The video: Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R) made it official Monday, formally announcing his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. In an appearance on Good Morning America that preceded a speech in Somerset, Penn., Santorum said his campaign has a "lot of momentum" in early primary states, and that he's "in it to win." (Watch the video below.) A devout Roman Catholic who served in the House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995, and in the Senate from 1995 to 2007, Santorum is best known for his strongly-worded, and sometimes controversial, stances against abortion and gay marriage.
The reaction: Santorum's "boldness" has made him a divisive politician, says Ari Pinkus in The Christian Science Monitor. The question now, reinforced by his 17-point loss in his 2006 Senate re-election bid, is whether Santorum is mainstream enough to win a presidential election. He "barely registers" in national polls, says Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times, and if he can't convince conservative GOP voters — his ideological allies — "that he has a chance of winning," even they may not back him. Don't underestimate Santorum's appeal, says Hugh Hewitt at his blog. He has an "endless capacity for the hard work of campaigning," which is just "the sort of virtue that succeeds in Iowa and New Hampshire." Watch Santorum on Good Morning America:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
A running list of RFK Jr.'s controversiesIn Depth The man atop the Department of Health and Human Services has had no shortage of scandals over the years
-
Film reviews: Sinners and The King of KingsFeature Vampires lay siege to a Mississippi juke joint and an animated retelling of Jesus' life
-
Music reviews: Bon Iver, Valerie June, and The WaterboysFeature "Sable, Fable," "Owls, Omens, and Oracles," "Life, Death, and Dennis Hopper"
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
-
US election: where things stand with one week to goThe Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
-
Is Trump okay?Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
-
The life and times of Kamala HarrisThe Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
