The Heated Conservative: Mar 7, 2012

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Super Tuesday By The Numbers

RedState: Super Tuesday By The Numbers http://t.co/vE4OQk9C

Three Cheers For Rick Santorum. None for Mitt Romney.

Rick Santorum finally deserves some credit for being a strong candidate that is clearly electable. Rick Santorum won Oklahoma, Tennessee, North Dakota and almost won in Ohio which many analysts and so called "experts" were calling Ohio "the crown jewel" of Super Tuesday. Combine that effort with the hat trick of three wins in one day with Colorado, Minnessota and Missouri. Rick Santorum has proved with little doubt that his "Made In america" message along with his "Economic Freedom Agenda" vision for America is reasonating with "very conservative" and "tea party" voters. I do think Rick Santorum will continue to win voters over in the upcoming primary states. Rick Santorum is doing so well at this point in the primary is truly surprising and amazing because Santorum was being hammered with negative attack ads from the Romney campaign and Romney's CPACs in key counties in key states like Michigan and Ohio. Again that only proves that more voters know and are well informed about what Mitt Romney is selling and are not buying in. It should also be pointed out that Rick Santorum was outspent by at least 3 to 1 in every state they've done battle in. Just as Romney and his surrogates use the same kind of negative attack ads against Newt Gingrich in New Hampshire and Florida after Gingrich's huge win in South Carolina.

Many voting Americans who follow politics and care what is happening in this country and what our government is doing are placing their hope, trust, respect, admiration and vote into Rick Santorum. These same concerned citizens who follow politics and turn out to vote in every election throughout their entire life are looking to Rick Santorum to rescue this primary from an easy win for Mitt Romney. They are Conservative Tea Party Patriots who confidently and proudly describe themselves as very conservative when asked by anyone. They show up at tea party rallies, protests and organised events with conservative guest speakers like Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Mark Levin, Andrew Breitbart, Larry Schweikart, Jim Hoft, Bill Hennessy and Alfonzo Rachel just to name a few.

Why are these Conservative Tea Party Patriots siding with Rick Santorum over the next-in-line establishment candidate, Mitt Romney? What is Rick's Appeal? Rick Sanoturm has fought for conservative issues. Santorum handles the left with a Clear Consistent Conservative messgage. For Rick Santorum voters,it's character that counts. Conservative leaders like Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh have praised Rick Santorum as the most conservative candidate left. Rush has even said that Rick Santorum offers a clear contrast to Obama." There has also been a huge boost in support for Ricksantorum through Great articles on Conservative web pages like Redstate with titles like "Rick Santorum: Yes, he is a true conservative", "Femi-regulars for Rick Santorum", the weeklystandard's Jeffery H. Anderson and Wickersham wrote "Was Santorum a Senate Spendthrift", Which was followed up nicely by popular conservative blogger TheRightScoop's wrote "Dear Santorum Bashers. Read this and weep.", NationalJournal's "Candidate Guide: Where Does Rick Santorum Stand?" and popular conservative blogger Dan Riehl of Riehl World View has written a few positive pieces supporting Santorum when he wrote "Conservatives Shouldn't Abandon Rick Santorum", "It's Rick Santorum's Time", and my personal favorite, "Dear Spineless Cowards: STFU About Santorum's Religion-based Comments".

It could also be Santorum's Winning Work Ethic, Rick Santorum's Iowa video: 'With seven kids...in two mini-vans' helped to prove just that. Rick Santorum has the best chance of winning over Reagan democrats especially in battleground swing states that will be crucial in the general election against Obama. Star Parker Wrote "America's heartland supports Santorum". Rick Santorum is winning more support from Republican women. Many believe that Santorum is a tough, scrappy and confident guy who would take the fight directly to Obama in the general election. The Daily Caller's Matt Lewis came up with 5 Reasons Obama Should 'Fear the Vest'. Newsobserver.com made their case Why it should be Obama vs. Santorum. TwinCities.com wrote "Joe Soucheray: Santorum, the guy in the sweater vest, is the one Obama fears " These kinds of articles clearly cast a positive light on and about Rick Santorum vs Obama in the general election. So much so that even Paul Scicchitano of Newsmax wrote a column about it entitled "Rasmussen: Santorum Surge Has 'Substance'"

The Wall Street Journal wrote about Rick Santorum's Spirited Reception at CPAC. Al DiGuido of HumanEvents wrote about Rick Santorum's Surge Online, Winning Friends on Facebook and Followers on Twitter. That is very important and vital edge to have with the new media among. Every candidate wants that edge but rarely gains it with some exceptions like Sarah Palin, Herman Cain and Allen West. If that doesn't matter to you or impress you, Rick Santorum does have a long endorsement list of more well known famous people posted on his website showing who have publicly endorsed him. It is impressive. Conservative people like Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, Michelle Malkin, David Limbaugh, Gary Bauer, James Dobson and Joseph Farah just to name a few.

