If You Don't Believe Santorum Is Electable...

Well, I was kinda caught off guard with Reaganite's comment the other day, slamming Rick Santorum and making the case for Newt Gingrich. Not one of those remaining in the GOP field is my first pick for the nomination (I was for Michele Bachmann early and enthusiastically), although I've been pretty impressed with Santorum and I'm really pleased that he's helped elevate social issues in the campaign.

Reaganite has a big post on this as well, "Billion-Dollar Obama Machine Would Cut Santorum to Ribbons."

That sounds harsh, actually. I'm betting that conservatives and Republicans rally around the nominee in a big way, as it's hard to beat Barack Obama for political polarization. It's going to be a tight-fought campaign.

But Reaganite might want to respond to Dan Riehl, who apparently has some strong feelings for Santorum naysayers. See, "If You Don't Believe Santorum Is Electable, You Don't Believe In Conservatism, The GOP, Or Yourself":

If you insist that Rick Santorum is un-electable at this point, but call yourself a Republican - which I don't btw - then you are wasting your time in the wrong party and may as well go Independent. I did when I left the Democrats and haven't joined another one since. But given these numbers, there is no valid argument in suggesting Santorum would not be an acceptable nominee for the GOP, any more than one can say that about Romney at this point.

But if you are a conservative looking at these numbers and saying Santorum can't win, then you may as well give it up, or stop calling yourself a conservative, because you don't believe enough in what you profess to believe in to even fight for it when called. You assume conservatism is a loser out of the gate. Frankly, I don't believe that, which is why I became one in my twenties. I believe it not only can win in America but must for America to remain strong. And I am always willing to fight to put that assumption to the test.

RTWT.

And then check Legal Insurrection, "Yes, you can be conservative and not support Santorum."