Santorum’s Surge Raises Cheers From Camp Obama “The one who can beat Obama: Rick Santorum,” the television commercial proclaims. That boast brings cheers from two quarters: the faithful followers of the conservative Republican presidential candidate, and the Democratic president’s political strategists.
The former Pennsylvania senator is on fire in the Republican contest, threatening the front-runner, Mitt Romney, in the critical Michigan primary next week and nationally.
Still, President Barack Obama’s campaign, the super-PACs supporting it and the Democratic National Committee are targeting Romney. They still believe the former Massachusetts governor is the likely nominee, though they are less certain than they were a few weeks ago. And they calculate, despite the shortcomings Romney displays as a candidate, that he would be more competitive than Santorum in the general election. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-19/santorum-s-surge-raises-cheers-from-camp-obama-albert-r-hunt.html
Romney’s Strategy
The Romney campaign, which, along with its super-PAC, will spend millions assaulting the new main challenger over the next several weeks, is torn as to what strategy is effective. Santorum’s career as a Washington insider who supported earmarks while in the Senate doesn’t have the same resonance as Gingrich’s ties to Freddie Mac. In a Republican primary contest, it’s not productive to attack cultural conservatism.
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