"We need someone to get rid of Obamacare."
2/9/12, "Pa. GOP voters quit Gingrich for Santorum," Pittsburgh Tribune Review, D. Erdley
"A Tribune-Review/WPXI-TV poll conducted Feb. 2-6 shows the former senator was gaining strength among Pennsylvania Republicans even before this week's victories in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota that threaten to shake up the GOP presidential contest.
The statewide poll of 500 Republicans showed Santorum's support more than doubled from 14 percent six weeks ago to 30 percent, putting him in a statistical dead heat with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who increased his support to 29 percent from 18 percent. Santorum's gain was former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's loss, as his numbers here plunged from 35 percent to 13 percent....
Alone among the four Republican hopefuls, Romney was about even with Obama, with 45 percent to the president's 43 percent, in a head-to-head matchup in a poll of 800 Republicans and Democrats in Pennsylvania. Against Santorum, Obama was slightly ahead, 47 percent to 43 percent, among that group in the poll with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.46 percent.
James Lee, president of Susquehanna Polling and Research, which conducted the poll, said Santorum's growing strength among Republicans suggests conservatives are tuning in to the race.
"Rick speaks their language. They believe he's the real deal, but they seem to draw the line when it comes to moving on to the fall," Lee said. "They don't seem to think he's electable. That's the real conundrum he's in: How does he persuade mainstream voters he's the guy who can win in November?"
Santorum offered an answer Tuesday night at a victory celebration in St. Charles, Mo. As he greeted cheering supporters, he declared Romney and Obama are one and the same "on issues ranging from health care to Wall Street bailouts."...
Initially considered a longshot candidate in the GOP presidential primary, Santorum, 53, has won as the underdog before. He came out of nowhere in 1990 to beat a seven-term incumbent in a heavily Democratic Western Pennsylvania congressional district and went on to beat incumbent Democrat Harris Wofford to win a U.S. Senate seat in 1994.
Many were prepared to write off the fiery social conservative when he lost his Senate seat to Bob Casey Jr. in 2006. But Santorum, who lives in northern Virginia with his wife and seven children, began laying the foundation for a presidential bid in 2010....
Lee predicted the combination of Santorum's victories in Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado, the nonbinding primary in Missouri and his growing numbers in Pennsylvania will embolden him....
Although Santorum was best known in Congress as a cultural warrior for social and religious conservatives, Pennsylvania Republicans who identified jobs and the economy as their top priority this year said they are looking to him to rein in government spending and provide leadership on economic issues....
"I think a lot of people didn't know about him, but now he's getting the traction he needs. We need someone to get rid of Obamacare. My company is going to get rid of health care in 2014 because
- it's cheaper to pay the penalty and abandon health care
than it is to offer it under Obamacare," said Rockwell, a claims adjuster."...
via Free Republic
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