Santorum Caves to Rubio. Why?

Rick Santorum should have never run for President.

He barely, barely won the Iowa caucuses in 2012. Only after a comprehensive recount.

He was the anti-Romney candidate. People did not want Rick Santorum. 

They just wanted someone else who was not a blue state government and blue-print architect for Obamacare.

What kind of hubris induces someone--anyone--to run for President on a Big Government, compassionate "conservative" agenda?

He lost his US Senate seat in 2006 by a two-to-one margin. Terrible.

Yes, he is pro-life and pro-marriage, but his embrace of Big Government still turns of conservatives.

Did he really believe that he could catch lightening in a bottle a second time?

Seventeen qualified and capable candidates ran for President in 2016. How could he ever compete with big names and longer, more current and relevant records than his own?

Now, social conservative brought a great argument to the immigration debate. His father had to wait while his grandfather had immigrated to this country.

Yes, the United States is worth waiting for, and people need to come here legally.

And yet ... after dropping out of the race following his very disappointing third-tier finish in Iowa, Santorum is endorsing open-border advocate Marco Rubio.

Why?

Here are his non-answers.

Arthur,

This past week has been a big transition for me and my family: No more campaign trail, a lot more carpooling our children to school.

Great. Santorum reminds readers that he is a father first.  Fine. We need more public figures who will put family ahead of their (political) careers.

I want a better, stronger, safer America for my children, but every day we hear about the looming threats from ISIS and Iran’s nuclear ambitions. I could not just exit the presidential race -- I needed to stand with the one candidate who understands the threat of radical Islam and has the plan to defeat them.

Santorum's lasts major ad blitz focused on the rising global threat of ISIS. No surprise that he wants the next President to talk tough and get rough with radical Islamic terror.

That is why I am asking you to join me in supporting the leader I believe will lead us into a New American Century: Marco Rubio.

No.

While many on the Republican debate stage Saturday night said all the right things, only Marco Rubio showed he understands the threat of radical Islam. I know Marco Rubio and Marco Rubio knows who our enemy is, what their goals are, and has a plan to defeat them.

So does every other candidate on the stage (except maybe Kasich, but he really does not count at this point, since his New Hampshire fluke means nothing).

Rick Santorum (Credit: Michael Vadon)

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Marco Rubio understands that to defeat ISIS, we need to delegitimize the caliphate they have created. Marco knows that ISIS derives its power by holding land and that the only way to defeat them is to take it back.  He knows that we cannot pit Sunni versus Shiite, and that we must partner with our allies in the region to defeat this enemy.

And you know how passionate I am about ensuring Iran never develops a nuclear weapon, and you know how frustrated I was when Barack Obama tore up the sanctions we fought so hard to impose. 

As President, Marco Rubio will make sure the Iranian leaders are forced to chose between having a nuclear weapon and having an economy. Marco will work to impose tougher sanctions on Iran to stop their nuclear ambitions in their tracks!

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I trust Marco because he has the track-record to back up his rhetoric. He authored tough sanctions against radical groups like Hezbollah. Marco is not afraid to define our enemy, confront our enemy, and defeat our enemy. Marco Rubio is a born leader for America!

No he has no record at all. Santorum struggled to name on accomplishment of the first-term US Senator. Just one, and yet Santorum struggled. He finally reached back to Rubio's tenure as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, where he tried to pass in-state tuition for illegal aliens and cave on Cap-and-Trade.

Nope. Not much of a record there.

I do not take endorsements lightly, but for me this choice was easy: Last night, Marco reaffirmed for me that understands the unique national security threats facing our nation.  There is no candidate in this race who has shown better judgment or has a better understanding of these challenges than Marco Rubio. Period.

Commander-in-Chief is not an entry-level position and Marco Rubio is the one candidate for President who is ready to lead on day-one!

Once again: what accomplishments equip Marco to be an adequate candidate?

There is none.

One immigration, Rubio vehemently opposed amnesty, then backtracked on the issue three years later. He is more ambition than principle, more canned response than candor.

Jeb Bush is honest about his immigration and Common Core stances. Rubio has not been honest.

Why would Santorum line up behind Rubio, then? Like many insiders and Beltway pundits, the former US Senator is convinced that Rubio is the most likely candidate to win a general election contest against Hillary Clinton. Nothing about principle, nothing about procedures. This endorsement is a political stunt.

Perhaps Santorum is angling for a Vice Presidential spot, too, or a post in a Rubio Administration cabinet ...

Whatever his reasons, none of them are founded or respectable.