Foster Friess Introduces Rick Santorum
Conservative Political Action Conference
February 10, 2012
Marriott Wardman Park
Washington, DC

Foster Friess: Life is just so much fun and so filled with humor.  There's a little bar a couple doors down, and recently a conservative, a liberal, and a moderate walked into the bar.  The bartender says, Hi Mitt!  [laughter; mixed response from crowd]

Now people ask why I support Rick Santorum.  I've known him for 16 years, and he's a dear friend.  When he's out of office it was a challenge.  I've never won a dollar from him on the golf course; he's competitive, he's a fighter.  But the minute I saw him speak—exuding from this man—the minute I saw him speak, his authenticity.  And what a nice contrast in the debates ahead, the authenticity of Rick Santorum with the audacity and deceit with the current president.

This is the kind of combative spirit that we're going to need to win and he has the three rungs of the, the three legs of the Reagan stool.  But I'm not supporting him because he's my friend and I like him and he loves God, loves his family, loves his country.  That's not why.

And I'm not supporting him because I agree with all his policies, because I don't.  And we've consumed a lot of slices of pizza to no avail.  He's so convicted I can't move him to any of my ideas which is distressing to me.  You know guys with big egos think they have to have their way all the time.  But here's why I support him. 

Not only does he has the best chance of winning, but maybe the only chance of winning.  Why don't we learn?  We cannot continue to support these experienced, wonderful war horses, these veterans.  It didn't work with Bob Dole.  It didn't work with John McCain.  The Democrats learned it didn't work with Al Gore and it didn't work with Kerry.  How do the Democrats win?  They bring these fresh faces.  They bring Clinton and Carter from out of nowhere.  They bring Oback Obama from beyond nowhere. 

Rick Santorum was described by a blogger named [inaud.] at one of these events.  He says, you know Mitt Romney—I'm sorry Newt Gingrich is the visionary, Congressman Paul is an ideologue, Mitt Romney is an executive; Rick Santorum is a servant.  And as he goes around and speaks this is what resonates.  And when he gave his Iowa speech, this is what one press pundit said: "This could be the first time in history that the Republicans run a blue collar candidate."  And he identifies and has been able to defeat—he had a million more Democrats registered against him, he could win in Pennsylvania because he reaches out to that blue collar worker. 

You know the grandson of a coal miner has an advantage over some guy who makes a lot of money.  That's not fair.  I make a lot of money.  I don't like the fact that I'm discriminated against and considered even evil because of it.  But the reality is the grandson of a coal miner has a huge opportunity to identify with those guys that are out there working hard.

And the other thing I love about Rick Santorum.  You'll never hear him say anything divisive.  Nothing is ever divisive.  He'll challenge people's positions, but he brings people together.  He doesn't talk about the rich and the poor and the middle as like we're three different classes.  When he speaks, and maybe I'm stealing his speech, but we're all in this together.  And so we have to bring America back to the America that we're all in this together—rich, poor, white, black, Catholic, Jew, whatever.  That's what makes America great and that's what each of you, each of us have to work hard to achieve.

It reminds me of a cute little story.  Young fellow runs his car into the ditch, buries his hubcaps, mud all the way up, can't get out.  Calls the farmer to bring his percheron horse, big hoof like this.  Hooks percheron on to the thing.  Farmer says, "Pull, Bill" and nothing happens.  "Pull, Todd."  Nothing happens.  "Pull, Charlie" and nothing happens.  "Pull Homer."  Pulls him right out, slick as can be.  Kid says well that's pretty impressive but why do you have to call your horse four names before he'll do anything.  "Well you see, son, Homer's blind.  If he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't  give a d--n."  [laughter]. 

So, I now I have the greatest honor to introduce a man who will bring all four of us to the chore, unite us all.  I want to welcome, I want you to give a welcome to the next president of the United States, Rick Santorum..