With all attention on Iowa and its January 3rd first in the nation caucus, six Republican presidential candidates challenged one another at Morris University in Des Moines this Saturday on ABC.
Hoping to generate a spike in media attention before the Fox News Sioux City debate, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum appeared on the Laura Ingraham Show on December 12th to discuss his own presidential candidacy.
Santorum on WFYL 1180 AM this Monday
Airing locally on King of Prussia’s WFYL 1180 AM, Laura Ingraham pressed the senator on the recent rise of Newt Gingrich and challenged Santorum on his landslide loss in the Keystone State in 2006.
The radio host cited a recent Washington Post/ABC poll of potential Iowa caucus-goers that highlighted the importance Republican voters attach to Gingrich’s political experience.
“Romney’s last election he lost – he lost his last attempt to get into political office [in 2008]. And you lost your last attempt to be reelected in Pennsylvania [in 2006]. It was a difficult year no doubt, but you lost nevertheless. So why do people think that you’ll be more electable today than you were in your home state?” Ingraham pressed.
“Well just remember Newt Gingrich won elections in one of the most heavily Republican districts in the state of Georgia. There’s one thing to lose an election if you’re running in a heavily blue states in one of the worst election years in Pennsylvania history. Then compare that with someone that’s never had to run a race where he had to get a single vote outside the Republican Party to win.” Santorum responded.
“Matching up electoral records I’m happy to do that.” he continued. “I’ve won four out of five elections in tough years winning tough states where I ran as a conservative. Compare that to Mitt Romney who ran as a liberal to get elected in the state of Massachusetts.”
“The bottom line is no other person in this race has ever won a swing state.” he concluded.
The case for curious notions
As usual Laura Ingraham deserves credit for her willingness to hold conservative politicians to high standards; and Santorum’s 18-point loss to Bob Casey has been a damaging talking point for his campaign.
Santorum handled the subject well by turning the issue into an attribute setting him apart from both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.
Advancing to the Fox News debate this Thursday, Santorum may critique his argument by emphasizing his willingness to stick through an uphill fight in Pennsylvania as proof of his resolve to tough out a barrage of negative campaigning from the incumbent president.
After all, Mitt Romney – once considered the prohibitive GOP frontrunner – refused to stand for reelection in a liberal state where his electoral prospects were weak. Yet Santorum eschewed this approach despite facing challenging poll numbers, fighting a battle in Pennsylvania that ultimately proved unwinnable.
It seems ironic that Romney’s decision not to face the voters in Massachusetts once allowed him to assume the frontrunner mantle, while Santorum’s decision to do so might prove a stigma denying him the same opportunity.
As ever the world of politics makes a strange case for its own virtues.
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