Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has continued to bounce back through adversity with a lacking bankroll and resources in the 2012 Republican primary.
I’ll admit, I harbor little praise for the ultra-conservative, radical Catholic GOP candidate, but even I can commend what he and his staff have pulled off up to this point with limited resources against the money-machine that is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Disadvantaged in almost every category against Romney, Santorum has placed a big emphasis on soliciting himself in person, using what’s known as “retail politics” to help bolster his image. Santorum’s campaign has invested much less in ads compared to Romney, simply because it doesn’t have the money. Santorum began using the retail politics game to his advantage during the Iowa caucuses, working all 99 counties extensively and doing more than 350 events over a year’s time.
On Tuesday night, Santorum was in Louisiana speaking to supporters in the ballroom of the Lafayette Hilton. Lately, he’s blanketed the South, with wins in Alabama and Mississippi on Tuesday, and said he expects a “huge win” at the Louisiana primary election next week.
From the beginning, it’s been a roller-coaster ride for the presidential hopeful.
In January, it was Santorum who defied all odds and took home the Iowa caucuses. Then things went downhill quickly for Santorum, as four dismal showings in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada threatened his contention for the Republican nomination. Three days after finishing dead last in Nevada, Santorum swept Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri to breathe some life into his cash-strapped campaign.
Fast forward three weeks. Santorum was blasted in the Arizona primary, but finished the day on a positive note – earning a virtual tie with Romney in the state of Michigan.
Oh, and did I mention Romney was born in Michigan and his father, George, was governor of Michigan for three terms?
The circus then turned to Super Tuesday, the day that Romney was supposed to all but lock up the nomination. Instead, it was Santorum who made headlines and continued to defy the odds by winning several contests, while going toe to toe with Romney in the battleground state of Ohio.
Going into the primary season, it was reported that Romney was worth an estimated $250 million, while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was valued at an estimated $6.7 million.
Rick Santorum, respectfully, was reported as being worth an estimated $1.9 million.
When you look at it from that perspective, it’s truly remarkable to see what his shoestring campaign has accomplished. In a political era defined by the deepest of pockets, it has been Santorum lacking the finances, yet still piecing together the puzzle to make a serious run.
Romney has out-spent Santorum and had the advantage of stronger campaign organizations since day one. The pro-Romney super PAC “Restoring Our Future” spent double what the Santorum-supporting “Red, White and Blue Fund” dished out in television, radio and print advertisements in Michigan, with little evidence the money influenced voters.
According to The Washington Post, the pro-Romney super PAC has already spent nearly $34 million in early presidential primary states on his behalf.
The super PAC aligned with Newt Gingrich, “Winning Our Future,” has already dropped $16 million.
Then there’s the “Red, White & Blue Fund,” which has only spent around $6 million.
Santorum couldn’t even afford to run television ads on his own behalf without the support of his super PAC, while Romney’s campaign has spent more than $55 million. Per vote received, Romney has spent an absurd $17.14, while Santorum has spent $2.54 per vote received. According to The Huffington Post, on Super Tuesday alone, Romney and his supporting super PAC spent an astounding $36,360 on advertising per delegate won.
You’d think the former CEO of a private equity firm could equate how to reduce his campaign’s cost per vote, but I digress.
There is no salary cap to campaign contributions and no limit to expenditures. It’s a flawed system that has misplaced the advantages to those with the wherewithal for an obnoxiously excessive campaign.
On a level playing field, it would be hard to imagine Romney as a frontrunner. And if spending were capped at a reasonable level, it’d be just as easy to imagine Santorum sweeping the nomination.
Matthew Westfall is a 23-year-old mass communication senior from Winchester, Va. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_mwestfall.
 
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