HRC Blog

Rick Santorum is not likely to win the GOP nomination – but make no mistake about it, he represents a constituency Mitt Romney needs to energize if he wants to win the presidency.

We ran a piece on the Huffington Post today taking a look at how Santorum’s staying power with ultra-conservatives could translate into a prolonged presence in a Romney administration:

So where could Mitt Romney turn in order to make himself both palatable to his conservative base and tap into an economic populism that he's also missing? Enter the former senator from Pennsylvania who knew how to get out the evangelicals in Iowa and at least talks a good game when it comes to restoring American manufacturing.

Being Mitt Romney's number two isn't the only possibility for Santorum, though. If he's not determined vice-presidential material, there are always cabinet posts. With a strong showing in South Carolina or even faring decently in Florida, it's not inconceivable that Mitt Romney would signal Santorum to be someone he'd consider for an appointment. Stop for a minute and imagine what would be scarier than Rick Santorum as Department of Health and Human Services Secretary?

Rick Santorum is a man who has made discrimination against LGBT people a guiding principle of his public life. While the idea of Santorum as commander-in-chief may be far-fetched, the possibility of him anywhere near the levers of power is this country should be a gigantic wake-up call for all fair-minded Americans.

Read the full piece.