» The problem? People know him: Nearly six years after Rick Santorum lost a Senate election by an embarrassing margin, his perception in his home state of Pennsylvania has never really recovered. The AP story at the source link explains how Santorum really blew it at a meeting with conservative leaders in the state back in 2006, and how the encounter has come to haunt him. Also of note — few Pennsylvania politicians have publicly endorsed anyone, and the few that have are backing Romney. Santorum, by some estimates, needs to win 80 percent of the delegates to even have a shot at winning.
The establishment folks in Washington, D.C., they’re in the bubble and they see the world very, very differently than we do and I think most Americans do. And we’re going to continue to go out and try to elect conservatives to the presidency and that’s what we’re focused on.Rick Santorum • Responding to political types suggesting he should drop out, days before the Wisconsin primary. Santorum says he’s in it until Mitt Romney clearly has enough delegates to win — something that likely won’t happen until June, based on how things are going so far. Romney just won another endorsement, this time from Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (no relation), a show of support that has Santorum on the defensive.
In a surprise move, Mitt Romney announced today that he is ending his presidential campaign and throwing his support behind Rick Santorum. The move shocked observers, including Senator Santorum, as Governor Romney seemed poised for a decisive victory in Wisconsin.
The governor, however, said he concluded that he has “no chance” to win the general election in December and that a Santorum candidacy in 2012 would be in the “best interest of the party.”
He explained, “It will save time. As many observers have pointed out, my defeat in 2012 will be interpreted by the party faithful as evidence that our problem is that we’ve become too pragmatic and moderate. In 2016, we’ll ˜correct™ that and nominate some right-wing nut and get demolished in the general election.
It’ll be like Goldwater in 1964. I don’t want to wait until 2020 to get my party back. I’m all about efficiency. Let’s get our butts kicked now and move on.”
When asked if he was worried that a Santorum thrashing in 2012 would also cause GOP losses in Congress, Romney said, “sure, but many of the losers will be those Tea Party nuts. If they go back home, Congress may actually be able to get some work done for the American people.”
The governor also said that he “wasnt really troubled” at the prospect that a Democratic Congress and President Obama would guarantee the survival of the presidents health reform.
“Look, I invented Obamacare and Im proud of it. If Id been the candidate in 2008, that would have been my signature issue, and Id have won. 98 percent of people in Massachusetts have health insurance. Its ridiculous that my party thinks its just fine for 50 million Americans to lack health insurance, access to preventive care, and all that. We can spend the next four years thinking about how to improve on health reform, rather than sabotage it.”
Senator Santorum said that he was “gratified, I think, at the governors endorsement.
Newt Gingich pointed out that he is still in the race and expects to prevail at the GOP convention in August.
Remember everyone, satire only works if it’s funny and doesn’t make your publication look stupid.
» Ruh-roh. That’s a decline of, like, one percent a day.
![theatlantic:
Newt and Rick Are Becoming the GOP’s Statler and Waldorf
Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum have withered from being Mitt Romney’s legitimate competitors into mere “hecklers,” Politico’s Jonathan Martin writes. The scenarios by which they could win the Republican nomination are becoming more and more “far-fetched,” their rhetoric becoming more desperate. The Atlantic Wire would like to take this image one step further, naming them then Statler and Waldorf of the Republican presidential primary — guys that never get to be the main characters, instead serving as a tool to lower the self-esteem of those Muppets who do. […]
The Times’ Trip Gabriel reports that even “humiliation has not changed [Newt’s] will to stay in the race.” His colleagues Jeff Zeleny and Sarah Wheaton write, “The question facing Mr. Santorum was not whether he intended to press forward with his candidacy, but whether he should.” Both men, several reports say, are making less progress towards winning the nomination than towards embarrassing Romney on the daily. Both Gingrich and Santorum toted Etch-a-Sketches last week when a Romney aide referenced the toy to explain how the candidate would pivot to a general election message. They looked cynical and trivial, just like classic hecklers from the Muppets, though without the jokes.
Read more at The Atlantic Wire.
Dead on. In this case, “playing spoiler” is a nice way of saying “wasting everyone’s time.”](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1hy3oMeHV1qcokc4o1_500.jpg)
Newt and Rick Are Becoming the GOP’s Statler and Waldorf
Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum have withered from being Mitt Romney’s legitimate competitors into mere “hecklers,” Politico’s Jonathan Martin writes. The scenarios by which they could win the Republican nomination are becoming more and more “far-fetched,” their rhetoric becoming more desperate. The Atlantic Wire would like to take this image one step further, naming them then Statler and Waldorf of the Republican presidential primary — guys that never get to be the main characters, instead serving as a tool to lower the self-esteem of those Muppets who do. […]
The Times’ Trip Gabriel reports that even “humiliation has not changed [Newt’s] will to stay in the race.” His colleagues Jeff Zeleny and Sarah Wheaton write, “The question facing Mr. Santorum was not whether he intended to press forward with his candidacy, but whether he should.” Both men, several reports say, are making less progress towards winning the nomination than towards embarrassing Romney on the daily. Both Gingrich and Santorum toted Etch-a-Sketches last week when a Romney aide referenced the toy to explain how the candidate would pivot to a general election message. They looked cynical and trivial, just like classic hecklers from the Muppets, though without the jokes.
Dead on. In this case, “playing spoiler” is a nice way of saying “wasting everyone’s time.”
Santorum wins Mississippi: And Romney totally blows it … with a third-place finish. Someone had a rough night, and it’s the one whose reputation Dan Savage didn’t ruin for five years.
We will compete everywhere … the time is now for conservatives to pull together.Rick Santorum • Emphasizing he’s going to seize upon his momentum after winning Alabama. He’s also looking like he could win Mississippi. Mitt Romney had a rough night tonight.
Watch: PCB gets a visual shout out on GMA’s Yahoo/Tumblr...
Wrote a thing.
Hat tip to this headline writer.
Congrats Tumblr!
Don’t screw this up Yahoo.
In 2007, I was...
I started tumblr when I was at one of the lowest points of...
NBC won’t call Ohio tonight: No word on other networks yet, but not exactly a surprise given how close the race is right now.
Once the government takes control of your life, then they gotcha.Rick Santorum • Using tough lines in his don’t-call-it-a-victory-just-yet speech. He later said “our rights come to us from our creator.” Once God takes over your life, then He gotcha.
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Rick Santorum wants to outlaw teleprompters, OK with corporate influence
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