David Defeats Goliath
Peter Robinson ·
February 8, 2012 at 7:16am
With 89 percent of the precincts reporting, CNN has just called Rick Santorum winner of the Colorado caucuses, in which he appears to have defeated Mitt Romney by 38 to 36 percent. The polls have for several days now indicated that Santorum would win in Minnesota and Missouri, although they understated his margin of victory, but no one--no one--expected Santorum to pull off a victory in Colorado, which was thought to be in Romney's back pocket.
An astonishing upset. Just astonishing.
Update three minutes later: The New York Times just called Colorado for Santorum as well.
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Re: David Defeats Goliath
Disclaimer: I still haven't made up my mind as to whether Santorum's someone I could fully and enthusiastically support.
But man am I pleased to be able to say that "Ricochet's own Rick Santorum" swept tonight. He's such an underdog, and it's hard not to like an underdog.
Aug '10
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Diane Ellis, Ed.: Disclaimer: I still haven't made up my mind as to whether Santorum's someone I could fully and enthusiastically support.
But man am I pleased to be able to say that "Ricochet's own Rick Santorum" swept tonight. He's such an underdog, and it's hard not to like an underdog. · 0 minutes ago
Y'all might be able to say you had the next President of the United States posting at Ricochet...before he was the favored GOP candidate.
Is Ricochet ahead of the curve?
Jul '10
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Well done senator!!! Keep it up!
Mar '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Santorum has been gathering momentum in the debates, in his campaign speeches, and now in the the voting booths. What he lacks is money, but that is likely to change after tonight's results. Enthusiasm for him is building within me as well.
For the first time I feel good about our primary system.
Edited on February 8, 2012 at 7:33amDec '10
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Rick Santorum now has a better case for asking Newt Gingrich to drop out and throw his support to Santorum than Gingrich has to ask Santorum to drop out and unify behind Gingrich.
Mar '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
re. Peter's earlier post about the nature of the elections turning more toward social issues: If that is indeed true, Santorum is the guy to hammer Obama on all fronts.
Feb '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Peter, Romney is neither evil nor enemy. "Goliath" is not appropriate.
(Santorum fan here, just to make that clear.)
Mar '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Israel P.: Peter, Romney is neither evil nor enemy. "Goliath" is not appropriate.
(Santorum fan here, just to make that clear.) · 0 minutes ago
Literalist.
Apr '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Diane Ellis, Ed.:
....man am I pleased to be able to say that "Ricochet's own Rick Santorum" swept tonight.
It's a good night for National Review, too. Whether it's Santorum or Romney, it's a National Review endorsed winner this race. It didn't come a moment too soon, either. Gingrich has just started broadening his attacks on the party elites and the Republican establishment, the people who must work to get him elected if he became the nominee, apparently a "cheap version of the Democratic establishment" who are "so defeated, so cynical, so lacking in ambition that when I say let's have a bold program, it’s met with derision." If people were listening to him, he'd be even more of a problem. Hopefully it'll be out of his system by the debate on the 22nd.
Although we're now looking at a longer campaign than we were a day ago, it seems likely to me to be much more positive. People don't hate Santorum like they hate Gingrich, and Santorum isn't filled with hate himself.
Nov '10
Re: David Defeats Goliath
This may be premature, but I'm thinking this leads to an interesting question. Suppose a handful more caucuses hand Gingrich and/or Santorum clear wins, and Romney, leading or not, sees his momentum disappearing. Will he see the writing on the wall and pull out, as his comments today suggest he thinks ought to happen? If so, what would transpire in a 3-way primary Ron/Newt/Rick down the final stretch?
I find it hard to parse where Romney's supporters would go, but I can't see the "core" going to Ron, who's too off-center. Rick would draw the social conservative wing of Romney's base and Gingrich would draw the centrist and governing class element. That might just freeze Paul out.
Jan '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
I'm still supporting Goliath. Oops - new tone!
Apr '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
This has always been true. Santorum's voters split evenly between Newt and Mitt; Rick dropping out would not have benefitted Gingrich. Gingrich dropping out would always have benefited Rick. It is true that the argument is even stronger now that Santorum is slightly ahead of Mitt in states carried, slightly behind him in delegates awarded, but by both measures Newt is not in the same league.
Jan '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
R. Craigen:
I find it hard to parse where Romney's supporters would go, but I can't see the "core" going to Ron, who's too off-center.
For being too off-center, Jim DeMint certainly spoke warmly of him in this recent ReasonTV interview.
Dec '10
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Grreatttt!!!!!!
It's not over till someone has plus 50% of the delegates.
The Candidate I originally chose, Perry, has withdrawn. However, I liked Marco Rubio even before that. I listened to the conventional wisdom and didn't try to draft him. That was a mistake.
I voted for Rick Santorum in the Florida primary and will support him from now on. Only two possibilities can end my support. Rick withdrawing or Marco Rubio entering the Race.
Game On,
Jim
Jan '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
I'm not entirely enthused about anyone -- Santorum included -- but he has been very candid and genuine in his appearances and I very much like that. He's also said some very unguarded and non-populist things that most politicians just don't have the courage to say. I get fired up about that...in a good way.
Nov '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Steven Potter
Diane Ellis, Ed.: Disclaimer: I still haven't made up my mind as to whether Santorum's someone I could fully and enthusiastically support.
But man am I pleased to be able to say that "Ricochet's own Rick Santorum" swept tonight. He's such an underdog, and it's hard not to like an underdog.
Y'all might be able to say you had the next President of the United States posting at Ricochet...before he was the favored GOP candidate.
Is Ricochet ahead of the curve?
I think it's obvious. Santorum will be the nominee unless Romney opens up a Ricochet account. It's really his only hope.
Seriously, I remember Dennis Miller saying that if President Obama attending just one or two Tea Party events, things might have been a bit different for him. However, the president seems to be overflowing with arrogance and hate. Bill Clinton might have been willing to attend a Tea Party rally to scope for chicks, if nothing else.
Romney is completely disconnected from the South and Midwest. The Minnesota results seem especially shocking and terrifying for him.
A Santorum-Romney ticket or a Romney-Santorum one?
Sep '10
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Shades of 2008.
Feb '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
This is terrible news. Economics and the scope of government are the most important things in this election. So Colorado as a state (as well as my state house district supercaucus) goes and casts meaningless straw ballots for a statist protectionist extra-social-issues conservative. Thank God for bourbon; it's the only way I can understand this insanity.
Dec '10
Re: David Defeats Goliath
James Of England
Although we're now looking at a longer campaign than we were a day ago, it seems likely to me to be much more positive. People don't hate Santorum like they hate Gingrich, and Santorum isn't filled with hate himself.
The problem is that Romney doesn't do positive very well.
Romney will take tougher approach to Santorum, adviser says
Apr '11
Re: David Defeats Goliath
Stuart Creque
James Of England
Although we're now looking at a longer campaign than we were a day ago, it seems likely to me to be much more positive. People don't hate Santorum like they hate Gingrich, and Santorum isn't filled with hate himself.
The problem is that Romney doesn't do positive very well.
Earmarks strike me as a policy disagreement rather than a personal attack. It's not talking about, eg., his only non-political experience being as a lobbyist before he came to congress. We'll see how it plays out, but I don't think the incentives support negative campaigning in the way that they did with Gingrich. There are much bigger risks involved, smaller rewards, less emotional desire for it, and way, way, fewer easy targets. Plus, Santorum has more longevity than Newt, and months of brawling would do terrible things to both their approval ratings.