In a campaign marked by sudden momentum shifts and widespread indecision among Republican voters, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum picked a good time to take his turn as the GOP’s “flavor of the month.”
With 100 percent of precincts reporting in Iowa, Santorum finished in a dead heat with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the Iowa Caucuses – a major upset in the first actual balloting of the 2012 campaign.
Polling in single digits as recently as two weeks ago, Santorum – a social conservative who was routed from office by the voters of Pennsylvania in 2006 – finished with 30,007 votes (or 24.5 percent of the total). That was just eight votes behind Romney, who finished with 30,015 votes (also 24.6 percent).
“Thank you so much Iowa,” Santorum said. “By standing up and being bold and leading, leading with that burden and responsibility that you have to be first, you have taken the first step of taking back this country.”
Nipping at Santorum and Romney’s heels was U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who finished with 26,219 votes (or 21.5 percent).
Paul said he punched “one of three tickets” out of Iowa – and pledged to begin campaigning in earnest in New Hampshire, where he is currently polling a distant second to Romney.
“There’s going to be an election up in New Hampshire, and believe me, this momentum is going to continue and this movement is going to continue,” Paul said.
Along with Paul, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Godfathers CEO Herman Cain and former U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich each took turns as the frontrunner in Iowa over the last five months.
Cain dropped out of the race last month after his campaign imploded in the wake of sexual harassment allegations, while Bachmann, Perry and Gingrich all dramatically underperformed expectations.
Gingrich finished fourth with 16,251 votes (13.3 percent), a disappointing showing given the 14-point lead he enjoyed over the rest of the field in Iowa as recently as three weeks ago. Gingrich still enjoys a lead in South Carolina, though, and he promised to take the fight to Romney in the Palmetto State over the next few weeks.
“You’re going to see us draw a much clearer and sharper contrast with a Massachusetts moderate who in almost every one of his major public actions has been alienating from the standpoint of South Carolina conservatives,” Gingrich said. “The gap between Romney’s moderate Massachusetts views and Southern conservatism is oh, about the distance from Boston to Charleston.”
Perry – who was September’s “flavor of the month” – came in fifth with 12,604 votes (10.3 percent), a disappointing showing that has prompted him to head back to Texas to “reassess” his candidacy. Meanwhile Bachmann finished sixth with 6,073 votes, prompting speculation that she might drop out of the race as well.
After the New Hampshire primary on January 10, South Carolina will hold its “First in the South” presidential election on January 21.
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By JH January 4, 2012 at 2:29 am
It was a great time for a completely unvetted candidate to get a skewed poll inspired bump.
By garden city gnome January 4, 2012 at 8:20 am
Not like there isn’t plenty of material out there; should give that book about C Street a little bump…no doubt Sanford had some rollicking good stories from his days there too; how about it Folks, gonna share?
By vicupstate January 4, 2012 at 6:07 am
Romney’s endorsement by Haley will be the kiss of death for him. I intend to do everything I can to see he doesn’t win just because of Benedict Haley.
If they are smart they will stay the hell away from Charleston, lest they be thrown in the Ashley and or Cooper Rivers.
Game on Nikki !!
By Robert January 4, 2012 at 6:24 am
Dewey beats Truman???? uh, FITS, why not wait for official results before issuing incorrect story?
By BigT January 4, 2012 at 6:35 am
FITS Claims: “widespread indecision”
1) The General is not until Nov.
2) Thank God, there is no indecision about Obama: He is a FAILURE…no debate about that…
3) The GOP will get a nominee, eventually. And that will be our Next president.
By GoTigers712 January 4, 2012 at 9:22 am
not if its romney
By Torch January 4, 2012 at 7:11 am
Looks like there is one less clown in the car now. Perry is toast. Newt is headed to SC, the most unrepresentative state in the union. Last in every thing good and first in everything bad.
By rour January 4, 2012 at 9:29 am
Torch-Your claims about SC being “last in everything good and first in everything bad” are ignorant-sounding.
Ever heard of the laser?
Didja know that its inventor is from the UPSTATE?
By Godslayer January 4, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Except Townes didn’t invent the laser at Bob Jones University.
By Ken E. January 4, 2012 at 1:46 pm
…and it was like 60 years ago? One 96 year old inventor doesn’t make this state the mecca of learning and enlightenment.
