Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Santorum's Big Win

Deacon Keith Fournier writes here on Rick Santorum's victory in Iowa. Did you say Santorum didn't win? John Dickerson makes a good point here that not only did Santorum win, but he, and what he stands for won big time. He calls it not a photo finish, but a blow out. Considering the financial clout and experience Romney has and the fact that Santorum had no money and was being driven around Iowa in some fellow's pick up truck, Santorum's win is pretty amazing. Tim Stanley of the Daily Telegraph (why do the Brits cover American politics better than the Americans?) analyzes Romney's "win" here. To do so he reveals some pretty interesting statistics about the Iowa campaign:
  • Romney came within eight votes of being beaten by Rick Santorum, a candidate who barely registers in the national polls
  • - He actually received 6 fewer votes than he did in 2008 (when he lost the caucus to a former preacher)
  • - He won only 17 counties out of a possible 99. Santorum took 63
  • - He spent roughly $113 per vote. Santorum spent only $1.65
  • - 75 percent of the caucus voted against the winner
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9 comments:

  1. Alice Seidel10:43 AM

    In order to turn this country around we need a Rick Santorum to win the presidency.
    I'm praying that this be his time now.

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  2. Arnold Conrad2:31 PM

    As a native Iowan living elsewhere, I should point out that the counties won by Romney are the more urban areas where the large majority of the population lives. Many of the rural counties have small populations, especially in the more evangelical southern and western parts of the state. The most densely Catholic county, Dubuque, gave Romney the largest number. I believe Santorum came in third there.

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  3. Elgar2:53 PM

    My wife and I did caucus last night and witnessed first hand how minds and hearts can be changed at the last moment. Our small gathering of 92 voted overwhelmingly for Rick Santorum at 37% of the vote followed by Romney and Paul.

    We live near a small Iowa town of 800 that is situated south of a very liberal town that hasn't elected a republican to any office but sheriff in the last 40 years. I would guess the make up of the room last night was predominantly conservative Protestant. The majority of the town (Catholic) tends to vote Democrat.

    The counties that have the highest percentage of Catholics like Dubuque can take credit for Barack Obama's victory in the state four years ago. How shameful.

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  4. Bleugh3:44 PM

    BBC reports a senior Republican facing the question "What will beat Obama?". His answer? "A mammal. Unfortunately they're all reptiles."

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  5. Arnold Conrad6:10 PM

    Elgar: My parents were born on farms in Iowa and remained inveterate Democrats till the very end out of loyalty for what they perceived the Democrats did for them and the poor and working class back then. They were raised to despise Republicans. I think that same mentality pervades in Catholic areas of the state even now. Catholics were farmers and working class people in the state. In contrast to my parents, all four of us "children" vote GOP these days (two of us in Iowa) as we feel disaffected from the Democrat Party. That goes for a number of my relatives in the state. I share your dismay that so many Catholics put Obama over the top in 2008 in the state but much of that, I think, was based on cultural memories.

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  6. Anonymous10:44 PM

    I refuse to vote for anyone who supports one of the sins that cry to Heaven for vengeance.

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  7. Elgar11:26 PM

    Dear Docteric,

    Please clarify what you mean by "sins that cry to Heaven for vengeance."

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  8. Elgar10:51 AM

    As Rick Santorum goes forward you will see attacks on his personal character at levels not seen since Sarah Palin became known. The media is ready to take him down, especially on his views on contraception, abortion and gay marriage. I also predict at the end of the day most Catholics--including most clergy and bishops-- will try and distance themselves from him as they are uncomfortable confronting their own flocks on contraception use and gay issues for fear of backlash. I hope I'm wrong. This could also be the pivotal moment many of us have been waiting for.

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  9. Anonymous12:44 PM

    Based on # 1867 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, there are:

    (1) Wilful murder - the blood of Abel, [Gen. 4:10]

    (2) The sin of the Sodomites, [Gen. 18:20; 19:13]

    (3) The cry of the people oppressed in Egypt, [Ex. 3:7-10]

    (4) The cry of the foreigner, the widow and the orphan, [Ex. 20:20-22] and

    (5) Injustice to the wage earner. [Deut. 24:14-5; Jas. 5:4]

    http://www.catholicdoors.com/faq/qu43.htm

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