Whether he's winning voters over through his speeches, what he says at the debates or is quoted in the media while on the campaign trail, gaining fans online or important friends in high places, I find myself in agreement with Rebecca Kaplan of NationalJournal when she wrote "Santorum Rhetoric Gets Sharper". Matt Lewis of The Daily Caller does a good job of reminding his reading audience that Republicans usually win on social issues (and why this helps Rick Santorum).
I personally think most people began noticing and liking Rick Santorum during the Florida debate when he stood out as a positive campaigner who just wanted to focus on the issues and not personal politics. That only helped him when he took the fight to Mitt Romney in the debate over Romney's support for Romneycare and the individual mandate he imposed as governor of Massechussetts. I think that was a real eye opener and refreshing moment that conservatives have been waiting for a candidate to do. Rick Santorum finally did it and did a great job too. That only helped open the floodgates in the minds of conservatives that somone was capable and willing to take on Mitt Romney.

Once Rick Santorum opened that door, he ran right through it. Conservative bloggers began to take notice in support of Rick Santorum's effort to expose Mitt Romney's Romneycare and individual mandate in Massechussetts. Mitt Romney still refuses to admit that Romneycare or the individual mandate he signed into law as governor of Massechussetts was wrong and not a good idea. Mitt Romney defends it and makes excuses for it. Too many conservatives already know it is. Santorum attacks Romney’s record on heathcare, individual mandate saying "Romneycare 'In some respects' worse than Obamacare" and On Healthcare, Obamacare and Romneycare will hurt Ohio families. Then Santorum blasts Romney for 2009 Opt-Ed on Individual Mandate. That is a winning message to use against Mitt Romney that should continue to pick up steam and generate momentum in Santorum's direction the further this primary election goes on. Especially since Rick Santorum has been proven time and time again to have always been against individual mandates as far back as 1994. Rick Santorum has always wanted and fought for free market solutions for health care related issues. A clear distinction between himself and Mitt Romney's approach to health care.

Obamacare, Cap-and-Trade, Stimulus and TARP bills are arguably the top hot button issues that help to create the massive Conservative Tea Party Movement in America. Romneycare goes against the grain of the Conservative Tea Party Movement because it does include an individual mandate, it is a big government intrusion into the free market system in Massechussetts and by no means conservative. Erick Erickson of Redstate has called Mitt Romney out at least twice about Mitt Romney Urges to Embrace Individual Mandate and again with his follow up Further Proof Romney Supported a National Individual Mandate in 2009.

I know and completely understand that Mitt Romney would love for his record of Romneycare to be forgotten about and never talked about ever again. That can't happen, won't happen and shouldn't happen. The whole idea of the Conservative Tea Party movement and conservative's new media is to hold these politicians accountable for their unnessessary intrussions into our lives. Whether that be in our homes, workplace, place of worship or health care decisions. Mitt Romney wants Romneycare to go away and never be discussed again much like John McCain wanted his multiple attempts to pass amnesty through immigration reform to go away from him back in 2008. It never did and haunted him throughout the primary and into the general election as well. The same will be true for Mitt Romney with his Romneycare. It was wrong, a bad bill and should've never been signed into law by him as a republican governor. The excuses Romney continues to offer up don't cut the mustard either. Romney was the only governor who signed this kind of individual mandate into law. Every governor in America faces the same economic issues that Massechussetts was facing and I have news for Romney and his diehard supporters, Massechussetts is not the only liberal blue state with over 85% Democratic legislature. There's plenty of state governments facing similar challenges that Mitt Romney faced while governor of Massechussetts. The difference is they found other ways to deal with the issue. Sadly, Mitt Romney did not.

Why should Mitt Romney's weakness and failure to make free market based solutions in Massechussett force conservatives who know better have to twist ourselves into pretzels defending Romney's poor decision. We shouldn't. We must not.

Rick Santorum is standing up against this. Conservatives should be supporting him in this effort. I can't think of a better way of doing this than by voting for Santorum in your state's primary. When Rick Santorum goes on to win this nomination, don't you want to be on the right side of history. I do. I am. I am doing all I can to help support Rick Santorum. I challenge you and everyone you know or don't know to do the same.

Here are some Great Links to Articles and Videos on and about Romneycare, Obamacare and the other problems I have with Mitt Romney winning the GOP Nomination. Please take the time to go through them and see the research I have about this.

Romney's "Collaborator and Friend", Ted Kennedy (One of the "Parents" of Romneycare) at the Romney-Kennedy Health Care Bill Signing

Mitt Romney defends the individual mandate

2009 Romney glad to hear Obama copying RomneyCare

How Romney Advocated Obamacare and Lied About It

Mitt Romney Suggested Three Times In 2009 That Obama Imitate Romneycare

More videos of Romney pushing national individual mandate

Scoring Last Week's RomneyCare Debate
Santorum pointed out crucial similarities that Romney's own plan has with Obama's deeply unpopular health law.

The Failure of RomneyCare

The former Massachusetts governor enacted something very similar to the Obama health plan. It isn't working well.

Is Obamacare just Romneycare 2.0?

Analyst says the programs are 'virtually identical'

Confirmed Romneycare = Obamacare

A Short Must See Video Romneycare Vs. Obamacare

Romneycare and Obamacare: can You Tell the Difference?

Mark Levin’s rebuttal of Ann Coulter’s “Three Cheers for RomneyCare” article

Romneycare Becomes Obamacare, Then Coultercare

Coulter Care

Romney Explains Why He Can't Beat Obama

Can Romney Lead the Fight against ObamaCare?