The big surprise: Santorum is still in it

I never would have thought, watching the first GOP presidential debates last year, that Rick Santorum would still be around and now firmly positioned to take the party's nomination if front-runner Mitt Romney should falter. Had I been picking the early dropouts and the long-term survivors after that first debate, I would have placed Santorum in the former category, not the latter.

I would not have expected Santorum to still be around after Michelle Bachman, Tim Pawlenty and Herman Cain had all thrown in the towel. And I would not have guessed Newt Gingrich's staying power. Although Gingrich fancies himself a great debater whose supporters salivate at the prospect of putting their guy up against Barack Obama, I still see Gingrich differently. A smart guy, yes, but also a lecturing, condescending and sanctimonious guy. Those are not traits that endear candidates to voters. Just ask Al Gore.

Santorum's appeal and staying power surprises me. He has said impolitic, even outrageous things so many times that he should be long gone from the presidential field. His views on birth control, the role of women and defense policy are well outside the mainstream of American voters, but the GOP primary electorate keeps his hopes alive. Democratic strategists are probably hoping Santorum will surge past Romney and get the GOP nomination, thereby handing most women voters over to the Democrats.

I never would have thought that a man who lost his last re-election bid by 18 percentage points could possibly be a serious contender for his party's presidential nomination. Shows what I know.