IOWA FALLS, Iowa—During a campaign stop at a coffee shop Tuesday morning, Rick Santorum worked to recapture the Iowa success that helped spark his run for president in 2012.
At the coffee shop in Hardin County, Iowa, as locals enjoyed their morning cup of joe, the former Pennsylvania senator spoke on national security, the economy and what makes him different from other 2016 presidential candidates.
Santorum, focusing on hard-to-win swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Indiana, made his pitch:
“The message we’re trying to deliver is we’re going to help those who have been for the last 40 years left behind by Washington and the economy.”
Santorum believes he has the leadership ability to win a presidential election—and make a difference if he were to assume the Oval Office.
“It’s not just having the right vision for the country, it’s being able to execute,” Santorum said. “The real question is how effective can you be in winning the election and then after winning the election, how effective can you be in actually delivering what you say you’re going to be able to accomplish.”
Rick Santorum spoke Tuesday at The Coffee Attic/Book Cellar in Iowa Falls. (Photo: Leah Jensen/The Daily Signal)
Running a low-budget campaign in 2012, Santorum won 11 states and finished in second place behind Mitt Romney for the GOP nomination (including winning Iowa).
“We’ve shown we can do a lot with a little,” Santorum told the crowd. “We’ve been vetted. We’ve been tested.”
In response to an audience member asking how he has changed since his previous campaign, Santorum answered:
“Going through the experience campaigning in 30 states is a tremendous experience. You run a campaign and you realize that the best thing to do in your campaign is to quit worrying about everybody else, quit trying to be on the attack mode all the time.”
He continued:
“For me, this is a race where I’m going to step back, not worry about anybody else and just try to be who I am. I’m not running against anybody this time. I’m running for something. I’m trying to run for America.”
Claiming Hardin County as the 29th county he has visited in Iowa this year, Santorum had more town-hall style meetings planned in the state throughout the day.
