The trouble with Rick

Vodkapundit picks up the story of Rick Santorum trailing Bob Casey Jr. in the polls in PA, 52 to 34.

The Santorum story is a classic lesson of politics. In large part, Santorum's troubles stem from the conservative movement/party machine divide that we're currently seeing very clearly on the right. Santorum has tried to play both sides- to be a conservative embraced by the movement but also a party guy, supporting Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey in the Republican primary. That support, in a tight race decided by 2 points, is costing him.

The movement considers itself above partisan politics. It isn't about the party label, though the Republican one will almost always be the closest match, it's about the ideals with one ideal held above all others. If the libertarian right of the blogosphere is wholly wrapped up in the war on terror, the conservative right of America, the people who actually volunteer their time on campaigns, write letters to the editor, follow their state's legislation iniatives and consider themselves part of a larger cause to influence not just the country toward conservatism but also the Republican party to stay true to their conservative ideals, can not be separated from their abortion politics and their pro-life beliefs. Abortion is the issue, the dealbreaker issue for most movement conservatives. The fact that Santorum, once considered true-blue on the abortion issue, supported pro-choicer Specter against firmly pro-life Toomey, left a bad taste in the mouths of conservatives. The additional problem, of course, is the fact that Casey, though a Democrat, is pro-life as well. Suddenly, the movement, which gave Toomey nearly 50% of the vote in the primary, doesn't have to choose between a pro-life but wishy-washy Republican or a pro-choice Democrat. They don't need to suck it up and vote for Santorum, they have other options.

There's plenty of time left, over a year in fact, and I'm certainly not calling this race for Casey. But the Santorum lesson is one that should be heeded by conservatives abandoning their principles to make nice with the party. Yes, conservatives will most often vote Republican but all it takes is a pro-life Democrat and a Republican seen as lacking a backbone, and the conservative vote can not be assured.