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Subscribe to RSSThe Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd talks about Rick Santorum's comments to a crowd of supporters, in which he said President Barack Obama is better than Mitt Romney.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -- Rick Santorum today suggested it would be better to stick with President Obama over a candidate that might be "the Etch A Sketch candidate of the future” -- a shot at chief rival Mitt Romney.
"You win by giving people the opportunity to see a different vision for our country, not someone who’s just going to be a little different than the person in there," said Santorum. "If you’re going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk with what may be the Etch A Sketch candidate of the future.”
For the second day in a row, the former Pennsylvania senator brought an Etch A Sketch on the trail as a prop to remind voters of Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom's response to a question about whether Santorum is pushing Romney too far right to win over moderate voters in a general election. "Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes," Fehrnstrom said Wednesday on CNN. "It’s almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again."
The comment gave plenty of ammunition to Santorum and Newt Gingrich, both of whom have made the well-known children's toy a staple of their stump speeches.
Speaking at the USAA headquarters here, Santorum showed optimism about his chances in the delegate rich state of Texas. He told the crowd the primary would not be over by the time the Lone Star State votes on May 29.
"It's the second-biggest delegate prize, and you're going to have an important role. This race will not be over when Texas is coming around," he said.
Santorum's viability hinges on picking up a majority of the 155 delegates that will be up for grabs here. When asked about his path to the nomination, Texas plays a key role.
Still, the GOP hopeful avoided calling on Newt Gingrich to leave the race, though senior campaign advisers have said the former House speaker remaining in the race is cutting into their vote totals and that they would like to receive the former House speaker's support.
Santorum said his campaign has been in contact with both the Gingrich and Romney campaigns, though he declined to give specifics of the conversations.
"I’m worried about being a candidate. I’m not worried about anything else right now,” Santorum told reporters who asked about the nature of the conversations.
Accompanying Santorum on the trail today was billionaire-backer Foster Freiss, who is a chief contributor to the pro-Santorum Super PAC Red, White and Blue Fund. They will attend a fundraiser in Dallas on Thursday afternoon.
*** UPDATE *** The Romney camp responds with this statement from the former Massachusetts governor: “I am in this race to defeat Barack Obama and restore America’s promise. I was disappointed to hear that Rick Santorum would rather have Barack Obama as president than a Republican. This election is more important than any one person. It is about the future of America. Any of the Republicans running would be better than President Obama and his record of failure.”
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I hate Republicans as much as the next guy, but why is it that nobody but me seems to be able to take the Etch-a-Sketch remark for what it really meant? Mitt's aide was talking about the need to address other issues that the general public are going to care about and not just the BS that make the uneducated and religious zealots happy? That was all the guy was talking about. You reset and reload to adjust to your next opponent, but that doesn't mean you bail on what you've been preaching about up to this point. How dumb would it be to get the Republican nomination and as you campaign against Obama while he is talking about the economy, foreign policy, and relevant issues you are still trying to kiss the asses of the South by still talking about contraception, freedom of religion, gay marriage, and other crap educated voters care about? You don't give up on your platform, you adjust your focus as the fight changes. But like all children everybody hears what they want to hear and then they go play with their toys, even though they are supposed to be adults running for the most important position in American government. And the saddest part is, they know what they are doing by acting like children because most of us are children and fall right in with this garbage instead of taking 5 minutes for some critical thinking about what was said, instead choosing to be told what to think and how to behave about it.
Yes, we would be better off with Obama, but that statement applies to all the Republicans. Did Ricky just commit political "suicide" by straying from his party's view that the dumbest Republican is still better than the smartest Democrat? Possibly, I can't wait to see how this one turns out. But I can tell you this, I won't act like a child about it and I won't let a Republican OR a Democrat tell me how I should think or feel about it. That is the only true freedom you have left, the ability to think for yourself, and that is the one freedom everybody seems to give up most easily.
