Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
A report in The Detroit News reveals that the Santorum campaign paid for robocalls to Democrats asking them to vote for him in the Michigan open primary today. The campaign's communications director Hogan Gidley justified the robocalling strategy, explaining that, "We know that if we can get a Reagan Democrat in the primary, we can get them in the fall."
Mitt Romney is predictably upset about this maneuver, lambasting it as "a real effort to kidnap [the Republican] primary process."
And Democrats? Well, they seem to be thrilled. Earlier this month, the Daily Kos announced "Operation Hilarity," which calls for Democratic voters in states with open primaries and caucuses to vote for Rick Santorum whom they judge to be the weaker Republican standard bearer.
It's time for us to take an active role in the GOP nomination process. That's right, it's time for those of us who live in open primary and caucus states—Michigan, North Dakota, Vermont and Tennesseein the next three weeks—to head out and cast a vote for Rick Santorum.
Why would we do such a crazy thing? Lots of great reasons!
Republican turnout has sucked, and appears to be getting worse by the contest
Several of the contests have produced razor-thin margins of victory.
The longer this GOP primary drags on, the better the numbers for Team Blue.
The longer this thing drags out, the more unpopular the Republican presidential pretenders become.
[...]
And in any case, it's freaking hilarious. I mean, Rick Santorum? Really? The Republicans have offered up this big, slow, juicy softball. Let's have fun whacking the heck out of it.
I'm skeptical about the efficacy of such a hijacking scheme, but if you're on Team Santorum, I can see being delighted with the plan as you expectantly count down the days until this all blows up in the Democrats' faces as Rick Santorum lands in the White House. If, on the other hand, you're on Team Romney, you're understandably mortified by this development, as you watch the race take yet another turn toward the ugly.
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Comments:
Dec '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
One wonders why the people of Michigan (like the people of my state, California) decided to make their primaries open. But they did, and when we now see Mitt Romney decrying Santorum's cross-party pitch as a "dirty trick," we are reminded of the many times Mitt told his competitors to quit whining about his own attacks on them.
Besides, we've also been constantly admonished that we need a candidate who appeals to more than a single wing of the Republican Party. If Santorum can appeal to Reagan Democrats -- and there are a lot of working-class ethnic Catholic Democrats in the Rust Belt -- that means he's a better candidate in the general election, yes?
Dec '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Diane Ellis, Ed.:
The problem with a politically correct childhood is that one never learns the valuable lessons of the Uncle Remus stories (Disney won't release Song of the South on DVD).
The Progressive KosKids are about to throw the Republican Party into a briar patch.
Mar '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
So when Romney won New Hampshire with the help of crossover voters, that was... bad?
Jul '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Oh yeah? Well I voted against Obama in the Dem primary. Let's see how they like them apples.
Seriously though, I don't think the MI Left organized nearly as effectively for Santorum as it did for McCain in 2000. Mostly because it lacked the big target (Gov. John Engler) and because Ron Paul is keeping it from acting as a unified bloc.
Mar '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Santorum saw an opportunity and capitalized on it. I like it.
Jul '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Rules is rules. I still hope Romney wins, but there is nothing dirty about using every available ethical/legal tactic at your disposal.
-E
Jul '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
So, if he wins, he will essentially owe his victory to the Michigan autoworkers' unions. Nothing can possibly go wrong with this plan.
Dec '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
I bet Romney thinks it's just fine to use audio of Santorum's endorsement from '08 for his robocalls. It really is silly season.
May '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
The general election campaign will be no holds barred, fists boots and all. Now is as good a time as any for the candidates to get used to it.
Apr '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
I don't know...the warning of folklore rings through my head..."Be careful what you wish for."
Jul '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
I call upon the powers of darkness to form a new order of lion and hyena.
Nov '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Mark my words, kids:
This will backfire for Santorum. Not in the short term, he might win MI, but it'll hurt him.
Feb '12
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Romney is using every lawful means at his disposal, including the informal help of Ron Paul, so why shouldn't Santorum use every lawful means at his disposal - especially since Santorum is at a serious money disadvantage?
Losing nobly lost its charm in 2008.
(Ahem, er, please see my later qualification here as I re-thought the matter.)
Edited on February 29, 2012 at 2:28amOct '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
The CA Democratic primary is open, but not the Republican. I didn't look closely enough into this, and so as an Independent, I'm stuck choosing candidates for the American Independent primary.
Or, come to think of it, the Democratic primary ...
Feb '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
The basic problem is that the tactic of deliberately trying to sabotage the opposition party's primary, regardless of which side is doing it, is nothing but malicious destructiveness. We endlessly whine about the mean tone of political campaigns and then engage in political vandalism and wonder why potential candidates opt out of the process. People are basically schmucks. They get the political process they deserve.
Apr '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Y'know, I'm not actually turning down the cynicism here, but the case really could be made by Team Santorum that it should be the goal of any viable candidate, Republican or Democrat, to appeal to voters' own self-interest in having the best candidates to choose from in the general election. Whether you're a die hard Obamanaut or a conservative, social-issues Republican or just a plain ol' registered Republican or Democrat, all Americans should hope they have the best options available at the ballot box.
The fact we don't have that now and, barring a miracle (or two), won't in the general is beside the point that if Santorum wants to appeal to "Reagan Democrats" or really any other recognizable bloc of voters, more power to him. Like CandE says above, there's nothing illegal nor unethical about it. If he actually pulls it off, that'll be yet another reason for the Powers That Be to reconsider their own instincts about Romney's vaunted electability in the general.
Mar '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
The question isn't whether Santorum should appeal to Democrats (he should be in it to win it, and that means everything is fair game), but whether having open primaries makes any sense at all.
It is true that open primaries may cool the ideological fervor which is inevitable when large numbers of party registrees vote. But at the same time, an open primary simply invites disinterested individuals to participate in the inner workings of a private organization. How can that be beneficial?
Jan '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Interesting discussion here -- I think another point is the apparently contradiction b/w these two things:
People say that Romney is a meaningless candidate without "electability." Is Santorum meaningful without "purity"?
Humbly submitted, of course.
Edited on February 28, 2012 at 11:31pmMay '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
I'm not sure how far this really can be taken. Based on 'Operation Hilarity', it's clear at least some Democrats intend to vote for Santorum not because they like him but because they think he's easier to beat.
Diane Ellis, Ed.:
Those people are hardcore Obama partisans; no Republican could count on their votes in the general.
Jun '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Dan
I'm not sure how far this really can be taken. Based on 'Operation Hilarity', it's clear at least some Democrats intend to vote for Santorum not because they like him but because they think he's easier to beat.
Santorum knows that too. I suspect that's why he's been extra Christian lately. He knows they (Democrats in Michigan) think that's political suicide, and that would make Democrats want to help him. But, the Republicans that have actually won the office in recent elections have been the social conservatives.
Edited on February 28, 2012 at 11:41pm