Santorum "in no hurry" to make decision.

[Keystone Phil]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/25/AR2011012507161.html

I'm still not totally convinced that he'll do this. I understand, as he points out, that potential candidates are waiting until later in the game to announce their intentions this time around. That being said, people like Huckabee, Romney, Palin and Gingrich can afford to do that. If people like Santorum want to run, they have to be in by May to get into those debates.

[Mr. Morden]

In that article, he says that he "might not make up his mind until the summer".  Which is strange, because his 10 visits each to IA, NH, and SC probably makes him the most active "non-candidate" ever.  He's basically already "running for president" without technically "running for president".  Why doesn't he just announce already, and start his exploratory committee?  If things don't go well, he can always back out and fold up his campaign early, a la Tom Vilsack in 2007.

I guess the most logical reason is that if he formally becomes a candidate, he'll have to terminate his contract with Fox.  But you're right.  Realistically, he'll have to make up his mind, one way or the other, by May.  Everyone else will have announced by then, except Huckabee and Palin, and possibly Paul.

[California8429]

That is a fatal mistake, for everyone but the big 4 (with Paul as an acception, or somebody like Trump). You don't walk into this as a guy with 1% in the polls who's going to sweep into the White House with the public carrying you there without starting out VERY early.

[Mr. Morden]

That is a fatal mistake, for everyone but the big 4 (with Paul as an acception, or somebody like Trump). You don't walk into this as a guy with 1% in the polls who's going to sweep into the White House with the public carrying you there without starting out VERY early.

Right, though again, what do you mean by "starting"?  "Starting" what exactly?  As not-officially-candidates-yet like Pawlenty and Santorum are showing, you can get away with quite a bit of "campaigning" and laying the groundwork without actually being an official candidate.  If you can do that, then maybe there isn't a need to officially declare yet.  But yeah, I don't think anyone has ever participated in the debates without at least having an exploratory committee.  These people are going to have to announce something before the debates start.

[Pheurton Skeurto]

Please, let him take his time. We're in no hurry for him either.

[California8429]

That is a fatal mistake, for everyone but the big 4 (with Paul as an acception, or somebody like Trump). You don't walk into this as a guy with 1% in the polls who's going to sweep into the White House with the public carrying you there without starting out VERY early.

Right, though again, what do you mean by "starting"?  "Starting" what exactly?  As not-officially-candidates-yet like Pawlenty and Santorum are showing, you can get away with quite a bit of "campaigning" and laying the groundwork without actually being an official candidate.  If you can do that, then maybe there isn't a need to officially declare yet.  But yeah, I don't think anyone has ever participated in the debates without at least having an exploratory committee.  These people are going to have to announce something before the debates start.

starting as in announcing for something, even just the exploring bid. But yes, you need to be in the debates, and you need as much press attention as possible and the longer you're in it the better, plus if nobody else is running you're going to have more focus.

[Badger]

In that article, he says that he "might not make up his mind until the summer".  Which is strange, because his 10 visits each to IA, NH, and SC probably makes him the most active "non-candidate" ever.  He's basically already "running for president" without technically "running for president".  Why doesn't he just announce already, and start his exploratory committee?  If things don't go well, he can always back out and fold up his campaign early, a la Tom Vilsack in 2007.

I guess the most logical reason is that if he formally becomes a candidate, he'll have to terminate his contract with Fox.   But you're right.  Realistically, he'll have to make up his mind, one way or the other, by May.  Everyone else will have announced by then, except Huckabee and Palin, and possibly Paul.

Correct answer. But no biggie. He's running and networking hard without the legal burdens of an official exploratory committee. I'm sure at some point he'll have to make the jump for legal and logistical reasons, but for now I don't see the disadvantage if the alternative is to give up a big chunk of his private income.

[Mr. Morden]

Santorum may not have formally declared yet, but he's not missing opportunities to ding his future opponents:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/26/5926978-santorum-whacks-obama-sotu-romney-on-health-care

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[Landslide Lyndon]

Santorum may not have formally declared yet, but he's not missing opportunities to ding his future opponents:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/26/5926978-santorum-whacks-obama-sotu-romney-on-health-care

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LOL, the guy really doesn't know what he is talking about. Since the implementation of Romneycare health care costs are down in "librul" Massachusetts.

[Brittain33]

This candidate is currently ignored.

[Mr. Morden]

Here's a story on how the candidates are using their PAC money to run what are essentially shadow campaigns:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/28/AR2011012806528.html

As long as they can get away with that, there's really no urgency to begin their "real" campaigns.  They might as well keep pretending that they haven't yet decided that they're running, and then announce right before the debates start.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

He's definitely running.  Granted, he won't still be running one year from today, but he's definitely running now.

[California8429]

LOL Just saw the article that he said he may wait until the Iowa Ames Straw Poll. ROFL this guy really thinks the American people are going to be chanting his name to run.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

What an attention whore.