You Can't Keep a Good Man Down

The media is trying their darndest to destroy Rick Santorum.

I say trying because their attacks are, quite honestly, surprisingly weak. The media is finding it hard to smear Rick because there simply isn't that much you can criticize him on.

The Las Vegas Sun reports that Republican Catholics cool so far to Rick Santorum. Eek! Rick is a Roman Catholic, so he must be taking this pretty hard, right? Then the Sun shoots its own argument in the foot. "Catholics haven't voted as a bloc in decades, leading analysts to declare 'the Catholic vote' as such doesn't exist." If that's the case, why should we care whether Catholics like Santorum or not? Furthermore, why should Catholics read the Las Vegas Sun--according to this newspaper, their vote doesn't matter. I thought Rick Santorum was supposed to be the bigoted one?

What about all this hubbub on twitter about a gay couple being escorted out of a Rick Santorum rally as the crowd chants "U-S-A!"? Surely that proves Rick Santorum is Hitler reborn, right? To read the comments on twitter, you would think the guards led the gay couple straight to a gas chamber by order of Fuhrer Santorum. As it turns out, the two protesters (who may or may not actually be gay) interrupted Rick by yelling "mic-check!" and then once they got the attention they wanted, then they kissed. Then guards escorted them out (although, it appears as though the protesters leave peacefully and of their own accord, rather than being man-handled by fascists). If a straight couple had behaved that way THE GUARDS WOULD HAVE ESCORTED THEM OUT TOO! This is one of the poorest excuses for a non-story I've ever heard. Step aside, Gandhi--the real protesters are this ambiguously gay duo. The behaviour of the crowd was a little out of line, but how does this reflect poorly on Rick Santorum? It doesn't.

But wait, there's more!

The Daily News reports Oops! Rick Santorum calls Puerto Rico 'a Spanish-speaking country.' *Gasp!* What an ignorant thing to say. How could anyone confuse Puerto Rico with a Spanish-speaking country? Everyone knows it is a Spanish-speaking United States commonwealth. How can anyone confuse a country with a commonwealth? They're so different! Right? Stupid Rick Santorum. I bet he thinks we have 57 states too... or not.

However, as it turns out, the media doesn't have to try too hard to smear Rick Santorum. All of Barack Obama's supporters are so blindly in favor of him that anyone running against him must be the antichrist. Ever tried to reason with an Obama supporter, and support your argument with documented facts? The facts won't faze most Obamabots I've encountered. Better save your breath and vote for Rick Santorum.

From the "Noone I know voted for Nixon" file . . .

MSNBC analyst: Working-women vote for Santorum “hurts me” « Hot Air From the report:

It’s the height of arrogance for Finney to believe that nearly half of working women that voted in the Mississippi primary did so out of ignorance, just because they don’t agree with Finney.

Thank You, Bill Maher

Thank you, Bill Maher!

Thank you for revealing the hypocrisy of the left. They have cried day and night, online and on every news network for Rush Limbaugh to be boycotted and taken off the air, but they say nothing about your much more offensive comments.

Thank you for turning Rick Santorum into a martyr, highlighting his contrast between him and Barack Obama.

Thank you for showing us how ignorant, small-minded, and bigotted you are. You criticized Rick Santorum for homeschooling his kids, saying, "He wants them locked up in the Christian madrassa that is the family living room, not out in public where they could be infected by the virus of reason." You've managed to kill three birds with one stone, simultaneously insulting homeschoolers, Christians, and Muslims! Way to go, Hitler, Jr.

Thank you for giving Rick Santorum the chance to respond to you and the left by saying, "My 12 year-old will out-reason Bill Maher when it comes to understanding how logic works, because he [Maher] is completely illogical. They've abandoned faith in Bill Maher, but they've abandoned reason too."

Thank you for making Barack Obama look like a fool. With every arrogant, sexist, racist, anti-religious comment you make, he regrets more and more accepting $1 million from you for his campaign super PAC (along with all the sheeple that defend him).

