(CNN) – Rick Santorum vowed to stay in the race Friday, saying his lighter-than-usual campaign efforts in Florida were no indication of plans to drop out of the running.
"There hasn't even been a discussion, not even approaching a discussion to discuss a discussion, as to whether to get out of this race," Santorum said on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." "We're in this race."
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The former Pennsylvania senator said his team had begun hiring staff in states that hold contests in March and April, though he did not name the states.
Santorum will return to Pennsylvania for fundraising events Friday and Saturday but said he'll be back on the trail in the Sunshine State by Saturday night.
Saying his campaign had just gotten its "sea legs" in terms of financial support in the last few weeks, the candidate stated his team has raised twice as much money since the beginning of the year as he did in the previous nine months.
"I believe we're going to win this," Santorum said. "It's going to be an opportunity for us to be able to rise and be the conservative that folks have been looking for in this race."
A new Quinnipiac survey released Friday showed Santorum in a close race with Texas Rep. Ron Paul for third place in Florida. The poll showed 12% of likely primary voters were backing Santorum, while 14% were supporting Paul.
The candidate directly attacked the two Republican frontrunners in the race during the CNN/Florida Republican Debate Thursday night, causing some political observers to question whether Santorum was dampening his potential for a possible running mate pick or cabinet position.
But the candidate said he's only interested in one job.
"I have no desire to be anything in anyone's cabinet or anything else," Santorum said. "I'm not making this sacrifice…to do anything but be the President of the United States."
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"There hasn't even been a discussion, not even approaching a discussion to discuss a discussion, as to whether to get out of this race,"
Dr. Seuss would be so proud!!
More of the same......................RON PAUL 2012!
He's still running? I thought he dropped out about the same time Bachman did. Who knew?
the GOP has issues with both Mitt and Newt, yet I don't see them coming out in full force to back Ricky either. I thought if anything Santorum would do better in SC than he did seeing the type of folks that live there but he failed to do so. His message of social issues just is not what most people in this economy care about right now. If President Obama when elected had 7 kids half of them home schooled I would bet he would have been attacked by the right for being not responsible for having so many kids. Rick can get away with it of course but that really doesn't matter he'll never move into the White House anyways. He can perhaps blame the 'blah" people for that.
Say goodnight now Rick and save yourself all that money. You are a first class nut job of the far extreme right and the American people have no taste for your brand of politics or governing ideas, your lack of believing in science or your weird views of the world and the bible.
No, you're not....
No Ricky, you're really not in the race. Take a pill and try and pull yourself into reality.
Well,I hate to break it to you buddy! You shouldn't be! Just go home!
sorry kiddo, the party's over for you. At least the one for President of the U.S. Maybe you should hightail it over to the Vatican; maybe you could use your skills in the next Inquisition.
This is classic === Santorum is out of votes and running low on money == he is staying in to do one thing, pull votes from NEWT. A vote for Santorum is a vote fro ROMNEY!
If you see Santorum get a key position after all this you will know this was a buy off to shield him from NEWT.
The establishment is working overtime.
Santorum needs to take a chill pill before the vein in his neck or forehead burst. Dude looks like he's constantly one twitch away from blowing a gasket.
Get lost, Rick. You have even less chance than that crazy Gingrich. You are wasting your money and the country's time. We are just about sick of the clown car of Republican candidates that have been presented this year. Although, since I am an Obama supporter, it has been rather amusing, but enough is enough. The nominee will be Mitt, and that is that. He is the only one of you who does not seem crazy. You've had your chance, now go home!
Slip n Sliiide on out the race Santorum lol!
The Holy Rick Santorum beleives alof of things other people should follow, though he himself is exempt from such things. Such is the life of a proseletyzing hypocrite.
►Santorum: 'We're in this race'
More so NOW because ginGRINCH proved he is a disgrace
So I don’t mind hanging around while ginGRINCH implodes
I’ll be the next “Flavor of the Month” but this time, remain on the high road!
Santorum: 'We're in this race'
***********************
Ummm, no you're not. Sorry to break it to you in a place like this.
Mr. Frothy is sticking around to drive up the price Karl Rove will pay him to leave. Either that or he's already getting money from Rove to siphon votes away from Newt. It's all wonderful theater in Rove's Plan to Elect the Next Neocon Robot.
it makes rick feel good to be in the final 4. hey that 's good enough reaso to stay in.
Rick's major campaign contributor, K-Y JELLY, is pulling out just as Santorum started slipping down the poll Now the Newt is on top of the poll. Santorum needs another thrust from behind to get back up on the poll and Mitt is just the guy to do it.
If Santorum really believes he is going to win, he is delusional. You can't win a party nomination getting single or low double digit results in a primary.
All anyone needs to know about our political system is embodied in Rick Santorum. How this disgusting, narrow-minded, war-mongering, religious bigot, Dark Ages thinking cretin was ever elected to Congress shows how utterly stupid the voters of Pennsylvania were for several years. When they finally woke up, he was defeated in a landslide. We don't need him anywhere near the White House period.
I've never understood why Santorum never really got traction in the GOP. Well, he did get some traction in Iowa but he had to put so so much time into that. Being liberal myself I don't like his ideas, there is no war that he doesn't want to start, a give all the money to the rich so they can help the poor plan for the economy and a my church's moral values should be everyone's value approach. Even though I don't support these ideas, they are ideas I thought Republicans would like. But they apparently don't. Why? The only thing I can come up with is that he doesn't look the part. He doesn't seem to have the demeanor or physicality of an alpha male. That can't be it, can it? Conservatives, help me. Why don't you vote for this guy?
lol what a nerd..... No one wants him not even his wife!
This guy has gone from amusing to downright scary. He is delusional and so completely out of touch in his views (intervention in other countries no matter the cost or lack of justification, big government intervening in private family issues, demonization of anyone who deviates even slightly from his point of view, etc., etc.) that we should all be very afraid of him, no matter which side of the aisle you're on.
Santorum was tossed out by his own state and quite handily, too. He is not wanted in his own backyard let alone by America on a national level.
This is a guy who brought his still born infant home to show his kids. He couldn't have brought them to the hospital?? I have the greatest sympathy for their loss but that action alone is so utterly creepy (and probably illegal) that we should question this man's sanity.
He is an egomaniac bent on shoving fundamentalist Catholicism down our throats via legislation. He is truly dangerous and he makes 43 look awesome (and sane) by comparison.
Really??? Did any of the posters actually see the debate? Rick (Not Ricky) is easily the most focused, informed and presidential in the bunch. His comments were directed to the issues that we all should be concerned with and I personally liked his stand on government bailouts of "too big to fail" corporations.
If you think militant religious fanatics, of ANY faith, want to hold hands and sing Kumbaya around the campire, you're delusional. While a core belief in goodness in your fellow man is a admirable quality, it requires a more realistic response to those that wish to cause your family and fellow man harm.
Romney strikes me as a puppet and Newt overzealous and headstrong. While I agree with some of Paul's ideas, his car runs off the road on foreign policy.
If you are uninformed, please leave the political discussions to the grownups!!!!