OKLAHOMA CITY — Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum criticized the failure of the “Obama-Clinton” foreign policy at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, while saying the GOP needs to better connect with many voters who have given up hope.
Instead of focusing on answering questions about President George W. Bush’s handling of the Iraq war, Santorum said, Republicans need to focus on President Obama’s decision not to make a ‘real effort’ to defeat the Islamic State.
“Trying to nail Republicans for what happened six years ago is irrelevant; what’s relevant is the policies of this president that created ISIS,” Santorum said. “Ladies and gentleman, this is not a war on terror … this is a war on radical Islam and you have to name the enemy in order to defeat them.”
Santorum has not done well in recent polls. He registers the support of just more than two percent of voters in the RealClearPolitics average of polls. In 2012, Santorum defeated Mitt Romney in Iowa, and has since said he expects the same level of support in Iowa. But evangelical Christian voters that were crucial to his success in Iowa will have many other options in 2016.
Santorum appears to have recognized this and used his time on stage to highlight his stance on immigration to broaden his appeal. Santorum expressed his desire to reduce illegal immigration and restrict legal immigration, so as to benefit American workers.
“I’m for what’s best for American workers and wages so American families can provide for themselves,” Santorum said. “We need a vision that’s pro-growth, pro-worker and pro-family.”
Santorum said he intends to release a plan that would “eliminate the IRS as we know it” in the coming weeks. He has previously said he plans to make his decision about whether to run for higher office public next week.