Thanks to you, I expect Rick will have an edge today over Newt Gingrich in Mississipi and Alabama. Thanks to you he will be that much closer to the GOP nomination, and then the presidency.

Fox's "Balancing" Act: Romney TV Personified

Since Rick has been having his wife speak more on the campaign, I decided to post a comment my wife, Jessica, had previously made on Rick's official Facebook page:

Post by Jessica Abbott: Fox News' slogan has always been "fair and balanced"; however, in this GOP primary, they have been anything but that! I was probably the most disgusted by them on March 5 (the day before Super Tuesday and coincidentally my birthday)...they might as well have been raining down confetti and balloons with a large blinking ticker that said "vote Mitt Romney (aka savior of the world)...down with Rick Santorum, the demon bigot". I myself "almost threw up" when they had nearly 90-year-old Barbara Bush (I could barely understand the poor woman's speech) on a phone interview talking about her Romney endorsement, flashing awkward images of with him/her at some luncheon and other "family/friend" moments. Then, all the polls throughout that day (when Santorum had just days and weeks before been leading in OH) coincidentally that day showed Romney galloping in to save their pitter pattering polling hearts and took the lead just hours before real OH polls opened! PUKE!

Needless to say, the next day, my husband Jared and I tuned in to CNN for the results...at least theirs was more results reporting, rather than a night long celebration (or diminishing a win in Santorum's 3 cases that night....heck, they [Fox] talked more about Gingrich taking GA in a positive light than Santorum rightfully winning a third of the states and several delegates more in the others where he got second).

Ok, so I say all this to say that Fox News has now gone so far down hill and sold out just like all the other media outlets...unlike anything I've seen. Its not fair and balanced reporting....its "Romney reporting." They are so hell-bent on helping him get the nomination -- it's beyond believable. At least with the other liberal news outlets, you know what you're getting...with Fox, they are force-feeding the American public with a "Romney is the only real candidate with a chance". I've seen the Huckabee interview Jobs 3 Forum thing with the Vet dad about a million times where Romney answered a question....."Wowee! What a concept!" What about when Santorum talked with the college student about pursuing what paths were right for him, or the little lady on Medicare, or the unemployed disabled gentleman? (Where are those repeated sound bytes and news clips, Fox?) My own husband, Jared, is a vet so I'm not discrediting that topic...I'm simply furious with a network who takes one section of an interview and replays it 10000 times in a week to their candidate's hopeful advantage!

I follow each state's results very closely each day/week. I just am hopeful that such networks as Fox aren't on the Romney payroll! It makes one wonder. So many in America (and around the world for that matter) depend on the news and many conservatives turn to networks like Fox. A lot of them may work more than one job to make ends meet and if they go to the polls to vote on their lunch breaks, they depend on friends, family or reliable news sources to give them the best candidate. Not that the average American isn't perfectly capable of going and seeking out what these candidates stand for, its that most won't take the time. Most go with the hype or who or what they are told is most electable. My husband and I have been to 2 Santorum rallies now....he speaks with conviction and heart like I've never heard Romney speak even for a second (even on the Jobs 3 Forum). I proudly cast my vote for him in TN and was glad to see my state went to Santorum. Yes, even as a  middle class, college-educated woman, who according to Fox, supposedly despises Rick Santorum in every one of "their latest Fox exit polls".

Here's a test for you (even tomorrow): watch next time, as a state that Rick is doing well in, approaches the final hours prior to poll closings on Fox  - - they give no "exit poll" numbers and hardly "call" until the last minute. They certainly wouldn't want to "sway the vote" in the last five minutes of the polls, now would they?

One other final note: What happens when (and yes I said when) Santorum does get the nomination? Who will Fox back then? Obama??? Just a thought... :)

Friends, Mississippians, Alabamians, Hawaiians: Tomorrow is another important Tuesday (call it mini-Tuesday if you like) as far as the South is concerned. Two important states - - Mississippi and Alabama (total of 90 delegates up for grabs), along with Hawaii. As my father wisely stated earlier, call up, e-mail, "tweet", "Facebook" anyone you might know in these states for voting tomorrow. Let's go against the "establishment" -- Vote Rick Santorum for President 2012!

