Serious Question: Could Santorum Win?

The polls today decisively say that Santorum doesn't stand a chance against Obama in a Fall match-up:
Real Clear Politics Polls [realclearpolitics.com]
What do you think? I don't think Santorum will be nominated, but if he were, how could he defeat Obama?

The simple answer is "No". Put it this way if he was nominated as the Republican Nominee then not only would I be voting for Obama I would be donating to his campaign. I never thought I would see a worse candidate for the Presidency then Obama, until Santorum decided to show his face. I don't want Obama and I don't like democrats, but my conscience and love for this country will not allow me to vote for santorum. Hopefully if Ron Paul doesn't get the nomination he runs as a 3rd party so I can vote for him.

I think we already know the answer.

If Santorum wins, I will admit there is a real god in the heavens, and begin going to church and praying and living a Christian life

The republicans are farked.
The only chance they had was Ron Paul but they've done nothing but slam him and his supporters.

Anything is possible in politics of course... but my instinct is that none of the remaining candidates can beat Obama. Incumbents are hard to beat.

Santorum may not be weaker than Romney, but his weakness are different. That will strike many as ridiculous b/c the dominant opinion is that the election is won in the middle and Romney can play to the middle better than Santorum. That said, the conservative base of the Republican party has a notorious habit of not turning out for candidates that they consider to be weak on the fundamentals of conservatism... and social conservatives are more likely to stay home than economic conservatives.

To expand on this problem... the Republican party's organizational base is the social conservative wing. The get out the vote effort, those people who man the phone banks and make calls, all that political trench work is done largely by the social conservatives.

IMO, it's hard for Republicans to win an election when the base is not energized about the candidate... this is why McCain picked Palin, as a kind of 'hail mary' to find that star that could energize the base. Romney will have to make a similar move, and hope for better results, but he will not get them.

Could Santorum shake off the hysteria that surrounds his frequently expressed religious views? Perhaps. But I don't think I've seen that ability. These days the overtly religious individuals (who happen to be Republican) have to go around issuing a mea culpa assuring the paranoid secularists that they are not a threat, and won't establish a theocracy. It's like the paranoid secularists forget that the separation of powers exists and has tangible consequences for our republic.

really when have the religious individuals in this country ever try to assure the secularists that they mean no harm to the current gov't at hand..

These fights over birth control, church and state, and all these new anti-abortion laws creeping up all have to do with religious nuts trying to setup shop permanently in our gov't

See thats what I don't understand, if people like to link Ron Paul as a anti-abortion, a closeted racist, homophobe and the like, should he easily win over the real deep down conservative base that went to Santorum?

Quote from Rebound : The polls today decisively say that Santorum doesn't stand a chance against Obama in a Fall match-up: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/...dates.html What do you think? I don't think Santorum will be nominated, but if he were, how could he defeat Obama?

I'd like to say the American people aren't stupid enough to vote Santorum in, but then I remember these are the same people who gave us Bush and Obama...

I think Obama would mop the floor with Santorum, but I'm not sure that's a bet I'd be willing to take.

Quote from OhNoItsDEVO : I'd like to say the American people aren't stupid enough to vote Santorum in, but then I remember these are the same people who gave us Bush and Obama... I think Obama would mop the floor with Santorum, but I'm not sure that's a bet I'd be willing to take.

ehhhhhhh... wrong try again

if americans were stupid Hillary Clinton would be the boss man right now

Quote from Ryu-bom : ehhhhhhh... wrong try again if americans were stupid Hillary Clinton would be the boss man right now

I'd rather have her than Obama.

Quote from Ryu-bom : ehhhhhhh... wrong try again if americans were stupid Hillary Clinton would be the boss man right now

Hillary Clinton has shown that she has more of what it takes to do the job then Obama does.

Quote from Sokiru : Hillary Clinton has shown that she has more of what it takes to do the job then Obama does.

and what would that be?

Quote from OhNoItsDEVO : I'd rather have her than Obama.

I rather not.....

Cause we'll be at war already

Quote from Ryu-bom : and what would that be? I rather not..... Cause we'll be at war already

What makes you think that?