If it's true that Santorum suspended his campaign to spend time with his ailing daughter

[mac56]

I must admit that I admire that.

I wish the best for the girl, and the whole family.

Just my .02

[hlthe2b]

1. I'm sure that has to be a signficant part of the reason, BUT...

I also think it was, long term, his only "real play." He was going to lose his own home state which would have left real lasting damage, coming on top of his fiasco of a Senatorial campaign loss. This way he gets to avoid that, saving face in the process. And, they can merely point to the need to tend to his ailing daughter, which makes him look quite noble. I'm sure he cares for the child, don't get me wrong, but it has handed him a "graceful out."

[mac56]

2. Yeah, I guess I can see that.

[ingac70]

3. That kid has been ailing since birth....

Frothy was gonna get his ass handed to him in PA... to spare himself the embarrassment of losing his home state, so he will be the guy who is on top in the GOP primaries in 2016 (they always go with last times runner up) he got out while the getting is good.

Given the nature of Bella's illness, it has been known since she was born she could go at any time.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Those are my thoughts as well.....

[hamsterjill]

23. Mine, too.

While I won't go so far as to accuse Santorum of using his daughter's illness to his advantage...well that thought has crossed my mind.

I wish nothing bad for the little girl, or the family as a whole, but I found Santorum, the candidate, mean and nasty and vile.

[Politicalboi]

5. He's avoiding getting his ass kicked in Pa

Although I'm sure he is concerned about his daughter.

[LynneSin]

25. If he was that concerned about his daughter then he wouldn't have run in the first place

The life expectancy of those children born with Trisomy 18 (if they even live thru their birth) is about a year. Bella is alive on borrowed time, probably because her dad can afford the very expensive medical care required to keep her alive.

I know this sounds heartless but Bella isn't the first child born with Trisomy 18, just most who are born with this condition are from families who don't have the financial means to to pay the medical care required to keep the child alive.

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. It's the right thing to do.

"Admire?" Not so much.

Dad found a fisherman's wallet on the riverbank in front of our house once. He called the fellow (by looking up the name on his ID in the phone book) who promptly retrieved it. The guy was shocked that the money was still there.

Later, dad said that this kind of pissed him off. "What? He was expecting me to have stolen it? Why should someone be surprised that people do the right thing?"

Let's say his decision isn't an item to add to the pile of reasons why Rick Santorum is a jackass.

[Daniel537]

7. Don't think i'd use the word admire.

I think any normal parent would get out if your child's health were the issue. I'd admire Santorum if he supported health-care for all, but he doesn't.

[mac56]

11. Yeah, agreed.

"Admire" is probably not so accurate after all.

[NeverEnuff]

8. Bye bye Rick

Who cares why he quit as long as we don't have to listen to his ridiculous rhetoric.

[WI_DEM]

9. A good decision, but if he were leading for the GOP race, I'll bet he wouldn't be

suspending his campaign.

[mac56]

10. true

[appleannie1]

12. If that were the main reason, he would have quit months ago when she had double

pneumonia. All he did then was fly home for one day. I think the main reason is he thought it would look bad that he could not even win here in Pennsylvania, his home state. And it was obvious that he could not win the nomination even if he did manage to squeak by here.

[polichick]

14. Sadly, I think that's about it.

[Maeve]

13. There is just one question I'd like to ask him before he goes

And I preface this with all the best wishes for his family...

While I am sure they consider their daughter a blessing and I do not dispute that, could Mr S please look at the hospital bill for just this one stay BEFORE INSURANCE PAYS and tell me what that one bill would do to a family making $50,000 (above the average) that did not have insurance?

[mac56]

16. +1000

[MatthewStLouis]

17. Excellent point!

These right wing (supposed Christian) jerks just shrug their shoulders and say the parents should have bought insurance.

[polichick]

18. Great question!

[LisaL]

15. He knew she was ailing before he started his campaign.

Her condition is nearly always fatal.
She already survived longer than most children with this condition.

[grandtrio]

19. Santorum gets his soul cleansed

"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
Woody Hayes

[toddwv]

20. It's a load of shit.

He suspended his campaign because he didn't have the numbers to win PA. To lose his home state to Mittens would've been a serious embarrassment which would have hurt his speaking circuit pay, destroyed his credibility and make it unlikely that he could mount any type of campaign in 2016.

[grandtrio]

21. BINGO !!!

It's all about power and dollars. A loss in PA would hurt his chances to have either.

[TBF]

22. Other politicians have done the same - Teddy Kennedy years ago

for example (may have been '80 when he bowed out of a primary challenge ...). It's just an easy thing to say. All the same I wish he and his family well on a personal level and am very glad he's out for whatever reason.

[LynneSin]

24. He suspended his race because he didn't want a 2nd massive loss in Pennsylvania

It's one thing to lose your senate election in your technically home state (2006 he lost by 19 points to Bob Casey Jr.) but at least he could justify that he lost to a candidate from a very popular political dynasty in Pennsylvania (Bob's father was a very popular 2-term democrat governor in Pennsylvania). To lose big to an outsider would have really made Santorum look like a big loser and hurt him when he tries again 2016