The national environment was tough for Republicans, but that wasn't why Democrat Bob Casey Jr. routed U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum.
Media scrutiny of Santorum might have been tough, but that didn't cost him the election, either.
It was all about Rick Santorum, and much of it was self-inflicted.
While many Santorum supporters blamed the environment that swept many Republicans out of office or what they claim is biased media coverage, analysts and some GOP experts said Santorum bears a lot of personal responsibility for his defeat.
It's always about the incumbent.
Re: Santorum was his own worst enemy, analysts say
Almost always about the incumbent. Lincoln Chafee enjoyed 60+% favorability ratings and yet suffered for his party. That only happens in extreme circumstances.
I agree that Santorum’s loss was self-inflicted, but it was probably super-heated by the fact that he had a famous opponent and an unpopular president.
Re: Santorum was his own worst enemy, analysts say
The dumbest thing Santorum did was let the cyberschool and residency become and remain an issue in western Pennsylvania, his base. It was his own unapologetic arrogance that did him in.
Re: Santorum was his own worst enemy, analysts say
Ricky lost because, well, he’s Ricky. There were four issues that drove voters:
1) The war in Iraq – Ricky vehemently supported it and the people just had enough.
2) Terrorism – This was Ricky’s main justification for the war, and with the exception of the wingnuts, most people now understand there is no link.
3) The economy – While companies and the ubber-rich are doing fine, the same cannot be said for the middle and lower classes. Wages, except when measured by the “fair and balanced” Heritage Foundation, are stagnant. And Ricky’s response s nothing more than “let them eat cake.”
4) Scandals – The only area where Ricky is mostly clean. Then again, he was the repub. point man for their “K Street” project.
And he handled everything with such arrogance, voters were simply turned off.
dg/blogus
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