Santorum gives emotional speech, waits for Iowa caucus results
Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania congressman, jokes about the abundance of Pizza Ranch restaurants in Iowa while addressing the crowd at his post-caucus party at Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston on Tuesday, Jan. 3. He attributed Iowa’s cuisine, notably that present at the Iowa State Fair, for the “reason I don’t have my jacket buttoned up tonight.”
January 4, 2012
The nervous crowd broke out into rounds of “God Bless America” and “Amazing Grace” as more precincts in Iowa called in numbers, and the number of votes between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum grew fewer, at Santorum’s post-caucus party in Johnston.
Parker Grease from West Des Moines said he picked Santorum because he is very consistent in his right to life.
“Strong families build a strong America,” Graese said.
He said he also likes the idea of being able to choose how children are educated, as well as Santorum’s foreign policy ideas. He said he had only decided to vote for Santorum Tuesday morning.
Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz introduced Romney to the stage.
The crowd was yelling, and Santorum’s daughters raised their joined hands in a show of victory, but the voters still didn’t know whether he had won.
Santorum began his speech with a two words: “Game on.”
“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you,” Santorum said. “My best friend, who sings it back to me when I forget the words, is my wife Karen.”
Santorum also spoke about his grandfather, who worked hard as a miner in Pennsylvania, encouraging Americans to work hard and stressing his importance of family.
He thanked the people of Iowa for being bold and leading.
“You have taken the first step to taking back this country,” Santorum said.
He said the country is not as safe as it was and the economy is in terrible condition.
“The essential issue in this race is freedom,” Santorum said.
He said America needs to decide whether it is up to the government to decide things, or if it’s up to the people like the Founding Fathers thought.
Santorum said he has a plan that would save $5 trillion over the next five years.
“I also believe that we as Republicans have to look at those who are not doing well in our society,” Santorum said.
Santorum also spoke of his daughter Isabella who wasn’t supposed to live past her first birthday, but she is now 3 years old.
He said she couldn’t join them tonight, but added, “What motivates me is the dignity of every human life.”
He then said, “We are off to New Hampshire.”
He added that he has campaigned more in New Hampshire than John Huntsman, who lives in New Hampshire.
