Santorum to McCain: "Play it safe."

[Keystone Phil]

Santorum basically makes every argument as to why someone like himself shouldn't be McCain's running mate. 


http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/26945249.html

[Keystone Phil]

Santorum has been all over the board these last couple years since he has been in exile.  Hell, he was all over the board four years ago, and that is part of the reason he lost.

All over the board? What's inconsistent here? He's not suddenly saying McCain is the best thing ever. I will say that I didn't like his McCain bashing early on. McCain was good enough to work with in the Senate on lobbying reform and he was good enough to campaign with Rick and then suddenly, they're going at it. Eh, whatever.

Anyway, he wasn't all over the board two years ago and that certainly wouldn't be why he lost. He was seen as too set in his ways, if anything.

Done with the article... it really doesn't say much.  He doesn't go into much depth about what he means by "play if safe" though I can think of a few things.

He lays out that it should be a standard conservative. McCain shouldn't rock the boat with a person who is "controversial" to the base.

[Keystone Phil]

mccain to santorum:  'why is an ex senator who lost his reelection race by double digits giving me campaign advice?'

Yeah! He's much better off with Jane Swift, a controversial acting Governor with no appeal, running around the country on his behalf, opening campaign offices in states that have no clue as to who she is. Brilliant strategy.

[Keystone Phil]

mccain to santorum:  'why is an ex senator who lost his reelection race by double digits giving me campaign advice?'

Yeah! He's much better off with Jane Swift, a controversial acting Governor with no appeal, running around the country on his behalf, opening campaign offices in states that have no clue as to who she is. Brilliant strategy.

jane swift has worked her ass off for mccain.  for two reasons:

1. in the primary she wanted to stick her thumb in romney's eye.  for obvious reasons.

2.  she wants a job in politics.  if mccain wins shed be an excellent assistant secretary, probably in the department of education.

Ok, those are great reasons why it benefits her but your point was that Santorum's words of advice are of no benefit to McCain. This isn't about who is working hard for McCain and who isn't. It's about giving advice. You made it your point in that post.

Apparently, McCain shouldn't listen to Santorum, a man connected to the base and still involved, but he should listen to political whiz Jane Swift.

[Keystone Phil]

mccain to santorum:  'why is an ex senator who lost his reelection race by double digits giving me campaign advice?'

Yeah! He's much better off with Jane Swift, a controversial acting Governor with no appeal, running around the country on his behalf, opening campaign offices in states that have no clue as to who she is. Brilliant strategy.

Swift was fortunate to only have been controversial in a single state.

Well, it really doesn't matter either way. I was just stating why Swift isn't exactly the best political strategist while Santorum actually knows what he's talking about concerning the base.

Santorum made it seem pretty clear that he would never accept McCain as the nominee... now he is giving him advice?

He never said he wouldn't support McCain in the General. Whether he wants him or not, though, is irrelevant. He writes a political column.

 

You must be logged in to read this quote.

 

You must be logged in to read this quote.

That's perception though. Even I can be seen as too conservative by some but not conservative enough by others. It happens all the time in politics.

  

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I don't think emergency relief or biofuel factories classify as pork. Neither is endorsing Specter but I have agreed that that is an area of inconsistency with Santorum. I don't know much about these bridge projects you speak of but I'll take your word for it.

I, too, support states rights but I'd support a National Right to Life amendment. Why? Because I think the right to life is a right that shouldn't be determined state by state. Maybe Santorum saw a difference with marriage.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

First of all, it was 1990. Secondly, the situation you mention is completely false. Santorum attacked Walgren for not only not living in the district but not spending time in the district. Santorum travelled to every PA county at least once a year. To say that he wasn't in PA enough is laughable.

I don't take it upon myself to determine what is acceptable for a family in terms of where they live when their father or mother has to be in or near DC a good deal of the time.

[Keystone Phil]

the only subject that swift has advised mccain on (that im aware of) is education.

and lets be honest, she has probably spoken with him 5-10 minutes max on the subject.

And he'd be better off speaking to someone who knows the base for at least five to ten minutes than to talk to Jane Swift. To write him off because he lost is silly especially when discussing the base.

[Keystone Phil]

mccain campaigned for santorum in 06.

how did rick repay him?  by blasting him during the primaries.

i doubt mccain is interested in talking with him.

Whether he is actually interested or not is not the point at all. Your argument was that he is in no place to give advice (if anything, people, it's just space for his column).

[Keystone Phil]

Well, it really doesn't matter either way. I was just stating why Swift isn't exactly the best political strategist while Santorum actually knows what he's talking about concerning the base.

Oh, true, she's not a political strategist. I don't see any harm if all she's doing is showing up and saying "I'm a governor, but I'm also a mom, and I think John McCain is the greatest thing since sliced bread because blah, blah, blah..." It would be the height of hubris if she were offering advice to McCain on anything.

I don't find a problem either but sending around someone no one knows as an official campaign surrogate makes less sense than taking advice from a man who knows the base.

[Keystone Phil]

Well, it really doesn't matter either way. I was just stating why Swift isn't exactly the best political strategist while Santorum actually knows what he's talking about concerning the base.

Oh, true, she's not a political strategist. I don't see any harm if all she's doing is showing up and saying "I'm a governor, but I'm also a mom, and I think John McCain is the greatest thing since sliced bread because blah, blah, blah..." It would be the height of hubris if she were offering advice to McCain on anything.

I don't find a problem either but sending around someone no one knows as an official campaign surrogate makes less sense than taking advice from a man who knows the base.

im sure there are plenty of nutters who know the base that *didnt* stab mccain in the back during the primary.

...

I don't get what's so hard to understand here. That doesn't make Santorum's advice bad.

[Keystone Phil]

What he said may be correct, but I think McCain is more likely to do the exect opposite because Rick said he should do it.

Oh, come on. It's not that bad between them.

 

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Ugh. 

[Keystone Phil]

Okay Phil what is you problem with Mitt Romney?

Go Mitt 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He's fake.

[Keystone Phil]

Okay Phil what is you problem with Mitt Romney?

Go Mitt 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He's fake.

Yes you would say that cause you saw the Mitt Romney,  the Pro-life liberal bigot and McCain wanted you to see. Its not like there was a better choice. A pro-life Liberal bigot, An Amnesty lover, A wife cheatin pro-choice, pro-gay, anti-gun conservative. A wife cheatin lazy(went from front runner to second tier in 2 months) conservative who sold out his values to who ever his client was(including Planned parenthood). Which one of these did you support? Except for McCain the rest of these fools are low lifes of the highest order. Another way to say it is the height of low grade.

I don't even know how to respond to the number of ridiculous things that you said.

Oh, by the way, I used to support that "wife cheating lazy conservative." 

[Keystone Phil]

Fred Thompson yes he was my second choice if something happened to Romney but I would really have had to hold my nose for that. He was the only other full spectrum conservative other then Mitt. McCain was the only one I found respectible but it took me 2 months to come to terms with him because of Immigration and Campaign finance reform.

Romney is not a full spectrum conservative.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Romney and his supporters got beat up pretty badly so it wouldn't have been much fun.    Then again, I took a lot concerning Santorum and still like the forum.