Diminishing Santorum's KS victory . . .

These last two paragraphs in the Reuters report today are annoying, according to Alina Selyukh, the value of winning Kansas' caucuses

"is in not dropping the ball," said Ruy Teixeira, political analyst at the liberal Center for American Progress.

Santorum visited the flat plains and rolling hills of Kansas more than any other candidate, appearing at rallies on Wednesday and Friday."

Gee, I wonder how much money (or other resources) the other candidates spent trying to win the Kansas caucuses?

Realism

Rick Santorum did well in our state, and he also won the popular vote in Oklahoma and North Dakota. However, delegates are what count. Currently Romney has 369 compared to Rick Santorum's 158 (at the time of writing; numbers may change by the end of the day). That's a gap of 211 delegates in Romney's favor. Newt Gingrich has 91 delegates--only a gap of 67 delegates in Rick's favor.

I do not say this to encourage anyone to abandon support for Santorum. Far from it, I still support him 110%. I still beleive he is the strongest conservative GOP candidate. I still believe Santorum can win the nomination, but it will be a battle.

There are still over 1600 delegates at stake. Now is not the time to drop our packs (as we used to say in the Marines). Volunteer for the Santorum campaign. Donate money if you can. Learn the ins and outs of Rick's ideas to improve our economy, and his stance on abortion, same-sex unions, immigration, and the importance of the Constitution. Learn how to defend Rick's stance calmly and intelligently, without manipulating people with emotional pleas or name-calling (that is how the left operates!). Learn how the other side is criticizing Rick, and be able to explain why they are wrong. Especially direct your arguments to friends and family in states that have not had primaries or caucuses.

Constructively criticize the other GOP candidates, but set your political phasers on "stun." They are not the enemy. The real enemy is the Marxist in the Whitehouse! Focus your most brutal attacks on him, and point out to your friends that Rick Santorum is the best man to beat him.

If a cranky old man like John McCain could win the GOP nomination in 2008, then Rick Santorum still has a good shot. But not if his supporters give up or get lazy. We must fight tooth and nail!

Today's the Day we make or break

Today is Primary Day, and if you haven't cast your ballot to Pick Rick, get out before eight o' clock and get it done.

Rick will be in Steubenville, Ohio tonight celebrating victory, but if we all get out and do our duty, we will all have something to celebrate this evening.

Today I wrote a somewhat personal "Election Reflection" in my column for The Examiner, but perhaps it will help you understand why today is so important, it is make-or-break. If you know someone who wants to support Rick and they need a ride to the polls, get them there. Call your family, tell your friends, do all that you can.

Just maybe you can tell your grandchildren or other family members how you helped make political history in the Republican Party.

Later tonight, if you are so inclined, join me, Hatton Humphrey, Ken Marrero, and maybe even Senator Stacey Campfield for a special Super Tuesday podcast at 9:30pm Eastern and 8:30pm Central time.

Doing the right thing

On Saturday, Senator Stacey Campfield, who had been the co-director for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's campaign in Tennessee, announced that he was withdrawing as Newt's statewide co-chair, and as a Gingrich delegate, and throwing his support behind Rick Santorum. Stacey also announced that he wasn't alone.

Therefore, as of now, I am stepping down as the statewide co chairman for Newt Gingrich and throwing all of my support behind Rick Santorum. Going with me are the top 3 second congressional district delegates for Newt (Dr. Leonard Brown, Dr. Aaron Margulise and Scott Smith).

I know that this was a tough decision for Stacey, and I am not just saying that because it is the polite and politick thing to say, I am saying it because I really do know. I've known Stacey personally for years, and I consider him to be one of my best friends, and he is certainly the best friend I have in the politics of this State-he has stood with me and stood up for me and behind me when no one else would. He is a real champion of the conservative movement if there ever was one in Tennessee.

