Santorum's Sweep Spells Trouble for GOP

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright February 9, 2012
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                 Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum upended the GOP apple cart, hoping that frontrunner former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney wrapped up the nomination with little fanfare.  Romney’s recent victory in Florida over surging former House Speaker Newt Gingrich hoped to translate into momentum heading into Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado.  Santorum’s dominate victories in all three states gives a free X-Ray into the internecine battle now waged behind closed doors inside the GOP.  Romney holds little sway with GOP’s religious and social conservatives, appealing more to secular moderates and fiscal conservatives.  Satorum’s decisive wins in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado show that the Party’s conservative base, including the Tea Party, hasn’t yet thrown in the towel.  Showing more bravado, the 53-year-old religious conservative turned his attacks to President Barack Obama.

           Santorum’s victory reveals deep cracks inside the Republican Party, conveniently papered over when turning their ire on Barack.  “I don’t stand here and claim to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney,” Santorum told cheering supporters.  “I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Barack Obama.  Santorum bested Romney in Colorado, winning 40% of the vote to Romney’s 35%.  Romney finished a distant third in Minnesota with only 17%, watching Santorum score 45% and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) 27%.  No matter how you spin it, Romney’s Achilles Heel was fully exposed:  His lack to real interest to conservatives.  While no delegates were at stake in Missouri, Colorado and Minnesota netted Santorum some 70 delegates.  Missouri spanked Romney, handing Santorum 55%, to Romney’s 25%.  Recent gaffes on the campaign trail took its toll on Romney in the voting booth.

            After Gingrich and Romney eviscerated each other heading into yesterday’s primaries, Santorum emerged as the big winner.  Paul’s libertarian following remain loyal but hasn’t expanded much more than 10% of the vote.  “Conservatism is alive and well in Missouri and Minnesota,” Satrorum declared before winning Colorado.  Romney’s defeat in Colorado hurt badly after spending a good time trying to sell himself to evangelicals.  His defeat reflects a poor showing especially with the James Dobson’s Focus on the Family Christians.  That’s the same group that spent $20 million passing Prop 8’s ban on same-sex marriage in California.  Evangelicals know that Romney was most kind while governor of Massachusetts to lesbians and gays.  Romney was governor in 2004 when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court legalized same-sex marriage against objections from social conservatives.

            Romney’s problems stem from more than his Mormon faith.  When word of his $250 million wealth hit the headlines, Romney proudly accepted the accolade of the nation’s wealthiest GOP candidate.  When the Gingrich campaign broke stories of Romney’s off-shore investments in the Cayman Islands, Romney was a associated with Pirates of the Caribbean.  Whatever one’s religion, Romney suffers from the “Kerry syndrome,” whose extravagant lifestyle sank Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass. 2008 campaign.  News of Romney’s offshore investments and his 14% tax rate alienated ordinary voters, unable to relate to Romney’s wealth.  Since losing Tuesday’s trifecta, Romney’s campaign has been in lockdown damage control.  Romney’s campaign already took out the hatchets, painting Santorum as a Washington insider, hoping to regain traction heading into Maine Feb. 11.

            Romney’s campaign hoped to regain its equilibrium after falling of its perch.  “Look, I just don’t think it’s time when people are looking to Washington to solve problems with Washington,” said Romney advisor Stuart Stevens, blaming today’s problems on Santorum and Obama.  Romney’s campaign has been built on bashing Barack’s poor handling of the economy.  Barack’s hand barely came off the bible on Inauguration Day Jan. 20, 2009 when the GOP blamed him for tanking the economy.  Now that the economy’s showing a pulse, Romney continues to insist Obama is the “job killer” president, despite the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting 225,000 jobs added in January and more that 3.2 million since June 2010.  Romney hasn’t pivoted since the unemployment rate dropped to 8.5%, ignoring the Congressional Budget Office’s projections of lower of budget deficit

  John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.       

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