Rick Santorum Campaign Near Its End After Recent New York Times 'Bull Shit' Comment

In an unusual turn of events on Sunday, Rick Santorum cursed out New York Times reporter Jeff Zeleny by calling Zeleny’s coverage of his campaign “bull s---." Santorum dropped the S word after becoming flustered by questions regarding his own harsh words on how Mitt Romney is the “worse Republican in the country.” In hindsight, this action may be the last straw for any rational GOP voter in the remaining primaries and caucuses as this outburst seems to showcase Santorum’s insecurity.

With a poor showing of 273 delegates (to Romney's 568), even after his surprising string of wins in the South, Santorum has stubbornly chosen to continue his campaign in spite of the fact that most GOP and independent observers have called his fight futile and divisive. 

Santorum’s cussing was not reported by the New York Times’ coverage of his campaign. Santorum was asked on Fox News about his rather overblown response, which he responded by saying, “If you haven’t cursed out a New York Times reporter during the course of a campaign, you’re not really a real Republican, is the way I look at it.”

To many, this seems to be an act of desperation to stir up the conservative base by starting a conflict with the “liberal media.” In many ways this action is true to Santorum’s nature as a candidate – as his combustive and ideological approach is what makes him a winner among the GOP base, while making him a big loser among moderates and independents due to his lack of substance on policy issues.

Theatrics is what Santorum is good at. He did not disappoint when he attempted to explain his action in a press statement, which said, “Earlier today, while campaigning in Wisconsin, I criticized Romney and Obama for their outrageous health care legislation. Predictably, I was aggressively attacked by a New York Times reporter all too ready to defend the two of them, and all too ready to distort my words. Let me assure you, I didn’t back down, and I didn’t let him bully me. I think it is high time that conservatives find the courage to expose the liberal press for what they are, a defender and enabler of Romney’s and Obama’s liberal agendas.”

Do these actions and words reflect those of a confident candidate or a sore loser at the end of his rope? Hardly. It seems that despite the bravado he puts up, Santorum knows that he’s going to lose to Romney. Like his previous gaffes – including his comment about Obama being a “snob” for wanting all young people to have the chance to attend college – Santorum is running a triage operation to cover his behind for his foolish words. The question posed by Zeleny was legitimate given what Santorum said during his speech. The reaction was overblown and seems to be bad political sportsmanship on the part of Santorum – who seems to have either a poor grasp on how to handle public relations or has an itchy trigger on his “conservative” tactics and thinking that impel him to be a natural lightening rod for the GOP base.

The fight may go on in the primary race – much to the detriment of the GOP in the fall and the boon of Obama and the Democrats – but this seems to be yet another nail on Santorum’s political coffin in 2012. Telling reporters – even liberal ones – to “[q]uit distorting my words...It’s bull s---” doesn’t seem to make you a better candidate when you must run as the GOP nominee nationwide and not in GOP strongholds.