Why the Santorum Surge?

Santorum is giving Romney a run for his money--of which Romney has a lot.  And the Republicans should be damned happy about that.

Why?

In the opinion of this Democrat, Santorum has misunderstood why he has surged ahead of Mitt Romney in recent days. "He was beating Romney because he was the conservative alternative, not because he was the social conservative alternative," the Democrat says.  "The deeper in he wades, the more he is going to have to walk it back in order to be in a position where he can actually win the presidency.  His strength as an alternative has nothing to do with social policy."

In his first surge, in the last days of Iowa caucus campaigning, Santorum shot into the lead on the strength of a platform that featured appealing positions on jobs, on taxes, on national defense, as well as the social positions for which he is well known.  Alone among Republicans, Santorum spoke at length about the decline of U.S. manufacturing and the problems of American workers who don't have college degrees.  ("The best speech he ever gave was the speech he gave in Iowa on caucus night," says the Democrat.)  Those positions, along with his dogged determination on the stump, caused many Republicans to give him a serious look.

What that prominent Democrat does NOT say directly is this:  Santorum is rising because he believes what he says.  He believes that manufacturing is critical to a healthy economy.  He believes that family formation is critical to the future of the country.  He believes that every human life is sacred.

It's what's called 'the strength of convictions.'   Most voters are sick to death of the BS and foofoodust of such as Obama and the back-and-forthright Romney and they 'get' that the country is headed over the cliff if we have another 4 years of the crapola.

Will "social issues" kill Santorum in the general?

Nope.

...social conservatism has had a winning track record for the GOP since 1968.

The Democrats who won, including even Barack Obama in 2008, did not play up social liberalism in their campaigns. In 1992 Bill Clinton was a death-penalty advocate who promised to “end welfare as we know it” and make abortion “safe, legal and rare.” Social issues have come to the fore on the GOP side in two of the past six presidential elections—in 1988 (prison furloughs, the Pledge of Allegiance, the ACLU) and 2004 (same-sex marriage). “Those are the only two elections since Reagan where the Republican Party has won a popular majority,” Mr. Bell says. “It isn't coincidental.”  --CC quoting Taranto/WSJ

Fuggedabout the "senior Republican Senator" remarks.  Santorum can win this.