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Caucus Update: "Pay to Play" edition
Dec. 26th, 2011 02:54 pmOn the shortlist of major plotlines during the 2012 Iowa caucus has been the endorsement of the group the Family Leader, led by Bob Vander Plats.
Everyone who has been following my election posts should be aware of Vander Plats, but to recap, he's a failed perennial candidates. Every state (at least every midwest state) has one. He is so far to the right that he can't even win anything in his party, however, he has such a dedicated small following that every word he has to say gets heard.
The Family Leader endorsement was a prize possession, but if you followed along closely, it was inevitable to be a whimper not a bang. It started with that bizarre marriage pledge (Herman Cain, a former minister, one would think would be endorsed hands down- however, took umbrage at the Family Leader's suggestion he had it so much better when he was 3/5s of a person, and was quickly crossed off the list).
So, it appeared the only way to give the Family Leader any gravitas and any hope of beating Willard was to endorse Newt (Surprisingly, some of the people who were fighting for the "sanctity" of marriage had a problem with that. The next obvious suggestion would be to endorse the woman, and that's just silly.
Thus, it was Rick Santorum who got the nod, despite polling that shows he's running behind Jon Huntsman, a candidate who has literally (save a debate appearance or two) skipped Iowa.
Not for lack of trying though, Vander Plats purportedly called Bachmann, Perry, and Santorum and asked them individually to drop out and throw their support behind one another (in what one assumes, and Bachmann says was a "weird call"). For all the seriousness that the Family Leader gets taken with, they need all three to add up to 20%, and then they're still not assured of beating Paul or Willard.
Even then, Santorum never got the endorsement of the Family leader, just the endorsement of Vander Plats (similar to being endorsed by Billy Corgan, but winning not the endorsement of the Smashing Pumpkins) and equally important far right bigwig Chuck Hurley (Now, like getting the endorsement of Billy Corgan and James Iha, and not being endorsed by the Smashing Pumpkins).
What was with this weird non-endorsement? One figured, it was a safe hedge for when Santorum ends up in seventh place.
Then again, maybe, it's because Santorum didn't pay the money for the endorsement that Vander Plats was asking for.
Yes, the big news story is that the family Leader endorsement was for sale (or in any case,Santorum needed to plop down some money for all those necessary fees that are required to campaign for the guy).
Vander Plats denies all of it. He says he didn't ask for tv ad money from Santorum and he didn't ask Bachmann to drop out. Vander Plats won't deny he's asking for money, and in the 'what the definition of is is" says he never asked candidates for money.
Santorum (who didn't know he was getting the endorsement until the rest of the world heard it) says, "Well, you kinda did."
Everyone who has been following my election posts should be aware of Vander Plats, but to recap, he's a failed perennial candidates. Every state (at least every midwest state) has one. He is so far to the right that he can't even win anything in his party, however, he has such a dedicated small following that every word he has to say gets heard.
The Family Leader endorsement was a prize possession, but if you followed along closely, it was inevitable to be a whimper not a bang. It started with that bizarre marriage pledge (Herman Cain, a former minister, one would think would be endorsed hands down- however, took umbrage at the Family Leader's suggestion he had it so much better when he was 3/5s of a person, and was quickly crossed off the list).
So, it appeared the only way to give the Family Leader any gravitas and any hope of beating Willard was to endorse Newt (Surprisingly, some of the people who were fighting for the "sanctity" of marriage had a problem with that. The next obvious suggestion would be to endorse the woman, and that's just silly.
Thus, it was Rick Santorum who got the nod, despite polling that shows he's running behind Jon Huntsman, a candidate who has literally (save a debate appearance or two) skipped Iowa.
Not for lack of trying though, Vander Plats purportedly called Bachmann, Perry, and Santorum and asked them individually to drop out and throw their support behind one another (in what one assumes, and Bachmann says was a "weird call"). For all the seriousness that the Family Leader gets taken with, they need all three to add up to 20%, and then they're still not assured of beating Paul or Willard.
Even then, Santorum never got the endorsement of the Family leader, just the endorsement of Vander Plats (similar to being endorsed by Billy Corgan, but winning not the endorsement of the Smashing Pumpkins) and equally important far right bigwig Chuck Hurley (Now, like getting the endorsement of Billy Corgan and James Iha, and not being endorsed by the Smashing Pumpkins).
What was with this weird non-endorsement? One figured, it was a safe hedge for when Santorum ends up in seventh place.
Then again, maybe, it's because Santorum didn't pay the money for the endorsement that Vander Plats was asking for.
Yes, the big news story is that the family Leader endorsement was for sale (or in any case,Santorum needed to plop down some money for all those necessary fees that are required to campaign for the guy).
Vander Plats denies all of it. He says he didn't ask for tv ad money from Santorum and he didn't ask Bachmann to drop out. Vander Plats won't deny he's asking for money, and in the 'what the definition of is is" says he never asked candidates for money.
Santorum (who didn't know he was getting the endorsement until the rest of the world heard it) says, "Well, you kinda did."