Stacey called me Thursday to let me know that he was considering this switch. He said that Rick had called him personally, and they dealt with scenarios and with political realities. Stacey said he really enjoyed his talk with Rick, and said he felt that Rick had a real strategy in place to win. When I talked to Stacey, though, he still hadn't made his decision. He's a loyalist to the bone whose word is known to be his bond. He didn't want to seem like he was betraying a commitment that he had made. I reminded him of words he had once said to me: "Politics is a cruel and expensive mistress, and when the votes aren't there, you just have to move on."  He repeated part of that in his blog post announcing his decision. It is a reality that any of us who have ever been involved in political campaigns have had to deal with at some point, and it is always a hard one, especially when it is confronting a candidate that you believe deeply in.

I shared with Stacey why I feel the way I do about Rick, of course, but I didn't try to persuade him, only offered my help in any way I could to help make it a smooth transition if he did decide to switch. "I can only offer you one word of advice," I told him, "do the right thing."

He, Dr. Brown, Dr. Marguilise, and Mr. Smith made their choice for the good of the Republican Party and the country.

Consecrate a Fast; Call a Solemn Assembly

I believe this presidential election is the most critical election of my lifetime so far. America is at a crossroads, and depending on who we elect, we will either return to the values and principles that have made the United States a great nation, or we will descend into secularism, European-style socialism, and increasing size of both government and national debt.

This Super Tuesday will be critical to Rick Santorum's success; 419 delegates are at stake. I support Rick not only for his sound economic ideas, but for his corageous stand on social issues. All of the GOP candidates have at least paid lip service to pro-life issues and religious liberty, but Rick has been more outspoken on these issues by far. In fact, he hasn't just spoken of life and liberty--he's fought for them.

This is bold (and even a little risky) in an age in which even "conservatives" are urging candidates to avoid discussion of  abortion and same sex unions and focus on the economy. I believe this is a mistake. A conservative movement without social conservative is a watered-down, compromised conservatism. What we need in this hour is a strong conservative, both fiscally and socially. Rick Santorum is the strongest conservative currently running for the GOP nomination.

That is why tomorrow I will be fasting and praying that the American people would awake from their slumber and take their country back. I am also calling on all people of faith, especially Christians, to fast and pray with me for another Great Awakening. I am fasting and praying on Super Tuesday in hopes that Rick will get the necessary boost he needs to win, because I honestly believe he's the best candidate. If America picks Rick, it will be a sign that my fellow Americans are hungry for a return to the Judeo-Christian values our nation was founded on.

In the words of the prophet Joel:

"Yet even now," declares the Lord,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments."
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders;
gather the children,
even nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
~Joel 2:12-16 ESV

Let's fast and pray and bring an end to this wretched age of compromise. Let's send a message to the world that we are still one nation, under God, and we still believe in liberty and justice for all. Let's send a message to Barack Obama that we're not interested in his hope, his change, or his fundamental transformation of America into a Marxist republic. Let's send a message to Washington D.C. that we are sick of pork-barrel spending, high taxes, special interests, gratuitous mandates and programs, and all other waste and corruption. Let's start by crying out to a merciful, Almighty God Who can set this nation right again.

Whuh? No Santorum delegates on ballot?

Many Santorum supporters, when looking over the sample ballot (here), are wondering how to vote for delegates in light of the fact that Santorum does not have any "committed delegates" on the ballot.  Good question, my friend, and I'm here to help.  First, a little explanation about GOP delegate selection (hat tip my friends at Tennessee Eagle Forum).

Each voter, ideally, has the opportunity to vote for 17 delegates to attend the Republican National Committee Convention.  That number (17) includes 14 delegates who "serve" as at-large representatives (essentially for the entire state) and 3 delegates who serve as representatives of a particular congressional district.  Most of the delegate candidates are "committed" to vote for a certain candidate at the convention.

