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His mathematical chances of winning the GOP nomination are slim. He came up short in the crucial races of Michigan and Ohio. And he just lost the GOP primary contests in DC, Maryland, and Wisconsin.
But Rick Santorum -- despite starting out this presidential season as an afterthought -- has already accomplished a few important feats that shouldn't be overlooked as attention begins turning to the general election. First, with limited campaign funds and almost no real infrastructure, he ultimately emerged as Mitt Romney's chief rival.
Jae C. Hong / AP
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum sits in a booth at Bob's Diner in Carnegie, Pa.
In fact, Santorum's actually won more states so far than Mike Huckabee did in 2008, 11-8. And he's won as many contests as Romney did four years ago.
Second, even if he doesn't win another primary race, Santorum could be a significant player in the 2016 or 2020 presidential contests, although he would face plenty of serious competition (from the likes of Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Bob McDonnell, etc.).
And third, and perhaps most importantly, Santorum has repaired some of the political damage he sustained in 2006, when he lost his Senate re-election bid in Pennsylvania by a whopping 18 percentage points, 59%-41%.
"It's hard to argue Sen. Santorum hasn't significantly raised his profile nationally among Republican voters, donors and members of the media due to his primary campaign performance," GOP strategist Danny Diaz tells First Read.
Of course, it's exactly that repaired political image, Republican political observers say, that could be at stake in the April 24 primary in his home state of Pennsylvania. A win there could justify him staying in the presidential contest -- and could serve as a springboard to the May primary races.
But a loss in his home state could be embarrassing. A recent Quinnipiac University poll, conducted before Tuesday's primaries, showed Santorum leading Romney by only six points in the state, 41%-35%.
As GOP political consultant Mike Murphy, who once worked for Romney, tweeted, "Will [Santorum] figure out this week that his potential '16 hand is now stronger than his '12 hand and fold? Or stay in and ruin his long game?"
And if he decides to stay in the race, how he campaigns could be just as important to his reputation, Republicans argue.
"The story until now is a pretty compelling one about a leader who rose from also-ran status to one-time front-runner. If he gets out now, or stays in but runs a positive-only campaign, that narrative will remain largely intact," says GOP political adviser Todd Harris.
"But if he continues with a quixotic slash-and-burn campaign against the man everyone knows is going to be our nominee, he risks being remembered not as a come-from-behind leader, but as a petulant politician who put selfish self-interest ahead of defeating President Obama."
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Whatever Mike Murphy recommends, do the opposite. He is an amoral conniver.
The story above is straight lies. Santorum can justifiably stay in because he honestly believes that Romney is the LEAST likely to defeat Obama (that is what I believe also) and by denying Romney the nomination, pave the way for another Republican to emerge who would have a better chance of defeating Romney. So all that other talk is BS!
Santorum needs to stop, he's ruined his chances at a 2016 bid, because women and minorities have a target on his back now.
I predict the Republican Convention will have no platform to present, instead they will Obama bash. "ABO, ABO!" they will cry, and not offer anything substantive.
They'll elect Romney as the nominee, and then he will Obama bash, and not offer up a platform that addresses or fixes anything that's wrong right now in this country.
Santorum is the wrench in the cog, as much as Gingrich is. The more Romney has to concentrate dollars on advertising against those two bozos, the better.
They've already begun to talk as if Romney's "severely conservative" views will be shifting more to the left, once he locks in as the nominee.
It's pretty embarrassing to the Republican Party, which can't seem to get it's ideological/political *insert expletive* together. even high profile party members are conceding defeat, and now support Romney, with very little enthusiasm, I might add. The only one with energy is Ryan, but he's licking Romney's boots for a VP offer.
It's pathetic.
This is definitely not the Republican Party I grew up with.
It's kind of sad.
How can anyone complain about a Mormon candidate when he'll be running against a Muslim?
Has Mitt produced a birth certificate?
Dman - you sound like a bigoted, uninformed, not too inteligent Republican!
and you sound like you can't spot a joke
What is surprising is that there are enough nutjobs supporting him to even get him on one state ballot.
...everything. That pretty much describes them all, doesn't it? There are a very few rare exceptions, but not enough to make a difference. We need term limits. Time to end the gravy train these people ride at our expense.
We have term limits--They are called elections!
The problem with elections (as practiced by Patriotic Americans) is every Citizen gets a vote. Thats what has the GOPpers/Teabaggers/Consevatives/Neo-Cons/ Ru@!$%#es ..etc. Upset.
In their vision of America - Its "Me" - not "We"... they refuse to understand that he driver of the bus gets to chose the route.
You can't ask for the bus to stop at your house, wait for you. Get to the bus, and wait for your turn... just like everyone else.
Remeber People it,s not over till its over , no one have gotten to 1144 yet
People understand no one has gotten 1144 yet
The only "ride" Santorum is having is right. out. the. door!
Na na na na. Hey hey hey, GOOD BYE!
What's most concerning for GOP is that Mitt had such a hard time against such a remarkably weak field of competitors.
