So Long and Farewell...

Earlier today, standing in front of reporters with his family behind him, Rick Santorum officially ended his presidential bid.

(I'll be honest, I have been waiting for this day since early January).

Given my past sentiments here and here to this candidate, it wouldn't be right if I didn't take the opportunity to write him one final letter.

Getty Image/Jeff Swensen 

Dear Mr. Santorum,

Thank you for your press conference today.  Thank you for seeing the writing on the wall.  Thank you for dropping out of the race before further damage was done to our party.

Thank you for not attempting to push the "fat lady" off the stage--she has been up there for some time trying to sing.  Thank you for finally letting her have her moment.

Although you failed to mention him by name in your speech, thank you for conceding the race to Mitt Romney--a man who more Americans believe is the better, stronger, more prepared, best and more electable candidate to face President Obama this fall.

I congratulate you for getting as far as you did in this race.  As a Mitt Romney supporter, I would now like to extend a heartfelt invitation to you and your supporters.

Please recognize as soon as possible that your fight cannot end today.  Your passion for the conservative cause should not end when you walked off that stage.  There is now an urgency to unite conservatives in the fight to restore integrity, fiscal accountability and moderation to our federal government.

Our party needed a unique candidate with an exceptional resume to unseat this president.  Now that we have identified that candidate--Mitt Romney--we must unite behind him to defeat Barack Obama--a president who is remarkably persuasive, charismatic and surprisingly, still popular despite all that he has been unable to achieve during his time in office.

I believe that it is going to be a fight like America has never before witnessed.  It is only April and the president has already launched his general election campaign on a theme of negativity.  It is going to get vicious.  It will undoubtedly be a nasty and venomous fight for Obama's second term.

A few of disconcerting things about President Obama and why conservatives need to unite:

• The president encourages an ideologically divided nation.  He incites an "Us vs. Them" in every legislative effort of his party.  This doesn't feel American.  It doesn't feel like democracy at its finest.  It no longer feels like a country founded on the principle of "We, the People."  Rather, it appears to be, "We, at the White House."  Americans deserve better.

• The president is satisfied with the rate of our economic recovery.  This is intolerable.  Too many of us are uncertain about the future.  Americans deserve better.

• This president encourages Americans to be dependent on expensive government-run programs.  I do not believe that this is what our founders intended.  Americans deserve more.

• This president is unaffected by our growing national debt. For over three years, we have watched our government attempt to spend its way out of financial crisis.  It has not worked.  Trillions of dollars have been added to our debt--$4 trillion under Obama. America is now more dependent on foreign money than any other time in history and we have nothing to show for it.  Americans deserve better.

• Above all, this president ran on a campaign theme of "radical and fundamental change."  He wants a different America.  Granting him a second term will undoubtedly make it a reality.  We must stop him.  

So Mr. Santorum, I know I have said it before but on a football team, not everyone can be the quarterback, however, every player in every position has a crucial and pivotal role to play.

Please find your role as soon as possible.  Although we have known for sometime that you were never meant to be the quarterback, you can still play a role that will undoubtedly make a difference in the conservative cause.  

Please get behind Mitt Romney.  Please unite your followers.  Please help to unite our party to restore prosperity to America's future.

It has been an exhausting three years under this president.  America deserves better--including you.

Best regards,


Alecia Williams

P.S. Romney supporters anxiously await your endorsement.