We’ve all seen the movie scene when the herd of cattle is
stampeding toward the edge of the cliff. Someone must race to the front of the
herd and turn it before the he
rd topples over to disaster. Most constitutional
conservatives think that America is the cattle herd, and that disaster is
imminent. To mix metaphors, it is as if Barack Obama and his heir apparent
Hillary are pressing the pedal to the metal, and are driving the herd over the
cliff side. Conservatives are desperately looking for someone to turn the herd.
I have no doubt that establishment Republicans can put
forward a candidate who will competently manage the herd over the cliff’s edge.
A McCain, a Romney, or a Bush would make sure that every bovine would keep in
step as it races toward death. The establishment Republican might even slow
down the pace, but the herd would meet its destined disaster, nonetheless.
Based upon their ineffectiveness in the Senate to stop the
Obama agenda, we should envision Republican leaders such as Rand Paul, Ted
Cruz, and Marco Rubio as those cowboys who race to the front 
We’re looking for the kind of leader who not only holds the
right positions, but also knows how to lead—someone who is courageous enough to
take a stand in front of all opposition, and who knows how to work the system
to tur
n the herd.
In his time in public office, Santorum stormed Congress,
exposed the bank scandal and changed congressional practice. Against a
presidential veto, he pressed through Welfare Reform. With cultural winds
against him and the Supreme Court as well, he effectively won the ban against
Partial Birth Abortion. When Senate Republican Mark Hatfield decisively voted
against the Balanced Budget Amendment, Santorum had his head; despite Jesse
Helms’ surprising attempt to protect Hatfield, Santorum’s opposition to
Hatfield culminated in Hatfield’s retirement from the Senate. These were all
herd-turning moments for American life.
The only objection that constitutional conservatives have to
Santorum is the assertion that he has no chance of winning. Yet, the Santorum
campaign is well ahead of its 2012 game when he won the Iowa Caucuses after being
down at 2% in the polls two weeks prior. The fact that the number two candidate
in the 2012 election gets so little recognition from the Republican establishment
is noteworthy. The Republican establishment seems to have little fear of Cruz
or Rubio or Paul, but is deathly afraid of a Santorum presidency. They have
seen him turn the herd before, and they know that his election would mean that
their party is over.
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