Romney Campaign Press Release - Conservatives React to Santorum's Indifference to Re-Electing Obama

Hot Air's Ed Morrissey: "Seems That Senator Santorum Has Forgotten The Purpose Of The Republican Primary." "It seems that Senator Santorum has forgotten the purpose of the Republican primary. It's to choose the most successful candidate to beat Obama in the general election.  It isn't to test a few candidates to see whether the goal of beating Obama is worth the bother." (Ed Morrissey, "No, Senator Santorum, Obama And Romney Aren't The Same," Hot Air, 3/23/12)

The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes: "A Monumentally Stupid Thing To Say." HAYES: "Well, his campaign will say he was talking about the reaction of voters but it certainly if you just take his words literally, certainly sounds like he was saying there is no difference whatsoever between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney which is a monumentally stupid thing to say. I mean, clearly there are major differences between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. ... To suggest that there is no difference between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama goes well beyond where most primary Republican voters are likely to be right now and I think you could see a real backlash from this comment." (Fox News' "Happening Now," 3/23/12)

Human Events' John Hayward: "A Disaster ... Absolutely Unacceptable." "Santorum's musings about settling for Obama Part II instead of Romney are a disaster. ... What will weaken the Republican candidate is outbursts like Santorum's, which weaken conservatism, or the Republican Party itself. Turnout will be a crucial factor in this election. It is absolutely unacceptable for the Number Two candidate to tell his supporters they might as well stay home if the other guy wins the nomination." (John Hayward, "Santorum: We Might As Well Stick With Obama If Romney Is The Nominee," Human Events, 3/23/12)

National Review's Andrew McCarthy: "He Needs To Lie Down And Get A Grip." "[Romney] is so much better than President Obama that it is like comparing last year's Green Bay Packers (a playoff team with some glaring flaws) to the '76 Tampa Bay Bucs (an unmitigated disaster). At times when the intensity and sleepless nights of a tough campaign prevent Rick from seeing that, he needs to lie down and get a grip." (Andrew C. McCarthy, "Pro-Mitt Argument Of The Day," National Review, 3/23/12)

Commentator Bernard Goldberg: "Santorum Went Way Too Far." "It's time for Rick Santorum to go. He's getting more whiny than usual and it's getting tiresome. ... Santorum went way too far in saying Romney is no better than President Obama, prompting this entirely accurate headline in the Washington Post:  Santorum says voters might as well re-elect Obama because Romney offers little difference." (Bernard Goldberg, "Time To Go, Rick," BernardGoldberg.com, 3/23/12)

Hot Air's Allahpundit: "I'm Actually Amazed." "Faced with the reality that his chances have collapsed, the Sweater Vest begins to unravel ... I'm actually amazed he's making this argument given the hard feelings it'll engender among Republicans who'll soon be rallying around Romney in an 'anybody but Obama' fervor." (Allahpundit, "Santorum: Maybe America's Better Off With Obama Than Taking A Risk On An 'Etch-A-Sketch' Candidate," Hot Air, 3/22/12)

Townhall's Kevin Glass: "A Sign Of Seeming Desperation." "In a sign of seeming desperation, GOP candidate Rick Santorum suggested on Thursday that another term of President Barack Obama would be preferable to the election of Mitt Romney. The surprising statement came as Santorum was campaigning in the