Written by - Jeremy W. Peters
As the Iowa Caucus is fast approaching and Rick Santorum’s standings in the polls are improving, he is doing whatever he can in order to clinch a win in Iowa. Santorum’s latest tactic is trying to appeal to conservatives who care about the economy and national security. He’s trying to prove that he is the anti Mitt Romney candidate, and a better choice that President Obama. Santorum is very thankful for his supporters, and in a recent meeting in rural Iowa, he reminded them the election would be very close. He asked them to redouble their efforts by doing whatever they could, such as putting up Santorum signs on their lawns or having heart to heart talks with friends in his name. Although Santorum is near the front of the polls now, there are some negatives that his underdog campaign will eventually have to face.
Santorum’s campaign lacks the resources to fight a drawn out battle for Republican nomination. Santorum is on a roll now, but a win in Iowa won’t mean much if he loses steam in New Hampshire and South Carolina who hold their primaries next month. For example, despite the fact that fund raising is on the rise, Santorum won’t have enough money to counter attack any of the brutal and negative advertising campaigns that South Carolina is known for. This is why Santorum is trying to broaden his appeal to conservatives. Some conservatives in Iowa like Santorum for his views on abortion, same sex marriage, and his standing on fiscal and national security issues. An “all around conservative fellow” who runs an agriculture and commercial loans business says he favors Santorum because he avoided hyperbole and unrealistic campaign promises.
While Santorum is doing great now, I predict he will have a rocky road to travel in the upcoming caucuses. For example, if he wins in Iowa, that will mean he is definitely the frontrunner in the polls. It’s been evident in previous debates that the frontrunner in the polls is always the one who is the most attacked. Santorum can’t afford to be brutally attacked, because as stated earlier, he lacks the resources to fight a drawn out battle. This is Santorum’s fatal flaw, a flaw that could cost him the election. We also know that the polls are never constant. The opinion of the public is always changing. While people favor Santorum now, they might not like him so much next week. Santorum also may not be able to broaden his amount supporters enough to win in the upcoming caucuses. Every campaign has its weakness, but Santorum’s weakness is enough to potentially cripple him, and its makes his future in the polls all the more uncertain.
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