A Santorum Endorsement?

It has been 3 weeks since Senator Rick Santorum finally saw the writing on the wall and ended his pursuit of the GOP nomination.  (This should not come as a surprise...I have not missed him).

AP Photo/Eric Gay

Santorum's brief yet, strong surge in the polls was always a bit of a puzzler to me.  I never understood how he won the loyalty of so many.  Because although he gave Mitt Romney a strong challenge, I never felt he had a prayer to beat this sitting president.

Since ending his campaign, Santorum has been remarkably quiet in endorsing his rival.  I can understand.  After such a bitter primary season, a quick endorsement of the man he once called "the worst Republican in the country to run against Obama," it might be a little hard for him to face.

But this is politics.  Endorsements are the the custom.  Endorsements are the traditional step following any concession.

But this is also Rick Santorum.  It should be no surprise that his endorsement is coming with a few strings attached.

The Associated Press reported today that Rick Santorum is planning on endorsing Mitt Romney, but only if he can receive an assurance that Romney is going to "embrace the conservative policy platform."

Wow.

Santorum is expected to meet privately with Mitt Romney on Friday.

MSNBC quoted a former Santorum adviser who said, "We want to make sure he (Romney) doesn't replace his platform with any kind of mandate."

This really irritates me.

Why does Rick Santorum think that because he narrowly won a few primary contests that he is now the gatekeeper of conservative principles?

Sorry.  I can't help myself, I think it is time for one last letter to Rick Santorum. (Click here and here for previous letters to Rick).

***

Dear Mr. Santorum,

The primary offered us the choice between you and Romney.  Millions and millions of conservative voters chose Mitt Romney over you.  We are not idiots.  We were not tricked.  We saw Mitt Romney as the best conservative candidate.  We saw Mitt Romney as the candidate with the best chance to beat President Obama.

We chose Mitt Romney because we saw him as the candidate with a remarkable resume with the right experience to help America and guide our country back to the path of prosperity.

Romney's resume shows that he knows how to do it.  Your resume does not.

We have been anxiously awaiting your endorsement.  Hopefully, it will be sincere.  Hopefully, it will be believable and enough to rally your disheartened supporters to embrace this candidate.  Otherwise you will appear as a sore loser and it goes without saying that your future in politics is bright, and whether you want to admit it or not, you will need Mitt Romney down the road.

So please Mr. Santorum, get behind Mitt Romney.  Please encourage your followers to rally behind him.  As the newly self-declared "protector of the conservative policy platform," I would caution you to realize that you too, have a responsibility to protect it.  Not by acting as the "Big Brother" to Mitt Romney, but by doing everything you can to ensure that Barack Obama is packing his bags on November 7th.

That is truly the best way that you can protect conservative principles in America.

Otherwise, conservatives will have 4 more years to do what we do best...complain about President Obama.

Sincerely,


Alecia Williams
- A believer that conservatives got it right with Mitt.