John R. Houk
© July 11, 2012
Updated July 12, 2012 8:56 AM CT
Updated July 12, 2012 8:56 AM CT
My wife went to spend some girl time at ye old nail salon the other day. She got into a conversation with a fellow salon client (Susan Mulford). I have no idea how the conversation began or ended; however I do know some the topic of my blog came up between the two gals. My wife called me and introduced me to her new friend then handed over her mobile phone.
The course of the conversation centered around her desire that Rick Santorum should be Mitt Romney’s Vice Presidential running mate for the 2012 election. I actually voted for Santorum in the Oklahoma Primary and Santorum won that Primary over Romney. Unfortunately Santorum did the math and dropped out of the GOP race for the nomination for President. The math was insurmountable and the Republican establishment was placing pressure on Santorum and Newt to withdraw. When Santorum and Newt withdrew from the race all the talk about a brokered convention in which the presumptive leader in delegates would not necessarily win the nomination.
The presumed lack of a brokered convention meant that Romney went from the delegate leader to the Presumptive Nominee of the Republican Party. With the title of Presumptive Nominee Romney has been hounded by the press on who he will select as the Vice Presidential Nominee. Romney and his Campaign Staff have so far been very tight lipped about who the Vice President selection will be.
I am going to show Susan Mulford’s thoughts that I will follow with more of mine:
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20 Reasons Why Romney Should Pick Rick Santorum to be his VP
By Susan Mulford
July 11, 2012
From the first week of January until he quit in April, I prayed for Rick Santorum every day and I often e-mailed him as well to encourage him to keep going and I gave him scriptures and stuff. Mostly, I would read a positive article about him on the net and then e-mail it to him. I even told him not to drop out, but he did anyway.
Sigh.
I was so depressed! I prayed so hard, so long for him! I mean, I am an intercessor. But just like Rick put it all behind him and then eventually endorsed Romney, I felt I should be in the same frame of mind as well, following Rick's lead in supporting him as well. I even thought it really goes against my evangelistic heart to vote for a Mormon. I mean, I'm ordained - But it would be a lot easier to go to the polls for me (and I think, a lot of other Christians as well), if Rick Santorum was on the ticket. So if Rick was not going to be President, then the next best thing would be for him to be VP. I really feel like it is God's will as well.
I don't even know if Rick wants the spot, so I am praying that if Romney asks, he will be willing and say "yes." I read in that same article about how Romney is vetting a lot of candidates...but you know - Santorum does not need to be vetted! I think Mitt did that enough during the debates and during all of his negative ads towards Rick! ... which may be WHY he doesn't want to pick Rick as VP - because he tore him down so much in the early season...but Mitt flip flops all the time anyway!!! LOL! If Romney does not make this smart decision, I am afraid that Obama will win. No kidding. Sigh.
Well here are the 20 Reasons...I only had 8 or 9 and I believe it was the Holy Spirit that gave me the rest of the list. I don't know if this should really "go public" or not? I just want you to pray that Mike Biundo will indeed have an opportunity to give this to Mitt Romney...and he will pick Rick!
1. Because Romney choosing Rick as his VP would add validity that Romney really would repeal ObamaCare because that is what Rick was all about. Rick repeatedly talked about it as his cornerstone message saying that is why he decided to run - to appeal Obamacare. It would be a united front that would tell the voters: "Yes, we will appeal Obama Care." You see, a lot of people do not trust Mitt because he really has flip flopped a lot, but with Rick by his side, the people will believe that he is for real about this issue and that he really would appeal Obamacare if he were elected.
2. Because Rick would unite and give hope to the GOP Presidential ticket. Everyone that was a Rick supporter would then surely vote for Romney. And I am sure that a lot more people (like a lot of Christians) would actually get active in the campaign as well: making phone calls, putting out signs, giving money, etc. and help out in every state if Rick was on the ticket because he really knows how to "fire up the base." I was so depressed when he dropped out, for 5 weeks, along with zillions of others. It was such a huge disappointment that I will never forget. Sigh. So many Republicans are disenchanted with Romney. Having Rick become his VP would heal a lot of wounds and add so much hope to the GOP ticket.
