Santorum's Iowa Surge Deflates in New Hampshire

At National Journal:

As Rick Santorum left Iowa, after battling Mitt Romney to a draw, he spoke hopefully of the time he had invested in New Hampshire, of the 30 campaign trips he had made to the state, and how he hoped to surprise folks in its storied primary.

But Santorum’s wings wobbled in the less-favorable climate of New Hampshire. With voters tuning in, and ready to give him a listen, he failed to convey the stirring message of national revival that he offered in his Iowa victory speech.

In the end, the former Pennsylvania senator failed in New Hampshire to achieve his own stated standard of success: “To show that we are the strong conservative alternative.”

Santorum’s unbending promotion of traditional values, which appealed to evangelical voters in Iowa, was out of place in the famously independent, more libertarian, state with the motto "Live Free or Die."

The lingering image of his campaign in New Hampshire is that of him being jeered by an audience of young people during a testy exchange over gay rights and marriage. It seemed to confirm the media portrayal of Santorum as a polarizing figure in Congress, and something of a scold.

Video of Santorum's New Hampshire speech is here.