Rick Santorum called it quits on Tuesday after having surprised the entire country with his presidential campaign. From the guy on the outer edge of the debate stage… the one struggling to get any air time — to the candidate who picked up 11 primary/caucus wins, Santorum became the focal point for conservatives and the alternative to Mitt Romney. However, the writing was on the wall for a number of reasons, and Santorum picked just the right time to step aside and help bring the GOP together.
With his family by his side, Santorum took to the stage to first report on the health of his three-year-old daughter Bella:
As reported by Fox News, Santorum had 285 delegates compared to Mitt Romney’s 661. A total of 1,144 delegates is needed for the GOP nomination.
Since his surprising win in the Iowa caucuses that kicked off the primary season, Santorum marched across the country steadfastly arguing that conservative social issues were as important to voters as the economy or jobs.
That message resonated across the Deep South, where Santorum won in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee on his way to 11 first-place finishes.
He called the campaign Tuesday “as improbable as any race that you will ever see for president.”
Romney posted a brief message of congratulations to Santorum on his web site on Tuesday:
“Senator Santorum is an able and worthy competitor, and I congratulate him on the campaign he ran. He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation. We both recognize that what is most important is putting the failures of the last three years behind us and setting America back on the path to prosperity.”
So why did Santorum do it? Why now?
Although there are still plenty of contests remaining, the mathematical reality has clearly set in. New York’s primary is April 24, and Romney had a big lead. California’s is coming in June, and Romney would have won that one too (172 winner take all delegates). Texans go to the polls on May 29, and although Santorum could have done well in my home state, the election awards delegates proportionally.
And then there is Pennsylvania which has it’s election on April 24. Santorum was leading in most polls, but the margin was slight. Romney has already spent $3 million in the state, with more to come. Santorum just didn’t have the resources to compete at that level.
There were also the family issues with his daughter Bella. On more than one occasion, Santorum had to postpone campaign events to be with her.
All of these factors — the money, organization, delegate deficit, the remaining primaries, and the family — presented too much for Santorum to overcome. But he also picked the right time. Now, he goes out with respect and will be a voice for the remainder of this campaign season and beyond.
Too bad that can’t be said about Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. As noted in the Fox News story, the two have “vowed to stay in the race.” Come on, folks! Yes, in order to run for president, one probably has a big ego, but enough is enough. Spending money that could better be used to fight Barack Obama is just stupid.
Now is the time to come together and focus on the real target: Obama and his left wing agenda. We have the chance to right the course. It’s time to do it.
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