Why I’m Caucusing For Santorum

I agree with what Mitt Romney (I think – maybe it was Huntsman) said in one of the opening GOP candidate debates; any of the people on the stage, then and now would do a better job of rebuilding this country than Barack Obama.

Including Romney.

I’m not thrilled with Romney; I think the Gingrich camp’s attacks have verged on the hysterical, and swerved way too far into Alinsky for my taste; Romney certainly did the same in return.  And I’ll allow that there’s some context to his very “moderate” record in Massachusetts; a legislature that verged on Maoist, a state that was so far to the left that John Huntsman would have looked like Gengis Khan.  Still, that’s what we have to go by – that, and his impressive business and executive record.

And Ron Paul?  I used to be a Big-L Libertarian.   And Ron Paul certainly has uncovered the wellspring of inner libertarians – big and small “L” – that I always knew was out there.  I’d love it if Ron Paul were both a viable candidate and a credible choice for President.  I sincerely hope Rand Paul becomes both in the next four to eight years.

But tonight I’m going to caucus for Rick Santorum.  Not because I think he’s necessarily the best candidate – his record on spending and economic issues is adequate-to-good; he’s most famous as a social con, and his credentials there are truly impeccable, but it’s not my turf.

But I’m doing it mainly because if Mitt Romney really is “inevitable”, at least he’s going to know at least one GOP activist – and every one I can convince to follow suit – isn’t handing over his support merely because Mitt’s got a “GOP” behind his name.

Promise to repeal Obamacare?  Start listing cabinet departments that’ll be cut?  In addition to the parts of the Romney platform that do make conservative sense (and there are parts)?  We can talk business.

But for now?  Romney’s not inevitable with me.  Not yet.

9 thoughts on “Why I’m Caucusing For Santorum

  1. If nothing else Santorum will help push him a little more to the right and make Romney more palatable to the TEA Party and base while Romney still could hopefully win most moderates since Obama has gone to the left of… give me a second… Adali Stevenson.

  2. If nothing else Santorum will help push him a little more to the right and make Romney more palatable to the TEA Party

    I don’t know about that. It seems to me when people say that Rick Santorum is the more “conservative” candidate, it pretty much begins and ends with social issues. When he was a Senator, Santorum was pretty much a water carrier for Bush 43’s “compassionate conservatism” with a healthy dose of earmarks and trade protectionism for the steel industry thrown in.

    To the extent that Romney has had a problem, it’s largely been social issues. He’s been pretty consistent even during his “independent” phase on being (a) a deficit hawk and (b) supporting policies to promote private sector growth.

    I don’t think that there’s whole lot that Santorum can do to bring Romney “to the right” that would seem to be of much interest to the TEA Party voters.

  3. I don’t disagree, Thorley.

    Especially re his deficit and growth policies.

    It’s mostly to move him to motivate the base, since I think he’s basically all right on most of the issues that matter to me…

  4. The thing that probably will sink Santorum’s economic credibility (aside from earmarks and such) is his voting against the Right to Work bill in the US Senate, his defense that since PA was a heavy union state so he didn’t want to anger the people is even a weaker defense than Romney’s health care defense.

  5. I’m thinking Santorum as well although none of the four really gets my motor running, they all have negatives in their past that are unappealing to me. I’ll vote for whichever one gets the nod though because four more years of Barry may well be our doom.

  6. I echo Scott in terms of voting for whoever gets to go against Obama. If Obama wins and Scalia and Kennedy leave (retire or die..and I’m betting they’d die before retiring under Obama), you can kiss 30 years of 2A progress, and by extension, this entire country, good bye. Ginsburg has said she hopes “future, wiser courts” dissent becomes majority to correct the Heller ruling.

    http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/11/michelle-obamas-warning-to-gun-owners/

    If it gets to that point, the last chance we have are the Oathkeepers.

  7. Precinct caucus results from the hinterlands of Ramsey. Santorum 21, Paul 9, Romney 5 and Newt 4.

  8. Pingback: Principle | Shot in the Dark

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