OPINION:
Rick Santorum, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2012 and went on to take 11 state primaries and nearly 4 million votes — more than any other candidate except Mitt Romney — was down to just one supporter in Iowa on Monday.
The staunchly conservative candidate is cross-crossing the state in his bid for the presidency in 2016. But when he showed up at a lunch event at Darrell’s Place in Hamlin, there was just one Iowan there to greet him — and she was the chairman of the county’s Republican Party.
Santorum rolled with the gut punch and ordered lunch. “I haven’t eaten, actually, all day,” he said to his guest, Peggy Toft, also an insurance agent, according to the Des Moines Register.
In 2011, Santorum made stops in all 99 Iowa counties, often playing to small crowds. But that’s all part of the game in the Show Me state, where voters often don’t make up their minds until they personally grill the candidates.
This time, though, there will be more than a dozen GOP candidates wandering around Iowa. Santorum knows what to expect. “It’s not glamorous, and you’re not out there raising money, but you’re doing what the money is ultimately supposed to do — getting votes,” Santorum said earlier in the day.
The Register chronicled the conversation between Santorum and his lone guest:
” ’They’re known for their breaded tenderloins, but there’s a lot of good choices here,’ Toft told Santorum as he eyed the menu.
“Another woman, one of four photographers in the room, recommended the rhubarb pie.
” ’Rhubarb pie? Are you a reporter here?’ Santorum asked.
“Local reporter,” she said, “and I work here part-time.”
“Santorum settled on the tenderloin with a side of onion rings. By the time they showed up, three more Iowans had entered the restaurant and found their way to his table. …
“People don’t understand. One guy in there said, ‘I’ll speak for you at the caucus,’” Santorum said. “That’s maybe eight votes that you wouldn’t otherwise get. Eight votes can make a big difference, as I know.”
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