3. Because Christians would get excited about Rick being on the ticket and would vote for them. Yes, Rick would motivate Christians to actually go out and vote for Romney because Rick is on the ticket. You see, the danger of Mitt being a Mormon (that he may not have even thought about) is that many Christians may just vote for Obama because he "says" he is a Christian!! It really goes against or grates against the conscience of many Christian voters to vote for a Mormon. So it is very important to go after the Christian vote. Many Christians just don't like the idea that Romney is a Mormon and may just stay home. The race is going to be tight. But if he chooses Rick, then all of his supporters will be appeased and pleased and they will go out and vote for Romney and Rick.
4. Because Rick Santorum is well known and a beloved household name. He won 11 states. No one knows Rob Portman, and so no one really cares about him. He will not add anything or he will not add any excitement to the ticket. The same goes for Kelly Ayotte. No one knows her. She is not like Sarah Palin. She will not add anything to the ticket. Actually, any other VP candidate would be disappointing because to have someone run as VP, when you don't even know them, is deflating. It is really defeating to have a VP that the voters do not even know. There is no excitement there. But Rick Santorum is a beloved household name and people would be excited about voting for the GOP ticket if he was chosen as VP.
5. Because Marco Rubio will NOT get the Latino vote. Mitt may not understand the ramifications of Marco Rubio's Cuban heritage. You see, Cubans received their papers and green cards when they arrived in the US because they were refugees, receiving asylum from Fidel Castro's regime. They got their green cards and papers handed to them on a silver platter! So they are seen by the Mexican population as "above them" or uppity because when the Mexicans came into the country to try to make a better life for themselves and their families they had to really-really struggle to get their citizenship papers and their green cards. They had to really work hard. It wasn't fair. So Mexicans do not really like the Cubans because they envy them. They are jealous of them. The Cubans never did anything to help them either. So there is not camaraderie there, like Romney thinks there is. So Rubio would not unite the Latino Americans because generally Mexicans do not even like Cubans.
6. Because Catholics would get excited that Rick Santorum was on the ticket and would then vote for them.
7. Because all Mexicans and Latinos are Catholic. So that is a big piece of the pie of voters! There are so many Catholics out there that would vote for Romney if he picks Rick. All Mexicans and Latinos are Catholic. Latinos will likely all vote for a fellow Catholic. This is where Rick is so much better than Cuban Marco Rubio.
8. Because Rick would help Romney win the very important swing states or battleground states.
9. Because Rick Santorum has the experience, the wisdom and the capability to be President should anything happen to Romney. The US would be in good hands.
10. Because of Rick Santorum's godly character. Rick made a valiant step in being an admirably good sport and a "team player" in endorsing Romney, who was his ruthless enemy who shot him down with so many negative ads. It takes a lot of character to just forget all of that and "love his enemy" for the greater cause of getting Obama out of office and thus, endorsing Romney to be the GOP candidate. That is character of the highest degree. It really is. And if Romney picked Rick, it would show that he has a lot of character too. It would show that he can put the past behind him as well and move on - with the best running mate that has the best character.
11. Because Rick Santorum relates well to the working class. He can help get the blue collar voters. Mitt can get the white collar voters. Together they would get them ALL.
12. Because Rick Santorum is a likable guy with a sense of humor. He has the charisma to woo voters and is friendly and outgoing - far from stiff. He relates to people and is touchable. He could really help Romney in this area with the voters.
13. Because Romney and Rick both share the same conservative values. They are pro-life and pro-family and against gay marriage and they are both for a strong defense and fiscally conservative. The both stand for the constitution. They share many of the same conservative values.
14. Because Romney and Rick both have a lot of kids. They have a lot in common there with strong family values. They have both been married once to the same woman for many years. They are both pro-life and pro-family.
15. Because Rick's founding of "Patriot Voices" shows how he is continually dedicated to the conservative cause and its values. He is still fighting for those conservative values. He has not quit the fight. I am so proud of him and Karen!
16. Because Romney does not need a black man to fill the VP spot. No, because there are so many people that cannot stand Obama. Many people (even democrats) may be thinking: "I do not want to trust another black man. No way."
17. Because the Media would really go for the "Romney - Santorum 2012" ticket as well. It would be big news that Mitt Romney actually chose "his former enemy" to be his running mate and now they are friends and they are united together to beat Obama. That would go over well. It would make for a lot of good press.
18. Because picking the one who came in 2nd place would make the strongest ticket possible: a 1-2 punch. So with this 1-2 punch, in picking the one who came in second place, it would be the strongest ticket possible to go against Obama. I believe that the "Romney - Santorum 2012" ticket would be an easy win.
