Rick Santorum: GOP shouldn’t nominate ‘Tweedledum and Tweedledee’

In a speedy pre-debate speech to a gathering of southern Republicans, Rick Santorum tried out a new line and a new backdrop in his campaign to seize the conservative South Carolina vote from Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, who are leading him in the latest South Carolina polls.

Standing in front of a line of uniformed cadets from the Citadel, Santorum told the crowd that the former Massachusetts governor and former House speaker had supported a mandate that all Americans have health insurance, the theory of global warming and the bailout of Wall Street banks.

“How are we going to differentiate ourselves on the major issues of the day if we nominate Tweedledum and Tweedledee?” the former Pennsylvania senator asked, triggering loud applause at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in the College of Charleston’s basketball arena.

Santorum, as he has done at appearances for days, laid out his election history, skipping over his last race for Senate, which Gingrich likes to note he lost by a record margin. He told the audience that his upbringing in blue-collar, steel-country Pennsylvania and his unapologetic conservative values made him the best candidate in the GOP presidential primary to win Reagan Democrats.

“We’re going to win or lose this election based on about 10 states,” he said. “I come from one of those states. I come from a background and a town where there were lots of Reagan Democrats.”

He also argued that he was the best candidate to appeal to the party’s base and to the tea party, which he said had energized the GOP two years ago.

Winding up, he reminded the audience of the news that he had actually won Iowa with 34 more votes than Romney, who had originally been declared the winner with just eight votes.

“We have one state under our belt and now we have an opportunity to surprise again,” he said. “Don’t compromise. Vote for the principles you believe in and vote for me for president.”

Tripp Wiles, a 38-year-old Charleston attorney, got the message. He said Gingrich was an impressive speaker and had the buzz. “Right now, it looks like Gingrich has a better shot,” he said.

But after listening to Santorum, he said he’s leaning toward supporting him because Santorum shares his views on the issues that are most important to him: opposition to abortion and limited government. “I admire someone who stands up for his principles and convictions,” he said.