5 reasons why Santorum’s bid fell short

Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign certainly exceeded expectations, but stumbles at key moments prevented the former senator from defeating Mitt Romney for the 2012 Republican nomination.

At different points in 2011, Santorum appeared frustrated as flawed candidates such as Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann grabbed the mantle of the conservative alternative to Romney. With the exception of Gingrich, they all fell as quickly as they shot up the polls.

{mosads}But unlike all of those White House hopefuls, Santorum had a real shot of toppling the former Massachusetts governor. Yet, he couldn’t pull it off.

The bottom line: Santorum famously exclaimed, “Game On!” following his strong showing in Iowa. But when the spotlight was especially bright, he didn’t shine.

The following are the five reasons why Santorum fell short:

1. Not moving the anti-Romney movement
   
2. Missed opportunities
   
3. Gaffes of his own
   
4. Disappearing in debates
   
5. Organizational limits
   

1. Santorum could not rally the anti-Romney movement

{mosads}There is no shortage of GOP critics of Romney, including many influential Tea Party activists. Santorum touted that he was both a fiscal and social conservative, though he kept emphasizing the latter. The strategy dumbfounded some on the right, especially with Romney vulnerable on healthcare. Santorum repeatedly hit the ex-governor on “RomneyCare,” but touched on issues that resonated more with social conservatives. That, in turn, hurt his argument that he was more electable than Romney. And Romney kept hammering home the message that he was the GOP’s best shot at defeating President Obama.

Five reasons why Santorum’s bid fell short:

1. Not moving the anti-Romney movement
   
2. Missed opportunities
   
3. Gaffes of his own
   
4. Disappearing in debates
   
5. Organizational limits
   

2. Missed opportunities and bad luck

{mosads}Santorum won Iowa, but the voting debacle in the Hawkeye State prevented the former senator from officially claiming victory until the day before the South Carolina primary. Had Santorum been deemed the winner before New Hampshire, the race would have had a much different feel.

Still, Santorum made some tactical mistakes. He gambled, and lost, by trying to compete in New Hampshire instead of going straight to South Carolina. His trip to Puerto Rico, where Romney trounced Santorum, was also a headscratcher.

The defining moment came in Michigan, Romney’s home state. Santorum had a golden opportunity to win the state’s blue-collar voters, but he didn’t bring his A-game, and lost narrowly. Had he won there, it would have been a game changer. Similarly, Santorum could have rattled Romney and the GOP establishment by winning Illinois, but fell short.

Five reasons why Santorum’s bid fell short:

1. Not moving the anti-Romney movement
   
2. Missed opportunities
   
3. Gaffes of his own
   
4. Disappearing in debates
   
5. Organizational limits
   

3. Gaffes

{mosads}Santorum noted throughout 2012 that he was a veteran campaigner, saying, “This is not my first rodeo.” But he has his share of gaffes. He criticized a speech by former President John F. Kennedy on the separation between church and state. Santorum said the speech made him want to “throw up” though later said he regretted the remark.

The gaffe was not that especially damaging. However, it was a clear reminder that Santorum was focused on other issues other than the economy, the number one issue of the 2012 presidential race. 

Time and time again, Santorum tried to explain he did not want to ban contraception in the United States. The perception of what Democrats called his “extreme” views hampered his electability argument.

Santorum also spent a lot of time talking about Iran to war-weary voters. He went after the pornography industry, though it did little to bolster his campaign.

Five reasons why Santorum’s bid fell short:

1. Not moving the anti-Romney movement
   
2. Missed opportunities
   
3. Gaffes of his own
   
4. Disappearing in debates
   
5. Organizational limits
   

4. Santorum was rarely the story of the debates

{mosads}The debates were so important in this Republican primary, and Santorum just didn’t attract headlines in the forums. His performances were usually solid, though the attention usually focused on other candidates, such as Romney, Perry and Gingrich. When Santorum finally got to go toe-to-toe with Romney at center stage in Arizona, Romney kept hammering the former lawmaker on Planned Parenthood and his record on government spending.

Five reasons why Santorum’s bid fell short:

1. Not moving the anti-Romney movement
   
2. Missed opportunities
   
3. Gaffes of his own
   
4. Disappearing in debates
   
5. Organizational limits
   

5. Lack of fundraising and organization 

{mosads}Santorum simply could not compete with Romney’s political machine. His lack of resources and disadvantage was apparent throughout 2012, especially when he didn’t qualify for the ballot in delegate-rich Virginia. Having a message is important in politics, but without sufficient troops on the ground, winning the presidency is nearly impossible.

During the lead-up to the Iowa primary, Santorum campaigned around the state in a pick-up truck with only a few aides. As his campaign continued and some of his opponents dropped out, Santorum pointed out he did not have a campaign pollster. Santorum used this tact to bolster his anti-establishment bid, but there were moments throughout the campaign where it was clear a larger and more disciplined operation was needed.

Five reasons why Santorum’s bid fell short:

1. Not moving the anti-Romney movement
   
2. Missed opportunities
   
3. Gaffes of his own
   
4. Disappearing in debates
   
5. Organizational limits