Why I Clicked Rick

I have been presenting a small series over the past few days on my selection of the Republican candidate.

Today I will give a few reasons for my decision to vote for Rick Santorum.

Now it is time to talk about why I am still in the Rick Santorum camp.

My impressions are just that - thoughts gathered from a 10,000 foot vantage, they are not the result of any in-depth analysis.  I like Rick because of his "underdog" status, Americans have always pulled for the underdog and he fits that bill. 
He has been out spent (exponentially by most reports) yet he keeps on coming.  It is odd to me - but not really considering the integrity of the source- that John McCain, the lauded Champion of campaign reform (the legislation that offered one of the first stabs at diminishing the freedoms of the U.S. Constitution in recent history by proposing to limit political free speech) and a man so appalled by all the money in politics, would be an early endorser of Mitt Romney instead of the likes of Santorum who has spent so little money.

I think Santorum's campaign has been a representation of the pluck that once denoted the character of American culture.  It has been based mostly on hard work and not a lot of machinery or slick organization.  In fact, it seems strange again that those pundits that bemoan the huge amounts of money in politics are also the first to point out that Santorum's "lack of a strong organization" resulted in his name not getting on some ballots or his being ineligible for certain delegates.

Since Iowa, Santorum 's entourage has often been himself and a suitcase. I'm sure it is probably different now, but I like the folksy appeal of that mind-picture.

So conservatives (and many others as well), have long talked about how they yearned for a less-plastic candidate, someone who would not talk in 30 second sound bites, someone who didn't owe the success of their campaign to money or the "moneyed".   If that was you - well Rick may be your man.

Conservatives have also wanted a candidate with heart - someone who could espouse conservatism with passion and without apology.  This candidate has been something of a conservative bulldog for years; he was steadfastly defending George W.'s weapons of mass destruction claim when the neither Bush, nor his own team would do so.

Most of the statements that have gotten Santorum into trouble have been just that - heart statements - that weren't varnished or taken through ethic-cleansing.  Principled passion often yields such results: unvarnished truth and it doesn't change at the whim of the prevailing culture.

 Does Rick have skeletons?  My guess is - "no".  Don't you think Team Romney has the resources and has already shown the willingness to find and exploit any flaws from the past (or perhaps even create them)?   Ask Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain or any other candidates that dared to rise above the herd.

I honestly think that most of his flaws can be tied to party loyalty.  I don't easily dismiss the fact that he was part of the Republican congress' spending spree that resulted in their ouster in 2006.  I, too was disappointed that he endorsed Arlen "Howard Sprague"  Specter, but again, they had been colleagues.  Some might say Santorum is a better friend than a politician.

As for his "gaffes" - I honestly can't find a whole lot that I disagree with in them. The general consensus among media elites and Washington insiders seems to be that the best way to disarm Santorum is to try and portray him as a "crazy".  Most of his "radical" statements would have been considered mainstream in the not too distant past.

Bottom line - I just like the fact that the guy gets little respect from anywhere - even the Republican "powers-that-be" - yet he stays in there.  Like "Rocky" he just keeps getting up and getting back in there.


Rick Santorum offers a refreshing alternative. Am I ecstatic about his candidacy? -no.  Does he inspire me? - only sometimes; but in reality, I was not that crazy about Reagan until he actually won.