If a presidential candidate wins 2/3 of the vote, then s/he is entitled to have fill ALL of the 17 available delegate slots. If no candidate receives more than 2/3 of the votes cast, delegates are appointed (spread out) to all candidates that receive more than 20% of the vote.  Delegates shall be apportioned according to the ratio of votes received among candidates receiving more than 20% of the votes cast.  Here's an example:

Candidate A (42% of vote) - wins 6 delegate spots
Candidate B (33% of vote) - wins 5 delegate spots
Candidate C (21% of vote) - wins 3 delegate spots
Candidate D (14% of vote) - wins 0 delegate spots

Given that the dividend (the number being divided) is 14, the equal apportioning of delegates could be mathematically impossible, and in that event, the State GOP executive committee is "authorized to modify the provision that causes the problem to ensure a mathematically possible result.

Delegates from each congressional district are allocated in a similar fashion. If a candidate receives two-thirds (2/3) of the vote, that candidate receives all the delegates for that congressional district. If no candidate receives two-thirds (2/3), the candidate that receives the plurality of votes receives two delegates. The candidate receiving the next highest number of votes receives the remaining delegate.

The "committed delegates" essentially must win a campaign within a campaign in order to serve, because they will only have the opportunity to represent TN at the convention (a) if their candidate (the one to whom they're "committed") wins a high enough percentage of votes to earn delegates and (b) if they win enough votes to beat out other delegates committed to the same candidate.

So, where does that leave a voter whose candidate does not have any committed delegates?  The bottom line is that how you vote for delegates will neither help  Well, you can just vote for none, or vote for delegates who are committed to other Presidential candidates. It will not affect your vote for president.  The key (duh) is to vote for your presidential preference, which will help your candidate to earn more delegate spots, and if you know a particular delegate (committed to another candidate) whom you would most trust to represent Tennessee at the National Convention, then it might be wise to vote for him or her.  Given the nature of the primary system, perhaps the most under-appreciated aspect of the Convention is that delegates must vote on the party's platform.  Squishy Republicans have been agitating for decades to move the GOP leftward, and your delegate vote can help prevent that.  I just voted for a couple of folks I know and trust who were running as delegates . . . and then wrote my name in ;)

Tennessee Conservative Legislators Endorse Rick Santorum

Santorum garners endorsements from Conservative legislative leaders.

6-year headstart ain't nothin' to sneeze at . . .

Latest from the Romney campaign (Romney Camp Slams Santorum Over Organization - WSJ):

The Mitt Romney campaign seized on Rick Santorum’s failure to qualify for delegates in a handful of Super Tuesday states, saying he has flunked the test required to be the party’s nominee.

Of the 391 bound delegates up for grabs on Tuesday, Mr. Santorum will be ineligible for up to 16% of them, according to an analysis the Romney campaign distributed to reporters Saturday.

First, this criticism from Romney 2012 attorney Ben Ginsberg is ironic in light of their campaign's weaselly grab for one extra delegate in Michigan. But, I just love the "16%" figure, and the fact that Romney has been running for president for 6 years, longer than every other candidate but Lyndon Larouche (and Ron Paul, who has pined for the job since at least 1988 when he resigned from the GOP and ran the first time).

That being said, I will not deny that Mitt Romney's organization is impressive and that it reflects well on him. One thing that I couldn't help but observe from attending the Nashville/Belmont U. event on Wednesday night was that the Santorum campaign is unconventional and driven by ideas. The man was over an hour late; there was no upbeat music; the audience was packed with sitting-on-their-hands Ron Paul followers; there were no warm-up speakers or long introductions . . . it was just Rick Santorum, speaking for over an hour without notes and challenging the conventional wisdom that big government is better and that American Exceptionalism is blase. So, yes, Santorum's campaign is unconventional, but if and when he wins the nomination, I hope we'll be able to count on Ben Ginsberg's expert assistance . . .

The mud is slinging

The negative ads from the Frontrunner's SuperPAC were all over the radio this morning, deceptively telling us that no "candidate" authorized them, with their soundbytes quoting Rick conveniently out of context. It is to be expected, because if the polls are to be believed at all, the Frontrunner is in some trouble, and he knows it.

Reproductive "Rights" are a Fluke!

