As I alluded to earlier, former Pennsylvania senator, Rick Santorum, has "suspended"-re: ended-his quest for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
It is really too bad that it has come to an end.
But Mr. Santorum showed how a campaign can and should be run when everything is basically against you.
A year ago, Mr. Santorum was but a blip on the screen of Republicans itching to run against the Dear Leader, President Obama. After all, the looming shadow of Mitt Romney, runner up in 2008 to Sen. John "F--- You" McCain, started him off really at a low point. Then there were others that decided to enter the race. Here are some of those Mr. Santorum outlasted.
Congressman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.). Radio talk show host and former business executive Herman Cain. Texas governor Rick Perry. Former Utah governor and Obama ambassador to Red China, Jon Huntsman, Jr.
A rather impressive list I think.
The reason I believe that his campaign was courageous is that he took on issues that are not really at the forefront of the American voter this time around.
Yes, he spoke out as a devout, worshipping Roman Catholic on the issue of contraception. And while I have to admit I am not totally on his side about it, I appreciate his honesty of belief on the subject. And yes, it may have cost him some votes.
But another issue that Mr. Santorum spoke on better and much more at the heart of the matter is the breakdown of the traditional American family unit. And how we must as a society encourage married men and women and, if God so provides, that they have children in an intact family unit. There is a dirty little secret that as more and more families are headed by one parent (for a variety of reasons that are not the subject of this post) and it has led to a lot of problems. Social. Financial. And yes, children that are not even being raised by that one parent but the state, through daycare, pre-school and eventually K-12.
It takes guts to seek that as a campaign theme in the world of the 30 second soundbite gotcha moment.
And yes, Mr. Santorum did walk in it on more than one occasion. And he has to ease out of those minefields. And did so the best he could.
On foreign policy there is no question where he stood at the fundamental struggle the United States has with radical Islam. Mr. Santorum would and wants to take the fight directly to the Islamofascist terrorists before they get us.
The other reason that Mr. Santorum ran a courageous campaign is that he really had nothing but a core group of people that believed in him and his ideas.
In Iowa, he practiced a year of the kind of retail politics it take to ingratiate one's self with the voters in a state of Iowa's size and population.
And it did pay off.
Mr. Santorum DID eventually win the Iowa caucuses. And Mr. Santorum took that grit and determination on to win 10 more states and 3.2 million Republican votes.
Remember, he outlasted some very serious candidates and some non-candidates. And had a lot less money, support and structure.
Had Mr. Santorum won the crucial Michigan primary, and he nearly did, this would be a different race today.
But Mitt Romney as I noted just had a superior organization and money. And like it or not, the latter matters when running a national campaign.
Mr. Romney I still believe should seriously consider Mr. Santorum for his vice-president. Because Mr. Romney is going to need someone that looks, acts and is a fighter. And Mr. Santorum fits that bill. Plus, Mr. Santorum has Washington experience that Mr. Romney does lack.
Now, without a doubt, Willard Mitt Romney is on his way to the Republican presidential nomination. Mr. Romney has this blogger's full support.
But Richard John Santorum ran a campaign on a shoestring. Yet one of courage and determination that I hope is rewarded by a President Romney.
And now, the fight is on for Mitt Romney vs. Barack Obama.
Let's get behind Mitt now!
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