Santorum: 'I'm open' to 2016 bid
(CNN) - Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum hinted Monday he may see another presidential run in his future.
"I'm open to that possibility," the Republican said when asked on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" about a 2016 White House bid.
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"But we're a long way..." he added, pausing, then continuing, "I'm focused right now on trying to stay involved in the fray and make sure that we do the right thing up on Capitol Hill right now."
Santorum proved a tough opponent to Mitt Romney during the Republican presidential primary, ultimately forcing the contest to run as late as April when Santorum dropped his bid and paved the way for Romney to clinch the nomination.
Since then, the social conservative launched a nonprofit group, "Patriot Voices," which advocates conservative causes and backs conservative candidates. The former senator also has maintained an active role as a political commentator and was an occasional surrogate for Romney during the campaign.
Santorum said Monday he was also focused on the Republican Party's inner debate about its future, adding that he wants to make sure "that we're going to be very active and engaged and stick to America's founding principles."
The former senator first told The Weekly Standard on Monday that he was "open" to another run.
His comments come one day after another 2012 Republican presidential hopeful said he hasn't ruled out a possible bid. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sunday he has "no idea at this stage" whether he'll make another attempt at the Oval Office.
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This is like a B horror movie. He just won't go away!
Please God, don't let HIM in!
Oh for God's sake. NO to both of them. Surely there are much better candidates out there. Let's all make a committment to voting in the primaries and to insisting on better candidates.
By the time the election comes around he, like romney may be able to pull off a nomination. However, the outcome of the election will mamke Obama's seem like a nailbiter. Sanorum will scare moderates and non-zealots alike.
Yea right
America has soundly rejected the diseased ideology of conservatism. The GOP will only hasten their imminent extinction if they run Santorum again. So please GOP, run him again.
Awww I get it now....gop finally sees that we the people are behind Mr Obama. New strategy compromise to a degree. Show you can work across the aisle. Try to embrace all people especially latinos. Get the country moving again so in 2015 they can control both houses and the white house. Probelm is they've already showed their hearts and hands.
Lots of luck, GOP, with a re-run starting those 2 super clowns.
GOP needs to change its attitude on middle class America–till then humiliation is inevitable like last election.
Santorum may be open to another bid for presidency, but I think very few Americans are! In his assertion that we must stay true to "founding principles," he left out the word "Christian" which is his belief & platform! Problem is, this country was founded on the principle that religion should not be used for governance, hence the separation of church & state! Santorum wants to turn America into a theocracy & most Americans don't want government mixed up in their religion & vice versa! He is part of the very extreme teavangelicals, whose ideas were recently soundly rejected! We want freedom to worship how we see fit & government out of our bedrooms, while he persues the excact opposite of that! I don't see him as having any chance to make POTUS, any more than he did this time!!
Gingrich is no more than a cartoon character, Rubio isn't sure when the Earth was formed, Santorum is the typical Conservative male who is angry that not everyone thinks and believes like him. These idiots have no clue the majority of this country wants to climb out of the stone age. If this is all the right has to offer, again, 2016 will be another Democratic landslide. Imagine a debate between Santorum and Hillary. Everytime Santorum speaks, Hillary just says, "shut up Ricky". I would consider Hillary the winner of that debate.
OMG!!! Has this idiot been sleeping through the longest rethug primaries (of which he was a participant) and then "the we don't want you ro yours to tell us hat to do with our bodies" until the right man was elected?
i thnk the rethugs are drinking their own Kool Aid but it's tainted with stupid!
Gotta love this!
The thought of Santorum winning the nomination is so warped.
When will the few remaining moderate Republicans take back their party from people like Santorum, Palin, and Limbaugh!
if the GOP wants to finally make headway with women, minorities, youth and the gay vote then this is their perfect candidate to run in 2016......that would mean the Dems will win the election for the 3rd straight time.
Please dear lord let Santorum be the GOP nominee. DNC by a landslide in 2016!
This guy is delusional. He was soundly rejected by his Pa. constituents, rejected in the Republican primaries despite a field that skewed weak (Romney, Gingrich) to crackpot (Trump, Cain, Bachmann), and yet he still gets people with cameras and microphones (they USED to be known as "journalists", back when they actually did useful reporting before joining the entertainment industry) to pay attention to him. I, for one, welcome him to the 2016 field. We saw how abortion ideologues did this year.
I guess his unemployment benefits have been drained by now, and he could use a real job...
CNN where are the poll numbers?
But honestly – the President has not even been sworn in and you start floating balloons already? PLEASE, GIVE US A BREAK!!!!