Sandra Fluke has been practically canonized as a saint by the left. She became a "martyr" for the cause when Darrel Issa barred her from testifying before congress. When she was allowed to testify later on, the left championed her as an activist for women's reproductive rights. The question is: What is Sandra Fluke really standing for--rights or entitlement programs?

Sandra Fluke is not fighting for womens' reproductive rights. She's fighting to have the rest of us pay for her sex life! Ms. Fluke can have as much sex as she wants--that is none of my business. But now she wants the government to force insurance companies to provide free contraceptives to all women. My wallet is my business.

That means Hospitals, universities, and other employers affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church will be ordered by the government to go against their ancient moral convictions. It also means that insurance premiums will go up to cover the cost of Ms. Fluke's sex life. The fact of the matter is, Ms. Fluke is not fighting for anyone's rights. No one has ever advocated the outright ban of birth control (despite what the leftist propagandists have said). She's fighting for the state to tell the church what to do, which violates the First Amendment. She's fighting for free contraceptives--free to her, that is. Nothing is actually free, and the rest of us will have to foot the bill. Both of these "causes" that she fights for under the false banner of reproductive rights are despicable.

The government needs to get their nose out of the insurance business and out of the healthcare business. Whether these businesses want to provide contraception or not is, well, their business. Ms. Fluke testified before congress that without insurance coverage, contraception could cost a woman over $3,000.00. She gave no convincing reason why the American people, or anyone other than her, ought to pay for it.

I asked my wife, who is a woman, and who works for an insurance broker whether she thought birth control was a "right." She said no. Ms. Fluke would like to characterize the lack of insurance coverage for birth control as a "medical crisis." And yet, somehow, women have survived for approximately 100,000 years without it.

Take away all the emotional pleas, and the sad tales of woe (in other words, manipulation and propaganda) from Ms. Fluke's testimony and look at the facts. Birth control, like any other aid to recreational activity is not a right. I love fishing. Do you suppose I ought to become an activist for fishermen's rights and persuade the government to force bait shops to give away fish hooks free of charge? I had a friend who was forced to go noodling because he couldn't afford a fish hook, and a catfish bit his finger off! It's a medical crisis!

That never happened of course, but I hope you see my point. We're not talking about rights here; we're talking about entitlements.

Rick Santorum is a crusader against entitlements. He has fought against government dependency because he believes the American people are able to take care of themselves better than the government. He was an author of the Welfare Reform Act, passed in 1996. He has pledged to repeal Obamacare and has been an outspoken critic of President Obama's HHS birth control mandate.

If you are sick of paying for everyone else's entitlements, and sick of gratuitous government mandates, pick Rick on Super Tuesday!

We Need a President Who Won't Apologize

After President Obama apologized for the burning of Qur'ans by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, he claimed the apology "calmed things down." Evidently not. Now two more of our troops are dead. Afghan president Hamid Karzai has yet to apologize for the bloodshed.

I don't care what faith you profess, or how highly you esteem any holy book--human beings are inherently more valuable than ink and paper.

What we need is a strong and consistent commander-in-chief. Unfortunately, we are stuck with Barack Obama until at least January 2013. I say consistent in addition to strong because our President is clearly capable of ordering a strong military action. Not quite a year ago, on May 2 2011, he ordered Seal Team 6 to raid Osama bin Laden's compound and kill him. So why is he being so frail and cowardly toward Hamid Karzai?

On NBC's Meet the Press, Rick Santorum said, "I think the response needs to be apologized for, by Karzai and the Afghan people, for attacking and killing our men and women in uniform, and overreacting to this inadvertent mistake. That is the real crime, not what our soldiers did." Rick has pointed out in his recent speeches that in the year he was born (1958) defense spending made up 60 percent of the nation's budget. Currently, it's only 17 percent. The president wants to cut our defense budget even more.

In these uncertain times, the defense budget is the last thing that needs to be cut. We need a commander-in-chief that will support our nation's military instead of apologizing for them. We need a president that will stand by our only democratic ally in the middle-east, Israel (we have tried to build democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan, but instead we've ended up with Taliban-lite). Clearly, that man is not Barack Obama.

