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:
Apr '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Shhh....Northstar! Speak no eeevvi...Oh, never mind.
Feb '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Fred Cole: Mark my words, kids:
This will backfire for Santorum. Not in the short term, he might win MI, but it'll hurt him.
How, exactly?
May '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
I'm surprised no one's objecting to how Santorum is appealing to crossover Dems. Specifically, he targets Romney for supporting the Wall Street bailout but opposing the auto bailout You may disagree, but how the robocall plays seems tilted in favor of the auto bailout, which Santorum opposed (you can find the call itself here). The ad also goes after Romney for supporting his "Wall Street billionaire buddies", an accusation, I think, clearly tinged with class warfare.
Dec '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
etoiledunord
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. · 3 minutes ago
Edited 1 minute ago
And fully allowing Dan's point that the Progressive Democrats crossing over to vote Santorum are doing so purely to make mischief, there are other Democrats across the Rust Belt who took Obama's "bitter clinger" comment pretty hard and who've subsequently been treated to three years of stagnation and persistently high unemployment. Reagan specifically pitched himself to Big Labor's rank and file members on Labor Day 1980: Romney and Gingrich are foolish to rail against unions without simultaneously praising union members (see Sarah Palin for how it's done in today's world).
Dec '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Words from Ronald the Impure, Labor Day 1980:
Oct '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
I'm telling you, Santorum will lead our party to ruin if he gets the nomination. That is why Democrats support him. Romney may lose the election, but he won't eviscerate movement conservatism in the eyes of the public, and let's face it: Santorum would.
Dec '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Also these words:
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
In my post yesterday, I tried to provide the context for this. In Michigan, for the first time this year, Romney reached out to the Tea-Party Movement and gave a talk to eight different Tea-Party groups in which he denounced the auto bailout, the defrauding of the auto company bondholders, and the United Auto Workers. His aim was apparently to peel off some of the Tea-Party support for Santorum.
The UAW responded by holding a counter-rally near where Romney held one of his rallies, and Santorum is trying to take advantage of their ire.
In a much quieter way, Romney may be trying to do something similar in the Ann Arbor area -- which is a stronghold for upper-scale libertine liberals. He is apparently saturating the place with anti-Santorum robocalls.
Let me add that I have received robocalls from both sides. Neither camp can be accused of restricting themselves to legitimate attacks on the other.
It is wild in these parts -- and turn-out appears to be unusually low.
Edited on February 28, 2012 at 11:58pmDec '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Why? Because our friends will all tease us for supporting the candidate who makes them giggle when they Google?
It's sad that you would rather lose than be laughed at.
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
You might be right, but I am not sure. He will certainly be less attractive to the limousine liberals than Romney would be. The libertines in their midst would froth at the mouth. But to working-class stiffs who ordinarily vote for the Democrats . . . that might be another matter. In the recent matchups with Obama in the polls, Santorum does just about as well as Romney -- this despite the gnashing of teeth that takes place among the libertine set and in the mainstream press (which they dominate).
I am not saying that you are necessarily wrong. But the conclusion you reach is not obvious. Santorum upsets the ordinary calculations.
Aug '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Professor Rahe,
Is turn out low because few people are happy with ANY of the current candidates?
Sep '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Open primaries just beg for this kind of thing. If I was in MI and there was a Republican incumbent running unopposed, I'd definitely vote for my favorite Democrat. If my candidate lost the general, I'd want the best possible alternative.
May '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
I don't. And I voted for the guy. This makes me even less confident in the wisdom of my choice than before.
Mar '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Hmm...Romney's inevitability was based on the appeal that he had for so-called "independents."
That's good, as far as it goes, and we do need independents. However, it seems that all Santorum is doing is trying to get some independents himself. Romney contends that this is "outrageous and disgusting."
Santorum is poaching Romney's base, and Romney is steamed. I don't see Santorum complaining that Romney, by making an eleventh hour run at Tea Partiers, is poaching Santorum's base.
Let the best poacher win.
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
cbc: Professor Rahe,
Is turn out low because few people are happy with ANY of the current candidates? · 5 minutes ago
Your guess is as good as mine. But that is what I suspect.
Oct '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Paul A. Rahe
You might be right, but I am not sure. He will certainly be less attractive to the limousine liberals than Romney would be. The libertines in their midst would froth at the mouth. But to working-class stiffs who ordinarily vote for the Democrats . . . that might be another matter. In the recent matchups with Obama in the polls, Santorum does just about as well as Romney -- this despite the gnashing of teeth that takes place among the libertine set and in the mainstream press (which they dominate).
I am not saying that you are necessarily wrong. But the conclusion you reach is not obvious. Santorum upsets the ordinary calculations.
Santorum would do more than energize the liberal base--he would demoralize a lot of Republican activists and political talent. In a worst case scenario we could suffer outright defections, or even worse, a third party might form.
A Santorum loss would be viewed by the public as a decisive referendum against movement conservatism. A Romney loss would be viewed more apathetically--having a candidate who believes in nothing can be useful at times like these.
May '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
etoiledunord
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. · 29 minutes ago
Edited 27 minutes ago
The point I was trying to make was that we know to some degree the crossover voters are simply Democratic partisans intending to cause trouble in the primary but in no way reliable votes in the general. Stuart Creque's point is well made; I'd say it's probably more likely than not that the majority of Santorum crossovers genuinely like and support the man; however, Santorum should not get complacent about winning crossover votes or he may be in for a big surprise come November if he wins the nomination.
May '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Paul A. Rahe: libertine liberals · 13 minutes ago
Edited 12 minutes ago
Hi-larious.
I spotted a few of those on campus Sunday. One was wearing bubble-gum pink high-top sneakers. He was riding a pale horse, if I remember correctly.
Feb '11
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Movement conservatism has already been eviscerated in the eyes of the public, including in the eyes of a great many conservative-leaning independents, by the people who ran the GOP into the ground prior to the 2006 and 2008 disasters.
Bluntly, the GOP was a ruined, wrecked party when the political incompetence of Barack Obama and his radicals gave it a new lease on life in 2010. If those fine folks had had a lick of sense they'd be well on their way to consolidating themselves for several decades of political dominance.
And maybe they still are, because the leadership of the Republican doesn't seem to have a lick of sense either.
The GOP won the most sweeping victory in generations- and, in Washington at least- accomplished almost nothing.
That's failure- and Mitt Romney is its chosen standard bearer.
No thank you GOP.
Dec '10
Re: Santorum Calls Upon Michigan Democrats to Help Him Defeat Romney
Joseph Eagar
Santorum would do more than energize the liberal base--he would demoralize a lot of Republican activists and political talent. In a worst case scenario we could suffer outright defections, or even worse, a third party might form.
That's amazing: I have heard exactly this argument made against Romney's nomination. Verbatim.