Santorum’s Email Endorsement of Romney, Lost in the Text – No Less Powerful – Headlines Can Be Deceiving.

The email endorsement of Mitt Romney by former rival Rick Santorum was found in the end of an email written to supporter – so well-crafted as to be, by some who might be continuing to warm to Mitt Romney, completely missed – that would be this blogger. It goes without saying, therein lays the danger of taking opinion pieces as “news” – even if the piece contains evidence contrary to a headline. In fact, that has been by and because of editorial boards who either eschew blogs, or embrace the first blog they come across and print without follow-up.

The fact that the endorsement came in the 13th paragraph, is being touted by the media as somehow “tepid” , not as rousing as it should be perhaps. (Wall Street Journal). The preamble to the endorsement was more of a “why one should support Mitt Romney”, and that was very clear – the differences, the similarities, were all spelled out rather clearly – and Santorum’s case for Romney, was crafted to insure that supporters and non-supporters understood his backing the former Massachusetts Senator, who has a reputation for slash and burn campaigns (for lack of a better euphemism). The point, Santorum was being careful in his wording, and that was in order to bring those conservatives who might otherwise be considering other options, into a frame of mind where Romney becomes more appealing to those who would, once again, be holding their noses as they vote, and that they will.

The least ardent of the Romney supporters, or those who would have preferred any other candidate, when faced with a choice between Romney and Obama, will not stay home from the polls, nor will they vote for Obama (that is a fantasy of the media and most probably the Obama Campaign), they will come out and vote for the economy, against the Health Care Program crafted by a Democrat controlled Legislature, against the waste and the scandals and the stories that the media fails to report, or does so on page 83, if at all – and they will vote for Mitt Romney. This is, indeed, Romney’s opportunity to lead the nation forward, both economically and in some semblance of unity. The only problems Romney might face in a quest to unite the nation politically, would be the extreme left – those progressive in the vein of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and company. That said Romney has experience dealing with the lot of them – having done so in Massachusetts. It’s knowing when to hold them and when to fold them – and when to fight.

Therefore, although missing an endorsement (obvious when read a third time), the point and theme were constant – Romney is ok, he’s going to best Obama and we are going to help him accomplish this task – and put our fiscal house in order. In adding to that, one might also consider our national “emotional house” which is in dire straits, and needs a boost. Romney may not be the most charismatic politician, nor the most seasoned, but he does exude confidence, and a careful approach to issues that is to be respected, not ridiculed, and therefore, will make a fine leader – not a bit like Bush (as the Campaign and the media attempt to make that comparison), rather a lot like Romney. This blogger is more than comfortable with Romney as the GOP candidate and the clear alternative to President Obama and the policies of the current administration.