The clear alternative to the current president is Rick Santorum. Support him on Super Tuesday. Let your voice be heard. Take your country back!

Vote Democratic-vote for Willard Mitt!

I might have more sympathy for the Frontrunner's "outrage" over some Democrats crossing over into Republican primaries in Michigan voting for Rick Santorum if the Frontrunner hadn't done the same thing himself. He voted in 1992 in the Democratic Presidential Primary for Paul Tsongas. Now he says he did it to try and badly influence the Democrats' primary process in 1992. Back then, the Frontrunner was humming a different tune:

Back in the 1990s, he said he voted for Tsongas out of home state pride and because he liked his platform better than Clinton. Either way, Romney is on record saying that it’s fair game for partisans to participate in the primary with their own team’s best interests in mind.

Now, the Frontrunner (or people in his camp) believe that Rick deep-sixed the Frontrunner's so-called "win" in Michigan-you know, the primary where Rick got half the delegates-because Democrats crossed over to vote for Rick in significant numbers (Where are the numbers?). In Mittworld, it is okay for slick-haired sons of politicians who claim to be Republican to vote in Democratic primaries, but it is not okay for his political opponents inside the party to ask for Reagan Democrats to be helpful in defeating the Frontrunner. In short, the Frontrunner thinks it is okay for him to pinch-hit for the other team, but he doesn't think you should be able to if you don't vote for him.

Let me be clear about something: I do not and never have supported crossover voting. I am a Republican, and I vote in Republican primaries only, because I do not believe that it is right for me to tell the other party who they ought to nominate for offices. I have never voted in a Democratic primary of any kind in my life-for that matter, I have never voted for a Democrat in my life. I've met some Democrats and know many who were and are incredibly nice folks and decent human beings, which, considering the current state and wording of the Democratic platform, leaves us to wonder why they would want to be Democrats-but we'll leave that between them and the Lord.

                 "Crossover voting is bad except when I do it!"



The reality is that in many primary states, open primaries are the reality, crossover voting is something that any candidate running in such a primary has to consider-it can work for them or it can work against them, but it will happen. Until primaries close or are replaced with a caucus/convention system universally, it makes sense for any candidate to make sure that the crossover vote is working in their favor.

The Frontrunner would do it, he has before, most recently in Michigan in 2008. So either what's good for the goose is good for the gander, or the Frontrunner preferred voting in the Democratic Primary!

Perhaps worshipping JFK is "religion"

Great op/ed from Albert Mohler re. Santorum's criticism of JFK "religion" speech My Take: Santorum’s right, JFK wrong on separation of church and state - CNN.com Blogs:

Even Rick Santorum’s most ardent detractors have to concede this much – the former senator speaks his mind. Recently, Santorum has been speaking his mind on questions of church and state, and the political left has responded with disbelief and horror.

Over the weekend, Santorum told ABC's "This Week" that reading the text of John F. Kennedy’s 1960 speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association made him physically sick: “I almost threw up.”

As it turns out, Santorum had made similar statements about Kennedy’s speech before. But, as Santorum quickly learned, he had dared to criticize a speech, and an argument, that the left has long considered the equivalent of settled law.
. . . .
Kennedy argued the church he believed in should not be a matter of public concern “for that should be important only to me.” Later in the speech, he said: “I believe in a president whose views on religion are his own private affair, neither imposed upon him by the nation, nor imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office.”

Those two crucial assertions – Kennedy's insistence that his church “should be important only to me” and his description of a president’s religion as “his own private affair” – create the problem.

I encourage you to read the entire op/ed.

I'll be the first person to admit Rick Santorum was not my first choice for president; in fact, he wasn't even my second. However, here it is less than a week before Super Tuesday and I'm voting for him. When I asked the Lord nine months ago whom He would have me support, I never dreamed the road before me would be so turbulent. I went full steam ahead for my chosen candidate, only to have my heart broken a few months later when he had to leave the race due to vicious lies that were hurting his family, even making his wife physically ill. December 3, 2011, was truly a sad day in America, whether people realize it or not. On that day,