The Future of Rick Santorum

Santorum dropped out of the race, because of (a) not enough money, or (b) a sick child at home, or (c) the real possibility of getting his ass kicked in home state Pennsylvania, or (d) all of the above. At any rate, he's done. Maybe he gets points for outlasting Bachmann, Sugar Cain, and the other Rick, but that's it.

There are suggestions now that Willard needs to embrace Santorum in order to win the support of evangelical voters. Bullshit. As soon as his nomination is on the record, Willard needs to start putting some distance between himself and the religious lunatic fringe. He has the advantage of running against Obama, believed to be a Muslim terrorist by most evangelunicals. Willard doesn't need to suck up to them... they'll be out there in force, voting against the N.

Other conservatives are comparing Santorum to George Bush I, who ran a tough campaign against Reagan but went on to spend the next dozen years as VP and POTUS. Some say that he's earned the right to be next in line in the GOP hierarcy of prospective candidates. Anyone who thinks Santorum will be anything other than a minor footnote in political history in 2016 must also believe that Romney will lose in November 2012. My bet is that Santorum is like another favorite of the evangelicals, Sarah Palin, who found her niche as a TV talking head and is done in politics.

Off Message

Little Ricky Insantorum, the GOP's Prince of Dork-ness, made the mistake of suggesting the economy is improving and may not be the central issue in this fall's presidential campaign. We can't blame Insantorum for hoping that the main issue is the War on Religion (a war that exists only in the feverish imaginations of lunatics) or similar cultural horseshit that is his specialty.

Let's face it, though -- if the economy does recover to the point that it's no longer THE overarching issue in November, Obama probably squeaks out a win. Narrower than 2008 probably, but a win nevertheless.

Santoragenda

According to a story in the Dallas Morning News, Rick Sanitarium will soon announce his so-called economic freedom agenda. Knowing what I know about his social agenda, I imagine he'll propose that adults discontinue the practice of having sex for purposes of procreation. People will be amazed by how much extra cash they'll have... and that spells freedom.

Consequences

I'm not positive yet, but I'm starting to believe that by the time this GOP primary campaign is finished, the Republican party will have succeeded in turning me completely against organized religion. Santorum may be able to do it by himself.