In politics as in life, timing is everything. And if the former senator from Pennsylvania is finally having his moment, it couldn’t have come at a better one.
Why is Santorum suddenly catching on? As any candidate would, he credits his message. He also has benefited from sheer doggedness and the fact that so many of his rivals have stumbled. For many conservative voters looking for an alternative to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the presumed front-runner, Santorum is who is left.
“We always felt that we were going to have to go out and make the case, that we weren’t going to have the money. We weren’t going to get the coverage. We weren’t going to get the attention at the debates,” he said.
No one has worked harder at making his case. Santorum has been all but living in his strategist Chuck Laudner’s Ram truck, which they have begun calling the “chuck wagon” because they eat there so much.
One candidate after another has burst into the spotlight this year, only to have it reveal their flaws. Now, as Iowa voters reach the eve of the first presidential contest, they are starting to take a look at a candidate who has been in the background all along.
“He’s the all-around man I’ve really been wanting to see,” said Tom Weig, who with his wife, Karen, had driven three hours from their home in Graettinger to drop off a $50 check at Santorum’s office. “We’ve been watching the debates for quite a while. The last debate really made my mind up. He’s always had to fight to get any attention.”
Not any more. The latest polls suggest that Santorum has an excellent shot at coming in with at least a third-place finish in Tuesday’s caucuses — a prospect that would have seemed laughable just a few weeks ago.
In all, Santorum has logged more than 250 campaign appearances in Iowa since June, more than Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) combined. Only Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) comes anywhere near that total, with around 200.
The first real signs that the effort was paying off, however, did not come until several weeks ago. One breakthrough was a string of influential endorsements in recent weeks, including those of Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz and evangelical activists Bob Vander Plaats and Chuck Hurley.
Santorum said their backing has helped reassure voters that his is not a futile candidacy in a year when Republicans believe they have a real chance to unseat President Obama.
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