Congrats, Phil: Santorum announces presidential candidacy

[CountryClassSF]

So excited!

[CountryClassSF]

So excited!

Calm down there, you don't want to get impure thoughts.

Oh, Mike. Lol

[CountryClassSF]

Quite frankly, I have always found Santorum charming and mellow. He has the potential to be a good candidate as a pro-life warrior and populist Repub.

[CountryClassSF]

Very much so. We need someone in there who understands what is happening in the decay of our country and has the will to reverse as much as he could. It's not just about positions, it's about passion and vigor. Santorum could be that candidate if the addicted-to-RINO establishment doesn't tear him apart like last time.

[CountryClassSF]

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Well for starters, Romney governed as a pro-abortion, pro-socialist health care liberal, then flip flopped on those issues to win a primary. Then ignored the issues in the general - spending the entire time trying to appease pro-abortion/gay leftists and ignore everything and everyone else. Worked out really well. He also ignored the need to get Reagan Democrats/conservative independents in the Rust Belt and heartland to get to 270.

Santorum has a few things that I disagree with, but much less than Romney. I voted for Santorum even after he dropped out of the race.

If Romney is to be forgiven for being the first person in America to socialize health care, Santorum can surely be forgiven for some of the votes he took in favor of higher spending.

[CountryClassSF]

Good luck to the Rickster. I don't believe he has much chance of being elected president but I'd love to be proven wrong.

I really wish they found out he won Iowa on caucus night vs 3 weeks later. He was denied so much momentum last time. How on earth does our country count votes so slowly? UK counts everything on election night and we can't count a caucus!!

[CountryClassSF]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Well for starters, Romney governed as a pro-abortion, pro-socialist health care liberal, then flip flopped on those issues to win a primary. Then ignored the issues in the general - spending the entire time trying to appease pro-abortion/gay leftists and ignore everything and everyone else. Worked out really well. He also ignored the need to get Reagan Democrats/conservative independents in the Rust Belt and heartland to get to 270.

You don't harp on issues where the public is shifting against you, unless you have the ability to actually change minds on the issue and no politician alive has that ability. Otherwise, you are just asking to get clobbered and thus pave the way for the Great Society 2.0. You make the contrast on the key issues where you enjoy an upper hand. Job creation and the overal economy were just that. Romney's problem was not what he focused on, but his inability to keep the subject from being changed and his gaffe's made that worse. When it comes to gaffe's, Santorum is notorious for inserting his foot into his mouth.

The minorities and youth are more pro-life than the older generations.  The New Yorker reading latte set who's for abortion on demand will never consider voting Republican, ever, for any reason.  

I understand that the homosexual issue is more favorable to the left.  But again, the militants on this side of the issue are far-left urban liberals, they did not even vote for Romney, who essentially took a "Que sera sera" attitude on things.  The Gay vote also doesn't move an inch either way. It's rock solid leftism.   The Right is going after votes it will never obtain, while ignoring votes it needs to obtain.  

Romney spent the entire campaign essentially grand marshaling the gay pride parade.  It didn't do him any favors.  Didn't do Bob Dole any favors. Didn't do John McCain any favors to try to appease a crowd that will never support them under any circumstances. The West Village and the Castro ain't going Republican. Sorry.

Santorum brings back Conservadems who are put off by Romney types or plutocratic candidates.  Guess where they live? Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

[CountryClassSF]

Great speech. I hope to envision a scenario where I can vote for him again. I voted for Santorum in 2012 even after he dropped out to protest Romney.

I'll tell you this: He has the potential to be a top tier candidate.  Watch.

[CountryClassSF]

State's rights are a constitutional principle and will be - separate feelings and desires from Constitution. Santorum will fight for marriage - not just give a canned line about it.

[CountryClassSF]

Mitt Romney has been a moderate, then a conservative, and claimed, at one time, that he was an independent.  He became a "conservative" around the time he decided he wanted to be President and knew what it would require to be appealing to the GOP base.  It's unfair to call Romney a RINO, but he's had to make far more concessions to his home state than Santorum has ever had to.

Santorum's always been a Republican, always been pro-life, always been socially conservative, always been generally conservative, with some concessions to being from PA.  He's not a "movement" conservative, but he's conservative enough to have risen to the Senate GOP leadership at one point.   Until 2012, no one viewed Santorum as a RINO, and the only reason people did is because he backed Arlen Specter in the 2004 Senate Primary, saying "politics is a team sport".  (He's not wrong there, by the way.) 

Hey hey hey, he was a SEVERE conservative =P

[CountryClassSF]

Give him a chance.  Think about it. He was denied momentum out of Iowa. Think about how he almost defeated a well funded candidate. That should tell you everything. There's some "there" there with Santorum. I am convinced he would make a great president. But you have to give him a chance.

[CountryClassSF]

Epic interview on Hannity. Impressed.

To be honest, I actually thought it was a good speech. If he can stay on message and avoid the gaffes, he might get another chance.

WEEE! There's hope!