Is Rick Santorum Serious About Advancing the Social Conservative Agenda?

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On the evidence, I have to conclude "no."

That evidence is that, as of a few hours before the final pre-Florida-primary debate, he has failed to do what Rick Perry did last week in South Carolina -- end his campaign and endorse Newt Gingrich.

The math isn't that complicated:

• Santorum isn't going to be the GOP nominee, and if his IQ is larger than his shoe size he knows he's not going to be the nominee.
• After Gingrich wins Florida, he'll run the table. He won't need Santorum's endorsement or support, and he won't owe Santorum's social conservative supporters anything at all.
• However, as of today, it is just barely, possibly plausible -- if we stretch things quite a bit -- that Santorum's support could make, or his non-support break, Gingrich's Florida prospects, and that Newt as POTUS would look benevolently upon, and seek to repay the support of, Santorum's social conservative supporters if Santorum delivered said supporters into Gingrich's column. Offer good today only, of course.

So, is Santorum in this thing to advance his supposed agenda, or is his campaign just a personal ego altar on which he'll happily sacrifice that agenda in return for a few more days of adoring rope lines and increased face time on the idiot tube?

I guess we'll find out one way or another within about four hours.

Related articles

• Santorum: Sticking it out, if not in Florida (tampabay.com)
• Newt to Santorum, Perry: Drop out (politico.com)
• Debate Could Be Key Moment In Fla. Primary (miami.cbslocal.com)
• Social conservatives start to coalesce around Santorum (Cameron Joseph/Ballot Box) (memeorandum.com)
• SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES UNITE FOR SANTORUM (Universal Uclick/uExpress) (memeorandum.com)