BrotherHiggy makes a good point. I myself just did'nt believe that Romney's Aide would be THAT stupid to say something like that (at least in the context of what the media made it out to be). but either way it's actually true ... Romney is an Automaton in a tailored suite. NO SUBSTENSE, very little truth. But I must say that Romney does seem a little more intelligent and more grounded in reality than Santorum (despite the fact that they were both brought up w/a Superstitious Belief System).
Good post.
A sane comment/post! While I hope Romney wins in November, it is refreshing to see someone who supports Obama do so in a rational way! Well stated, BrotherHiggy!
How many times will he be endorsing Obama before his campaign implodes?
I'd tell him to go watch some "hardcore" porn to get a head start on figuring out how to actually ban it, but at this point it will just shatter his frail mind in vain.
Ricky, that comment is gonna leave a stain, maybe Mittens will teach you how to do laundry, then you will see Ricky, stuffed in a clothes dryer, set on fluff and fold! LOL
The GOP is imploding before us, it's all the gun powder from the T-party, it's way to volatile.
Obama/Biden 2012
what romeny meant to say was...... " you would rather have Obama as president than a white man". LOL
This is so much fun watching the GOP pundits heads explode on the morning talk shows. The variety of spin is astounding.
Santorum is seriously going berzerk, when he really didn't need to. He could have just waved the Etch-a-Sketch around a bit more. Next thing you know, he'll be pointing out how obvious Mitt Romney's lies are, and then he'll go after Fox News.
Well, lemme see. The economy has done better, my 401K and IRA are doing better than they did under any other Republican (we'll see how long that lasts, though). We've pulled out of one senseless war, about to pull out from another. Yeah, gas prices are high, but they were high under Bushie too and the only reason why gas dropped to a buck something at the end of his term was because the whole fricking economy collapsed and demand for gas dropped significantly.
I think right now is as good a time as we've had in the past ten years. Granted, that ain't saying much, but you gotta start somewhere.
Santorum as president would make this nation heavily governed by persons that favor Italian interests in favor of those who heavily favor Islamic or Arab interests. Slowly but ever increasingly favoring those that tend to lean in direction of AXIS powers during WWII.
I picked up on Santorum's statement immediately. Mr. Romney is correct.
The future is about our young Americans and whether or not they will be saluting the American flag and be governed by an impartial government system, unadulterated or twisted into a political agenda that seeks to disturb liberty for the Judeo-Christian nation that we so long have valued.
Wow, you have some serious religious intolerance issues. Seek help.
What makes your Jedeo-Christian values any more right than anyone elses? The fact that they are ones you probably fail to live up to?
Otherwise known as "the Papist Accusation."
And this is why in Kansas we don't vote for crazy people or loan them money. Although we are fooled by the etch a sketch quite a bit.
The knobs can be confusing.
This is a first. I actually agree with Rickey and I'm sure most other voters feel the same way.
That statement about sums up my thinking and most Americans from the start.
I still maintain that the Republicans are really just using this and the last presidential election cycle (2008) to to build a war chest for 2016. The statements these Republican candidates and their people make makes my case for me. The 2008 Republican candidates were a joke (John McCain made himself one with Sarah Palin) and the current crop are much bigger jokes. Watch and see as those that refused to run this time (Rubio, J. Bush, and C.C) put their hats in for 2016. I predict that they will win 2016, but will have a hard time reversing President Obama's executive orders and play at trying to undo the healthcare law. And they will try to take credit for an improving economy that Obama started to build on. But until then 2012-2016 is President Obama - Hell Yeah! Remember you heard it here first.
Romney is spending way to much to try and buy the election for the Republicans to be trying to build a war chest.
The only joke I can see is you and your post...rah,rah, rah...
Wow, You DO See Clear ...I have to agree.
SOMEONEELSE is just mad because he knows it's true ... well cheer up man, at least you have a shot at it in 2016.
I am an Independent. The two party system reminds me of high school kids....rah, rah, our team is best, and we don't know why, and we don't even care....rah, rah...but you are losers and we are winners .... rah, rah....and we are right and you are wrong....and to hell with the truth or facts .....rah, rah...because all we really care about is WE WIN!!!! WOOHOO....and if the USA goes to hell in a handbasket we do not actually care because we can always blame the other guy....rah, rah....
