Washingtonpost news updates: Is social conservatives’ embrace of Santorum too late?

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Is social conservatives’ embrace of Santorum too late?

Is social conservatives’ embrace of Santorum too late? - The Washington Post Print SubscriptionConversationsToday's PaperGoing Out GuideJobsCarsReal EstateRentalsClassifiedsHomePoliticsCampaign 2012CongressCourts &LawThe Fed PageHealth CarePollingWhite HouseBlogs & ColumnsIssues: EnergyTop Blogs

Election 2012 | Felicia SonmezThe Fix | Chris CillizzaFederal Eye | Ed O’KeefeFact Checker | Glenn KesslerOpinionsAll OpinionsPostPartisanLeft-LeaningRight-LeaningTolesCartoonsTelnaesAnimationsLocalColumnist IndexLocalDC: Politics| NewsMD: Politics| CommunitiesVA: Politics| CommunitiesCrimeEducationOn Faith/LocalObituariesTraffic & CommutingWeatherBlogs & ColumnsThe Root DCTop Blogs

The Buzz | MLK Day in WashingtonDr. Gridlock | Holiday transit changesCapital Weather Gang | Milder air on the wayThe Answer Sheet | Century-old eighth-grade examSportsRedskins/NFLCapitals/NHLWizards/NBANationals/MLBDC United/SoccerCollegesAllMetSportsOther SportsBlogs & ColumnsTop Blogs

The Insider| Mike JonesCapitals Insider| Katie CarreraWizards Insider | Michael LeeNationals Journal| Adam KilgoreNationalCorrectionsEnergy & EnvironmentHealth & ScienceHigher EducationNational SecurityOn FaithOn LeadershipInnovationsOn GivingBlogs & ColumnsTop Blogs

Ideas@InnovationsPost LeadershipUnder GodCheckpoint WashingtonWorldAfricaTheAmericasAsia &PacificEuropeMiddle EastNational SecurityWar ZonesSpecial ReportsCheckpoint WashingtonBusinessEconomyIndustriesLocal BusinessMarketsPolicy&RegulationTechnologyWorldBusinessBlogs & ColumnsInnovationsOn Small BusinessTop Blogs

Wonkblog | Ezra KleinPost Tech | Cecilia KangFaster ForwardPolitical EconomyInvestigationsLifestyleAdviceCarolyn HaxFoodHome & GardenStyleTravelWeddingsWellnessMagazineKidsPostTop Blogs

Arts PostAll We Can EatReliable Source | Roxanne Roberts & Amy ArgetsingerOn Parenting | Janice D’ArcyEntertainmentBooksCelebritiesComicsGoing Out GuideHoroscopesMoviesMuseumsPuzzlesTheater & DanceTVTop Blogs

TV Column | Lisa de MoraesCelebritology | Jen ChaneyClick Track | Chris Richards & David MalitzComic Riffs | Michael CavnaMultimediaInnovationsPhotosVideosThe Washington PostMake us your start page

PersonalizeThe Washington PostCampaign 2012CongressCourts &LawThe Fed PageHealth CarePollingWhite HouseBlogs & ColumnsIssues: EnergyIn the NewsRick Perry Rick Santorum Mitt Romney King of Bain Santorum charity ???initialComments:true! pubdate:01/14/2012 16:46 EST! commentPeriod:14! commentEndDate:1/28/12 4:46 EST! currentDate:1/15/12 3:0 EST! allowComments:true! displayComments:true!

Cruise ship runs aground off Italy

Miss America 2012 crowned

JoePa’s first interview since scandal

Your beautiful sunset photos

Dan BalzThe TakeIs social conservatives’ embrace of Santorum too late?

View Photo Gallery — Rick Santorum:?Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum is seeking to energize his presidential campaign with a strong showing in South Carolina.

Text SizePrintE-mailReprints By Dan Balz,

After months of hand-wringing, social conservative leaders finally gave collective voice Saturday to their unhappiness that Mitt Romney might be the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. If not quite a stop-Romney movement, the decision to try to rally support for Rick Santorum represents an open expression of their frustrations.

Conservatives opposed to Romney have just six days to slow his march toward victory. If the former Massachusetts governor wins the South Carolina primary Saturday, his opponents will have virtually no way to deny him the nomination. He could still become the nominee even if he loses Saturday, but a defeat would raise the stakes considerably in Florida, which votes Jan. 31.

Comments

Weigh InCorrections?

Archive

E-mailTwitterGraphic

GOP PRIMARY TRACKER: The race for delegates

Video

GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum won the endorsement of a powerful group of evangelical leaders. (Jan. 15)

More on this Topic

The Take | Social conservatives have embraced Santorum. Is it too late?Rick Perry hoping for a campaign revivalFriends, foes of Keystone pipeline step up campaignsGOP candidates in S.C. battle for evangelical voteView all Items in this Story

Romney gives cash to woman at S.C. rallyRomney gains traction in South CarolinaObama seeks power to streamline governmentShe the People: Michelle Obama shouldn’t be unhappyPerry, Gingrich lose suit to get on Va. ballotWhite House was warned about Solyndra layoffsObama’s backers put out calls for supportAgency revamp raises trade-policy questionsDHS monitoring of social media concerns civil liberties advocatesJon Huntsman, rejected by GOP masses, seeks a boost from his elite base

It’s possible that the decision to embrace Santorum, announced by social conservative leaders Saturday, may have come too late to be truly effective. Because of that, there are a host of questions about the impact of the consensus that emerged around the former Pennsylvania senator’s candidacy during a meeting in Texas this weekend.

Will the groups represented at the gathering take material steps to help Santorum? Will Santorum’s campaign see an infusion of money, volunteers and grass-roots activity?

How will the other conservatives who have been trying to become the Romney alternative — former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry — respond? Will they try to go after Santorum, even as they work to deny Romney a victory? How will those in the movement who backed either Perry or Gingrich respond?

Finally, will this have any impact on Ron Paul, a candidate with a real following and the wherewithal to keep going, despite the fact that many in the party want to ignore him?

Santorum could have used this new support weeks ago, as he was beginning his rise in Iowa and before Romney developed a head of steam. Had it come then, he probably would have won the Iowa caucuses, possibly changing the complexion of the race. He might have been able to pour more money into South Carolina earlier and buttress against what always was likely to be a poor showing in New Hampshire. Coming the weekend before the most crucial contest so far in the GOP nomination battle, the embrace of Santorum is helpful but at this point far from a decisive boost.

More than anything, the rebellion by social conservative leaders speaks to the mismatch between Romney and the base of the party he seeks to lead. Throughout this campaign, the lack of enthusiasm for his candidacy among the party’s conservative base has been a powerful undercurrent but little more than that.

Romney is not the ideal candidate for social and religious conservatives — or for the new force within the party, the tea party movement. That’s hardly news, however. Saturday’s announcement in Texas adds to tensions between the party establishment, to the extent it exists, and its grass-roots conservative activists.

Romney’s 2008 candidacy foundered on questions of whether he was authentically conservative and whether his changes in position on abortion and other issues were genuine or just politically motivated. He claims now that he campaigned that year as one of the conservative alternatives to Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), but the real conservative challenger in that race was former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.

Continued12Next Page

EmailTumblrRedditStumbleuponDiggDeliciousWeigh InDiscussion PolicyAbout Discussions, Badges Newest firstOldest firstMost Recommended first SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.