Santorum and backers huddle on path forward

Getty Images/Joe Raedle

(CBS News) Prominent conservatives backing Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said a loss in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary could be "crippling" to his chances of winning the Republican nomination.

The conservative heavyweights met Thursday with the former Pennsylvania senator to reassess his campaign's path forward.

"I think it would be crippling, but I don't think it would be the death of the campaign," said Rebecca Hagelin, a conservative writer and columnist who participated in the meeting via telephone. "It is very difficult for anybody to continue when they have lost their home state."

Santorum grew up in Pennsylvania and represented the state in Congress for more than 15 years before he lost his Senate reelection bid in 2006.

Conservative activist Richard Viguerie would not say Santorum would have to drop out if he lost the Keystone State, but he questioned Santorum's next steps.

"I'm not sure I see a way forward if you don't carry Pennsylvania," Viguerie said.

Viguerie added that the conservatives who met with Santorum today presented "bold" ideas for how he could prevail in the primary, and that several of those ideas would be adopted as early as next week. He would not provide any details of the new strategy.

"The number one problem I expressed is that we've lost control of the narrative," Viguerie said. "Between the media, the Republican establishment, the Romney campaign, the message out there is the campaign is over with."

A recent Quinnipiac Poll gave Santorum a six point edge in the state, down from 14 points less than three weeks ago.

Today's meeting in the Washington, DC area also included a discussion of what the Santorum campaign sees as the media's inaccurate delegate allocation.

"The math is wrong on the delegate count that is being put forward by the establishment part of the Republican party," said Hagelin. "Because Senator Santorum is being outspent, it's very difficult for him to fight this establishment message that Romney's campaign is putting forward."

In a memo circulated by the campaign, adviser John Yob pointed to upcoming county and state party conventions that will vote on unpledged delegates. The memo also signifies that the campaign hopes that Republican National Committee (RNC) rules will require Florida, Arizona, and Puerto Rico to award their delegates proportionally, instead of on a winner-take-all basis.

"They broke RNC rules by going winner take all before the window and therefore RNC Members and/or the convention will enforce the rules and make the delegations proportional," wrote Yob. "This will reduce Romney's delegate total substantially and increase the other three candidates' respective delegate totals."

Yob also said that Texas, with its 155 delegates, was considering a switch to a winner-take-all allocation system rather than proportional. However such a move would require the Republican National Committee to grant the state party a waiver, an outcome seen as highly unlikely.

CBS News estimates that with 630 delegates, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has more than half of the 1,144 delegates he needs to secure the nomination. Santorum trails with 246 and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Congressman Ron Paul have 128 and 45 respectively.

Both Viguerie and Hagelin said today's meeting participants did discuss Gingrich, but that there was no talk of a coordinated effort to get him to withdraw from the race.

"We talked briefly that he wasn't helping right now and if we could have gotten his votes in Wisconsin, we would have won," Viguerie said. "We're pretty much all in agreement - Newt's going to stay in and there's not much we can do about it."

Viguerie also had some harsh words for front-runner Romney, who Viguerie believes has used the millions of dollars in his campaign war chest to tear down his conservative rivals.

"Conservatives are just furious at him," Viguerie said. "He's made zero attempts to reach out to us. All he has done is attack our candidates out there. How he unites the party escapes me right now."

[realist2010]

Not one TEA Party extremist made it through the REPUBLICAN primary process. See how popular you guys are?

We're not laughing with you, we're laughing at you. Maybe it's time you admit to your doctor what you've been doing? They have medicine that might help.

[MTATL67]

Rick Santorum is delusional if thinks he'll ever be POTUS.

[BOB-C]

Remember, Sunday is reserction day. That's what he needs, a come back from the dead miracle.

[anonymous010]

"I'm not sure I see a way forward if you don't carry Pennsylvania," Viguerie said.

There's no way forward for him whether or not he wins anything. He's done. Stick a fork in him. Even if we go by Santorum's delegate "math", he still has to win at least 65-70% of the remaining delegates to win the nomination, which won't happen. It's funny - he contends he's the best suited to take on Obama, and yet he can't even win within his own party.

[payasyougo]

Conservatives - tired of voting for Republicans that result in a slow death by a thousand cuts, Republicans that when you look at their record you can't tell the difference from a spend like you can print as much as you need money for the vote Democrat, Republicans like Romney that will say whatever it takes to get elected and then get into office and do whatever it takes to stay elected. Get used to this environment. It's not changing.

[1stlttightwad]

Sounds like Obama in 08' doesn't it. Trouble is Obama has already been shown to break promises. At least with the Repubs there is a 50/50 chance..I'll go with the odds.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Looks like being a religious fanatic gets your ticket punched for you.

God told Perry to run - toast.

God also told Bachmann to run - toast.

God also told Cain to run - toast.

Santorum then takes up the "Jesus candidate" role - toast.

[dodinyc]

Oh tighty - You don't seriously still believe he is muslim, do you?

[longtree-2009]

it's their money but conservatives should realize they are throwing good money after bad. meaning that even if santorum were to be the nominee, he would have the same chance as an ice cube in a blazing fire of defeating obama. the gop is not entirely conservatives or evangelicals else how did obama/biden win by a landslide giving the conservative evangelical darlings mccain/biden a humiliating defeat? thinking the gop has more moderates and centrists than gop conservatives realize these days. santorum would ensure an obama victory. besides santorum has already endorsed obama indirectly if he himself is not the nominee. santorum is not a gop team player, so to speak, but an opportunist to the max.

[jimhale4]

Losing in his home state?
He already has...way back in 2006.

Crippling to his campaign?
Yes, losing in 2006 has been crippling to his campaign all along.

Santorum and a way forward?
He has none. Neither does Viguerie.

[MarkMerowitz]

Now Santorums supporter are on denial with making all these accountings about the delegate counts. You guys are pathetic. All alone everybody knows that your bigotry is not funny anymore. A vote for santorum is a vote for obama. Santorum will lose in Pensylvania and it has to end there. Mitt will be President this coming November.

[BOB-C]

You need to take a writing and composition course in the fall.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

"I'm not sure I see a way forward if you don't carry Pennsylvania," Viguerie said.
---
Please find a way.

I love to watch repubs torpedoing each other.