Rick Santorum quits presidential race

[Livewire]

I was pretty upset because he was the guy I was crossing my fingers for to win the Republican nomination. Because I really wanted a real conservative representing our party, not someone who has an R by their name but they are really liberal. This was part of the reason I didn't bother to vote in the primaries. While we had one or two good candidates, most of them were wither not really conservative or they didn't really have the intellect to run the country. I was actually rooting for Bachmann in the primaries because one, she was a Tea Party candidate and two, if there was ever to be a female president, then she would have to be conservative and she was interesting. However, I started to have doubts about her ability to run the country, but nonetheless, we share the same views. I guess Romney wins, I mean there's no way in hell Ron Paul is going to win and I don't want him to be president anyway.

I guess I can say I'm willing to give Romney a chance, tho I think he's a liberal with an R by his name. Nonetheless, anyone but Obama...

If you don't vote, then you really have no right to complain. That goes for anybody, regardless of party affiliation.

 

[Gothitelle.]

Actually, I do have the right to complain. Never-mind the right to free speech, but I actually looked into all the canidates that were running carefully. In short, I didn't want just blindly vote for someone and then regret it in the future.

 

[Livewire]

Actually, I do have the right to complain. Never-mind the right to free speech, but I actually looked into all the canidates that were running carefully. In short, I didn't want just blindly vote for someone and then regret it in the future.

You missed the point. What I was saying was that If you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain about how bad things are, if you don't help to change things. In politics, you exercise your civic duty by voting, by contributing to the system, and making your voice heard. You took it literally, a la "freedom of speech" which was not the intention.

That's why we usually have a "write-in" category in most votes. Then again, this is the GOP we're talking about. Since they don't like giving people all their voting rights, I don't think they'd allow that.

 

[Oryx]

Agreed with Live_Wire. It's not like if you don't vote you're telling them "I don't want a President", just that you don't care enough to decide what President you want the most. Obviously if you supported Santorum, then you would have made the decision to vote for him in the primaries and maybe if people like you had done that he wouldn't have dropped out.

The options may not be good but they're all you have and if you decide not to vote to "protest" the options then the political machine just moves on without you. What do you accomplish by not voting?

 

[Ivysaur]

Well, now Romney will have some fun times showing all the moderate voters that he wasn't as extreme as he made himself look like to get the election, but not much so all the Santorumites don't get extremely disappointed and give up on voting. Will be fun.

He should also reopen all the Campaign Offics he has been closing for months.

 

[Gothitelle.]

Agreed with Live_Wire. It's not like if you don't vote you're telling them "I don't want a President", just that you don't care enough to decide what President you want the most. Obviously if you supported Santorum, then you would have made the decision to vote for him in the primaries and maybe if people like you had done that he wouldn't have dropped out.

The options may not be good but they're all you have and if you decide not to vote to "protest" the options then the political machine just moves on without you. What do you accomplish by not voting?

'Okay, I see what your saying, tho it didn't make sense for me not to vote, I thought it did because for one, vote for the wrong person and my political reputation can be ruined. But I totally get it and I do look forward to the 2012 debates.

 

[TRIFORCE89]

'Okay, I see what your saying, tho it didn't make sense for me not to vote, I thought it did because for one, vote for the wrong person and my political reputation can be ruined. But I totally get it and I do look forward to the 2012 debates.

Your political reputation?

That's why voting is private

 

[Alley Cat]

If you don't vote, then you really have no right to complain. That goes for anybody, regardless of party affiliation.

I can't vote, so does that go for me too? I do a lot of constructive criticism of the US government. Ideally, there would be so much changed about the way it works around here. Changes that while I can't necessarily vote for, I do support and believe in them.

'Okay, I see what your saying, tho it didn't make sense for me not to vote, I thought it did because for one, vote for the wrong person and my political reputation can be ruined. But I totally get it and I do look forward to the 2012 debates.

Wrong Person? How do you vote for the wrong person? You vote for the person that makes the most sense to you and nothing else. Simple as that. You don't take who other people are voting into account or anything else other than your own opinion.

 

[Cid]

I wish I knew more about these political discussions in the US. I know it's probably none of my business and it doesn't necessarily give people happiness when they involve themselves in things like this but I think politics should be more serious than it's taken by people right now. Some don't even like the guys in suits running and just pass from making a vote and contributing a movement to his or her belief, so there goes all the seriousness in their cases.

That being said, I know a few things from looking at websites, blogs and the like. I've known how absurd Santorum is portrayed in opinionated blogs, and now that I see you guys comment about it yourselves, then it must not be much of a stretch. Probably means this is a close call for the US, and that Santorum quitting is good. Deduction not as good as I expect it would be, but following your sentiments paved way for me to deduce that all, so.

Speaking of your sentiments, there is great sense in Live_Wire's and Toujours' posts that makes me open my eyes. I guess abstaining doesn't really put you in the right position to complain. Makes me consider how I'd go with things when I reach the age and get to vote for our country's elections.

