Jakubczyk on Life

Rick Santorum - Can he unite the Republican party to defeat Obama?

Rick Santorum's stunning victories in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado have vaulted his campaign into the limelight and has got the establishment in DC scratching theri heads. After all Santorum's victories were not produced by spending millions of dollars and his head to head match up with Romney spoke volumes about the fact that a strong majority of the GOP has not settled upon the "inevitability" of a Romney candidacy. In fact the energy surrounding Santorum seems quite organic nad not something produced at all by the campaign. People throughout the country like this guy and they are clamoring to show their support in ways that are outstripping the ability of the campaign to respond.

This could actually be a very good thing in the short run. The campaign will have to get a handle on the surge and direct the energy lest it be lsot. but it tells me that there are those who have decided that the Gingrich candidacy is over, that the Romney candidacy carried too much baggage and that Republican voters actually want to win in November.

After Florida it was explained by all the experts that it was all over but fro the shouting - Team Romney had clearly shown itself the superior machine. It attacked Gingrich when it needed to and won Florida decisively. But although Gingrich was badly damaged, and the media had been talking that this was a two man race, Santorum was still in play. The press figured that after the "beauty" contests, it would be Mitt's to lose. Well, after Tuesday, Santorum has now won four states to Mitt's three and Gingrich's one.

The pundits still suggest that after Super Tuesday Mitt will be back on top. But there is much in the details that would question such conclusion. Every analysis of the Romney candidacy must recognize his weakness in attacking Obama Care, one of the strongest areas of national dislike toward this administration. The average American voter wants it repealed. How can they be sure that Romney, who presided over a state version, has the fortitude to see repeal through.

Santorum has been waging a campaign against Obama and has focused on reminding voters that he has the best chance of defeating the president in November. Obama cannot play the 1% card against Santorum. In light of the Obama administration's attack on religious liberties and the Catholic church, Santorum's support by Evangelicals positions him as a Catholic to unite two important religious voting blocks who have not traditionally voted side by side. Santorum's strong unwavering pro-life position and his defense of traditional marriage also scores him points over Romney, who recent "conversion" to the pro-life cause has not won over many of the long time veteran of either effort.

Finally some see the media's vicious attacks on Santorum reminiscent of the attacks on Reagan, both in 1976 and 1980.  One can sense that the media is scared of Santorum and hence the almost insane effort to marginalize him .But the voter sees a different fellow. They see a devoted family man and father. They see a solid hard working politician who has rolled up his sleeves and gone out to actually talk tot the average American voter. They can identify with his speeches that talk about honor, hard work and tradition. They hear him say that he believes that our rights come from god and they agree with him.

In the end, the voter can identify with Rick Santorum as someone who actually believes and lives what he says. And when he tells the voters that he believes in America and he believes in them, they know he is being genuine. For Rick Santorum his words are not empty rhetoric - they are a clarion call to make America that shining city on the hill -  the last best hope of mankind.

posted by Jakubczyk on Life @ 3:17 AM