It's All About Rick
This doesn't exactly
amount to an argument in favor of Santorum -- and as best I can tell, the post-debate polls seem to have moved slightly against him -- but it remains true, I believe, and thoroughly remarkable, all the same. In the words of Bill Kristol, writing at the Weekly Standard:
[W]hat's struck me about the commentary on the debate is how much of it is about Santorum. Commentators—and voters—seem to be either lukewarm or lukecool about Romney. But no one seems to be paying much attention to him anymore. His own campaign doesn't pay much attention to him, since they spend most of their time attacking Santorum. Is anyone—even his own campaign—really that interested in the Romney economic plan? Fairly or unfairly, it's now all about Santorum. He's gone from a 1 percent candidate two months ago to the center of gravity in the Republican race.
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Comments:
Dec '10
Re: It's All About Rick
This reinforces the feeling that Romney is a product instead of a person.
Feb '12
Re: It's All About Rick
And this makes him different from every other non-Romney how? Oh, that's right, it doesn't.
Two months ago Santorum and what few supporters he had were complaining that no one was paying attention to him, now they complain that he's getting too much.
Cry me a river.
Edited on February 24, 2012 at 6:03pmRe: It's All About Rick
The manner in which the Romney attack machine is trying to win the nomination may well hurt him in the general election. It is easy to trash Newt Gingrich. He provided lots of ammunition. The attempt to defame Rick Santorum is dishonest, and that fact will be obvious to far too many Republicans.
Jan '11
Re: It's All About Rick
Bill Kristol is too busy trying to get Abraham Lincoln to run to hear all the Romney coverage.
Feb '12
Re: It's All About Rick
The polls don't seem to be agreeing with you, Prof. Rahe.
I don't see anything out of the ordinary in the attack ads being run by Romney, they're standard fare for election season.
Prof. Rahe, do you care to comment on the chicanery and libel Jefferson engaged in against John Adams, does that make him a dishonest and illegitimate president?
May '10
Re: It's All About Rick
Very good case for Santorum here. I got the link from Quin Hillyer.
Santorum's strengths seem to me the kind that abide, and grow on people. His weaknesses are less important when they're looked at closely.
He's no ABR flash in the pan.
Jan '11
Re: It's All About Rick
Do you think it would've been effective for Romney to basically kill Santorum with kindness? What if the approach had been something like, "Rick is a good man, but he's not the right man for this job"?
Jul '10
Re: It's All About Rick
Is anyone—even his own campaign—really that interested in the Romney economic plan?
Oh, I seem to recall a post or twelve on the subject.
Feb '12
Re: It's All About Rick
Palaeologus:Is anyone—even his own campaign—really that interested in the Romney economic plan?
Oh, I seem to recall a post or twelve on the subject. · 1 minute ago
Yes, including one by the author of this particular post. Peter puts up a post about how lame Romney's tax plan is, which he sheepishly half-retracts and then puts up a post about how nobody is paying attention to Romney or his financial plan. Hilarious.
Apr '11
Re: It's All About Rick
The whole primary season has been a process of elimination. The fastest way to be eliminated is to be in the spotlight because we don't like most of the candidates. If the race were to go on long enough, in theory, all of the candidates would be eliminated. This is unlikely to happen, but if it did, it wouldn't be such a terrible thing.
Jan '11
Re: It's All About Rick
Romney just needs to soldier on and keep his cool, while attempting to make Santorum lunge and stumble a bit. I don't understand the tacit and open anti-Romney sentiment. There is no perfect candidate. The current lot of candidates are all wasting time money and energy tearing each other down. Romney will do just fine, and he can take the extra time honing his debating skills and election platform.
Dec '10
Re: It's All About Rick
MJMack
Palaeologus:Is anyone—even his own campaign—really that interested in the Romney economic plan?
Oh, I seem to recall a post or twelve on the subject. · 1 minute ago
Yes, including one by the author of this particular post. Peter puts up a post about how lame Romney's tax plan is, which he sheepishly half-retracts and then puts up a post about how nobody is paying attention to Romney or his financial plan. Hilarious. · 5 minutes ago
Missing the point is not enhanced by ad hominem attacks. Peter is simply noting how curious the amount of coverage of Santorum is considering his slippage in the polls and less than stellar debate performance. Romney should be more relevant with these factors in play.
Jan '11
Re: It's All About Rick
King Prawn! On a Lenten Friday, what an appropriate name. ;-)
But as an empirical matter, is Kristol's observation about Santorum coverage true? I see front-page stories about Romney on Google News, CNN, Fox, Drudge...about equal or even slightly more than Santorum.
Aug '11
Re: It's All About Rick
Right. Though I would say that the way Romney went after Gingrich was similarly dishonest. But the result is the same: Romney is splitting the GOP through his "win at all costs" campaign.
Dec '10
Re: It's All About Rick
Tristan Abbey: King Prawn! On a Lenten Friday, what an appropriate name. ;-)
But as an empirical matter, is Kristol's observation about Santorum coverage true? I see front-page stories about Romney on Google News, CNN, Fox, Drudge...about equal or even slightly more than Santorum. · 1 minute ago
Having not counted stories today (I camp Ricochet way too much) I can't answer that. Perhaps he is off, but if he is not it does make for an interesting angle from which to evaluate the situation.
Jul '10
Re: It's All About Rick
Santorum is starting to look like the Jeremy Lin of the Republican race: hyped up by everyone in spite of good but not stellar performances. But in Santorum's case, you can take out Lin's humility, inspirational story and raw talent.
Edited on February 24, 2012 at 6:46pmJun '10
Re: It's All About Rick
A lot of people think Mitt Romney is a chip off the George Romney block more as car salesman, than as politician. He's selling the 2012 Romneymobile, and it looks good, sounds good, but is it reliable? Hard to tell. Very hard to tell.
Edited on February 24, 2012 at 6:49pmMay '10
Re: It's All About Rick
It's interesting. Much of the anti-Santorum argument has been that he would turn off women with his "radical" positions. Now, here comes evidence that the opposite is happening.
Anyone want to tell me, still, that only Romney can beat Obama?
May '10
Re: It's All About Rick
Actually, that last sentence is apparently in the eye of the beholder, as plenty of us don't see any issue with Rick Santorum in the pride department, and his dogged perseverance that has brought him finally to this moment is certainly inspiring.
Jul '10
Re: It's All About Rick
Chris Deleon
Actually, that last sentence is apparently in the eye of the beholder, as plenty of us don't see any issue with Rick Santorum in the pride department, and his dogged perseverance that has brought him finally to this moment is certainly inspiring. · 0 minutes ago
I'm not saying that Santorum is overly prideful; I just don't think it's possible for any politician to display the humility that Lin has shown, constantly praising his teammates and opposing players. That is no way to draw votes, but it's a great way to conduct yourself as an athlete.