The Other McCain

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Rick Santorum Crashes Blog Bash, Impresses Conservative New Media

Posted on | January 21, 2012 | 8 Comments

Rick Santorum answers questions at Blog Bash party Friday in Charleston, S.C.
At left is Alice Linahan, who arranged his attendance at the event.

CHARLESTON, S.C.
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum made a surprise appearance Friday night at an invitation-only party for conservative New Media, drinking beer, eating pizza and taking questions from bloggers and talk radio hosts.

Santorum answered on-the-record questions from many of the party attendees, including Tony Katz of All Patriots Media, Craig Robinson of TheIowaRepublican.com, Caleb Howe of Red State and Javier Manjarres of the Shark Tank, who asked Santorum about the controversy surrounding an ABC News interview with Newt Gingrich’s ex-wife:

Javier Manjarres: “You being a social conservative, do you think his past personal issues with social conservatives?”
Rick Santorum: “You have to ask social conservatives on that. The national media has been despicable in what they have done to me over the past 15 or 20 years, and what they’re doing to me right now, as you all know. These are lowlifes who dig up everything to try to undercut you and take you off your game and distract away from the real issues we’re dealing with. What you do in your public life and what you do while you’re in public life, to me, is fair game. Some of these things Newt did when he was Speaker and in public life and that, to me, is a fair-game issue. That subject [Gingrich’s divorce] is one thing. Getting into the salacious details is quite a different thing and, to me, out of bounds. “

The party, sponsored by Ali Akbar’s Blog Bash organization, was held at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel that is media headquarters for the Southern Republican Leaadership Conference which is meeting this weekend in Charleston. Santorum’s attendance at the event was arranged by Alice Linahan of Voices Empower.

UPDATE: Santorum’s answers on issues and discussion of his campaign strategy were solid, but what impressed the bloggers in attendance was his accessibility and relaxed demeanor. Few bloggers have had a chance to see Santorum outside of debates and campaign appearances.

Santorum arrived at the party — having been next door in the Fox News temporary studio for an interview with Sean Hannity — with his wife Karen and daughter Sarah, as well as several staffers, volunteers and supporters. Santorum helped himself to pizza, chicken tenders and a Blue Moon Ale. Before he could eat, however, several bloggers insisted on interviewing him.

After answering their questions, Santorum sat down to eat and was joined at his table by pollster Dick Morris, who had also been at the Fox News temporary studio at the Marriott. Several bloggers captured their conversation on camera, and continued asking questions, which Santorum answered. He went back for seconds at the buffet — getting three more slices of pizza and a Sam Adams Boston Lager.

UPDATE II: Bryan Preston of PJ Media has more about Santorum’s appearance at Friday’s blog party. During the event, Santorum was endorsed by conservative voter-integrity activist Anita Montrcrief, who blew the whistle on ACORN.

I’ll try to get more video and photos online after a while.

Category: Election 2012, Fear and Loathing in South Carolina, Rick Santorum, South Carolina

Comments

8 Responses to “Rick Santorum Crashes Blog Bash, Impresses Conservative New Media”

  1. ThePaganTemple
    January 21st, 2012 @ 9:32 am

    If Santorum really wants to have a chance to pull it out, he needs to bypass Fl and concentrate his efforts on Michigan. He could work on a coalition of social conservative religious leaders and rank-and-file union members. If he has the resources to divide his time between Michigan and Nevada, that would be even better, but the kinds of unions in Nevada are less likely to be attracted to his message. I can’t see any good comong from him spending much valuable time and relatively meager resources he might have in Florida. Fortunately, if Gingrich pulls out SC especially be a wide margin, that would make this strategy very viable. If he won Michegan, Mitts home state, that would be the upset of upsets. He’s the only one that could do it.

  2. Saturday Morning Reading: January 21, 2012 | REPUBLICAN REDEFINED
    January 21st, 2012 @ 11:18 am

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  3. rosalie
    January 21st, 2012 @ 11:21 am

    He’s right about more people getting their news from blogs.  Whether you like him or not, at least he’s been consistent in what he says. 

  4. Drrogera
    January 21st, 2012 @ 1:42 pm

    I am surprised that you have not analyzed some of Newts “Big Ideas” that Santorum has rightfully indicated are just ideas. For example: Local review boards for immigrant amnesty. Who pays for their decisions? The discrimination lawsuits? Which board will people approach – the one in sanctuary cities like SF or LA? Then they are free to continue to abuse the system as before but now it is legal. This is just one example of Big Idea Newt not thinking all the way to the end of the road. I have not even mentioned how he behaves when his grand ideas are challenged or defeated.

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  6. Anonymous
    January 21st, 2012 @ 5:35 pm

    Pays the salaries of the boards? or pays for the results?
    Discrimination lawsuits? Part of the legislation setting up the boards removes discrimination lawsuits against them from the jurisdiction of the courts, as the Constitution provides. If certain states want illegals, let them have them… and the entitlement bills that go with them, because the Fedgov will be out of that business. The state can raise the taxes… and watch the businesses leave. No other state has to allow non-citizens in them. Note that the boards aren’t to grant citizenship, just residency. Logic is your friend….

  7. ThePaganTemple
    January 21st, 2012 @ 6:02 pm

    Also it would be up to the jurisdiction of the federal government as to how much money they would release in block grant form for things like welfare and food stamps, and they would be under no compunction to release money to states with significant percentages of illegals draining social services. Any judge that says otherwise is probably facing a treason charge under a President Newt, and rightly so. I say its about damn time.

    Evidently there would also be a uniform standard of twenty-five years residency before one could qualify for such a board.

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