Now I hope the Americans can choose well when Mitt Romney or a surprising not-so-obvious choice (is Ron Paul still running? Same blog I read about the GOP candidate selections seemingly say he's not half bad, but he is unlikely to win) gets to face Obama, and vote correctly.

 

[Ivysaur]

I don't think there are enough delegates left for a non-Romney win, unless Santorum gives all his to someone else (Paul or Gingrich). Otherwise I don't think either could get 1100 delegates, one of them would have to win every single delegate in all the remaining caucuses.

 

[Mario The World Champion]

If you don't vote, then you really have no right to complain. That goes for anybody, regardless of party affiliation.

Who says? I don't vote and I have my own two cents about the political parties. I don't vote because in reality, my vote (and everybody else in America) doesn't count at all because everything in Washington is controlled by lobbyists and corporate interests. One person's vote might as well be toilet paper for them to use. Sure, we can vote who is elected in office, but the ones who have the money and power are the real players in politics.

 

[Livewire]

Who says? I don't vote and I have my own two cents about the political parties. I don't vote because in reality, my vote (and everybody else in America) doesn't count at all because everything in Washington is controlled by lobbyists and corporate interests. One person's vote might as well be toilet paper for them to use. Sure, we can vote who is elected in office, but the ones who have the money and power are the real players in politics.

You contribute to the problem by not voting. You aren't part of the solution. Therefore, since you don't contribute anything, you don't get to whine how bad things are, how your vote doesn't matter, etc. If you get out there, make phone calls, distribute literature, make signs, attend rallies, then vote, then you've earned the right because you fought tooth and nail to make a difference. That attitude towards it all only makes the problem worse, and you know that.

 

[Psycho Bugler]

All I can say is... YES! His policies were ridiculous (in my opinion of course). If anyone were to run for Republican party I'd only vote for Ron Paul. His policies make the most sense out of all of them and he doesn't make a fool of himself in public. Santorum was definitely my least favorite, though.

I just wish he didn't ruin sweater vests... I look good in a sweater vest and now everyone thinks I support Santorum, because I decided to make my wardrobe sweater vest dependent.

 

[MattyyO!]

and nothing of value was lost! Good riddance.

 

[donavannj]

Who says? I don't vote and I have my own two cents about the political parties. I don't vote because in reality, my vote (and everybody else in America) doesn't count at all because everything in Washington is controlled by lobbyists and corporate interests. One person's vote might as well be toilet paper for them to use. Sure, we can vote who is elected in office, but the ones who have the money and power are the real players in politics.

By campaigning to get a non-establishment politician into several different offices, you can change that! You can always write your representative threatening to put your vote toward some other candidate any time they are leaning toward a yes vote on a law you are against.

Anyway, back on topic. Both glad and sad to see Santorum out this year. Glad because he no longer has a shot at becoming president in 2012. Sad because the Republican candidates are no longer destroying each other in their campaigning.

 

[Atomic Pirate]

Santorum was an over-religious loon. Looks like it'll be Romney as the candidate, which is good for the country, being that he is the most sane of the Republicans.

I was pretty upset because he was the guy I was crossing my fingers for to win the Republican nomination. Because I really wanted a real conservative representing our party, not someone who has an R by their name but they are really liberal. This was part of the reason I didn't bother to vote in the primaries. While we had one or two good candidates, most of them were wither not really conservative or they didn't really have the intellect to run the country. I was actually rooting for Bachmann in the primaries because one, she was a Tea Party candidate and two, if there was ever to be a female president, then she would have to be conservative and she was interesting. However, I started to have doubts about her ability to run the country, but nonetheless, we share the same views. I guess Romney wins, I mean there's no way in hell Ron Paul is going to win and I don't want him to be president anyway.

I guess I can say I'm willing to give Romney a chance, tho I think he's a liberal with an R by his name. Nonetheless, anyone but Obama...

Oh goodie, a Tea Partyist. One whom hates homosexuals, women's rights, racial equality, and science. And by the way, Romney is hardly liberal. Santorum quit because he realized that nobody, save a few weak-minded Americans, wanted a president who thought that the "Bible" outweighed the U.S. Constitution. He deserved to be eliminated, and Romney would have won anyway.

 

[Netto Azure]

"Now everyone will flock to Ron Paul!"

Funny how that's the feeling from one of my floormates who's a big Ron Paul supporter. I'm happy Santorum dropped out, the fact that he has even gotten this far with such statements made me uncomfortable. This country nowadays votes within a difference of a 4% margin for either party that makes any nominee for either party a good chance of winning.

Nevertheless, Mitt Romney has this in the bag for the Republican Nomination. I believe the description of his aide of the campaign as an etch-a-sketch is quite descriptive.

TL;DR: President Obama and Romney will try to out-moderate each other in the next few months.