If you vote a straight party line ticket you are an idiot. If you vote for someone because they are your party, or your race, or your religion even then you are the same kind of idiot that will NOT vote for someone because of their party, or race, or religion.
Discover the facts and vote for the person and what you can know about them and not what the media wants to make you think. The media is so corrupt now that you cannot trust them either.
Well said.
Why are you here? There is no place for reason on these boards. Just hate filled venom.
Rick Santorum is stooping to the level of the liberal democrats who take something that sometone said out of context! I'm so tired of this etch a sketch controversy, it means nothing. Now Romney, thanks to the help of the idiot Santorum, is labled the etch a sketch President? It is obvious to me and any smart and reasonable person that what the aid meant by that comment is that to get a certain group to vote for you, you need to focus on views that they support so they will vote for you. Obviously, in a general election, the candidate needs to adjust the focus on what is important to communicate to get Independents and other groups. This obviously does not mean that Romney will change all his principles and go the other way. No smart candidate would ever do that because that would guarantee a loss. This is all so ridiculous and the idiot desperate Santorum is taking advantage of this by destroying Romney with this "etch a sketch" label for his political gain. What a true jerk!!
I think you need to listen to the interview in its entirety. The aide in question was one of his chief strategists responding to the question of how can Romney move back to the Center after the Republican primaries have pulled him so far to the right.
His own staff put it in peoples heads that Romney can just erase everything he's said so far and start over. Like an etch-a-sketch.
I did listen to the interview. What Romney's own staff is putting in people's heads is what the media wants people to interpret. It is obvious that Romney has positions that are centrist and positions that are leaning to the right. All he is doing is choosing his audience and discusses with them his positions that relate better to these groups. In the general election, everything changes, the whole strategy changes because now you have to reach all types of people. It is obvious that he will adjust his focus just like any other smart candidate running for office. What is the problem with all this and why does Romney have to defend this?? Now the media and that idiot Santorum is spinning this all around to say Romney will erase everything he stands for? This is so ridiculous! Changing focus and changing principles are two very separate things. People should know the difference! Enough with this already!
DEFEATING the president has been the GOP's goal since day one of the Obama administration,...
.....but it is not the goal for the rest of the nation, because we are not all 1%ers and in the pocket of big business.
The GOP is only happy when our government is serving corporations and the wealthy. Their constitution reads" We the owners of the corporation",...and the freedom they protect is the freedom to stick it to those you have financial advantage and power over.
TO THE 99% :
We must unite and fight the domination of our national interests by big money and big business.
To all minorities and non-minorities with a conscience and morals not driven purely by dollar signs:
It is one of the GOP's main goals to make a failure of the FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT and underline the unworthiness of anything other than the firmly entrenched wealthy white power structure that has existed since our country began.
IF WE DON'T MAKE SURE THAT BARACK OBAMA, OUR FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT GETS A SECOND TERM,....WE ARE SAYING TO FUTURE GENERATIONS
"BLACK PRESIDENT = FAILURE"
HOW WILL WE DEFINE THE LEGACY OF OUR FIRST MINORITY PRESIDENT ?
HOW WILL WE DEFINE THE LEGACY OF OUR FIRST MINORITY PRESIDENT ?
THE GOP HAS FOUGHT EVERY MOVE HE HAS MADE ON OUR BEHALF TO PROTECT THEIR OWN BOTTOM LINE EXCLUSIVELY. (GUESS WHAT : If you take the middle and lower class out of the equation and gouge them at every turn,...you "save money",..."we can't have this democrat keep us from undermining them")
STAND TOGETHER FOR THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE.
UNITE AGAINST CORPORATE DOMINANCE AND SHOW SUPPORT FOR U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA THIS NOVEMBER.
