5 reasons why Santorum’s bid fell short

Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign certainly exceeded expectations, but stumbles at key moments prevented the former senator from defeating Mitt Romney for the 2012 Republican nomination.

At different points in 2011, Santorum appeared frustrated as flawed candidates such as Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann grabbed the mantle of the conservative alternative to Romney. With the exception of Gingrich, they all fell as quickly as they shot up the polls.

But unlike all of those White House hopefuls, Santorum had a real shot of toppling the former Massachusetts governor. Yet, he couldn’t pull it off.

The bottom line: Santorum famously exclaimed, “Game On!” following his strong showing in Iowa. But when the spotlight was especially bright, he didn’t shine.

The following are the five reasons why Santorum fell short:

1. Not moving the anti-Romney movement
   
2. Missed opportunities
   
3. Gaffes of his own
   
4. Disappearing in debates
   
5. Organizational limits
   

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