There are exceptions to every rule, but I believe the rule for elections is that you cannot win without passion - a passion for your beliefs, a passion for leadership, and a passion for founding principles of the United States of America. Rick Santorum's passion for all these things was evident in his speech following his win tonight in Missouri. He has no executive experience (Mitt Romney was a governor) and not a whole lot of D.C. political experience (Newt has been in D.C. since Reagan was president), but he won Minnesota and Missouri with the passion and positivism that is so scant these days with Romney and Gingrich. That passion, along with back-to-back wins tonight, may help boost his campaign and make him a legitimate contender for once.
Santorum is also the most consistent conservative of the four remaining republican candidates. Ron Paul has been a consistent libertarian for decades, but he's still too libertarian to win an election; which seems odd to me since his views more closely reflect those of our founding fathers than any of the other three R candidates in the race. The explosion of the Tea Party onto the scene in the last few years shows that Americans are increasingly attracted to the libertarian agenda, but we're not there yet. Santorum is not a libertarian, but he's not a big government republican either, like Romney and Gingrich may be. It's hard to know exactly what Romney and Gingrich stand for sometimes because they are just too busy attacking each other rather than presenting a coherent message for America's future, which Santorum has been relentless in doing.
Give Santorum credit. He stands by his beliefs and values whether they are popular or not, and he refuses to sell out for political expedience. Some say he's too religious. "Well, that's who I am," he says. He's too socially conservative. Well, he always has been, and he's not going to change for anyone. If it means he doesn't win, then so be it, but he has integrity, and that counts for a lot in my book.
I'm very interested in the republican race, not because it may sway how I'll vote in November - I'll vote for any of the four republicans over the socialist Obama. But I'm interested in seeing how four unique and different conservative republicans handle themselves in the debates, present their views, and how and if they remain consistently committed to their own beliefs and values. Only Ron Paul and Rick Santorum remain consistently positive in their message and stances on the myriad of issues and problems facing this nation.
We are at a crossroads. Another four years of Obama and hyperinflation may become a household word; double digits may dominate the unemployment statistics; and the Constitution will continue to become just a passing inconvenience to the progressive agenda of furthering the nanny-state.
We need a leader who will put American exceptionalism and individual liberty first, and stop selling out our future to China. With Obama, we are like the addicted gambler who keeps doubling down with his bookie as his debt continues to rise to the inevitable point of a visit by the "collection agent" with a Louisville Slugger.
I'll vote R in November, but I'll do so with a little more optimism and passion if Santorum's name is on the ballot, because his consistency and passion inspire confidence that we may just be able to turn this ship around sooner rather than later....or never.
Image: Constitutional Convention
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