to carve out  a niche of the party all for himself. I don't really see another candidate willing to position themselves front and center as the social conservative like Santorum would. Remember that even during the Wall Street Journal debate or whatever, this was a guy who directed the conversation back to social issues, something the other candidates were far less comfortable with.

It looks as though many candidates might be trying to move to the center on social issues, or at least talk about such things as little as possible. In that sort of environment, someone like Santorum can appeal to  a large amount of "Values Voters" if they feel like everyone else is ceding the issues. The only other guy I can see as having the same appeal is Huckabee, and I don't think he's likely to run. Maybe Ben Carson.

[Reluctant Republican]

I didn't mean it as a criticism. Santorum was the first person I ever voted for, and while my views have changed considerably(to put it mildly), I have a certain soft spot for him that most gays do not. I'd never vote for him now, but I don't actively hate him either. It would be like hating your first crush.

Indeed he spent most of the debate talking about economic issues, but he also brought up the importance of traditional values in shaping society. It was actually the Bloomberg debate.

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I'm not saying he spent the entire debate bringing social issues into the mix, but that he was willing to go where no other candidate really was, I think that's important.  If the other candidates all go ECONOMY ECONOMY ECONOMY I think there's an opening for Santorum to be able to appeal to a significant amount of republican voters by connecting fiscal and social problems. Speaking their language, as it were.