JOHNSTON, Iowa ? Rick Santorum just shocked the political world. But now what?
He doesn?t have the money or infrastructure to keep up with Mitt Romney in New Hampshire, and he hasn?t been in South Carolina since Nov. 12. A national fund-raising surge is imminent ? and his name will top the headlines for the next several days ? but he?s going to have to dramatically expand his campaign apparatus virtually overnight.
Continue ReadingOn the stage early Wednesday morning, however, the former Pennsylvania senator seemed content to bask in the glow of what may be the biggest night of his political life - a virtual tie for first in the Iowa caucuses.
?Game on,? Santorum told hundreds of cheering supporters, even as the race was too close to call. ?You have taken the first step of taking back this country.?
The outlook for South Carolina could be changing dramatically for Santorum as his conservative rivals reboot. Rick Perry is heading to Texas to reassess his campaign, Michele Bachmann finished a miserable sixth place in Iowa, and Newt Gingrich?s campaign is wobbling after a disappointing fourth-place finish. Those three all stood to be threats in South Carolina, and all leave Iowa much weaker while Santorum surges.
Yet the reality check is coming ? fast. The Santorum campaign is eager to prevent Tuesday night?s celebration in the ballroom at the Stoney Creek Inn from being the high-water mark of their campaign.
Many Santorum supporters and staffers worked for or backed Mike Huckabee in 2008. They vividly remember the former Arkansas governor?s upset victory in the caucuses and his distant third-place finish in New Hampshire one week later. He ultimately proved unable to translate Iowa momentum into the nomination.
A Suffolk University tracking poll of likely New Hampshire voters released Monday gave him just 3 percent ? putting him in fifth place.
Santorum has laid a better foundation in New Hampshire than Huckabee had, but he faces a bevy of challenges and a Goliath-like competitor in Granite state front-runner Mitt Romney.
?There?s nothing but upside,? said neutral New Hampshire Republican National committeeman Steve Duprey. ?Usually New Hampshire doesn?t make too much of what happens in Iowa, but they do notice it.?
In the short term, Santorum hopes to capitalize on Rick Perry?s and Michele Bachmann?s decisions to bypass New Hampshire and head straight for South Carolina. His advisers hope Jon Huntsman siphons independent and centrist voters away from Romney. With far less money to compete, Santorum hopes that two debates coming this weekend will give him enough free media to build on post-Iowa momentum.
He plans to spend six of the next seven days there ? with a detour to South Carolina on Sunday.
?We are off to New Hampshire because I know the message I share with you tonight is not an Iowa message or an Iowa and South Carolina message,? Santorum said shortly after midnight. ?It?s a message that will resonate across this land. It will resonate, I know, in New Hampshire.?
Campaign manager Mike Biundo is a New Hampshire native. He cut his teeth helping Pat Buchanan beat Bob Dole in a 1996 Granite State primary upset. Biundo showed he still had some juice in New Hampshire when he managed Rep. Frank Guinta?s successful campaign to topple Rep. Carol Shea-Porter in the 2010 midterms. Also working for Santorum is respected Republican activist Claira Monier, the former longtime director of the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority.
solstice x factor results x factor results the hobbit movie trailer tcu xfactor frankincense
No comments:
Post a Comment