19. Because the slogan could be: "Romney and Rick 2012" and it has a nice ring to it. It is easy to say.
20. Because I believe it is God's will for Romney to pick Rick Santorum to be his VP. No kidding.
If Romney doesn't pick Rick, I think that Obama may just win again. So please, do what you can to use your influence to help Romney see the light that Rick would be the best choice. Thank you for reading this e-mail.
Driven By Eternity
2. Because Rick would unite and give hope to the GOP Presidential ticket. Everyone that was a Rick supporter would then surely vote for Romney. And I am sure that a lot more people (like a lot of Christians) would actually get active in the campaign as well: making phone calls, putting out signs, giving money, etc. and help out in every state if Rick was on the ticket because he really knows how to "fire up the base." I was so depressed when he dropped out, for 5 weeks, along with zillions of others. It was such a huge disappointment that I will never forget. Sigh. So many Republicans are disenchanted with Romney. Having Rick become his VP would heal a lot of wounds and add so much hope to the GOP ticket.
3. Because Christians would get excited about Rick being on the ticket and would vote for them. Yes, Rick would motivate Christians to actually go out and vote for Romney because Rick is on the ticket. You see, the danger of Mitt being a Mormon (that he may not have even thought about) is that many Christians may just vote for Obama because he "says" he is a Christian!! It really goes against or grates against the conscience of many Christian voters to vote for a Mormon. So it is very important to go after the Christian vote. Many Christians just don't like the idea that Romney is a Mormon and may just stay home. The race is going to be tight. But if he chooses Rick, then all of his supporters will be appeased and pleased and they will go out and vote for Romney and Rick.
4. Because Rick Santorum is well known and a beloved household name. He won 11 states. No one knows Rob Portman, and so no one really cares about him. He will not add anything or he will not add any excitement to the ticket. The same goes for Kelly Ayotte. No one knows her. She is not like Sarah Palin. She will not add anything to the ticket. Actually, any other VP candidate would be disappointing because to have someone run as VP, when you don't even know them, is deflating. It is really defeating to have a VP that the voters do not even know. There is no excitement there. But Rick Santorum is a beloved household name and people would be excited about voting for the GOP ticket if he was chosen as VP.
5. Because Marco Rubio will NOT get the Latino vote. Mitt may not understand the ramifications of Marco Rubio's Cuban heritage. You see, Cubans received their papers and green cards when they arrived in the US because they were refugees, receiving asylum from Fidel Castro's regime. They got their green cards and papers handed to them on a silver platter! So they are seen by the Mexican population as "above them" or uppity because when the Mexicans came into the country to try to make a better life for themselves and their families they had to really-really struggle to get their citizenship papers and their green cards. They had to really work hard. It wasn't fair. So Mexicans do not really like the Cubans because they envy them. They are jealous of them. The Cubans never did anything to help them either. So there is not camaraderie there, like Romney thinks there is. So Rubio would not unite the Latino Americans because generally Mexicans do not even like Cubans.
6. Because Catholics would get excited that Rick Santorum was on the ticket and would then vote for them.
7. Because all Mexicans and Latinos are Catholic. So that is a big piece of the pie of voters! There are so many Catholics out there that would vote for Romney if he picks Rick. All Mexicans and Latinos are Catholic. Latinos will likely all vote for a fellow Catholic. This is where Rick is so much better than Cuban Marco Rubio.
8. Because Rick would help Romney win the very important swing states or battleground states.
9. Because Rick Santorum has the experience, the wisdom and the capability to be President should anything happen to Romney. The US would be in good hands.
10. Because of Rick Santorum's godly character. Rick made a valiant step in being an admirably good sport and a "team player" in endorsing Romney, who was his ruthless enemy who shot him down with so many negative ads. It takes a lot of character to just forget all of that and "love his enemy" for the greater cause of getting Obama out of office and thus, endorsing Romney to be the GOP candidate. That is character of the highest degree. It really is. And if Romney picked Rick, it would show that he has a lot of character too. It would show that he can put the past behind him as well and move on - with the best running mate that has the best character.
11. Because Rick Santorum relates well to the working class. He can help get the blue collar voters. Mitt can get the white collar voters. Together they would get them ALL.
12. Because Rick Santorum is a likable guy with a sense of humor. He has the charisma to woo voters and is friendly and outgoing - far from stiff. He relates to people and is touchable. He could really help Romney in this area with the voters.
13. Because Romney and Rick both share the same conservative values. They are pro-life and pro-family and against gay marriage and they are both for a strong defense and fiscally conservative. The both stand for the constitution. They share many of the same conservative values.