He won't have that advantage in the general election.
Doesn't surprise me at all, we have so many uninformed nutcases in this country that his ride doesn't surprise any rational human being. What do I mean by nutcase? Its like the guy who voted for the tort reform proposition in Texas finding out after he was in a very serious auto accident that tort reform meant he was getting @!$%#ed. His uninformed idea of tort reform was that it meant ending "frivolous lawsuits", not blocking his very serious lawsuit from going forward. The nutcase is the average republican knee jerk reactionary who is now crying "down with the Health Care bill", and "anyone but Obama", and Obama is "anti-business".
Mark, you forget that Ricky Santorum was one of eight (8) really weak, inept seekers of the republican nomination. None of the 8 brought to the process any strength, promise, reason or logic. This provided an opportunity for the lunacy that followed, Santorum seized upon a very radical semi religious fringe group of supporters that is a seizable part of republicanism, that and that alone propelled him to a position the others could not attract. This semi religious republicanism fringe group is not by itself, able to propell any candidate into public office, THANK GOD!
He would have been a good President. Romney will be better than Obamma but he is to left for me.
Either way it will be hands down better than current.
Anyone seen a story on MSNBC about recent developments in the Trayvon Martin case since NBC got caught editing the 911 tape ??
That comment is pretty much the most ridiculous comment, I've read in a week!
Do you even "know" what was "edited"?
If you do, tell me how it affects ANYTHING?
Is this news, or some sort of political commentary or just wishful thinking? Did Santorum bow out of the race, or did I miss something? Are there any journalists working at MSDNC?
Let us not forget--People of genorosity and compassion who support President ,Obama still have to get out and work for his re-election. Whether it is a donation or driving people to the polls or persuading people to vote for him. It takes time, money and effort. Take nothing for granted, for the stakes are too high for the future of our country.
I find it difficult to understand why anyone would support a man like Santorum who supports a Church that not only supports child sex abusers, but once the abusers are discovered, the church just moves these abusers around to other areas of the country so they can continue the abuse.
Then he wants to make the moral values of this Church the law of the land.
Just unbelievable.
I agree, and then we have a President who attends a church with Reverend Wright. We just can't win for losing.
FREEDOM IS ALIVE!!!!!!
Ron Paul packs 10,000 - that's TEN THOUSAND at UCLA yesterday!
MSN and Fox REFUSE to share this so I thought that I would spread the fantastic news!!!
Yes!
Ron! Paul! 2012!
@Proud, there is no way I would vote for a senile old man, and that is what Ron Paul is. He needs to go home.
If you love NDAA, HR 347, Spy Drones in America, Wire-taps, Patriot, TSA, EO13575, Illegal Invasions, corporate control and the massive industrial complex:
then vote for ObamaMittRickNewt.
Otherwise, vote for Ron Paul 2012! Vote for Freedom!
YouTube Ron Paul Google Ron Paul
In the long haul I was thankful to Sticky Ricky for cheerfully exposing the Republican agenda in such a clear, unobstructed way. It gave citizen the opportunity to see just exactly where Republican priorities lay. Dismantling women's rights, privatizing the entire govenment, supporting the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, mismantling unions and formalizing Christianity as a national, government support religion. Left to the devises of the Republican party, the United States will turn back the hands of time to the days of slavery when your worth was measured by the number of slaves you owned and only the wealthies of MEN mattered.
thats true, he did very perfectly demonstrate those things. where the average american stands with the gop: poor and condemned and judged.
man makes me ashamed to be a catholic.
religious crackpot racist piece of trash woman hater.
dont you have a funeral to protest rick?
santorum spreads around, but always eventually ends up down the toilet or drain.. that and on a dirty towel.
the arrogance of this man always astounds.. he will never be president of anything more than his gay hating bible club.
Pennsylvania,
Please hand him a smashing defeat on a frothy-stained silver platter.
Love,
A Pennsylvanian voter.
Santorum simply out lasted all the other wingnuts, wacko's and kookaboos who worshiped at the alter of what passes for conservatism today. He's still there because he's the only one left and there will always be 25 or 30 percent of the Republithug base that is of low enough intellect to vote for someone like Santorum. If Bachchman or Perry had stayed and were the only nut jobs left then they would be on this ride to no where. He has only further exposed how fouled up the Republican party has become. I am one who was a Republican and now Independent. I don't have any great love for the Democrats but the Republicans and their minions scare the hell out of me. This party is evil and getting worse every day.
Santorum provided entertainment this go-around. As for his future chances? Only with moonbats and serious religious nutbags in the GOP...but those numbers seem to be growing, thanks to the crazy TeaNuts.
GOP, good luck with the monster your party has created. All to put one Black Man out of a job. Maybe by 2020 you can recover, but I doubt it.
So why is it that Mitt has more thatn twice as many delegates as the so called favorite sontorium? Sainttorum has the personality of Howdy Doody. The same old cheesey grin and only gives us critiisim of others and no substance for what he stands for..