By Dr. Doom January 4, 2012 at 9:45 am
Rour,
Gordon Gould, the inventor of the laser is from the UPSTATE….of New York.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Gould
Nice try. No cigar.
Dr. D
By Common Sense January 4, 2012 at 10:15 am
ROUR=tooled..lol
By Kickin' Chicken January 4, 2012 at 10:19 am
Doom – read your own link. Townes did all the ground-breaking work on the maser that enabled Gould to do his work. And Townes won the Nobel Prize. And Scarsdale ain’t exactly upstate NY either. Just sayin’.
By Crooner January 4, 2012 at 10:22 am
Ron Paul benefitted from the open caucuses and the fact that there was really not a Democrat contest. Young folks like his message against war- both in foreign countries and on drugs.
Is NH an open primary?
By vicupstate January 4, 2012 at 11:47 am
It is open to registered Independents.
By Tim January 4, 2012 at 10:31 am
Sic- When did you finally come around on Ron Paul? I lost interest in FITS when you basked in the glories of others in 2008. I assumed you’d sold out. It seems like you’re only a libertarian when the wind is blowing in your direction. If you really are a Believer, you owe it to the old SC Ron Paul supporters to unfold a riveting scandal/fiasco the likes of which Nikki Haley and Andre Bauer never fathomed.
When it comes to the SC presidential primary, you really need to do something. Last time around, you were outdone by an amateur, Richard Hines. He’s the one who paid for the ads that almost turned SC for Huckabee. Btw, I was told 4 years ago that he would get fired if I named his name—since he is a DC lobbyist and paying for candidates TV ads. His wife died last year, and he used to only be able to fool around with the allowance she gave him from her father’s fortune. Expect Richard Hines to do something stupid in support of Romney or Santorum. (http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/2008/01/18/huckabees-confederate-flag-fraud/)
By Alabaster II January 4, 2012 at 11:46 am
Anyplace above New York City is upstate NY and that includes Scarsdale!
By garden city gnome January 4, 2012 at 11:57 am
Looks like Santorum already has a stealth campaign out there whose time has arrived, albeit unexpectedly.
http://malloryfactor.com/2012/01/02/santorums-south-carolina-underground-strength/
By Just wait January 4, 2012 at 12:12 pm
I think Santorum will do well here in SC because he loves Jesus(he’ll conveniently leave out the Mary worship). That being said, now the “vetting” of Santorum begins…and the stuff that’s gonna come out is not gonna be very pretty. His flameout will commence right after SC.
citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/rick-santorum
Despite the multiple appearances of being a top “corrupted” congressman in the somewhat liberal CREW reports….this is only the beginning.
Once the “conservatives” start to see all his spending and ACTUAL SUPPORT AND PERSONAL ENDORSEMENT FOR DEMOCRAT ARLEN SPECTER he’ll be going straight back to the rear of the short bus.
By Godslayer January 4, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Don’t forget it was Rick Santorum who tipped off John Ensign to the Senate ethics investigation of him.
By Just wait January 4, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Oh yeah, he’s a dirty little hypocrite…and now he’s on the clock.
By Ken E. January 4, 2012 at 1:49 pm
And he was labeled by CREW as one of the most corrupt Senators in 2005 and 2006.
By RAS January 4, 2012 at 7:06 pm
I think Santorum will do just fine in SC because he is “Christian”, albeit a Catholic Christian. Given the possibility of a Morman; Catholic ain’t so bad.
By Really? January 4, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Haha! RP just pulled a Florida 2000 on the GOP:
businessinsider.com/ron-paul-winner-iowa-caucuses-strategy-201201#ixzz1iW9DqUyG
thegreenpapers.com/P12/IA-R
By Reality? January 4, 2012 at 3:38 pm
And if Ron Paul had ALL of the Iowa delegates vote for him, he would capture 28 out of the 2,286 possible delegates for the nomination. Probably not a winning strategy.
By Really? January 4, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Is that you Cid? Are you just pissed that your prediction of “zero” isn’t coming true?
lol-maybe you’re just a digruntled Republican
By Bogart January 4, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Wow…Twitter went wild with tweets about Sanford’s mouth flapping on Fox. Now everyone knows what the folks in SC have always known….Mark Sanford does not play with a full deck and needs to be on meds.
By tomstickler January 4, 2012 at 11:09 pm
What’s the matter with this crew, that no one has commented on Santorum being “flavor of the month?” Eewwww!
At least Willie did not use the phrase, “come from behind.”