14. Because Romney and Rick both have a lot of kids. They have a lot in common there with strong family values. They have both been married once to the same woman for many years. They are both pro-life and pro-family.
15. Because Rick's founding of "Patriot Voices" shows how he is continually dedicated to the conservative cause and its values. He is still fighting for those conservative values. He has not quit the fight. I am so proud of him and Karen!
16. Because Romney does not need a black man to fill the VP spot. No, because there are so many people that cannot stand Obama. Many people (even democrats) may be thinking: "I do not want to trust another black man. No way."
17. Because the Media would really go for the "Romney - Santorum 2012" ticket as well. It would be big news that Mitt Romney actually chose "his former enemy" to be his running mate and now they are friends and they are united together to beat Obama. That would go over well. It would make for a lot of good press.
18. Because picking the one who came in 2nd place would make the strongest ticket possible: a 1-2 punch. So with this 1-2 punch, in picking the one who came in second place, it would be the strongest ticket possible to go against Obama. I believe that the "Romney - Santorum 2012" ticket would be an easy win.
19. Because the slogan could be: "Romney and Rick 2012" and it has a nice ring to it. It is easy to say.
20. Because I believe it is God's will for Romney to pick Rick Santorum to be his VP. No kidding.
If Romney doesn't pick Rick, I think that Obama may just win again. So please, do what you can to use your influence to help Romney see the light that Rick would be the best choice. Thank you for reading this e-mail.
Driven By Eternity
Sincerely,
Susan Mulford
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Here is a brief look of who political pundits are speculating for the VP selection (Weekly Standard):
And thanks to Ann Romney media blurb:
The short list four in no particular order of speculation appear to be Pawlenty, Portman, Jindal and Ryan. History has shown though that the short list does not always get the nod.
There two people I wish were on that list: Rick Santorum (agreeing with Susan Mulford) and Sarah Palin (yes I am still a Palin supporter).
Recently I found an article in which Rick Santorum totally supports Mitt Romney as a Social Conservative (National Review Online):
Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum recently told a gathering of social-conservative voters that Governor Mitt Romney was “solid” on social issues. “I’ve talked to Governor Romney,” said Santorum, “and I have no doubt, and I mean this in all sincerity, I have no doubt he understands the centrality of family.”
Santorum, a pro-life, pro-family champion, whom the Susan B. Anthony List was proud to support earlier this year, gives credit where credit is due. Governor Romney is the committed pro-life candidate in this race.
§ Defund Planned Parenthood and Big Abortion.
§ End U.S. support of abortion overseas.
§ Protect unborn children capable of feeling pain from abortion
§ Appoint constitutionalist justices to the Supreme Court
§ Select a pro-life vice-presidential running mate
I can understand why Romney would not pick Sarah Palin. I believe she would be a better choice than Santorum because of her campaign skills; however Palin has seemingly extricated herself from a VP nomination as she did in not running for President in 2012.
Since Palin has extricated herself I have to agree with Susan that Rick Santorum would be a better choice than Pawlenty, Portman, Jindal and Ryan on a short list. Santorum is representative of the family values voters of the Republican Party and in spite of Santorum’s Social Conservatism he is a bit of a centrist when compared to Tea Party politics.
I just finished reading an article that proclaims that Santorum is demonstrably a Social Conservative, had political blemishes pertaining to Tea Party purity of less government and less taxes AND YET still had Tea Party support growing for him before Santorum departed from the Presidential race.
AGAIN Sarah Palin fits my mold of Social Conservative and the Tea Party agenda; however she has chosen to be a shaker more than a mover in 2012. And so I am with Susan Mulford that Rick Santorum should be the VP nominee. Unfortunately I sense that Romney’s feelings may have been too hurt during the stretch with Rick Santorum’s candidacy.
JRH 7/11/12
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Santorum for Vice President
John R. Houk
© July 11, 2012
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20 Reasons Why Romney Should Pick Rick Santorum to be his VP
About Susan Mulford:
I'm a '95 RHEMA grad and a prayer partner at Oral Roberts ministries since 2004 on the 3rd shift (so I am never on TV in the background on Richard Roberts program - The Place For Miracles)...but you know what I would really like promoted? My website: www.traintracts.com - It is all about witnessing to the lost. Train tracts are for Christians to TRAIN them how to TRANSITION conversations onto the Gospel TRACK. Each train tract has 7 - 9 different "object evangelism icebreakers" to help you get started.
