Rick Santorum dropped out of the
Republican Presidential race Tuesday, having enhanced his political reputation
and forced Mitt Romney to become a better candidate. Not bad for someone who
few beyond his own family gave much of a chance of getting past Iowa, much less
to April.
Mr. Santorum outlasted everyone who
was thought to be Mr. Romney's main competition to become the chief
conservative alternative. He did so in large part with a forthright appeal to
religious conservatives that was both a strength and weakness.
The pitch helped the Catholic from
western Pennsylvania win support from self-identified evangelical Christians
who are a huge chunk of the GOP base, especially in the South. Mr. Santorum
galvanized those voters in a way no one else did, and his success reminded GOP
elites how important those voters are to the party's success. Mr. Romney will
need them in November. …
Mr. Santorum nonetheless deserves
credit for making Mr. Romney lift his performance and improve his platform. Mr.
Santorum's overarching theme of restoring American freedom had more resonance
than Mr. Romney's recitation of his resume, and the likely GOP nominee has
since picked up some of Mr. Santorum's words if not the music.
The Pennsylvanian was also by far
the most effective Republican critic of RomneyCare. When he stood on stage in a
debate and took apart the Massachusetts health law as a prototype for
ObamaCare, Mr. Romney realized he couldn't coast to the nomination. That's when
the former Massachusetts Governor came out with his own tax cut and tax reform
plan to appeal to economic conservatives. …
Among the major candidates, Mr.
Santorum ran the least negative campaign, and by leaving now he will let Mr.
Romney focus his attention and monetary resources on Mr. Obama. Mr. Santorum also
departs before the April 24 Pennsylvania primary, where a defeat in his home
state would have tarnished his 2012 achievement. There are no consolation
prizes in Presidential politics, but if Mr. Romney does win in November, Mr.
Santorum's strong run will be part of the victory story.
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