Sarah Palin is wrong on this one – Rick Santorum is the most electable conservative

I very much admire Sarah Palin. I’ve read her autobiography, and view her as a true, freedom-loving patriot. But she and other conservatives are making a gross tactical error in backing Newt Gingrich. It’s splintering the Republican party terribly and it’s missing the boat by not supporting the most qualified, most solid conservative in the race, and also the most electable.

I watched a snippet of Governor Palin being interviewed by Jeanine Pirro on Fox News. Again, she was not endorsing Gingrich, but she was urging people to vote for him to keep the vetting process going. She said, “You gotta rage against the machine, at this point in order to defend our republic and save what is good and secure and prosperous about our nation, we need somebody who is engaged in sudden and relentless reform and isn’t afraid to shake it up. Shake up that establishment. So, if for no other reason to rage against the machine, vote for Newt, annoy a liberal. Vote Newt. Keep this vetting process going, keep the debate going.”

There are a couple of problems with that line of reasoning. Yes, it’s the Republican establishment that is having a fit over the idea of Gingrich being the Republican nominee. But the Left is sitting back and enjoying the show. And while, as a conservative, I am working against the Republican establishment, they are not my enemy. On some things I agree with them, for example, on defeating Obama. And their opposition is not entirely because they worry that he will shake things up – they’re also worried about some of the same things I’m worried about, namely Newt’s character. I like Newt’s “shake it up” approach. But I don’t trust the man. I question his self-proclaimed “redemption.” He has supported government action to combat global warming, bailouts, and health care mandates. I worry that after he is elected we conservatives will be the “jilted spouse” and find out that, just as his two ex-wives, we were lied to. He has exaggerated his involvement in the Reagan revolution, and shows an unbecoming petulance and appetite for fighting dirty in this battle with Romney. And support for him is splintering not just Republicans, but conservatives. I for one cannot abide his character flaws. I’m sorry. I would rather have an out-and-out moderate than someone with character flaws as serious as his. And I predict that if we get him into the White House, we will come to rue the day we helped him do that.

Rick Santorum, on the other hand, has been statesmanlike through this process. His opposition to the bailouts, to government-sponsored health insurance mandates, and for common sense in dealing with global warming resonates with the people. He’s likable. Being the grandson of a coal miner is a great line item on his résumé. He is not only a preacher of family values but a good example. He has not gotten down in the mud with Romney and Gingrich. And he has been strongly consistent in his principles throughout his career. He is not only the most electable in the general election, but between him and Newt, he is the one more likely to unite conservatives in blocking Romney.

I work with some other conservatives, and as we were discussing the election the other day, they were all uneasy about Newt’s character. I asked about Rick Santorum, and they liked him but someone said they felt he wouldn’t get elected. Here’s the problem: A lot of people are voting AGAINST things in this election. Even among Republicans, a big part of their thinking is they don’t want Romney and feel that Newt has the best chance of beating him, because not enough OTHERS support Santorum. But if conservative opinion leaders would just step out and lead the way, that spark would surge his campaign. If that were to happen, I believe Rick Santorum would run away with the nomination – he’s so likable. And when he is attacked as he certainly will be as a conservative, we will be able to defend him. The difference, in his case, will be that in doing so, we won’t look like hypocrites, as we do with Newt.