‘Surprised’? Officially out of 2016 race, Santorum endorses ‘born leader’ Rubio

Rubio made a rookie mistake in not realizing that he was brought aboard the “Gang of Eight” to both give it a bipartisan facade AND to quietly cut the legs out from under him as a rising Tea Party star. Which is why I say I think he learned a lot and probably why he got sick of business as usual in the Senate so quickly.

You’re right in that he had the guts to bail, that’s a lot more than we can say about many Senate GOP members.

Look, I’m inclined to agree about Rubio and I have been from the beginning. I personally like Marco Rubio, I think he learned a hard lesson from the Gang of Eight, and I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he can’t unring the bell. It’s in his past and he can’t shake that, and it’s not “brain dead” to take that into account when evaluating him. Which, again, I find him to be a top three candidate even with that caveat.

Rick Santorum, like Sarah Palin, has always struck me as someone who gets behind the best and most conservative candidate, not with any “who can win” nonsense. I’m surprised that Santorum wouldn’t throw his weight behind the 100% candidate instead of the 99% candidate.

But don’t read me as hating Rubio or his supporters, or Santorum for that matter. It’s entirely reasonable at this juncture to ask what in the world these people who logically should be for Ted all the way are thinking. But hey, any one of the top three could take it all at this point and I’ll be happy.

Ted’s mailer was a bad move. No question.

Santorum kicking up a stink about them is petty and childish.

I honestly thought better of both men than that.

You know, with complete respect, I just don’t get this “Ted is unlikeable” line. I don’t understand it. In some ways Ted does go out of his way to be disagreeable–to the Democrats. That’s kind of what we wanted him (and his GOP colleagues) to do, not go to Washington and get buddy-buddy with Mitch and Harry. But off the Senate floor, I’ve listened to him lots of times, usually on video, and I honestly don’t see the unlikeability here. He doesn’t talk down to people, he smiles easily and is very positive without feeling like a used car salesman, but he gets beaten up for being “unlikeable.”

Yeah, the mailers in Iowa didn’t help him. Bad move. But seriously, if you don’t like them throw them out. And I still have not heard or seen a single Ben Carson supporter who changed his vote because Cruz people talked about a CNN report.

Might just be a personal thing for both you and me, friend, but I’m not seeing the monster.

So it’s more an impression you get, rather than something you personally find un-likeable about him? Don’t let me put words in your mouth. But I think you would agree there’s a difference between “other old-guard Senators don’t like him” and “he’s not likeable.”

Have very many GOP senators made endorsements? I can only remember hearing about Tim Scott.

Getting tired of this “best chance of winning” malarkey. The Democrats never worry about that, they’re busy trying to out-crazy each other in a progressive pissing contest (and using real piss).

If someone likes Rubio better for some reason then by all means let them vote for Rubio, I sure won’t be upset if he takes it all. But when they blather about how Ted is “unlikeable” and “uninspiring” and “can’t win” they’re just repeating what the media and Harry Reid told them. And that about makes me want to puke.

No one would have won that election. There was zero chance this country would immediately admit it’s mistake in electing the first black president. All supporters of every candidate in that primary need to chill out and quit saying one candidate or another would have made a difference.