BARACK OBAMA 2012
Thank God we are all not idiots and losers ...rah,...rah...rah....and can do without government checks ....rah,rah,rah,....and know how to educate ourselves and create, innovate, and work without government morons and welfare idiots trying to ruin and run our lives.....rah, rah, rah.
Do you realize that many people would vote to get Obama out of office that are not 1%ers???1% make up about 4000000 votes, they are not the entire base of the Republicans. Also, there are many 1%ers that are Democrats. Let's name a few...Peolosi, Kennedys, Kerry, and all of entertainment. They are your 1%ers. Obama has done a good job dividing the country with this 1% BS. Give it a REST.
Rick is an idiot!!!!!!!! Any vote cast for him is a total waste! It is time for the GOP to get behind the only person that has a chance to beat Obama....Mitt Romney!
That has got to be the dumbest reason to vote for anyone that I've ever heard.
Iowa Guy ... What you never heard of the "Lesser of two Evils" Philosophy?
I would have gone with Silly Putty instead of Etch a Sketch. Same point.
Yes Trainee ....or what about "Stretch Armstrong".
I heard Rick draws naked ladies on his etch-a-sketch
Way to go, Santorum! Come join our President & the 99% American People! We've had ALL THE CORPORATE RULE that we can stand!
It's time for them to give back to the American People, the SAME ONES that made them successful! Capitalism does not work, AND WILL NOT WORK, because of CORRUPT CORPORATE GREED!
We, the American People, want to SELECT OUR OWN CANDIDATES, NOT THE ONES CORPORATES BOUGHT!
Enough is enough! It's time for change, and that time is NOW! NOT LATER, BUT RIGHT NOW!!
Do you realize that our country was built on capitalism???? Also, corporations bought Obama as well. Some of you people are just idiotic and stupid. Where do you think many Americans work??? I hope you do not go shopping (that's corporate America). You should live in China, because it sounds like you are a communist.
Holy crap! Who would have thought Santorum would have the cajones to go against his own party! Way to go, Slick Rick, we always knew we could count on you to make another HUGE MISTAKE when opening your mouth. Adios. Don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you!
Santorum is a TRAITOR!!! I knew he was in it for himself, not for the American people. If he thinks Obama is better than any of the GOP then he should quit his campaign and join Obama's side. He is like a little kid that doesn't get his way. SAD thing is...he doesn't realize that he is only hurting the America people by saying these nasty things against someone who is basically on the same side. I knew is was a jerk and he can never be elected. At least Romney and his camp tells it like it is. Santorum, you are just like all the other Evangelicals....HYPOCRITES and very judgmental!!! Although, the Bible specifically states you should not be judgmental.
You nailed it. He is a spoiled brat who when he sees he has lost resorts to being a stupid spoiled brat.
Hey Repubes: 'HA, HA'!
Hey Retard: 'HA, HA'!
It's been a lot of fun reading all these comments this morning! Sarah, I always enjoy your comments which I find factual, humerous and to the point. (I guess that makes me a fan..:-). Skip, aka Mud Gramps your comments are most often spot on too and as a member (though probably younger) of the gramps generation, I urge you to continue to share your wisdom on this blog. I am an alum from the same fraternity as Santorum and we thought of blackballing him but now...with his sudden jolt of wisdom, we just might let him stay in the fraternity! lol...Obama/Biden 2012
While I find crazy Rick Santorums comments amusing, I have to wonder what got into his head to say something like that. His fellow Republicans are going to rake him over the coals for it. Is he coming up on states where Independents and Democrats can vote in the primaries?
It's definitely going to cost him the votes of the Obama haters. Which is primarily his base of ultra-conservatives. Which leaves him pretty much with just the not Romney vote.
The just not Romney vote is mostly the ultra conservatives. This leaves Santorum with nothing!
I think Santorum's right...we're better off with President Obama for another 4-years than this current crop of President wanna-be's
If you think like Santorum you are now a proven idiot.
Ha Ha Ha, I always thought Spamtorum and Dinglich were on the committe to re-elect the president, ho ho ho, tee hee hee !!