‘Rick Santorum has never been considered a go-to guy for Big Business on Capitol Hill. After all, some corporate types are nervous about his blue-collar roots, his populist proclivities, and his emphasis on religious issues.” So began a Business Week story in January 2006. At the time, Santorum was scrambling to raise money for his reelection campaign against Democrat Bob Casey, a race he ultimately lost. Six years later, however, the perception persists. And at least one corporate type — Mitt Romney — is nervous about Santorum’s rising Rust Belt appeal.
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According to the latest polls, Santorum continues to surge in recession-plagued Michigan, which will hold its primary in late February. In the Great Lakes State’s factory towns, where closed auto plants and shuttered strip-mall stores dot the landscape, Santorum’s gritty, middle-class rhetoric is resonating. An American Research Group poll of likely Republican voters has Santorum up by six points, 33 percent to Romney’s 27 percent. A Public Policy Polling survey shows an even larger margin: Santorum leads Romney by 15 points, 39 percent to 24 percent.
Sensing danger, Romney’s campaign has launched a new ad on the Michigan airwaves, touting Romney’s childhood in Detroit, where he grew up as the son of a popular governor. But as they eye the front-runner’s maneuvers, several Santorum advisers tell National Review Online that if Romney’s strategy is to remind people that he used to live in the state, then they’re confident about their chances there. As evidence, they point to the PPP poll, in which a majority of respondents told pollster Tom Jensen that they don’t consider Romney to be a Michigander.
Indeed, if the polling is right and Romney’s home-field advantage is largely superficial, then Santorum’s team sees a real opening to make the Michigan primary a messaging battle. It will partly be a matter of optics — a Pennsylvanian in a sweater vest versus a Bain executive. But at the heart of the pitch will be a policy contrast. On that front, Santorum aides are readying a final, two-week push to illustrate Santorum’s economic populism. There will be mailings and radio spots about his blue-collar beliefs. Unlike his rivals, he’ll talk about incentivizing American companies.
On Thursday, Santorum will address a group of local business leaders at the Detroit Economic Club. Expect him to add policy specifics to his stump speech’s broader themes, a task he has largely avoided thus far. He’ll carefully explain his proposed overhaul, which would create two income tax rates — 10 percent and 28 percent. And he will promote his plan’s tax breaks, which are designed to appeal to conservative parents in Cheboygan and Flint. That includes eliminating the corporate tax for manufacturers and tripling the personal deduction for each child in a family.
“They’ve been looking forward to this speech for months,” says one source close to Santorum’s senior team. “Michigan has always been seen as potential Santorum territory, as a place where they could surprise. Going to Detroit, with all of its manufacturing history, is easy for Santorum. He wants to bring this back to jobs. I know they’re planning on expanding [the platform].”
While I believe that Gov. Romney is more electable, I have to commend Santorum's strategy and communication skills.
I think the biggest reservation on Santorum is on the Social issues - can he moderate the rhetoric (not the positions themsleves) enough that he won't scare away the secular suburbs.
I'm nervous because of his previous interviews. But I'm willing to give him a shot.
Certainly, the fact that the isn't a rich man, like Romney, will blunt Obamas OWS based campaign strategy.
The question is - when they move to the "tie Santorum to Bush and crazy right-wing-religious-nut" strategy, can Santorum effectively blunt those attacks, or will he feed them. That's what he has to show.
You have answered your own question--of course Santorum can't and won't blunt those attacks because they will be based on accurate (and exaggerated) recitals of his own statements and record. Social; conservatives can rant and rave until the cows come home, but the American public, while persuadable on conservative fiscal proscriptions, will never swallow a hardline social issues agenda. Never! Nor should they. If social conservatives can't win the hearts and minds of people in the trenches before running to the public arena, then they have no business trying to impose their agenda by government coercion and fiat.
I do agree that it is refreshing to see a Republican candidate not cow-towing to the Wall Street and big corporation crowd. But of course his proposals for bigger deductibles for reproducing and pandering to the manufacturing sector are inimical to a true free market approach to our overly bloated federal budget and immoral tax code. Thus from an economic point of view, Santorum is anything but a true conservative, at least from a Milton Friedman point of view.
Given the social extremism we are getting from Obama I think Santorum is the perfect choice. Yesterday a Democrat Senator said that Republicans wanted women barefoot and pregnant. Where is the republican response? And after Kennedy, Clinton, Edwards, et al, the media let's the democrat get away with it.
If the Republican response is medieval Rick, then the Democrat senator has a point, doesn't he? By the time Obama's through with him, he'll be lucky to get 30% of the women's vote. Just like Pennsylvania 2006, but national. Adios, Republicanos!
I am not 100% sold on Santorum...but he is gaining on me.
Unlike Mitt, at least he is clearly telling me what he is for and what he would do as POTUS...and, also unlike Mitt...his positions are consistent with his past actions.
You can point to this vote or that, but no one in this race has a more consistent conservative record. I have no doubt that Rick Santorum will govern conservatively. I have plenty of doubts about the others.
Like Obama won't just say "me, too" on that one. Anything Santorum does "blue collar" and "for the little guy", Obama's just going to say he's for that, too. Then Santorum is left with ranting about "man on dog" relations and birth control pills. We need a president not a pope.
I really don't like Romney, but if this Santorum surge continues I might have to start donating to Romney.
Santorum is the worst of the big government republicans wanted to expand governments reach into your economic life while also sticking his nose into your bedroom.
Well that's a fine response...cut off your nose to spite your face. So if Santorum becomes the nominee it looks like you will support BO.
Because even if stay at home and don't vote, you are supporting obamanation.
I do not like Mitt either. He has NEVER been a Conservative and is only a part time republican. But if he is the nominee, I will support him with my vote and my $$$$.
I would vote for my Newfie Dog for POTUS if he was running against BO.
(by the way, I did some quick research on Santorum: voted for numerous tax cuts, balanced budget amendment, led and voted for welfare reform, a lifetime rating from the ACU of 89%, Labor Union rating of 11%, and Am. Taxpayer grade of A - 7 times, B+ 3 times, and B 2 times)
I have been giving Mitt time to close the deal for me...he hasn't yet. I am going to give Rick the same opportunity.
The difference is, I know with BO in the whitehouse, that the Republicans will continue to oppose him. With Santorum in, I'm afraid that there will be another Republican roll over like they did with Bush. And that WOULD be worse than what we have now.
The Wall Street journal is not running for president. I think Santorum's economic plan is just what this country needs. Who cares if it has 5 deductions? It sure is a heck of a lot better than what we have now. And of course Congress will have a lot to day in the final tax laws anyway.
when was the last time a religious right wing conservative has won a general election? NEVER. That is Santorum's chances in the general.
Santorum can't debate Obama on the debt and spending because Santorum's own senate record. Santorum can't debate Obama on jobs because Santorum has no record in creating jobs in the private sector or the government.
Santorum can't beat Obama on the pill, abortion and religion in the general but good luck in nominating him, I'm sure Obama's re-election team couldn't ask for a better scenario to get re-elected.
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